But before I go off about that - I should say something I feel VERY proud about is that every day I have gone in and put in an extremely good days work. To the best of my knowledge - this has been recognized by the creative team and older cast members. Both of the directors (or rather the director and choreographer) have complimented my acting numerous times. The director even praised me in front of the entire cast, which made me feel very proud, and pulled me aside and told me "I knew you could play this role (Mrs. Pearce) and you are proving me right." This made me feel exceedingly happy as the role of Mrs. Pearce (which I understand) is SO AGAINST MY TYPE it's not even funny. I play young glittery fairies. Mrs. Pearce is an old stern head of the house staff maid. The lady who actually plays Mrs. Pearce was out for all but the last two days of rehearsals, so I played the role throughout all of rehearsals. I recently learned how ridiculously lucky this was, because the best of my understanding, I will be the only understudy the creative team sees and works with. I am told they "leave" after we open, and understudy rehearsals start the next week. The music director and his assistant keep talking about my "opera training" which cracks me up - since I actually have none, and the music director mentioned that he thought I would sound beautiful singing Eliza's songs (he's right - lol) and that he wanted to talk to his friend who works with the NYGilbert and Sullivan society (an EQUITY G&S group about me.)
The older cast members are where I have found my kindred spirits. The lady I understudy is a HUGE John Adams (composer) fan - and saw Nixon in China a few times. As did the lady playing Mrs. Higgins, who happens to be a member of Mensa, and she brings me videos to watch and publications to read. The man who plays Doolittle is very similiar in that he brings me podcasts and c.d.s to listen to and tells me stories of his "life in theatre" which makes me feel as though I am back at the RSC. Pickering, Higgins, and Eliza are also incredibly kind wonderful people, as are the "crew" (i.e. stage management, lights, props, sound.)
However, the girls with whom I share a dressing room - make me want to scream. I come to this production having worked at VLOG and Amore where I had to freaking help build the set and sew my own costumes, I have WORKED as a dresser, stage manager, lighting designer, props person, producer, assistant director (aka - director bitch), dramaturg, front of house, etc... I have worked with some of the best companies and directors in the world, and I have worked with some of the worst, I have tried to self produce/fill every role in a theatre, and I have been the lead in an opera. So I come to this production - thrilled to be performing in a professional theatre, excited to create "magic" for the audience - for the show is TRULY one of the most elegant productions I have ever seen. (Kat and Cara were SHOCKED when I said I loved the directors, had NOTHING to criticize, AND that is is a traditional production sung in English where people aren't dressed in tin foil or something else weird and artsy.) And these girls - you would think they were having cavities filled. EVERY second all they can talk about is how HORRIBLE everything is. But not just that - they throw diva fits. For example, our very first run through with costumes and back stage crew, a costume was not put where it needed to be. So this girl THREW HER SHOES at the the dresser who was trying to help! SHE THREW HER SHOES and started shouting about how this is NOT acceptable! WHO THROWS THEIR SHOES AT PEOPLE!?!?!?!?!?! IT was the FIRST time we ever even worked with costumes, how was the dresser even supposed to know where the costume was supposed to be!? Do NOT throw your shoes at ANYONE nikita kruschev on CRACK! Also, our transporation van broke down (well - it didn't break down really - that's another reallllly long story) - but point is - we dont have a van, so the theatre has been paying for our round trip train rides. At $18 a head, I think that's pretty generous. PLUS - they pay for the taxis from the train to the theatre. However, THIS apparenlty isn't good enough because one of the girls lives in BROOKLYN and the train only goes to Grand Central station (MIND YOU - THE VAN ONLY GOES TO 50th STREET - which has less trains than Grand Central) and she threw a diva fit about how she needed a special car/transportation to get her home because it took her an HOUR. WTF!? From Grand Central it takes MEEEEEEE an hour too! SHUT UP and DEAL WITH IT! We aren't in minnesota - BE HAPPY! We had to stay late for a photo shoot. Mind you, I'm vain and LOVE having my photo taken (see facebook) - but these girls threw a FREAKING FIT over having to stay and hour for photos during our FOUR AND A HALF HOUR DINNER BREAK! And during the group shot - they shouted mean things at the photographer such as "did you see the show - if you did you would know this isn't a pose in the show" or "You should watch the show." I mean - GUYS - we WANT PUBLICITY photos to be taken! We want the show to sell! PEACE OUT! Then these girls - who are NON-equity - starting bitching the the stage manager about how it was AGAINST the equity rules - so IIIIIII - as the "Equity Deputy" had to site the rule book that said no equity rules were being broken. And just EVERYTHING to them is horrible - the costumes, the wigs, the hours we have to be there, the fact the "have" to perform, or they "have" to dance, or how they are already sick of the show and we have FOUR HORRIBLE MONTHS OF THIS SHIT TO GO. (UMMMM - would you RATHER be working at anthropologie as a retail assistant - because THATS what you were doing the day before rehearsals started - stop bitching and be HAPPY you get to PERFORM and BE PAID! Or else - GO BE ON WALLSTREET and at least make decent money for your misery!) It drives me INSANE! Fortunately - I can escape with Mrs. Higgins, Mrs. Pearce, or Doolittle. A few of the tech crew said they appreciated me being nice to them, and I said - I've put in my time as a techie - and they said OOOOOH! Now it makes sense! When I said something about the costumes not being so bad (in fact - they are rather beautiful) one of the girls yelle at me about how I was WRONG - and I wouldnt be saying that if I had as many quick changes as her! (For the record - as a "singer/non-dancer" I am exempt from all the scene changes for some reason, tehrefore have less quick changes - but also manage all the "quick changes" with myself and the other singer/non-dancer - who is LOVELY. It's really just the dancers. GAH!
But overall - the show is BEAUTIFUL - its a gorgeous production -and the leads are PHENOMENAL! We've had standing ovations every night, and huge audience reactions - laughing, sighing, gasping, swooning, they seem really into it. The stage is a thrust stage, which is what the RSC uses, and it is therefore my favorite - and the production is just wonderful - in all my snobbery - I wouldn't change a thing!
I just hope dressing room life gets better...
No comments:
Post a Comment