Raj Dash says he hasn't searched much and hasn't turned up many performing artists on Twitter. In his post he offers tips for why performers and entertainers should use Twitter to build brand and a following. Makes sense, just like it does in any other of life's many pursuits. By the way, Raj, I can be found on Twitter here and I tweet quite a bit about my professional theatre exploits, among many other things.
Some Sunday morning reading to share.
Is this a sign that this year really might turn into 1968 all over again? Maybe we need it to.
Lessing, Google, Obama and Jesus: a net neutrality mash-up. Via Ars Technica
Lincoln Chafee lets us in on the behind the scenes on the Bush Tax cuts.
Hugh MacLeod is thinking of expanding his canvas from the back of business cards to abstract paintings on canvas. I like the idea, Hugh.
My buddy, and fabulous actor, Larry Dahlke, weighs in out theatre's leaving Front Royal.
Dave Winer on what to do about the Reverend Wright.
Clinton wants a Lincoln-Douglas style debate. I'd love to see it. I'm sure it wouldn't raise the level of questions asked on her part though.
James Kendrick on Dell saying they'll still sell you Windows XP.
Frank Rich is counting Democratic chickens before they hatch (or get nominated.)
Saying the Electoral College map has shifted in favor of the Democrats is like saying all of the 1st round NFL draft choices will be stars.
Tonight will be more than a bittersweet closing night for our production of Driving Miss Daisy. This has been a very successful run, of a wonderful show, performed brilliantly by a wonderful cast. Audiences have been moved very much by the show and those performances in our wonderfully intimate performance venue in Front Royal at the Royal Phoenix. We will certainly miss this show.
But we'll also miss this performance venue. When we moved into the Royal Phoenix, it was as a temporary move while we did some major construction and renovation at our home in Middletown, Virginia. That work is just about complete and we are preparing to reopen on July 12. That will be exciting. But during this year, many of us hoped that we could somehow find a way to maintain both performance venues and thus hopefully take some very necessary steps to help insure a better future for Wayside Theatre.
Alas, that is not to be. We had sought additional funding to maintain both. It would have required an expansion of staff to do so. But that funding was not forthcoming. So, as we strike the stage after the final performance of Daisy tonight, we will also begin striking a theatre as well.
I have to say my heart is very full of a lot of emotions about this, as are the hearts and souls of the other artists at Wayside Theatre. This year has been traumatic, as we knew it would be, so there were no surprises there. What did surprise us though is how much some in our community tie the theatre to a building, its location, and its appurtenances.
When we began performances in Front Royal there were (and still are) so many who wouldn't come there to see a show because it wasn't the theatre in Middletown. Now that we are preparing to leave Front Royal, (that news has only been out for few weeks) I'm hearing that folks who liked the theatre there won't come to Middletown. What's that old line? You can't please everybody?
What's sad, troubling, and at times almost debilitating for me, is that while the physical is certainly important to the theatre going experience, and both spaces have their charms (they also each have more than their share of quirks and problems), what makes it theatre, what makes it breathe, what makes it live, are the artists. In a world where figures, real estate, and stuff mean more than the ephemeral ecstasy of a brilliant moment of truth living and breathing on stage, or of a child experiencing the magic of Shakespeare for the first time, or an audience being swept away in unison by a musical moment that transcends the real world, it is hard to imagine anything beyond just how disposable art really is to so many. I am experiencing this at the moment as a very personal and also a professional failure on my part, for not being able to make that case clearer and with a clear enough definition that would perhaps have made a difference.
So, tonight we when take the final bow, a play will end its run, a theatre will end its life, and the artists who made both live for a brief time in the minds of its audiences will move on to their next challenges.
Put out the light, and then put out the light.
Othello, Act 5 Scene 2
I'm not trying to be boastful here, but with a great play, Driving Miss Daisy, and a remarkable cast, I wasn't expecting anything less than good reviews for this superb effort by Wayside Theatre. Although the predilection to talk on and on about the movie when reviewing a live theatre piece always puzzles me.
Below are links to two reviews that I hope you'll take a look at. I agree, the show is a gem.
UPDATE: The Winchester Star seems to be having some difficulties with their site at the moment. Keep trying, maybe it will resurface.
I love working with actors (ok, sometimes it is a love/hate thing) because you come in contact with some many great people and get to touch so many different spheres of life. Every now and then though, I get an opportunity to work with an actor who is also a geek freak or gadget head like myself. Elliot Dash, who is playing Hoke Coleburn in our production of Driving Miss Daisy, is not only one of my favorite actors to work with (he's outstanding as Hoke, and was amazing as Othello) but he's a bigger geek and gadget lover than I am. Here's a shot of us at the theatre from last night's rehearsal getting all touchy with the the iPod Touch.
Driving Miss Daisy has its first two preview performances today and it should be a good day. We've had a great rehearsals, the cast (Faith Potts, Elliot Dash, and Jim Fleming) are doing astounding work, and I think we've wrestled the tech under control. This is a simple and fragile show, and simple is always hard to do, especially in an small intimate theatre. Every breath is important and resonates with tremendous power. That's what will make this show great, or conversely knock us down.
In any regard the latest Wayside Theatre podcast, featuring the cast is now up, and you can catch it here and listen to the cast talk about what they are thinking about the show.
I'm looking forward to seeing audiences watch the show today and what tweaks we'll make after we get those first responses.
Location, location, location. Let's hope that's not the case here.
A great article in the Richmond Times Dispatch about private donations and the arts in the Commonwealth, at a time where we are seeing state cutbacks. This article focuses on the Richmond area, and it makes me wonder why we don't see a similar climate here in the Northern Shenandoah Valley region when it comes to supporting what the arts bring to our region.
Our production of Romeo and Juliet, which completed its run last night, is a typical example. Cast with mostly local teens, alongside a few professionals, the show was a splendid success with audiences, but we have very little luck finding donors to support these sort of efforts. Even we tell them the great success stories.
Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be talking a bit more about this struggle on Wicked Stage, as we move forward to our season opening in June. We've got to change the conversation in our area in a big way if we are going to continue, and I hope the folks who understand the importance of the arts in our area will lend us an ear, and some support.
Here's a link to a an article in the Northern Virginia Daily on our upcoming production of Driving Miss Daisy. We're having a blast working on this delicate little flower of a show. We hit the hard scenes towards the end of the play this afternoon, but this cast just shines.
Check out the article. More importantly, come check out the show.
I am not in the least knocking the mostly teen age cast of our production of Romeo and Juliet when I say this. That group of kids (and some adults) is amazing and wonderful and will always been near and dear to my heart. But what a delight to walk into rehearsals for Driving Miss Daisy with this cast of three pros and get down to work. Things are still nuts here with my schedule, and rehearsal is about the only time that I can focus on one thing at a time. And it is made even easier to do with Faith, Elliot, and Jim, as we plow through the script and bring the show to life. We're having a blast, working hard, and making some great things happen. Makes me want to actually go to work in the morning. (Even though rehearsals aren't until the afternoon.) Audiences are in for a treat.
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