Porter Pan; the cow head that refused to grow up

This beautiful cow head was created in less than a month. The flocking is especially impressive. The artisans who made it, coated the foam rubber with medical adhesive, charged the whole thing with electricity in a special room and blasted it with cow hair... a very realistic effect.

What I am making this week...

So today I was at the fabric store buying six yards of lime green corduroy.  The woman measuring the bolt casually asked "so what are you making?". With equal ease I answer "I'm making a giant Peter Pan costume for a cow"

(pause)

The woman stops as though in a time warp and looks up. 

"yes, for a cow"

Time continues and all the woman can say is, "bring a picture, that's something I'd love to see".

To keep afloat in these dry patches we must find interesting jobs to get us through...
I cannot publish the preliminary plans for the Porter Pan or any of the other cow-stumes I'm helping with but below is the cover for this year's cow calendar just to give you an idea;

Another sinking Ship

There are many businesses that are doing poorly in this economy. Any lack of diligence in financial spending from the past is suddenly catching up with everybody. Depending on corporate sponsors who are failing can sink a non-profit's income rather quickly, and any number of other factors unique to each company will lead into the sudden discovery that there is no more pay-roll past a certain week.
American Musical Theater in San Jose found themselves under a $2M debt because of a bad business deal and have already gone down with Chapter 7 bankruptsy
Shakespeare Santa Cruz recently needed a bail out of $300,000 and miraculously made their goal.

This week another local company is facing financial crisis. Instead of commenting on it at this point, I am simply posting the email that we were all sent. It may edify, and who knows, some angel may decide to give them the $300,000 that they need... I wish them luck, mostly because I like working there;

**** the email ****

The Magic Theatre Must Raise $110,000 By Friday [January 9th]:

Please Help Magic Reach Its $350,000 Goal

Please donate now to save this treasure of American Theatre

https://server15.lfchosting.com/pursued/magic/pages/donate_form.shtml

San Francisco's nationally acclaimed new plays theatre, MAGIC THEATRE, has raised $240,000 since its initial appeal seven days ago. With the funds raised, we began rehearsals for our next production—Tough Titty by Oni Faida Lampley—slated for previews beginning January 24th. Our staff, furloughed for two weeks, is back at work with pay. In order to continue the 43rd season beyond Tough Titty and stay open, MAGIC must raise a total of $350,000 by January 9, 2009. The funds will allow us to retain staff, continue the season, and remain responsible to our creditors.

In a world where more and more theaters are eliminating the challenging and risky work of mounting new plays altogether, please help us fulfill our commitment to new work. We're $110,000 short of our goal. You can make a difference. Please donate now.

Our core value of risk over commercial gain makes MAGIC a challenging endeavor in any economy, and going forward, MAGIC is committed to a new model of financial stability for a new world—without compromising our mission. Today however, MAGIC's accumulated debt of $600,000, combined with sharp declines in earned and contributed revenue due to the global economy, place us in imminent peril of shutting our doors in March.

Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Paula Vogel explains the importance of Magic's mission in this letter of support. Please click here to read A Message from Paula Vogel.

For 42 years, San Francisco 's MAGIC THEATRE has been central to the cultural life of the Bay Area and beyond, giving life to some of the most important, diverse, and powerful voices of contemporary American artists, including four Pulitzer Prize winners. From its humble beginnings in a Berkeley bar, MAGIC has emerged as one of the crown jewels of American Theatre. For those of you who have sent us money, large amounts and small, we are grateful. If you have waited, please donate now.

In an attempt to close the gap between MAGIC's expenses and revenue lost as a result of the recession, the Board, in concert with the staff, raised additional funds and cut the $2 million budget by over $300,000. The closing of MAGIC THEATRE would be a great loss for artists and audiences here and across the country. The second largest theatre in San Francisco , MAGIC employs 200 artists annually and touches the lives of tens of thousands of people. We need to keep our artists and our work on the stage!

Artistically, MAGIC is thriving, building upon its rich legacy under the artistic direction of Loretta Greco, who joined the theatre last spring. The critical success of the first two productions of this season demonstrate the rigor to which MAGIC adheres in each aspect of new play production—and the hoped for excitement, awe, and wonder that come from watching great art play out for audiences.

We need your help to raise $110,000 by January 9, 2009. Please help us keep our doors open by making a donation today of $15.00 or more. Please give whatever you can to save MAGIC THEATRE. No amount is too small or too large. Each of you can make a difference.

Musicals Everywhere

News that Shrek is becoming a musical left me bemoaning the sad fact that there is so little original thought that goes into musical theater these days... and then I found this;

Financial crisis sinks AMTSJ

A former employer of mine is no more. As of Wednesday last week the entire company closed down. For the full (official) story check this link; AMTSJ closed
and/Or This Link for the SF Chronicle's article...
or Here for Dallas' statement on their "indefinate postponement" of the show that essentially broke the camel's back. Rather fittingly you will notice that the woman issuing the statement's last name is "Hatchett"

Advice from 1850

Today I was reading through the Godey's Magazine and Lady's Book from 1850.  I thought I would share a tid bit of the advice from it...

"VARIOUS USEFUL RECIEPTS, &c. OF OUR OWN GATHERING;

To remove stains from Silks, Linins and Wollen Stuffs-- Mix a wineglassful of rectified spirits of turpentine with half a teaspoonful of essential oil of lemons and keep it in a well-stopped bottle. Apply a little upon the stain with a bit of woolen or silk.  The colors of the fabric will sustain no injury from this application.

To remove freckles-- freckles may be removed, we are told, but do not vouch for it by the frequent application of spirits diluted, or alkaline solutions the latter of just sufficient strength to prick the tongue.

To cleanse the hair-- It is recommended to use a little soda in the water instead of soap.  Rosemary steeped in water cleanses the hair nicely; or an egg well beaten and mixed in warm water has the same effect.

A Piece of Good Advice-- Never seem wiser or more learned than the people you are with.  Wear your learning like your watch, in a private pocket, and do not pull it out and strike out merely to show you have one."

A Trauma of Redcoats

The British are coming! The British are coming! And boy do they look tacky!

For the past three weeks I've been on the hunt for British Redcoat costumes. Apparently they are not a readily found item... most of what I've found has looked like this;

and this;

which would be ok for Halloween (maybe) but we're really trying to make it look like this;

I've had several restless nights dreaming about redcoats. Either not being able to find them (a realistic variety of dream), being carried away by a tacky polyester clad British army (a slightly rediculous variety) and being buried in them (um... an obvious viariety)... until finally I found a store on ebay that sells these;


Normally these take a 3 week turn around but after several emails and finally a "I trust you just call me" phone conversation with a very nice and well educated vendor I've managed to get us four Revolutionary War costumes that will be beautiful and fit our actors. Hallelujah! Pass the ammunitions! Here's my $1300 and I am doing a Happy Happy dance around the living room.

Curtian Call/Costume Parade

Well, the theater posted this online and I think it's a pretty good costume parade...

Comedy of Errors photos

Right now I'm so tired and yet awake... not awake enough to make sense, but awake enough to post a few photos... I did bring the film camera this time. Bought a new battery for it and let's hope that's enough. If nothing else, the producer took some good shots to share with me and these at least give you the idea of what the show looks like. I'm actually pretty happy with it.

Comedy of Errors Research

I thought I would show off some of the inspiration for my next show, The Comedy of Errors.  

I am drawing a lot of inspiration from the Tokyo counter culture scene (the Harijuku style).  Bright loud colors, odd proportions... fun.

I hope to figure out how to put some crazy dreads on stage, and crinolines...
The Courtesan is going to be very Rockabilly/Bettie Paige... sexy!

That's it for now... updates to come (most likey on Postcards)
Ta for now!

Troilus and Cressida Research

For the Curious I decided to post some of the research I did for Troilus and Cressida.

Here you see the Trojan army; based on Iraqi/Middle Eastern military.  In the end I changed the Trojans into a blue uniform that would have been truly useless in the desert, but prooved useful to tell soldiers apart on stage. What carried over was the cut of the uniform and the way they are so well tucked together. Priam (The King) had one scene that wound up being cut...

The greeks were inspired by the US Army, and a little by Apocalypse Now and Mad Max

These were images for Thersites; the narrator/ magpie/ camp follower... part Greek, part Trojan, mostly just looking to survive.
The Greek Generals;
Cassandra (the woman who foresaw the destruction of her family and city) was put in a straight jacket... and Cressida (a pretty war trophy) was intended to be modern day Mid-Eastern beauty.
For production photos click here.

Evita Fittings

This week began the epic journey that is Evita.  There is a cast of 34 including teenagers and children.  The average cast member has about 7 to 10 costumes each.  That's only the amount of costumes, the changes are more than that because they repeat a few of those.  We now kiss our free time adios... and get hunkered into the routine of frantically setting up alterations between fittings that last about two hours each.  Today we spent two hours with our Evita and we will have at least another two fittings with her... all I can say is thank goodness she is a delight.  She mentioned that there were a few videos of her on youTube that she can't bring herself to watch... however I decided to look her up and found the video at the bottom... the one good thing about doing a stressful fitting week is that the cast is fun and being with a bunch of theatricals isn't so bad most of the time.

Thank You Google!

I Googled my name and found that I got a mention for my Octopus costumes in a theater review;



It's only one line, but hey my costumes were "a visual treat"

Awesome!

Clothing word of the Day

Since I am doing Sweeney Todd right now I was thrilled to learn This word;

Brought to you via Dictionary.com;

tatterdemalion \tat-uhr-dih-MAYL-yuhn; -MAY-lee-uhn\, noun:
1. A person dressed in tattered or ragged clothing; a ragamuffin.

adjective:
1. Tattered; ragged.

Last time peasant blouses surfaced, in the 1960s and '70s, they were part of an epidemic of Indian bedspread dresses, homemade blue-jean skirts, Army surplus jackets, Greek bookbag purses and love beads, the whole eclectic tatterdemalion mix meant to express egalitarian sentiments and countercultural solidarity with underdogs everywhere.
-- Patricia McLaughlin, "The peasant look", Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine, April 25, 1999