War Music

... the new piece at ACT in San Francisco, War Music, had this promo video. I know many of the actors in this piece and they seem excited about it. Hope to attend and follow up with a review...

Orginization?

These were at a small theater company I visited and my head hurt to see the "orginization" there... This is what happens when you leave things to unsupervised volunteers... Here is a sample of the problem;


Take a good look at the boxes above... Let me take a moment to explain exactly what is wrong with this;

"Cumberbunds + Suspenders"
1. It's spelled Cummerbund
2. The box also contains Sashes
3. Cummerbunds and suspenders do not serve the same function and are not used in the same outfits (the suspenders that are hard to get to amongst the Cummerbunds are going to be used much more frequently)
--Solution--
Put the suspenders in their own box, cummerbunds and sashes are ok to mingle

"Teddies, slips, bras+ tops/ Bum rolls pads, etc"
--ok this is an everything box full of things that you don't have a lot of, you are forgiven, although a box of slips alone would be useful.

"Goggles + knee pads"
1. Eew
2. actors also say "EWW"
3. anyone who has worn knee pads while working hard can tell you why this is bad. Imagine a lot of sweat, imagine crawling on the floor... now put those sweaty dirty things in a plastic bin to stew with things that go on your face... even if you had washed the knee pads before putting them in this box (which you clearly did not) it's not sanitary,
--Solution--
Put knee pads and elbow pads in their own box, and always CLEAN them before storing them.
Keep Goggles with sunglasses

"Ties + Scarves"
1. So you're putting together a nice suit for your leading man, all you need to complete that outfit is the perfect... scarf? Really?
--Solution--
Use your head, think about what you'll be needing when you reach for a tie, what it will be going with. The only thing that would be ok to have with your ties might be bow ties... although in fact I find that putting ties in a box just leaves you with a nasty tangle of ties that take forever to look through.
Hang your ties, box your scarves, ne'er the two shall twain.

--This has been a public service, thank you--

A bloody buisness... (not for the faint of stomach)

Every time there is a show with blood it seems there is a need to re-invent the wheel.

The problem with there not being an obvious method is that every show has a different need for effect and application of blood.  
For one show the blood is supposed to come "gushing" from a wound, or the floor, or come dripping down from the skull... For another it may be a bloody nose (that is supposed to just coagulate and not run alot) The best and only kind I use for scabs and bloody noses is Ben Nye's fresh Scab.

There are different colors and viscosities.  
As far as viscosities go there are bloods formulated to be pumped through tubing called, oddly enough,  "pumping blood".

The pumping blood is most usually needed for "blood razors" in shows like Sweeney Todd.  Here is a video a prop master made to display his version of a blood razor;

Towards the end of the video you will notice that he tilts his hand away and you see that his thumb is on the expired blood pack attached to the razor (quite a handsome design I might add)

Colors;

Varieties of colors are typically "dark" and "light" with a wide variation therein between brands.  Mostly the color is chosen by where the wound is and how fresh it is ("arterial blood" is un-oxegenized and is darker whereas "venous blood" is generally brighter).  Often the lights will also factor in as to how bright blood should be (if there's a lot of blue light, the red of the blood becomes florescent and darker liquid is needed).  

A little tip though; blood can be made darker with a little green food color and brighter with a little glycerine or shampoo.

 Some blood is formulated to be safe to have in your mouth (not ingested) called "mouth blood". There is "film blood" that isn't uncommon on stage but what makes it special is that the color is especially realistic, and there is also just run of the mill "stage blood" that is usually too thick to go through tubing at a rapid rate but still a somewhat realistic viscosity to look like a wound. Usually your run of the mill "stage blood" is best in blood packs for war wounds and hand held head wounds. 

Drying is also a factor to consider.  When cleaning up blood, you want it to be wet, but if an actor is "bleeding" all over the stage it makes everyone's life hard.  

Many people will swear by some special blood formula that they've created but really unless you're in need of a lot of blood for a show (where the cost becomes prohibitive) I find that the commercially available stage bloods are best.  Mostly because of all of the engineering that has already gone into the commercial bloods they actually do what they are advertised to do and I find that they are more consistent and don't cause staining as much as the home made variety.

Re-inventing the wheel often means experimenting with new varieties of blood in order to insure that you get the correct drip time and color for your specific scene.  It also involves testing to see which kinds will stain skin;

and fabric.... you will note that I've tested three different types of fabric as well (Poly, silk and cotton)

Whenever you see blood on stage there has usually been  a great deal of experimentation with types and production meetings involving phrases like;

"when you gouge an eye, how much blood does it actually contain?  Would it just be clear?"

  "we'll let's pretend they went all the way through into the brain"

"ok, then how oxygenated is brain blood anyway?"

P.s. Please remember stage blood has a shelf life and usually isn't much good after about 6 to 10 months.  Have Fun!

What's it like working in the theater...

I found this picture on the web (clearly a joke) but with a few minor adjustments it seems works better;

There are advantages to working in theater;

Flexible hours (although there are many more hours than in most jobs)

Usually awesome people, plus if you don't like who you are working with they go away in about 6 weeks until the next time.

No cubicles ever! 

Constant creativity; always learning new (often useless) information, solving weird problems, creating new things, and re-creating old things.  There is lots of research and drawing to be done.

You get to work with your hands a lot... so much the occasional hand massage is needed.

You get to work the night shift (which I LOVE) and do your grocery shopping while all the 9 to 5's are working. 

Yes, there are really good reasons that I like my work (most of the time). But as a career, sometimes it feels futile. The money doesn't get much better as you move up. Theater companies sometimes have a modest amount to pay/budget, and other times the same company will give you two cents to pull a miracle from the air.

 Sometimes all jobs seem to dry up as theaters try to "tighten their belts".

Heavy lifting? Why yes, heavy lifting, not just for carpenters, but for us all. Costumers haul costumes from rentals to and from the shop, the theaters, stock rooms, dry cleaners, outsourced places... Props people haul furniture and whatnot around similar routes... and actors have to often move said furniture on stage while singing and dancing.

It's often great work, but a hard life.  Advancement comes in the form of working at bigger theaters, usually no benefits, and if you actually were to calculate what we make hourly it would make you cry.  

In conclusion kids, if you think you want to do theater for a living, think hard, and think about what kind of lifestyle you would like to live (not just what kind of work you want to do).  

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!