Hello Again...

Ok, so I have been woefully remiss in my blogging duties. I found when I first started this blog, that, as I feared, it quickly became like all of those "journalling" assignments I had in college writing/theater classes...You know those assignments where you were supposed to make regular entries about what was happening as it was happening and turn them in to the professor at the end of the semester. You know the ones where you'd put all the writing off until the night before it was due, when you would write a semester's worth of entries - preferably in different colored pens so it didn't look like you wrote all the entries the night before - and turn that in hoping that the sheer volume of text would get you the pass...oops, did I just reveal too much of my journalling college days? ANYWAY, I have found that my need to make every blog entry a tome has prevented me from regularly making updates. THEREFORE, I have decided to knock that craziness off. After this entry, I'm going to wave a wand and make it ok for me to keep the entries short. So a quick update, (which will probably not be quite so quick) and then I'm turning over a new "brief blog" leaf...no, I'm not giving in to the twitter madness (this pronouncement should last for at least a few weeks) but brief should be the name of the game from now on. Hee.

THE UPDATE

LIKENESS
As you can see from the GTTP website, LIKENESS went very well. It was a crazy rehearsal period but the run went well and I learned so much from my experience on that show. The cast and crew were incredible and I feel like I have made some wonderful connections to fill out the company of actors and crew that will one day make the company of Going to Tahiti Productions a viable entity.

The Big Production of the intervening months
As some of you know, one of the reasons I've been a bit in communicado was because I was working on a private production during the months between the end of LIKENESS and the beginning of summer. What production was it (you ask) - I was getting married. Definitely the biggest production of my life up until this point, the wedding was planned and executed by non professionals (me, John, Beth, and other friends and family) so it took a lot of energy and time (in other words - all of my time and energy - thank god I didn't have a full time job at the time). It went very well - actually better than I could have even hoped for - so it was well worth it...but the build up to the event and then the come down after it was over have been very intense and it wasn't until about a month ago that I really was in a place emotionally to get back into the whole "running a production company" thing. However, I am back in full swing now and that should be reflected in the updated blog.

I've decided to look at the time from February until now as the off season. That being said, pitchers and catchers have now reported - regular season play is about to begin again. (little baseball reference for all those ball fans.)


Other Off Season Occurences
Some of you may already know this from the periodic newsletters you've received by email (If you do not receive the newsletters, go to GTTP and add your contact information to our mailing list by filling out the contact us form) but for those of you who haven't heard (and those who'd like a refresher):

Stephanie - Stephanie Bayliss has joined Going To Tahiti Productions as the Managing Director and Co-Executive Producer. For details about Stephanie, check out the About Us page on the GTTP website. GTTP is very excited to have Stephanie on board as part of the team.

Fundraising - Fundraising is continuing. We have a drive in movie night this Friday - pray for nice weather - as our August fundraiser. We are in the process of planning monthly fundraisers. Possible future fundraisers include - a winetasting, an adult spelling bee, a gala party, a game night tournament, a few house concerts and more... If you have any ideas for fundraisers that you'd be interested in seeing - let us know.

Workshops - We're in the process of setting up monthly workshops. Right now we have plans for workshops in the following areas: directing, stage managing, clowning, stage combat, auditions, and improv. Keep an eye on the website for more details as dates, times and costs get locked down for workshops.

Our next show - We're in the process of obtaining the rights to a novel which we are going to adapt into a one woman show - I'll keep everyone posted as things develop.

...and, I believe, that's all for now.

Likeness Update

So, rehearsals are cruising along. The cast is fantastic and have been working really hard to find the subtleties of this complex play. We've been through about two weeks of rehearsals and we'll be breaking in a few days for the holidays. I'm excited by what I'm seeing and I think the actors are really beginning to sink into their roles. I do think the Christmas break will give the actors a great opportunity to focus on their scripts. Have a great Holiday!

LIKENESS - What's next...

So that's what's next...It may not be Tahiti, but directing is directing...

For everyone who hasn't heard, I'm directing again. Right after In The Ebb, I got a call about Manhattan Theatre Source's playwriting festival: InGenius. They were looking for directors so I threw my hat in the ring. And, lo and behold, I was chosen to direct and co-produce a full length play called Likeness. Written by David Caudle, www.davidcaudle.org, the play is about a painter and his subject in Colonial Boston. I'll soon be posting details on the GTTP website, but, in the meantime, know that production has begun on the New York debut of this really beautiful, remarkably modern, period piece about the artistic struggle, and truth and beauty, and freedom and revolution, and the lofty ideals upon which a nation, (namely ours) was formed. We will open January 9th for an 8 performance run and whenever I have time I will post updates on the process here.

The Party's Over...for now

So the show is over. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post my "post mortem" (for lack of a better term), but I went through a bit of after show depression and only recently came out of it.

As many of you know, I had some VERY grand intentions about this blog. I intended to post at least once a week (if not more) during the rehearsals to really give that "inside view" of the process. But, during rehearsals things got a little crazy and there wasn't an opportunity to sleep much (let alone post regular reports about the show). So here I am, almost a month after the show has closed and there have been no regular reports. I'll try to fill everyone in...

There's this great exchange in the movie SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE that totally sums up my experiences on IN THE EBB:

HENSLOWE: Mr. Fennyman, allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster.
FENNYMAN: So what do we do?
HENSLOWE: Nothing. Strangely enough, it all turns out well.
FENNYMAN: How?
HENSLOWE: I don't know. It's a mystery.

There were many times during this process when it truly felt like insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster. I mean, it's not brain surgery, no one's life was at stake or anything (of course that fact may be the reason I chose directing instead of doctoring - I don't mind some pressure but I don't do well with the "this dude's life depends on your actions" kind of pressure – but I digress).

No, no one’s life was at stake but as far as the success of the production was concerned (the success of the launch production for my own theater company that I created from nothing and that I hope will one day pay my bills) the path to that success really did feel like a condition of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster.

We had set issues and scheduling issues and lighting issues and, of course, money issues. We had no running crew so I sort of had to wear that hat, except for the days when I dragged the fiance and the friends into various crew positions. And with all of that, with this constant feeling that the show was a house of cards on the verge of collapse, it truly did turn out well...and I have no idea how. I mean, we didn't have a dress rehearsal...no I'm not kidding. The first time we ran through the entire show, without stopping...was opening night. And yes, I worked very hard to make the show work...And yes, I was blessed with an absolutely killer script...And yes, I had what was quite possibly the best cast ever assembled...but despite that, I have no idea how we pulled off such a successful show. (and, tiny sidenote, the fact that I had an absolute blast even when it looked like the entire thing was about to crumble, I guess that’s just evidence that perhaps I have chosen the correct prefession to devote my life to…)

My only regret about the entire show was that there were no reviewers in the audience so except for the satisfied audience members (and I know that that is no small exception) we have no proof of the how well the show went.

...and I guess, in the end, that's one of the reasons I feel I'm not done with IN THE EBB. There's more to be said and there're more people to reach and I feel that the show is still crying out to be seen...at least it feels that way to me.

So, as Rick (Casablanca Rick) says, “maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but some day”...I'd like to do it again, hopefully with the same cast, hopefully with more money and hopefully with an even bigger audience.

But, without question the show was a resounding success and a wonderful way to launch the theater company and to honor my uncle for whom the company is named.

...and not to toot my own horn or anything, but damn am I proud of it.

For pictures from the show and for updates when more things happen with it, check out www.intheebb.com.

Week 2

So we've had 4 performances. It's going very well. We have had good reception from our audiences so far. And I'm really happy with the way the cast and crew are sinking into the show. There are always a couple of things that you wish you could change, but since I've been needing to run crew, I haven't been able to see a lot of the show and so, can't take notes. It's a shame and a lesson I've definitely learned for future productions. Locking in crew will be step one for the next production.

That being said, we are hitting that point in a production where a director passes the reins of the show to the stage manager and cast...it stops belonging to the director and starts belonging to the performers - it's always a hard transitional point for me.

The cast and crew are doing an amazing job and I'm absolutely thrilled with what I have seen of the show. I'm hoping we'll be able to get some press to come and see it and maybe even review it...fingers crossed.

If you haven't seen it yet, get your butt to the Sage Theater - only 5 performances left. Details can be found at www.intheebb.com.

I'll post again soon.

"Tonight Tonight Won't Be Just Any Night..."

Tonight IN THE EBB will open (the above is supposed to be to the tune of Tonight from West Side Story)...

But, aside from being a fun play on the song, it's also true. In 9.5 hours the debut performance from GTTP, IN THE EBB, will open at The Sage Theater, 711 Seventh Avenue. Come check us out - 9 performances only. Tickets available at www.smarttix.com.

I cannot express how excited I am that after a year and a half...we have a show!!!

I have much to do before curtain so I should run, but I wanted to just give everyone out there in blogland the update.

SEE YOU AT THE SHOW!!!!!

One Week Down

So the first week of rehearsals has concluded.

We basically spent this first week with the text. We've been talking a lot about who these characters are and what drives them...yes, what are their motivations, what are their actions? How do they relate to each other and why? Why do they say what they say? Why do they behave the way they behave? All of that really meaty textual analysis that's where we've been this first week. We've staged a couple of moments and scenes but really right now, it's all about the ditalking. Some of the work we're doing to find these characters has focused on improvs and theater games and some of the discoveries we're making have been downright surprising to me...and I honestly thought I knew these shows inside and out! Man, I love my job...

We've also been fine tuning the scripts themselves. The nightly phone calls between me and Camilla have been really fun as I update her on how the rehearsals are going and what's working and what's not and she scrambles, in the midst of writing her dissertation prospectus, to also rewrite whole scenes from the plays. She's a superwoman, folks...and that ain't no exaggeration!

Next week our focus, as the actors get off book, will be in staging the scenes - really moving them through the events of the play and starting to find not just who these characters are, but how they exist in the worlds we are creating for them on stage. Can. Not. WAIT!