Mind Games

Showtime! My talented co-stars Amy Lane (Susan) and Victor Kahn (Dr. Bill Windsor)
in Schenectady Civic Players "Woman in Mind." Photo by Tom Killips.
Courtesy Schenectady Civic Players. All rights reserved. 

Wonderfully artistic and love-filled weekend... we just finished our first week of performances of Woman in Mind at Schenectady Civic Players. It felt great, and was made even more special by the number of friends and family who stopped by to show their support. My fellow cast and crew are first-rate, and I'm really proud of what we have achieved so far.

Unfortunately, the newspaper reviews so far have been mixed... I'm never sure whether to read these things while I'm in the middle of a show, but I was curious since this is such a difficult production to pull off. Alan Ayckbourn's dark comedy is all told through the subjective point of view of Susan (played by the wonderful Amy Lane), who accidentally hits herself on the head with a garden rake; the resulting injury leaves her having a hard time distinguishing between her unfulfilled reality and imagined fantasy life. As performers, we walk a fine line here between keeping it funny and delving into the darker themes... I took the reviews with a grain of salt, since so much of the play is open to interpretation in the first place. Even though I wasn't specifically mentioned, I also found their critiques useful in helping me to further think about how to strike that balance− as Susan's "imaginary" husband, I have perhaps one of the darkest moments in the show, while also needing to come off rather light and charming throughout. I have noticed myself injecting a little more of myself into the piece... at times utilizing more of my improv skills.

It's really all part of the process... something Amy and I discussed with WAMC's Joe Donahue last Friday on the radio show, The Roundtable. 

Mind the gap! I think some of the funniest scenes belong to Joan Justice (Muriel),
Amy Lane (Susan), and Marty O'Connor (Gerald) in our production of Alan
Ayckbourn's "Woman in Mind." Photo by Tom Killips. Courtesy Schenectady Civic Players.
All rights reserved.

In fact, there are some delightful things I have learned with each of our performances so far, and the cast seems to be getting more and more comfortable with each other... that always seems to happen, and makes it harder to realize that your show has a limited run. One very cool thing for me, returning to work on a full play after several years, is that I have also had a couple members of the audience approach me after our performances with requests that I audition for upcoming shows they are putting together at the Civic Players and other venues! Hey ya! Must be doing something right...

All I can say is that it feels great to be back on the boards, doing something so creative and rewarding... after three shows I have enjoyed hearing the reactions of delighted audiences, and getting a sense for what it must feel like to do this as a full-time gig (kudos to the talented staff at SCP). On Wednesday night we're back at it, with a 7:30 p.m. show, followed by performances Thursday through Sunday. Of course, it can only get better. I can't wait, and look forward to further "Mind" games... 

Related Links:

"Schenectady Civic Players present Alan Ayckbourn's 'A Woman in Mind,'" The Roundtable, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, Friday, March 15, 2013

Sch'dy Civic Players "Woman in Mind" on Schenectady Today, YouTube

Schenectady Civic Players website

www.alanayckbourn.net

The Best Is Yet To Come... I Hope!

Speaking of the artistic process, it was good fun to have portrait artist Everett Raymond Kinstler and his friend, legendary performer Tony Bennett join us for a press conference for Norman Rockwell Museum's new exhibition, Everett Raymond Kinstler: Pulps to Portraits, on Saturday, March 10, 2012. In addition to helping coordinate the conference, I filmed the event, and have just posted it online:  


I like what each artist had to say about the importance of feeling in creating art, and Bennett has a great story here about those who are passionate about what they do. As someone striving to live an artistic life, it was great for me to hear. 

Tony B- on canvas and in the flesh!
Photo by Jeremy Clowe for Norman Rockwell Museum,
©Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

The exhibition (and Bennett's portrait) will be on view at Norman Rockwell Museum through May 28, 2012. The Museum is also holding a special benefit auction, where the winning bidder will receive their very own Kinstler portrait, custom painted by the artist at the Museum on Saturday, April 14, 2012. More details on the Museum's website: www.nrm.org


Related links: 


www.everettraymondkinstler.com 


http://tonybennett.com

Process

We had a great time in the city yesterday. Sarah and I met with a woman we have been considering as a rabbi to co-officiate our wedding, and she seems quite warm and accommodating. Things are coming together, but we are aware that there are exactly six months until the big day--there's quite a bit more to do.

round and a round and a round
we go... where the world's heading
nobody knows...

During our visit we stopped at the Museum of Art and Design. Located near Columbus Circle, the museum explores the blur between art, design, and craft. We were impressed with the variety of objects they had on display--everything from jewelry, metals, wood, fiber, and videos documenting many of the artists' process.  It became clear that this was the main focus of the museum--to showcase the skillful development of art in its many different forms. To further drive home this message, the museum offers visitors the chance to observe and even interact with a live artist set up in one of their studio spaces. Both being artists, we appreciated the creativity on display, and admired the presentation.

Afterwards we ducked into an Irish pub, further courting luck (this time of the Irish), on Friday the 13th. Dinner hit the spot, and the impromptu Irish folk singing by some customers was a welcome surprise--you could tell that their hearts were really into it.

Later that evening we met up with one of Sarah's college friends, whose husband was showcasing some of his own video production work during a networking salon being held at a bar in Greenwich Village. There were some real characters there, as well as people with a variety of creative talents. We were treated to filmmakers, actors, singers--some of it was hit or miss, but it was cool to see what people were developing.

Breik, Kim Hyun Soo, 2008. Human hair, oil color,
waterpaint, epoxy, steel. 61 x 59 1/16 x 36 1/4"
Courtesy of the artist, and Museum of Art and Design
website. All rights reserved.

I believe that this was the through-line of the day, and what made it so enjoyable--we were witnessing the process of creating work, from both visual and performing artists. Even if I was not completely won over by all of the artists work, I still must respect the time and effort they put into their own creative exploration-- you can't fault someone for that, and must appreciate that there are true moments of beauty found along such journeys. Yes, it is worth it--and so was our trip.