2.9.15 Better Late Than Never

I'm going to try an alternate strategy: instead of writing a very long and thorough entry every five months, I'll try and write some shorter entries and actually update this thing.

Let's face it, the last one probably got a lot of TL;DR out of you short-attention spanned young rapscallions anyway. Didn't it? Didn't it?!

Phew, that got a bit weird. 

So the main reason that I haven't been updating is that I've been too busy with projects. Yes, I'm aware of the unfortunate irony there.

The Fall closed out with repertory productions of The Two Gentlemen of Verona by Billy Shakes and Becky Shaw by Gina Gionfriddo. I had a blast on both projects (produced by Spicy Witch in New York City), and playing a large role in a contemporary play was a refreshing change from the parade of Shakespeare productions I've been in over the last five years. Here's a photo!

Whoops. Oh well. Don't worry, this is definitely the best thing to come out of both productions anyways:

At some point, we'll do a more professional recording, and I'll share that; this was recorded during a pre-show with an iPhone. I still think it sounds pretty great though!


Anyways, those two shows were wonderful, but they weren't closed even 24 hours before I had begun rehearsals on the current project, Bottoms Dream's production of The Ghost.

Termed by my roommate as "a Hambeth...or a Maclet!" The Ghost is a mash-up (a weaving, to use BD's term) of the texts of Hamlet and Macbeth to create an original story. The characters are largely preserved in name (I, for example, am playing Rosencrantz opposite Matt Castleman's Guildenstern), but altered dramatically in personality, text, and action.

I'm Evil! EVIL, I tells ya!

Besides the considerable fleshing out of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, audience members will probably most notice that the part of Ophelia (played by Caitlin White) is less waify-puddle-of-water and more sass/commonsense/ass-kicker in this go-round. A new Ophelia for the 21st Century!!

It's definitely been a strange process creating a contemporary piece out of the skeletons of two very old and well-known Shakespeare plays, but now that we're into performance I'm really starting to appreciate how exciting it is to show people something new with the same language I've always loved.

I admit, this review didn't hurt either:

http://www.theaterinthenow.com/2015/02/review-bloodbath-for-ages.html

Once The Ghost is over, I have to start preparing for March, when I'll be flying out to Clarksville, Tennessee to play Angelo in Roxy Regional Theater's production of Measure for Measure!

More on that later, though. I hope you'll all come out to see The Ghost! More information/tickets here:

https://www.artful.ly/bottoms-dream/store/events/4936

Woo! Ok, that ended up being fairly long anyways. Love to all, and thanks for reading!

J

9.27.14 -- It's Been a Long Time, Now I'm Coming Back Home

Wooooo John is in dire need of an update!

Hokay, we're going to get on track with this thing. Where to begin? I'm going to strive for weekly updates, at the minimum, so that this can be something of an accurate reflection of where I am in my life.

In an alternate universe, where I have time to engage in yet another project, I'm also going to learn HTML so I can make this blog not look like the inside of a Protestant church (you know, because it's all white).

But probably in this reality that will never happen. I would be exceptionally proud if I just managed the weekly update.

SO:

Hungry Will!

I'm back from the Adirondacks, and my six weeks working with the Adirondack Shakespeare Company. While I was there, I performed in six plays, played a dozen or so different roles, and learned and grew more than I have since the last time I left town, which was in 2011. A few highlights:


(Before I begin, I should preface by saying that Adirondack Shakespeare works in a peculiar way: instead of the rigid leadership role of a "Director," they have a position called the "Conductor," who is there to offer helpful suggestions and help you best achieve what you want to do with the character rather than dictating what you must do. Since they also only do about 15 hours of rehearsal before opening each play, you can see why this more open approach to the work is necessary. In practical terms, this means that the actor gets almost free-reign with his approach to the role and a chance to really explore what it means to him.)

Hotspur in Henry IV pt. 1 -- Man oh man was this a fun role to play. I should preface the following by saying that I really enjoy working with ADK Shakespeare in general, but I think it's in this kind of experience, where I get to play a role I am well-suited for and could easily play again, that I get the most out of their style. I know going forward with my career that I can bring a lot more to the table with Harry Percy now than if I had been shoehorned into someone else's vision from the beginning. My favorite part of playing this role was the epic fight we choreographed between Hal and Hotspur at play's end. Below is a video of the fight for your viewing pleasure (click HD, fool!):

Post by Jane Mulligan Hardin.

The Queen in Richard II -- This was a role I was dreading from the beginning, but it ended up being a terrific challenge and a great experience. Playing women characters has always been interesting to me, but the Queen has an intense vulnerability and an obvious femininity that absolutely cannot be played for laughs. I was therefore a little nervous I might just end up looking ridiculous, especially since ADK Shakes doesn't allow the actor the kind of costuming and makeup that might better create the illusion that I was female.

In the end, though, I think it worked out. I would guess that in the photos, out of context, I absolutely do look ridiculous, but the place that Tara (who played Richard) and I got to together, especially in the Royal Couple's final scene, is something I stand by.

Hey, you can't say I wasn't brave :).

Caliban in The Tempest -- This, like the Queen, is not a role I ever dreamed of playing, but one also that I grew to really enjoy. With Caliban, the major challenge proved to be his physicality: I set a high bar for myself in choosing to portray him as a crawling, leaping, and sneering ape-like beast. I'm not saying it's the first time it's been done (definitely not), but I am saying that without the lend of Doug Durlacher's gloves to protect my hands and jeans and Chuck Taylors to protect my legs, I would have been a solid mass of scratches, bruises and welts by the end of every performance. 

Another set of thank-yous has to go out to talented actors and friends Meghan Blakeman and Kate Dylan, without whom the makeup for Caliban would have been whatever I could manage to clumsily smear on myself before going on. Thank you both!!

A rare moment standing up.

All in all, I had a wonderful time in the Adirondacks, but I am also very glad to be back in the city and able to pursue new goals and new projects. As of this writing, ADK Shakes is gearing up to open Macbeth and Taming of the Shrew back in the Schroon Lake area, and I wish them the very best of luck!

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 As for me, the return to the city has not brought anything resembling rest with it. In addition to returning to my musical theater and actor training, I've been taking a new Musical Theater Audition class with CD Arnold Mungioli, talking over two possible theatrical productions for the new year, writing a webseries, and just generally trying to get out and see everyone and everything in town before the terrible, terrible Winter descends upon us all once more. Most exciting of all, I'll be back in the rehearsal room in just a few short weeks! December will bring the openings of two plays with Spicy Witch Productions in Manhattan: Two Gentlemen of Verona and Sexual Perversity in Chicago (although we're still waiting on the rights to the latter, so that could change!)


 ...just reading all of the above over again has made me realize I don't have time to drag this post out any further. Comments and shout-outs welcome below. Love you all!

We'll do it live! Welcome to my actor blog. This is my first step into the larger world of self-promotion. Here goes: I am great! Give me things...etc!

How was that?

Anyways, thanks for stopping by! This will be my home for news, musings, rants, and the airing of personal vendettas for years to come!