The Real Thing Blog

A chinese proverb says "The strongest memory is weaker than the palest ink". So many times I have had thoughts about this play I wanted to share, thinking I would not forget, I did not immediately jot down what they were at the time. Now I am trying to overcome the fragility of memory and recap my process for you. Those thoughts and illuminations are not lost, but have become something different... so I share my process from this point. I am enjoying the roller coaster that is "The Real Thing". At first reading I thought it was funny and interesting, I thought I understood the humor and the drama of it, but the more we explored the less I understood. One of my initial fears was whether or not I could pull off a British accent. Then I was taken down in to the rabbit hole of Tom Stoppard double meanings and repeating themes, the plays within plays started to reveal themselves in ways unexpected. I am not afraid of the accent anymore, I am afraid of the mad hatter! I am simultaneously repelled and attracted to Stoppard's characters. His mastery of words and the imagery created by them almost makes me think I have no business commenting on them! How can I use words to describe something I might not truly understand...I do not want to be a block of wood, I want to be a cricket bat! The other part of this production that has been great has nothing to do with Stoppard, rather the amazing people I am working with. I almost turned down the role due to lack of confidence and fear of working with experienced actors and production team. I thought I would bog down the process. Because of Phoebe's patient and kind listening skills, I took that jump to find a group of warm, welcoming, creative people. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with such a wonderful cast and production team. I must say, this would be a play to see more than once. I do not say this to merely fill up seats, I say this with sensitivity to a well written play. I can think of many films that blessed me with new insights the second...third time I saw them. The Real Thing would fit in the category of worth seeing twice!

Posted by Jessica Whicker at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

so i know that i'm more or less ready as a stage manager when two things happen
1) i find myself using quotes from the play in everyday life
i.e.
Sarah: Andrew (my brother) you are a girly-man even Kristen (my sister) could beat you up...
Andrew: !!! I am not!!!
Sarah: Calm down. Just kidding, Andrew. Badinage. You know, dialogue...

2) my brain functions as a mental dvd player. i can play, stop, fast forward, ect. the play from the comfort of my own head
-i am about to this level, i have a bit of trouble with the rewind function. when i try to do it the movement becomes a bit wonky...

bring it on,
i am ready for opening night!

Posted by Sarah Jensen at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Real Thing is making me smarter. How to describe the sensation... I'm articulating my thoughts in ways in which I haven't had the ability to phrase them before. Even writing this is painstaking as it's nowhere close to the level of dialogue coming out of my mouth at daily rehearsals or in the shower or in my car as people witness my perceived lunacy from their narrow rearview mirrors. I do talk to myself sometimes though. I'm not passing Stoppard nuggets off as my own, but they're supplementing my vocabulary with more precise wordings and more concise scenarios. A Critical Theory class could spend a semester on this play and only make it halfway through.
So.
My first several trips through The Real Thing were frustrating. I didn't find it funny, and I felt like Stoppard was writing in the vein of John Updike where characters use Latin, French, classical music and knowledge of historical theatre to let us know that John Updike knows Latin, French, classical music and historical theatre. I've realized that while Stoppard is grossly intellectual, he's not pretentious. The circularity, the repeated language, the repeated movement, they hit too flawlessy to be coincidences. Every intretextual reference is seeping with plots that relate to Stoppards own scenes. Where as Updike put one of his own stories first in The Best American Short Stories of the Century, (like T.O screaming "I love me some me!" at television cameras) Stoppard infiltrates his art less blatantly. Therefore I like him more. We here across the pond are awed by pompous personalities and publicly self-indulgent behavior. While The Real Thing's Henry can be condescendingly brilliant, I don't think Stoppard is pretentious. Unless writing incredible plays is pretentious.
I've gone off again.

Posted by Ben Herendeen at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Deanne, i totally agree with you. What makes it even more surreal is that I have wanted to do this show for so long and now it's coming upon us. there's apart of me that wants to keep it in this incubator stage of rehearsal and exploration forever.
Last night however, as Ben and I rehearsed scene eleven- and I consequently decided I would need to see a therapist because the intensity and emotions were so visceral and overwhelming, I realized, come Friday not only will we be ready for an audience, we will be in need of them. I often have an intense need for an audience as I begin to feel ready for a show, not so much to validate my work, as to simply be a witness to it- and last night was my first realization with Annie, that soon I am not going to want, or need to to carry Annie's story within an insular environment any longer.

Posted by Lindsay Nance at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The final week is here already! I can't believe it. It makes me scared to know that in about five days we are going to open. I'm so excited to run this show with all the props, set, light, sound, and memorized lines all together! I'm sad to see it coming ot an end even though the best part is still ahead of us. I can't wait : )

Posted by Deanne Binde at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just realized that I never told everyone how to add photos to the Flickr sidebar. With only two weeks, I hope that people with digital cameras (or for that matter, film) will add what they can. Here's how you do it:

• Start an account on Flickr (free and great)
• Upload photos
• Tag photos with "newworldarts" and "therealthing" w/o the quotes

I hope to see your photos up there!

Posted by Daniel Palmer at 12:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cassie and I have been in the theatre - away from the directors and actors - and only tonight sat down and saw what they have been doing since we took over the theatre with white paint, ply wood and halogen lights.

The result was something that gave me the energy to rock the next two weeks. I'm very impressed with all of you; I hope that we can give you a set that does your talents justice.

Photoset: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannyprose/sets/72157594383646380/
Slideshow: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannyprose/sets/72157594383646380/show/

Posted by Daniel Palmer at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I’ve sat down about three different times to blog now and I still haven't posted anything. It overwhelms me to articulate this show in writing. This might simply have to do with performing Tom Stoppard, or the fact I have wanted to do this show for the last four years, or simply the acute closeness I feel towards Annie at times. What drew me to this show from the very beginning was my intense interest/ curiosity and distain for Annie and her actions. I was drawn to her impulsive nature, her ability to go after what she wanted emotionally, physically and artistically. However, I also found myself distaining the way she wreaks havoc on those around.

What I have learned so far about Annie has released the distain I have felt for her and has therefore reveled many of her motives. Such as, why dose she cheat on Henry? (I do, by the way believe Henry is the love of Annie’s life). And why specifically with Billy? I don’t think I want to let those secrets out of the bag, though it might be obvious. In any case I’m simply excited to have found them.

Posted by Lindsay Nance at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

after consulting the enneagram I figure that Billy falls under category 3.

characteristics of a 3-type:
Basic Fear: Of being worthless
Basic Desire: To feel valuable and worthwhile

The performer

Billy needs to be admired, being admired is often more important than being respected, which makes him somewhat shameless while still respectably ambitious...perhaps. This, along with Billy's adaptability make him an expert performer, whether performing on stage or in the wooing of older women, namely Annie. Billy's image is malleable, he wants to fit the situation, to control and use circumstances for personal success.

The question: when Billy shows frustration, is it at the prospect of losing Annie or simply of losing in general?

Posted by Nicholas Loewen at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It has been incredible watching so many brilliant minds at work, now everyone is coming together... I'm thrilled to have been a very small part of this and just can't wait to see the finished show. Can we just show it tonight???

Oh yeah, you still need a cricket bat...

Posted by Sam Miller at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To blog or not to blog...isn't really the question. It is how to make the blog work for you rather than working for the blog.

Posted by Jessica Whicker at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

hey everyone, some people have posted blogs that can't be seen--if yours is one of those, you need to make sure to 'publish' it. at the bottom of the page where you type your blog (the 'new entry' page), there is a 'status' drag box that says unpublished--you need to pick publish and then everyone will be able to see your post. i think there's like four posts that haven't been published yet, so no one will be able to read them except you!

Posted by Nicole Miazgowicz at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The textbook for my Acting class that I'm taking is called The Actor At Work by Robert Benedetti and just yesterday I was reading through chapter 15 and I thought that Benedetti had a really interesting concept that I would like to share with everyone. Basically he says that an actor needs to create the other characters just as much as he/she need to create their own characters. I personally think that we spend so much time focusing on our characters that we forget to react to the others in the play(or at least I do) and if we focus on creating each other’s character's as much as our own we will grow as an entire group and have a much stronger focus and production. Just some thoughts.....hopefully they are helpful : )

Posted by Deanne Binde at 12:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

with 18ish days until opening night here are some things i've been thinking about...

i cannot wait to see the final set
-it's like christmas everyday when i go into rehearsal, i'm always so excited to see what additions have been made to the stage

"you mean everything to me", "the skaters waltz", "silhouettes"
-i constantly have oldies and classical music stuck in my head

stoppard is a pretty sweet guy who writes some amusing lines
- i.e. "save the gerund and screw the whale"
-i don't know exactly what that line means but it makes me giggle

the awesomeness of the cast and crew
-WOAH is the only word i have to describe their awesomeness

hmmm, i guess this will have to do...
i need to do some actual stage managing work now

Posted by Sarah Jensen at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the hopes to bring some bad/sweet cheesiness, and hoping to lighten the mood, we set out to Elkhart today to film scene 12's viewing of Annie and Billy performing Brodie's script.

Quite a time. Below is some sample b-roll, and some photos all of us took are right here.

(By the way, the film below is rated some mature rating for Lindsay's filthy, filthy mouth.)

Posted by Daniel Palmer at 12:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)