Post by MALCOLM XERXES™ on Jun 27, 2005 14:08:27 GMT -5
MON. JUNE 27/2005/15:11 E.S.T.
It happened that Artistic Director/Playwright MR. KEN GASS attended last Sunday’s performance of 2 CAN PLAY™, & he was sufficiently impressed by my work that he made a point of coming to my dressing room immediately afterward to inform me that he had heard my name mentioned respectfully many times & had never seen my work, but that he very much enjoyed it now that he had done so.
I was standing there in my undertogs, but he pumped my hand vigourously while looking me in the eye, & repeating his praise, said that he hoped that we might work together soon before he departed.
After I had doffed my costume & donned my own togs, I adjourned to the Green Room with the intent of visiting the plumbing, but ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER said that she thought I should go outside to speak with people, since there was publicity talk afoot.
I thanked her & did so, whereupon I found that NEAL(?)/NEIL(?) ARMSTRONG, Editor of THE JAMAICAN WEEKLY GLEANER™, was in conversation with ACTRESS, surrounded by various audients, DIRECTOR, STAGE MANAGER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & her daughter.
I was congratulated & thanked by several Jamaican women & a couple of Jamaican blokes for my work, & 1 of the women said that my characterisation of JAMES THOMAS had reminded her of several different men in her own life.
She also said that it was good to see that I was capable of capturing the essence of such a man while maintaining my own propriety toward women, for which I thanked her.
When he was leaving, MR. ARMSTRONG introduced himself to me & said that he had intended to be present for Opening Night, but that he had been called away to Jamaica for a family emergency, & that he had been asked to do a front page feature to promote the final week of the play’s run.
He said that he couldn’t promise such prominent placement, but asked me if I would consent to a telephone interview to be conducted @ 13:15 on MON. JUNE 27/2005.
The interview took place today & lasted about 15 min., & should see publication in this Wednesday’s edition of THE JAMAICAN WEEKLY GLEANER™.
The questions were not what I had expected, for I was first asked about what it was about the play that appealed to me personally (rather than what I thought would appeal to its intended audience).
I was also asked whether, as an Englishman, I had had to make special preparation for the role by “immersing myself in Jamaican Patois”.
My response was that since my blood relatives are Jamaican, my primary concern was with advocating on behalf of my character, JAMES THOMAS (aka JIM), & realising FRAU DIREKTOR’S vision & interpretation of the play faithfully.
I also made a point of describing in detail how PLAYWRIGHT had made it known that he did not think me suitable for the role, & had sabotaged & undermined my work (when he, ACTRESS & I had reported to CBC RADIO™ for an interview/excerpt performance) by saying “MALCOLM, you’re not thinking!” immediately before we were to begin recording the excerpt from Act 1, Scene 1, & how PLAYWRIGHT had regaled me with a half-hour’s worth of line-readings from that same material, along with prolix, verbose notes about his perceptions of my performance throughout the play, about which he claimed that I had no understanding whatsoever.
MR. ARMSTRONG then asked me how audiences have been responding to my work, given PLAYWRIGHT’S own reactions thereto, & I responded that I had been vindicated in various ways: by their laughter, by the angry tutting & teeth-sucking, & by the cheers.
I doubt that MR. ARMSTRONG will publish anything about my open contempt for the unprofessional rudeness & bad manners of Jamaica’s (self-professed) pre-eminent playwright in the nation’s most important publication, but I’m well prepared for the storm of political protest & potential professional fallout if he does.
...A pint of BODDINGTON’S Pub Ale™ would go down a treat, about now....
POST SCRIPTUM:
Tomorrow marks the final day of Pay What You Can tickets, as the play closes on JULY 2/2005!
Also, here is another review of the play from SCENE CHANGES™ Theatre Magazine:
www.scenechanges.com/
It happened that Artistic Director/Playwright MR. KEN GASS attended last Sunday’s performance of 2 CAN PLAY™, & he was sufficiently impressed by my work that he made a point of coming to my dressing room immediately afterward to inform me that he had heard my name mentioned respectfully many times & had never seen my work, but that he very much enjoyed it now that he had done so.
I was standing there in my undertogs, but he pumped my hand vigourously while looking me in the eye, & repeating his praise, said that he hoped that we might work together soon before he departed.
After I had doffed my costume & donned my own togs, I adjourned to the Green Room with the intent of visiting the plumbing, but ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER said that she thought I should go outside to speak with people, since there was publicity talk afoot.
I thanked her & did so, whereupon I found that NEAL(?)/NEIL(?) ARMSTRONG, Editor of THE JAMAICAN WEEKLY GLEANER™, was in conversation with ACTRESS, surrounded by various audients, DIRECTOR, STAGE MANAGER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & her daughter.
I was congratulated & thanked by several Jamaican women & a couple of Jamaican blokes for my work, & 1 of the women said that my characterisation of JAMES THOMAS had reminded her of several different men in her own life.
She also said that it was good to see that I was capable of capturing the essence of such a man while maintaining my own propriety toward women, for which I thanked her.
When he was leaving, MR. ARMSTRONG introduced himself to me & said that he had intended to be present for Opening Night, but that he had been called away to Jamaica for a family emergency, & that he had been asked to do a front page feature to promote the final week of the play’s run.
He said that he couldn’t promise such prominent placement, but asked me if I would consent to a telephone interview to be conducted @ 13:15 on MON. JUNE 27/2005.
The interview took place today & lasted about 15 min., & should see publication in this Wednesday’s edition of THE JAMAICAN WEEKLY GLEANER™.
The questions were not what I had expected, for I was first asked about what it was about the play that appealed to me personally (rather than what I thought would appeal to its intended audience).
I was also asked whether, as an Englishman, I had had to make special preparation for the role by “immersing myself in Jamaican Patois”.
My response was that since my blood relatives are Jamaican, my primary concern was with advocating on behalf of my character, JAMES THOMAS (aka JIM), & realising FRAU DIREKTOR’S vision & interpretation of the play faithfully.
I also made a point of describing in detail how PLAYWRIGHT had made it known that he did not think me suitable for the role, & had sabotaged & undermined my work (when he, ACTRESS & I had reported to CBC RADIO™ for an interview/excerpt performance) by saying “MALCOLM, you’re not thinking!” immediately before we were to begin recording the excerpt from Act 1, Scene 1, & how PLAYWRIGHT had regaled me with a half-hour’s worth of line-readings from that same material, along with prolix, verbose notes about his perceptions of my performance throughout the play, about which he claimed that I had no understanding whatsoever.
MR. ARMSTRONG then asked me how audiences have been responding to my work, given PLAYWRIGHT’S own reactions thereto, & I responded that I had been vindicated in various ways: by their laughter, by the angry tutting & teeth-sucking, & by the cheers.
I doubt that MR. ARMSTRONG will publish anything about my open contempt for the unprofessional rudeness & bad manners of Jamaica’s (self-professed) pre-eminent playwright in the nation’s most important publication, but I’m well prepared for the storm of political protest & potential professional fallout if he does.
...A pint of BODDINGTON’S Pub Ale™ would go down a treat, about now....
POST SCRIPTUM:
Tomorrow marks the final day of Pay What You Can tickets, as the play closes on JULY 2/2005!
Also, here is another review of the play from SCENE CHANGES™ Theatre Magazine:
www.scenechanges.com/