The 39 Steps - Part VIII - Watching from the Wings

(The 39 Steps, directed by Sean Daniels, is in production until 11/17/13 on the Geva Mainstage)

On Wednesday night, I had the rare opportunity of seeing a show behind the scenes – literally!  I had jumped on this invitation from Geva to get a backstage appreciation of the effort it takes to sustain the energy of a show, and luckily, I was the only visitor this evening.  Theresa Campbell, the assistant director (and one of the talented cast members of All Your Questions Answered), met me in the lobby and escorted me to stage left just after the train scene in Act I.  She directed me where to stand so that I would be invisible and out of the way, yet still be able to see the action on stage. 

It was fascinating to observe the assistant stage managers and props people, all dressed in black (some with Zorro-like black masks), scurrying around, talking to each other softly, listening to the voice of Frank Cavallo (the stage manager, who was out of sight, calling the cues to everyone) in their headsets (what did theatres do before wireless communication?!), using flashlights to check props and costumes.  There were more people backstage than on, helping the actors in and out of costumes and wigs (it was wonderful to witness Aaron’s transformation into Mrs. Jordan, as he nonchalantly applied lipstick in the dark while someone dressed him and adjusted his wig) and readying props and sets.  

I particularly enjoyed watching the actors perform the puppet scene – yes, they are actually lying or crouching on the ground, working their marionettes, in addition to providing the voices. I didn’t want to interfere with the actors’ concentration by waving like a groupie, so I behaved myself (although they did recognize and smile at me…).  I will admit, though, to feeling a bit like a groupie – I’ve watched the show evolve from words on a page to action on a stage – and I was silently rooting for them as I stood there, willing the audience to laugh at the right moments, and feeling relieved when they did. And I found myself rooting for the crew as well, to get the curtain closed without hanging up on something, and not to have the fire alarm go off accidentally (because really, who pays attention to those instructions from the fire marshal at the beginning of the show?!).

I can’t wait till this weekend when I take my husband and sister-in-law to see it for their first time!

Painting with a Twist

Right before I moved home from London, I took a painting class at the American Women's Club, taught by my friend Maribeth, who has sadly since died of cancer.  I have no talent when it comes to drawing or painting, and yet somehow I eked out two paintings that a second grader would be quite proud of!  When my friends collected for my farewell gift, instead of the usual piece of British pottery or Timothy Richards bookend, I persuaded them to get me a fancy box of paints.  That was 10 years ago, and I haven't opened one tube.  So when my friend Luci suggested we go to Painting with a Twist, I thought, as long as we can take wine, why not?

Interestingly, Painting with a Twist is a franchise organization, and is apparently quite popular in Texas (there are 40 studios in that state, and 4 in Austin alone!).  What are the odds that the only one in New York would be right here in Fairport? They host lots of private parties, where you can choose the image you wish to paint, but they also have classes that are open to the public, so Luci and I chose a night that offered some pretty yellow flowers that seemed fairly simple.  I was dubious about painting something in 2 hours on a Thursday night that wouldn't just end up in Friday's garbage, but I was game to give it a try.

Great background, Luci!

Chuck, the evening's instructor, was also the artist of the painting, so it was fun to watch him copy his own work while directing us.  He made it seem so simple, as first we painted the entire canvas black, dried the paint with hair dryers, then chalked some rough outlines for the flowers (one was supposed to look like a bird's head) and stems.  As he walked around reviewing everyone's progress at that point, I heard him remark to the ladies across from me, "nice bird head.  Nice."

I like my "bird's head"!

When he got to mine, he diplomatically said, "that'll work."  After filling the flowers and stems with white, we then proceeded to the yellows, trying to maintain some differentiation between the actual petals.  I don't think I totally succeeded, but I was rather pleased with my variegated tuft of grass at the bottom, and Chuck complimented my improvement.  (Of course, they want you to return, so they have to be polite?)

We did it!

By the end of the evening (and the end of Luci's and my bottle of red...), we had all completed our paintings quite satisfactorily, and the owner told us about their 'frequent painter' program, where after 10 punches (and liking them on Facebook or writing a review on Tripadvisor earns a punch, in addition to attending a class) you get a free session.  Since I know I'll be a repeat customer (and how fun would it be to have a private girls' night out party and choose from among their 100+ images?), I now have to figure out where in the house to create my own little gallery - Maribeth would be so proud!

                                                                                                                                                                  .         For more information on Painting with a Twist,  click here: Painting with a Twist.  For more information on the Fairport location, click here:  Painting with a Twist in Fairport        

Drinking for Charity

‘Tis the benefit season in Rochester, and what better way to support a non-profit than getting together with people and eating and drinking?  And I love a silent auction – I don’t consider it a successful event if I haven’t ‘won’ at least one item!  We’re not really looking for ‘a deal’ (it is for charity, after all), and sometimes we’ll bid on things just to help get the price up.  That sometimes backfires, like the time we went home with a tiny dog bed (we don’t have a tiny dog) and miscellaneous dog treats.  But we were able to sell the bed later on ebay, so it worked out in the end.  Our favorite items are the restaurant gift cards, since we know we’ll use them.  

So we were very excited to have two events to go to in October: the Memorial Art Gallery’s Celestial Centennial Gala, and the Bivona Child Advocacy Center’s 11^th Annual Wine and Microbrew Tasting, also at the MAG.  The committee that worked on the MAG gala did a 'mag'-nificent job, and the event was very well attended.  We were serenaded by two of the U of R’s a cappella groups, but the best part, for me was that they opened up the second floor entrance, which is normally closed.  It reminded me of climbing the steps at the Metropolitan or Philadelphia Museum of Art. Those grand staircases always seemed part of the museum-going experience, and I miss that when I enter the MAG from the parking lot through what feels like a service entrance.

We had no idea how popular the Bivona event would be, so when we arrived about half an hour after the official start, we had to make our own parking space!  When Mary Whittier, Executive Director, gave her remarks, she said that 470 people had bought tickets to attend (up substantially from the 50 who attended the first event 11 years ago).  After giving some statistics and then actual stories about some of the kids who’ve been seen at Bivona, she asked for donations for a room in the new building to be named in honor of all of the attendees that night.  She was hoping to raise $15,000.  I lost count at $30,000, and learned later that the collective generosity exceeded 60,000!  There were no silent auction items – only basket raffles. But there was a wine pull, so we didn’t go home empty handed…

Next up is the Toast to Your Health Fine Wine Auction, to benefit the U of R Medical Center.  I know Charlie will find a few bottles to bid on, and I look forward to seeing how Stency Wegman decorates the space this year!

Urinetown: The Musical

I love musicals and my husband tolerates them, so I’m judicious about what I take him to. I’d seen Urinetown: the Musical on Broadway ten years ago and I knew it was funny and had a plot, so we got tickets to the student production at Nazareth College (it runs this coming weekend as well).  We’d been to other performances in the Arts Center – Garth Fagan Dance, Rochester City Ballet – but this was our first student show.  As we were entering, it occurred to me that we had become – wait for it – townies!!! 

Comedy needs an audience, and unfortunately, the theatre was not even a quarter full.  It was great to see mostly young people, though, since they are the ones who must be cultivated as future audiences for professional theatre productions (to supplement the current grey haired crowd…). The students did a really nice job, and seemed very well cast.  The microphones were a bit buzzy (what happened to productions that relied on vocal projection rather than technology?), but otherwise it was extremely enjoyable.

The musical satirizes everything from politics and economics to musical theatre itself, and one of my favorite songs from the show is called “Don’t Be the Bunny.” The show is very witty – it was co-written by Greg Kotis, whose All Your Questions Answered recently ran at Geva.  The similarities were eerie, but Urinetown benefits from the addition of music as well as a collaborator.  One of my favorite bits of dialog comes when one of the characters exclaims, “Ms. Cladwell, what an unexpected surprise!” and she innocently replies, “Is there any other kind?” (It reminded me of my sister’s admonishment not to qualify “unique” with “somewhat” or “very” – it’s either unique or it’s not…) The other is between Officer Lockstock (and once he’s introduced, you just know it’s only a matter a of time before an Officer Barrel appears) and Little Sally, where he explains that “nothing can kill a show like too much exposition” and she asks about “bad subject matter….Or a bad title, even?  That could kill a show pretty good.”  The title might be a little off-putting, but seriously, how can you not love a show that ends with the line:  “Hail Malthus!”

The 39 Steps - Part VII - Tech Talk

(The 39 Steps, directed by Sean Daniels, opens October 26 at Geva Theatre (previews October 22))

So in the middle of one of the day’s tech rehearsals, Sean also had to factor in a “thing for the donors.”  One of the benefits of supporting Geva at a certain level is a periodic invitation to peek behind the scenes, and this is potentially distracting from business as usual. About 20 people gathered in the Nextstage for a presentation by Matthew Reinert (director of production), Michael Raiford (scenic designer), and Apollo Mark Weaver (charge artist). 

Michael’s concept for the set, “a sophisticated playground with the sense of richness of an old movie theatre that everything else moves in,” incorporates various Hitchcockian elements. Light and shadows play an important role in this production, and the set should give the audience a sense of vertigo, between the upside-down candles and the pattern on the marble floor (Apollo described the effort it took to translate the design into practicality – to get the marble effect, as well as the reflectivity of some of the wall tiles, which will aid in the play of light).  Michael and Matthew likened the building of a set to the building of a house – you start with an idealized design, then adapt it for the realities of time, budget, and technology.  While the team starts planning months in advance, the set is actually build in just 4 weeks (offsite, about 2 miles away, so it has to be transportable, but the pieces also have to fit together seamlessly), and installed in the theatre in 3 days.  Matthew explained that, especially in a fast-paced show like The 39 Steps, there are lots of cross-departmental conversations about costumes and sets to ensure they work together when they finally meet up.

Then we were invited into the Mainstage to watch the final 15 minutes of tech rehearsal before their dinner break, and Sean answered questions from the group.  I asked why, in a theatre this small, microphones were necessary for the actors.  He explained that because of the cinematic quality of the show, they are experimenting with the mikes, determining how much amplification is needed in order to hear the actors’ dialog over the underscoring or in scenes where they are out in the house.  They can always make changes in preview if necessary, and he compared tech rehearsal to going camping – it’s better to throw lots of stuff in because after that you can always take something out, but it’s too late to add anything!

In this roughly 100-minute show, there are over 1000 different light/sound cues, set moves, and costume changes.  You can do the math, so no wonder Sean said at the beginning of this journey that the show is “built to break.”  But given all of the talent and effort that has gone into this production, it’s also build to withstand.  

The Thirty Nine Steps - Part VI - Tech Rehearsal

(The 39 Steps, directed by Sean Daniels, opens October 26 at Geva Theatre (previews October 22))

Lights, music, action!  Then stop.  Then the actors stand around while the crew adjusts light cues or the angle of a doorway or the location of various props.  Finally – rehearsal is in the main stage, with costumes (I hardly recognized the actors!), sets, props, mikes (mikes? More about that later…).  The actors have their lines down and it’s time for the unsung heroes of theatre to get busy making sure the spots are in the right place, the sets don’t interfere with closing the curtain, the doorbell rings (wait – we need a doorbell!), and so on. 

This is where it all comes together, and adjustments are made (like installing a doorbell, or discarding a bit of a costume that interferes with the action).  Watching it take 20 minutes to get through a 1-minute scene, I tried to calculate the staggering amount of effort that goes into producing a mere 2 hours of ephemeral entertainment.  Thousands of man-hours, counting the time of not just the actors and director, but also stage managers, set designers and builders, costume and prop shop, lighting and sound crew, and many others who work literally behind the scenes.  And for many of them (as with, perhaps, many of us in other careers?), if they do their job right, you won’t even notice.  Only if a spot ends up on empty space next to an actor, or music plays too early and drowns out an actor’s lines, will the audience be aware of the people behind the curtain pulling the strings.

In addition to attending to details like making sure a rotating doorway clears the hanging lights, Sean and the stage managers were also diligently wandering around the orchestra and balcony to make sure that even ‘the cheap seats’ had good visibility for certain scenes where sets might impede a view of the action. Sitting in this particular rehearsal reminded me that theatre is truly a labor of love.  There’s an incredible amount of technical expertise required to stage a show, in addition to the obvious talents required by the actors and director, and what there is to show for it is fleeting.  

Letchworth: Grand Canyon of the East

For years my sister-in-law Gay kept telling me I had to go to Letchworth with her.  It was supposed to be some amazing state park, blah blah blah.  Not being a real hiker or park-goer, I couldn't imagine why she would harp so much. The year my sister and her son visited, I let Zach go with Gay's son Yair and her nephew, Ham, but I stayed home. Since he's from Albuquerque, where geographic wonders abound (e.g., the Sandia Mountains and Tent Rocks), he didn't come back raving (well, he was also a teenager...).  So I still had no idea how spectacular the park was.  It wasn't until several years ago when Gay finally convinced me to go for a bike ride in the park that I caved (she'd said the right word:  bike!).  Even though it started to pour buckets and we had to abort the ride, I understood why she had wanted to share it with me all of those years, and I kicked myself for procrastinating.





Unfortunately, the next time I got to the park was with Charlie & Gay's family, but sadly without Gay herself.










Now I am the one who pushes the Letchworth option to guests when they visit, and so far, my sister, as well as Theresa, Mary Beth, and Ryan, have taken the bait.  They've all visited in summer, so perhaps I can convince them to return in a different season (I'm curious to see the park in a blanket of snow, but my friends from warmer climates might not be?!).


On a recent visit with Charlie and Gay's husband, Yehuda, we started out at the Glen Iris Inn, as usual, and climbed all the way to the top of the trail just under the railroad bridge, which I'd never done before.















The autumn colors were at their peak, and the scenery was incredible, as always.  While the falls aren't nearly as impressive as Niagara's, they are still a natural wonder (and I love the sound of them just as much as the sight!).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC5nxA4uPKs
And since the park, because it borders the winding gorge, is enormous, and much less touristy, it's much more enjoyable.

We never seem to have enough time to explore more than one trail and a couple of scenic overlooks.  I would love to book one of the cabins sometime and stay overnight in the park (I'm still trying to convince someone else to stay in a tent with our dog so we can take him with us). And I might try another bike ride there sometime, although Gay hadn't warned me how hilly and narrow the roads are, so perhaps it was a good thing it rained all those years ago!