A Year of travel

FAT PRINCE
MY CLASS GRADUATING
MY CLOAK - How I love my friends

I have graduated from drama school and I have travelled the world this year.

I think that has been an influential part of shaping my work and my ideologies as... me.

Experiencing France and the strong family ties made me realize culture is everything. I am one of the fortunate people who is made up of many cultures that weave together to make me: French, Maori, Irish, Scottish, Spanish, English. I feel like it is my responsibility to myself to investigate these ties. Whether it be the languages or the culture (that's both the same though isn't it?) People create from themselves and share from a place of connection tend to be the ones I most respect. So, in making my work, I think that the strongest work, the work I'm most proud of, has been those that have connected to my whakapapa and/or morals.

In the Caucasian Chalk Circle, our graduation production this year, Christian Penny (director and leader) simplified things. From the get-go, he made things about connection. Casting was made on who had the quality that represented the characters best. Scenes were constructed from who had skills or offers that connected best with the story. The result was a promenade piece that has created a huge forum about work (http://www.theatreview.org.nz/reviews/review.php?id=2592) and how work is presented. This forum I find totally exciting and disturbing and challenging - I don't know how I would respond - But what I have realized is what is a better way to showcase actors than from a place of connection? Within that production, I went from hating it and the process to finding ways for it to work for me to being very proud of what we created. I occasionally have a few niggles about being cast as in my role of the Fat Prince. A disappointment of being cast as a man or old woman so many times. Roles that I will not be cast in outside of school. A bit of a double edged sword. Because, I am lucky to have the experience in working against physical type but unlucky in that I haven't worked in type for a while. But Oh Yes, I have been lucky to have been taught what I have been taught and now have a process to (try to) make the best of everything. To challenge myself in my craft. Questioning everything from purpose, to audience relationship to form. So, I feel actually lucky with my sword because now I have a weapon (haw haw) to work with. The challenge for my work is not to fall into work that is easy for me - the comedy OTT stuff that is expected. I know I can investigate more than that. Can risk more. So there you are. A bit about the end of my year. I expect I'll backtrack and write more later. Ciao xxx

SYDNEY WITH THE GALS

Well, I'm actually going to have to do a major update soon but yesterday after one hours sleep (ha) we arrived in Sydney at 8 in the morning. We settled into the Holiday Inn (fyi nice but so many rules) and had a wander and a zzz then off to a full body one hour long massage - SO AMAZING!!!
Then, a spot of shopping - Oh yes we all got treats but the creme de la creme of the day was seeing the amazing Alan Cumming live in Cabaret after a sumptuous dinner at the Opera House. What a gift that man has, he worked his relationship with the audience - slightly nervous or adjusting or something at first but his voice. Oh my! He is just divine. When he sung Mein Heir from Cabaret I got chills. I want to be his best friend. More on that later. Have to go am with the gals. Need to stop using net
xxxx

What a goose...

Well, off to Sydney imminently for a HOLIDAY!!! Hoo-zah hurrah! Am going to see Cate Blanchett in Streetcar Named Desire. Am so blimmin excited. Stay tuned.

Solos and Questions.

It's been a while since the Govt shut down this page while I was overseas. That was an adventure. China. Whata whirlwind. Am going to try keeping this blog alive as my diary went walkabouts in Bangkok )=

I have just completed my solo and ended up doing something I REALLY did not want to do - a comedy character piece. Now, not everyone got it and some people disliked it immensely, and then there was the other half who dug it, but the point is that I actually had strong working questions that helped me succeed as an actor striving for something. I want to play with form, with a relationship with audience, and examine my purpose for working. Rhonda was a lady who after a long period of dislike and lack of belief, I enjoyed playing. When I didn't enjoy her she fell flat on her little face. 

Tonight I went to see the 2nd years do their Shakespeare A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM which gave me the desperate urge to sink my teeth into a classic. See, since solos, I have been part of an exciting new production called Bedlam, which I'm playing a 50 year old man from North-Hampshire/Yorkshire/don't know accent yet, and been having a tough time carrying my questions into the work. What I am doing is completely surface at present and what I was fighting against in my heavily dialogued, verging on bouffon/caricature solo. 

So anyway, I need to continue the work on finding the real in the not so real. Endeavouring to let the audience dream around me, and believe for the couple of hours of play that I am a 50 year old English man. Oh acting.

Emma and Kate ditch the boys

A short post as at airport and have to get on flight to Shanghai.

As you can see from this photo, Emma and I have the swine... 

We have ditched the boys and have rewritten the show without them, due to Guy's extreme desire to ring our room at 620 in the morning. 

Till Shanghai.x

A week away from Shanghai and acting as a job. Not a lazy ladie's lifestyle.

Well, a number of learning questions have developed since my last blog. (Oh blog, what a loser word, who came up with it?!) I have been back at Toi for, ooh, over 2 months now and I have participated in another devised workshop with Gene Peters, a great way of giving me more tools for devising, I've workshopped the beginnings of my solo, presented my research (still in the process of writing up the paper) and now I, with Guy, Shadon Meredith, Emma Ransley, Annie Ruth and Jonty Hendry are making a devised wotk for the Asia Pacific drama School Conference in Shanghai.
Our purpose is strong and we are making something that will be a product of a work in progress I think. I've loved working with these ladies and gents, and the challenges physically for me as an actress have been FANTASTIC! One of my goals this year is to challenge myself with my body and extremities and, well, I've thoroughly enjoyed it. Annie, through her wonderful skills in Anne Bogart's viewpoints, has pushed me to my limits in a great way.
The guys are so generous and though it was a slightly weird way to start - sort of felt like we were comissioned to make a work! - it has been a highly gratifying and demanding experience. Emma is constantly questioning the choices we make and I am starting to feel more of a sense of ownership (funnily enough one of the words we're exploring in our piece) over my work because I know we have distilled those moments, broken them down and really made sense of them so that we CAN talk to them!
So, here I start again with my 'blog' this diary of my learning which I 'intend' to continue after I come back.
I am tackling questions of joy, impulse and vocal connection at the moment and will be taking these questions into solo, Caucasian Chalk Circle (already a project that is inspiring me to work twice as hard... and challenge - the biggest word of the day - my acting choices)
Today at Toi, despite a lot of people battling the cold and flu, including my runny-nosed self, we got up and did 2 monologues for a mock audition panel comprising of Jonty, Rachel, Susan Wilson and Jacob Rajan. In retrospect, I feel rather good about them. Both were rushed but I felt for the most part, I was connected to my thoughts and body with sufficient changes in thought. But what is it that makes me hold back just that little bit and not settle into myself?!
Is it because the joy of acting and WANTING to act so extreme that the audition is full of nerves and desperation. Don't get me wrong I wasn't completely retarded but I didn't allow myself to perform at 110% and for that, I'm annoyed at myself and now questioning what questions to take into an audition. How to cater these questions for every different practitioner I audition for. No more lazy, under cutting acting thank you very much.

Thank you

the only photo that would upload for some reason!! I'll try and upload the rest from a different computer. (This is NYU)

The last leg? Well... The flights were long. I think, given the choice, I would not fly American Airlines again. Air NZ rocks. Great movies, food and I got 4 seats allll to myself.

This trip has been the culmination of the most incredible experiences of my life. I can't wait to go back and do it all again.

I wish to thank my principal sponsors: Charlotte, Tom and Ave, my parentals. All those who bought a raffle ticket, let me stay with them, became my friend, read this blog and who supported me in ANY way.

With love,

Kate

x

Final days in New York City

Well, it's coming to an end and I really feel that it is somewhere I'm going back to soon. I only touched on some of what I want to do there and it was and is an extremely exciting beginning.
On Saturday morning I got up super early and took all my stuff over to Tims (as Liz, Shosh's best friend and my old flatmate was staying with Shosh for the weekend) Feeling very bung on a couple of hours sleep, Tim and I ventured to a diner and had the most revoltingly American (and I like Americans!) breakfast. Tim ordered and I just said 'I'll have what he's having!' Little did I know a plate turns up with pancakes topped with scrambled eggs and bacon with a side of homefries, fruit salad and coffee and juice. Oh and maple syrup. Geee.
I had a class at HB studios that morning too, so I trotted up to Bank Street where the studios are (I had missed 3 other classes because they were listed wrong on the internet) and got to watch Advanced Scene Study with Austin Pendleton who directed the Uncle Vanya I am so thrilled I saw. He is a wonderful teacher too. He has a real range of skills and experience in his 20 strong class and he makes sure to comment on what worked first, where the actors strengths lie and then be constructive in a most clear but delicate way. His feedback always related to training and how to balance out script analysis with connection. This is more familiar to me than the Black Nexxus class but I feel I'd like to do both on a regular basis when I come back (next year maybe)
I then did massive walkeys all over New York just to take it in and met Shosh for a stroll through Central Park. I hadn't done it before and was so glad I did. It's enchanting. Romantic. Such an escape from the city. You can float on a boat in the river. Watch 3 beautiful guys busk in PERFECT timing. Squirrels galore. (Great photo to come: Kate meets squirrel)
Then huge walk to 220 Park Ave South where Tim was meeting me, a slight problem with a machine eating my card and suddenly an hour had passed and I was half asleep on the gorgeous big leather sofa.
Tim and I decided to see a show. IMPRESSIONISM was starring Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons, who cannot do accents (or multiple accents) to save himself. There is nothing worse than hearing a REALLY bad New York accent in New York (funny I have a better one than him just form being here a couple of weeks - was in Grand Central Markets the other day picking up some produce and I cannot figure out American change - it is beyond confusing - so I asked the cheese counter lady to pick it out for me as "i'm not from here' she was like 'Where are you from? You have an American accent." that was mildly embarrassing.) Anyway the show had promise, but was directed in such a slow way with music that told me to feel rather than let me experience what was going on. It really was one of those plays that, dare I say it, the elderly might see for a bit of old fashioned, predictable romance.
Tim and I then got giant pizza (again?!WHy do we do it to ourselves... ended up being my saviour though) and got some wine and headed to the Lower East Side for a party with Shosh's Neighborhood mates, was slightly odd. But I got to see Liz, and it was lovely catching upw ith her, she's really making a go of it in Canada. Actingwise. After a triple vodka shot at the Annex it was half one and I was drunk but realising that home might be good. I dragged Tim off and we decided to stop in the bar below his apartment again and danced up a wicked storm for some time. Sweaty and gross, we leapt upstairs. I completely passed out and here I am now. After a painful flight with American Airlines (lots of bubbys having a wah... all through the 5 1/2 hour flight!) and now am in sunny LA at the Koru lounge (which is not 40 but 55 bucks to get in! Was jipped!) but I get to chill out and process and eat and sleep.
Photos and a final update from New Zealand.
x

Days 11 and 12

Well Shosh has discovered Summer Heights High and we've been spending 1am-3am cackling away to the eps. Yesterday I went to a fantastic Intercultural Ways of Seeing lecture at NYU.

Karen, the lecturer really challenged people to be specific on their thoughts, how it relates to performance, and more importantly perhaps how it relates to them.

We were studying Lost In Translation, The Sofia Coppola Film. A little less obscure than last week, for me anyway. So, there was a presentation by some students and a few, 'Selected' clips shown. - There is a large amount of feminist theory at NYU (the majority of the class are women) firstly, the students presenting commented on the way the Japanese were being shown, or being exploited they rather boldly said. I don't quite buy it. I think if anything, Coppola's making a comment on the way Westerners commonly or typically see wealthy Japanese. But there were all different facets shown. I saw the silly, stereotypical side. A more businesslike person - an architype that I would attribute to any culture. Fun friends. The overly polite. The traditional. My moneys on the point made that the effect would've been the same had it been set in Hungary. It was about not understanding and that is how we visit the film and its protagonists - through their LACK of understanding of a culture.

The next point was made about how the opening shot was of Scarlett Johannson's curves lying down. The students made the statement that this was exploiting the viewer. Making men something to desire for the rest of the film and women something to aspire to. The point I made was that, had they shown the next five minutes, Scarlett Johannson gets up trots around in her daggy meshie underwear and has visible cellulite. Not hidden by a lense. What does that say. Of course that started a whole other kettle of fish. But what Karen, rightly - and I had not thought of this - brought up was that the camera angle puts you in bed with Johannson. No one sees you from that angle but your lover. So, OK there is a question of what Coppola is trying to do there. I feel it's the ordinary. It's in keeping with the film! But I had some opposition. And some agreement. But we all agreed to disagree. 

Then I went for major trotting down to Union Square and found a dinky little market where I got chatting to a woman who makes hats (who reminded me of a younger Bridget Mum!) and witnessed a fight which I tried to videotape but almost got hit in the face so backed off. 

Then, the Empire State Building and let me tell you... it was stunning. The most romantic place I've been by myself. Magical, peaceful, beautiful views. LIKE REALLLYYY BEAUTIFUL! And wonderful people up there saying the exact same things. 

I really felt refreshed as I pottered up and down Park Ave happily. Coming home, I helped Hamish with an audition (he got the part. He WILL be thanking me in his Award Winning acceptance speech) and Shosh and I went out for a mega spec meal down the road. 

I find it so hard to keep up with this blog because there is sooo much to do! And just walking for horus you see so much. Like the bums. IN Paris they totally will try and rip you off - here they put on a show (this sounds small minded I know, but this is what Ive seen thus far) One Bum Tim introduced me to holds a massive sign saying 'I'd LIKE a BEER PLEASE' and a smaller one saying 'Me too!' And he puts on a voice for the other sign!! This is a gruff huge guy with a saltnpepper beard! This other dude had a sign saying 'Give money to the sexiest homeless man' and another one just saying 'Ass' Cracked me up. I gave him a buck. 

Today was a late start (I blame Summer Heights) and I did some mundane tasks and wombled for a bit around this gorgeous area on the Upper East Side and then met Mum's old friend Roy and his lovely wife Helen in Brooklyn. They took me out for a meal, showed me their giant brownstone house (they had squirrels outside!!) and I went on back to Manhattan. 

Shosh and I went to see the new La Bute play 'Reasons to be Pretty' tonight. It was great. Apart from Piper Perabo who was overacting up a storm. I felt no empathy for her. Don't do a monologue saying that you know you're attractive and act like you don't you freakin dork. Clearly the monologues are not layered with subtext. Don't shift around awkwardly pretending to be cute. Ohhh, it irritated me something cronic. Anywho, well played by all the other actors  making it a super LaBute. Because they played for reality. You have to in his works. You cannot judge the characters in his plays when playing his characters. 

Then we managed to witness another fight in a bar. What is with this town. Stupid Army dorks getting in scraps. 

I still love it here and don't wanna leave.

Sigh. 

Photos to come.x

Days...erm 7, 8 and 9 and 10... have I left it that long???

Me hanging 

with Billie below - an unrealistic Madge to the right. See me with the Spice girls, the Beatles

Yes, well! Sunday was frought with tiredness and a smidgen of a hangover... garrr....

The video above is for Dad - I nearly bought this for you but A) it was too rude and B) too expensive. Thoroughly amusing though.

After night of mad dancing and pizza, Tim and I went for breakfast at 9am with Liz and Rick who own the place Tim's staying in. They are a hilarious couple - Liz is very cool, running a Vintage shop in East Village and after talking for sometime we figured out she almost sold Mum a house in Auckland a few years ago (you bid but there was a much bigger offer???) And Rick owned Rick's place: American Style Restaurant in Auckland for many years. We had mega-action American breakfast in Brooklyn (drove over the Manhatten Bridge alas) and that was pretty much all I ate for the rest of the day. Was completely seedy. At about 5pm I stumbled out, rejuvenated, to my Black Nexxus class. The Ex-er actor. This class was $50 and 'runs from 6-10pm' ahh cancel that try finish time 1am. I certainly got my moneys worth! The class was very method -not really the training I'm used to. Drawing on memories and experiences. This was very fullon for some in the class (at least half the class are working professionally) The first section was voice and movement. A circle was formed and music played. People then were called in individually by the tutor Christian. They had to do whatever their body and voice wanted within the 2-3 songs that were played for them. We on the outside had to mimic but also really try and capture what was going on for the person in the centre. Sounds like complete tosh but reeeealllly good exercise and linked in to my interest in Verbatim and how you can capture someone else. Very compelling in a lot of ways. I did however feel that every African American guy getting an angry rap song was a little stereotypical... and it pissed off these guys too - they would come in ready to work and a couple of them just said 'What is this shit' and got on with it, but it really affected what they did. My song was 'Candyman' by Christina Aguilera which made me laugh. I went full blown gusto to the max, I was sweating a stream by the time I finished. See, I was the, erm, least fit lady there so I was like, I am going to bring it! Actually did a kinda backwards roll flip which got me a cheer. Booyah! The 2nd part was the sensememory stuff. I invested but felt that the exercises were unclear in parts. See yourself on the 1st date with someone. See yourself at 3-4 years old. what did you like about yourself? What do you like about yourself now? And on it went. There were 3 layers in total and we had to implement them into a short monologue. And learn the monologue!!

This was a very gratifying experience for me. I willed myself to enjoy myself and it was worth it. Because, I had a strange fear that all my ideals about having talent and the potential to make an international career would fly out the window as soon as I did an acting class in New York. But, erm, quite the opposite. The feedback was extremely positive. Christian said I was one of the few people who 'saw' myself in the mirror and that I was committed and let myself 'go there' emotionally. Can endeavor to work more on moment to moment as there was a bit at the end that wasn't quite gelling. Very pleased. It was a big thing for me as no one knows me and knows my background, so a little affirmation.

So the next day, I got up late and decided to go to NYC Madame Tussauds which was hilarious! I don't know what possessed me, it was ridiculous! All the figures were so plastic (yeah I know duh Kate) but check out Madonna - it doesnt even look remotely like her!! Most realistic was Robin Williams.... I was a tad disappointed there was no ginger spice in the spice girls. Very sad indeed. I went home and had dinner with Shosh and Hamish at a romantic little restaurant... Was I the third wheel??? 

I could not sleep to save myself. Hot sweats. Cold sweats. The beauty of New York is supposedly air-con. However. This apartment is permanently like 27 degrees... at least. It goes up and you CANT turn it down. It will turn itself off unexpectedly and then you're freezing. Hence, I have started to get a bit ill. Bollocks.

Once again, opted for a sleep in and stumbled out into the day with the intention of doing the Guggenheim and Century 21 and see the World Trade Centre site. Instead I got lost in Times Square (where people were being complete jerks! I asked a man how much stamps to NZ were. 94cents he replies. I'm like, OK, can I have 15. He says sure, rips them off. '$22.50 please maam.' Um... waidaminute!!! That's like a $8.50 markup up - its meant to be about 14 bucks. He says ' I take a commission' Then has the nerve to shout at me when I refuse to have the stamps - what a...) 

Got home, cooked tea for the troops and headed out to EXIT THE KING adapted by Geoffrey RUsh. Starring himself, Susan Sarandon and Lauren Ambrose. What a load of tosh. It was complete self indulgance not followed through by the actors! Rush was pretty good but I got the sense he knew he was and therefore made him unappealling. Sarandon good but not quite powerful enough. Very connected actress though. Lauren Ambrose was a complete disappointment to me - a fine screen actress. Versatile. seeemingllly... On stage her voice was inaudible, there was nothing going on. Shite. I'm not even going to go into it. Was thoroughly upset by lack of excitement in this play. Went on FARRRRRR too long.

Back home, nothing doing. A couple of hours pass and my drunken flatmates arrive home and stay awake for a good couple of hours (boo!) but keep me throughly entertained with the concept of moosing which I shall not explain on this PGrated blog.

So, we come to today. I went to HB studios only to find my class has moved days. Dumdedoo. So I went to the Rock N Roll hall of fame. Which was shut. So I wombled around East Village which was super. Photos to come in separate document. 

I then got down to the World Trade Centre site which I found a little unsettling. A big hole in the ground and a real quiet eerie air despite a lot of people. Right opposite was the shopping department store Century 21 which has been recommended by so many to me. A little strange initially after the feeling of this building site all cordened off by police.

But let me tell you.... Shopping Heaven. Marc Jacobs, Versace, Prada, Ralph Lauren, DKNY all garments out of season or sewn wrong - nothing ACTUALLY wrong with them... but the prices!!! SOOOO cheap. I didn't overdo it. I desperately wanted a Calvin Klein pink silk cocktail dress for Graduation but restrained myself with 2 small purchases. A Michael Kors 60s Cocktail frock for 20 bucks anyone???!!!! I was drooling over a Marc Jacobs raincoat/dress but I left and had coffee and came home. What to do tonight?? Who knows!!

Days 5 and 6.... Theater District

An incredible feat of theatre exploration.

Friday I walked for about 2 hours to get the MoMA - a superb, decadant, swell museum. The staff were so friendly, I felt at times I was walking around a really kooky house and stumbling upon magnificance from time to time. It took all of an hour to womble around. And, I was glad - it's a very energising place and worth t

he 12 bucks spent. The Rock

efeller centre I didn

't go up to the top (20 dollars - I don;t think so chum) but wlked around the ice rink at

the bottom and had lunch in a little joint overlooking the fountain. And what a lunch. I had ordered a cheeseburger, the cheapest thing on the menu and a side salad. Well the cheeseburger plate alone took up two-thirds of a three seater table. Um... this is meant for one person, I asked the puerto-Rican waiter who laughed at me. Amusing: I write a lot in my diary at meal times if I'm by myself. What I've noticed and was confirmed for me on Friday (when I heard the waiters discussing me) is that they think I'm a food critic. So this time, I hammed it up. Asking what herbs was in the pattie, taking notes and in the end, not getting charged for my soda and salad.

Yippee. Have found ultimate travel tip. A spot of window shopping and giggling at dogs wearing shows (dogs have their own gyms here. They do YOGA for goodness sake. It's cruel. The owners force them into Downward dog. It's ridiculous.

Anyway, I got home, got dressed up in Jackie O ensemble and headed out to UNCLE VANYA at Classic Theatre Company.

This was the best Chekhov I've ever seen. tears welled in my eyes at the end, I laughed throughout, and felt the breadth of understanding of the writing of Chekhov. It was intimate. It was clever and traditional and a very special performance for me to see. I simply adore Chekhov and have seen around 10 productions. Rarely have the productions encapsulated the life of the text.

.. for me at least. The work moved and touched me. I was blustering, overwhelmed wreck at the end! Maggie Gyllenhall is a radiant actress. She was Yelena (the part I played earlier in the year) she was fearless. Broke down, was sexy, was drunk, disturbing, jealous, marvellous. Gave more texture to Yelena than I felt possible. Her pitch for the stage was perfect. She has the tiniest hint of a lisp but this kinda made her more endearing. But it was how present

she was in every single moment that really made her points of destruction all the more powerful. Becau

se Yelena sees and hears a lot. I've only just realised this. So wh

en

she speaks. It is so, so important the subtext under what she is saying. The smaller characters of Marina, Mother and Waffles kind of milked their parts and were all a little bolshy for my taste to begin with. By the end, they fit in perfectly and I sense maybe it was a directorial choice to give them different status. Maybe.

Mamie __ was excellent as Sonya. Made her a victim but not in an unnecessary way. You know Ive heard a lot of people say to me and other people. DO NOT MAKEYOUR CHARACTER A VICTIM. But what if the character is a victim?! After seeing this show, I sort of think Sonya is. I liked that she was sometimes annoying and desperate. But it is only when you play with insincerity that this does not work. This actress was being Sonya through and through. I really respect her choices. Peter Sarsgaard, a fantastically gross and yet sexy Astrov. He wa

s possibly sick the night I went, his voice broke a few times. Most interesting. But he wasn't afraid to make Astrov a bit of a prick. Lovely lovely lovely.

But the clincher was Denis O'Hare who played Vanya. Light. Direct. sustained. His joy and hope was infectious. Hard done by and really f***in angry about it. Heart broken from hope. Note really love. But hope of something different. Not mundane. Oh, his tears were so valid.

I bailed him up after the show and stuttered my thanks at him, too which he was most grac

ious. I pulled myself together, asked a few polite questions and went out into the New York City air on a complete high.

So, Tim and I sauntered out into the night. He had seen, on my recommendation 33 Variations and agreed that it was charming and moving. We had a few drinks and then went to Tim's INCREDIBLE place on Park Ave. Flash fella big time. We ate ice cream and then I got to sleep in the loft! Uber cool. Nice having a bed to myself.

Next day, a late start. A bit of porridge - Tim's specialty and we went in search of cheap tickets for AvenueQ, the musical. Ahh, 65 bucks? D on't thinks so bud. So we bought $26 seats to Guys and Dolls 2pm Matinee. Hmm. Polished. Well done.... Not a helluva lot of soul. The dancers alone wer

e superb. The singing excellent - Lauren Graham off the Gilmore Girls surprisingly sound singer. She does not have stage skills though. She was doing some lovely acting from what I could see. But film acting. She seemed out of place with Jazz hands etc. Not her sty

le.Weak, in comparison. But, then again, I think for a Professional stage debut she was pretty darn good. Oliver Platt was so average. Nothing doing it for me. I'm glad I paid the $26 bu

cks. For two reasons: To have seen Mr Nicely-Nicely Johnson perform SIT DOWN YOUR ROCKING THE BOAT. OH my. What a performer. Oozed ease, committment and dedication and what's more LOVE of what he was doing. GEEEEENNNNIUSSSS. 2nd reason, to remind me that this sort of theatre is not what I would really like to do. I respect it but I don't wish to see much more of it and I certainly don't want to be in it. Without full ensemble drive it achieves so little. That's why I thought MAMMA MIA was excreble.

Tim and I then ventured off to Chinatown which is SO cool. It's more like Asian town. Everywhere you go there's a market, a restaurant (korean, Chinese, Cambodian, etc) a little paper shop, knock offs. Just a crazy busy lively place. We had Vietnamese. Check out this photo - Haha Dad I was charged!

Next on the list was AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY at the Music Box theatre. Well, what can I say. A magnificent, endearing, breakdown, liftup, positively fantastic work of art. The play is so well written. So, so, so well written. 2 intervals and about 3 and a half hours. Now I hate long theatre.... I coulda sat in this for another two hours.

STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY IS A Chicago-based international performing arts institution committed to ensemble collaboration and artistic risk through its work with its permanent ensemble, guest artists, partner institutions and the community. "Steppenwolf has redefined the landscape of acting and performance by spawning a generation of America's most gifted artists. Founded in 1976 as an ensemble of nine actors, Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned company of forty-two artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting, filmmaking, and textual adaptation. No other American theater ensemble has survived as long and thrived as much as the Steppenwolf company of artists."

It's pretty awesome, it was founded by one of my favourite screen actors Gary Sinise and has members such as Joan Allen, Tina Landau, John Malkovich,and Alan Wilder. It's pretty prestigious.
The actors in AUGUST were all so incredibly dedicated to the truth of the situation. The family breakdown. Just insanely committed. There wasn't one person that was weak. Character's contrasted beautifully and I feel like I've seen a new Tennessee Williams. Modern. Unbelievably poignant.
I will write more on this later but have only got a few minutes left at this internet cafe.
So after the show Tim and I went and got some Coronas and went to his place, so we wouldnt be spending too much money on a night on the town. I got quite silly and we ended up adopting characters for the night. I was Gina Belladicco from Coogee Beach in Sydney and Tim was Pauly also from Sydney. We couldn't find a club apart from the one directly below Tim's apartment (hilarious) and ended up dirtydancing to Hiphop music (almost got caught out by an Australian who was there...) where I managed to get an unsightly rip in my old fave jeans. How vile.
So, we went out into the night following some New Yorkers outside. Turned out they worked for MTV and it got quite sticky when they asked what we were doing there... I'll admit, I was slightly inebriated and nearly blew out cover... Pauly wasn't impressed with Gina.
We stumbled into a pizza parlor at 4.30am and had the biggest piece of pizza I've ever had or seen in my life. Easily the size of my left thigh (and will probably add to it too!)
OK time running out will write later!

Day 4. Learning and egos.

A NYU day that was much more engaging than the previous day where my tiredness let me down tenfold.

I was running late, but used my logic to get on a different train that had the potential to make me on time. It worked. I introduced myself to the professor Karen, a sassy Asian American, and on we went. One thing I really like about NYU is that the students lead a lot of the lectures. First up two girls presented a hour and a half's worth of a lecture on a Japanese Dance group called Pappa Tamahumara. They combine theatre, dance and singing to investigate Western texts, ideas and mentalities in order to find the Universality within them. 

Here's some notes from the production of the Three Sisters which we watched: "It is rare to find choreography that incorporates facial expression as part of the choreography. Here, the dancers poke out their tongues, twist their mouths and smirk cheekily, contributing to the comedy and the characterisation for each sister. Every moment counts in this comic/tragic production that has obviously developed from intense experimentation and exacting rehearsals - nothing has been left to chance. It is the tightness of each aspect that really fleshes out the characters and creates the feeling of the trapped, claustrophobic world they occupy. In the fina

l scene there is a sense of doom, tiredness and pessimism as they sink to the floor, resigned to their situation where they will never escape from their provincial life." That particular piece was quite exciting to watch, as an actor, because, the dancers were really fusing themselves to the Given Circumstances of each character. We started a discussion about egos and how they develop from the Mirror Stage (this is where a toddler recognises him/herself in reflection for the 1st time) Fascinating because ego relies on sight, how you project yourself, what others see in you, what you see in others. One of the classmates Serep from Turkey got quite heated about this saying that a blind person cannot have this same ego growth which lead into a huge kettle of fish about how we learn, judge and copy from one another. I loved the debate. Serep, incidentally, took me under her wing and told me all the classes I should audit. Made me talked to a guy called Richard about Grotowski and his work. Was worth it. Richard's knowledge(ego?) was brilliant to listen to.

Anyway, I really liked the idea of seeing yourself in the mirror as desirable. Apparently a baby wants to grow up because they can see potential in themselves. They see a version of themselves and think that they have something to look forward to (another debate struck up as people questioned what kinds of tests they are doing on babies to figure this out) The link, or rather the theory we explored to drama, or performing, is this: THAT IS THE AUDIENCE: They are seeing a version of themselves in yourself. Which makes sense about the abundance of superficial shite television and movies that we have because our egos are so over developed we want to see more perfect versions of ourselves.

Anyway it's all theory. But interesting. I certainly hadn't thought about that sort of thing in great depth.

I caught a train back home after halfheartedly looking in some shops. I don't want to spend money on clothes here. Prices are just retarded. So I got back to the whare and hung out with Hamish, the Canadian who's staying with Shoshana for a month while he looks for a place. He studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse and is a really clever guy (handsome to!) he and I had a few beers and discussed the nature of acting and how many actors are in New York and bitter about their lives. Unfortunately, I've encountered a lot of unrealisticality (if that's a word...) here. People want to be famous. It's like they forget why they do it and everything hangs on that audition, and then they don't enjoy themselves and they don't get the part, making them more and more tense. Of course, part of it is that we cannot easily make a buck from this job but it's a little sad. I was reminded on 33 Variations again; The actor playing Beethoven relishing every moment on stage, he will continue to get work. His acting muscle is strong, he is skilled and he loves it and sends it out to the audience. Brilliant.

At 20 to 8, I was thinking I should do something. Hamish wasn't keen to go out, but I certainly was. So I leapt into a cab and said dramatically "Take me to the 1st theatre on Broadway!" "Yes, Ma'am!" says he and it was like a movie, he was swapping lanes, darting around Manhatten. Mad. Unfortunately, the first movie theatre was showing MAMMA MIA! It was 8 o'clock precisely. I thought, well OK, if they can give me an uber cheap seat, I'll go here. So the seat was $20 and I went by myself to MAMMA MIA! The production was so average. This was an example of the recession to me. The set consisted of two blocks that swung around into different scenes. The performers had terrible accents and one of them, the guy playing seemed to be performing on crack cocaine. He was twitching so much... and I was in the back row! The girl playing Sophie was Miss New York and so OTT. I couldn't see any chemistry between her and Skye (the fiancee) but maybe that was down to the fact that he was terribly camp and kept doing 'Days of out lives' double takes. The highlight were, what the man in front of me called, the menopausal women. Seasoned  professionals. Their timing, singing, input into a ghastly production was applaud worth. I stood up at the end for them (and cause I couldn't see because everyone else was standing up) 

This production went to show that despite technological genius that we have now you can still have a pants show. The lights were awful, not quite zany enough to be artistically naff and uninspired.  But the absolute worst thing was the sound mixing. Whoever was doing it had the music up much louder than the performers and some lines were COMPLETELY LOST! 

The funniest thing was an usher hit a woman on the head with a programme when she tried to take a picture. Ummm. WTF?!

So, I ventured out unto the crisp Times Square air and went home. New York, New York. It's a helluva town.

Day 3

A fine start to the day. Using Google Maps I found the subway to New York University. Kate's first day at school!

I am quite exhausted as Shosh and I aren't going to bed till late and my jetlag hasn't had time t recover. Boo-hoo I hear you say (Jess?!) Anyway, I rocked up to NYU security and said 'Blah, blah, I'm a New Zealander' he wasn't impressed, asked me a question about Australia and let me through.

Beautiful buildings at NYU. On the 6th floor I was welcomed by Patty Yang and Noel Rodriguez. Two uber cool administrators. I was shown the lecture room... I was like this is it? I thought I'd be hidden up the back of a giant lecture hall but these were intimate digs and in the class only about 10 students. Fascinating. Well, once I got used to the quick chattering of Americans. They talk SO fast here!

Here's some of my scrawlings from VERBAL ART AS PERFORMANCE with Kay Turner. Very interesting to me and my research. But they possibly don't make a lot of sense in the context of my blog. 

"Man is a self reflective animal. In performing he reveals himself to himself."

Social Drama: Crisis. Redress of action. Reintergration of social group. Social drama is breaches of regular regulations.

If a performance is reinacted over time, social behavior and events are given new meaning. 9/11- Breach - Drama - What it means to be a NYer - redressive actions start to happen and close gaps  - War in Afghanistan. 

Social drama is a series of experiences. Meaning comes after the fact of the force of the social drama. So how is new meaning created out of social drama? Audiences make the meaning? Because of their relationship to the event. They don't process meaning because they/we are part of the event.

Verbal Art as performance is about modes of communication. Tied to a language, a way of speaking. The art is through competance and levels of judgement. In certain cultural groups, stories, songs get passed down. Oral procession. But it is an organic process because each player puts their own flavour on it, making it their own and yet for everyone. Links to Playback theatre.

Then I missioned back to the Apartment, laden with bagels and Vitamin C (as everyone here seems to have Strep throat!) 

A quick gussie up and met Tim in Union Square with the intention of going to the Blue Man Group. Gosh I was SOOOO tired. It was freezing, despite infinite layers of clothing! We walked around charming Greenwich village for hours, Tim wanted to show me the squirrels in this dark little snowing park, but as we ventured in, the squirrels seemed to be asleep - as it was nightime and so cold - and there was a couple  of gangs  in there - one homeless gang - faffing around. So I was like thanks for that Timothy and we moved Due to an unfortunate incident, we missed the Blueman group and instead went onto Cleopatra's Needle as Tim and I share love of Jazz. It was divine. I convinced Tim after a Big Apple Martini to get up and sing. The video should be attached. Just gold.

I got home late. Fell into bed. And have woken up so hazy. Ah well, off to another lecture!

Day 2 NYC

What an incredible day. I ventured off into the sun, but don't be fooled, it was colder than the day before. Snow was still everywhere; Lining the blue skies and sun streaked streets.

I walked to the Museum district, only about a 20 minute walk up the road. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. What a marvellous, beauteous building. Entering, you feel like you are about to walk into somewhere sacred like the Vatican or a Castle or something... I did the Egyptian exhibitions first, which I soon grew tired of. Interesting but all the artefacts look the same after a while and I have no idea who all the Egyptian Kings are so they have no relevance to me. Two important things came out of it. I saw some beautiful theatre masks, a pungent blue, linking to Dionysis. Then, after walking for ages, the Temple. Oh my, it is truly magnificent.Surrounded by water and sky lights on the ceiling you get to walk into part of it. Quite the experience.

In European artists, I found 3 radiant Picassos and some Rodin. The Picassos made me laugh and cry. 'The Actor' with a somewhat tryhard pose, ever knowing of course. 'Harlekino' giving joy to the masses and 'The Blind Man' - something in the simplicity of this work gives a real sense of struggle and acceptance. Beautiful.

I wont bore you all with the details but will tell you that everytime I had to ask a question it has to be in a slight American accent. At first I was doing it to not get jipped on the streets now its a neccessity! For example, a camp young man was making coffee in a rather meticulous manner at a coffee bar. When he finally came to take my order, I said - in my voice -  "I'll have a Mocha please" As in 'Moka' and he said "I'm sorry?" "Moka-chino - it's right there." "Ohhh" says he "Mooe-Ka. Moe." As in Moe from the Simpsons. He found the need to correct me.

And I was paying him 4 bucks for a coffee. I'm sorry! A MOE-KA.

Which leads me to the point that everything here is ridiculously overpriced. I can't believe what they'll charge for things. A mixed leaf salad? 8 bucks. And the supermarket isnt much better.Think our prices, add 3-5 dollars and then put the exchange rate on. And that, Ladies and Gents, is why there seem to be no fat people in New York City.

After the Met, I caught my first lone subway to Union Square. There I tried to get a ticket to Uncle Vanya with Maggie Gyllenhall and Peter Sarsgaard. I got the last ticket for Friday night, which kinda is good and kinda sucks cause I can't go with Shosh. In the Classic Theatre Company there is a cafe (where I met Moe-ka man) and where there was obviously a special perfomance of Vanya for a local Jewish Boys High School. No sooner had I sat down and taken a sip than they came bursting out of the doors into the tiny cafe and proceeded to get into fights. There was a full blown riot! Yamulkes were flying and I got pushed off my chair by a 15 year old with a unibrow. Once they left I got the giggles and managed to headbutt the waiter when he asked if I was OK. 

After that experience, I thennnnn walked something like 40 blocks to get to Theatre District. Along the way I snuck warm haven in Macy's which, I'm sad to say, was disappointing. The only thing I bought was a Vanilla Low fat latte just to keep me warm!!!

Finally Times Square, sparkling in early evening light. Absolutely breathtaking. I took a couple of quick pics and headed on - New Yorkers hate people taking pictures - it also sets me up big time as a tourist which isnt such a good offer here.

I was handed so many cards and pamphlets for discounts to the theatre. The recession has really hit New York hard.

Good for me though, I bought a 30 dollar ticket to 33 Revelations with Jane Fonda, Samantha Mathis, Zach Grenier and Colin Hanks, produced by the Tectonic Theater Project who I very nearly seconded to. 

I was in the front row and it was such a marvellous play, production with just scintillating performances. I also was lucky enought to have dinner at a reasonably priced Italian Restaurant next door and was fawned on by waiters and owner alike. (Witnessed a fight brought on by an old lady about the music "You're going to drive people out of this restaurant mister! Turn it down!")

In the lead role, Fonda, did not let me down. She came out on stage looking straight at me, then other people in the audience. On her way from the vvery back she tripped on something, totally acknowledged it, then kept that memory present through the show, a little injoke with the audience.

She also did something that none of the others did, she kept her presence on stage once she had left. She left something behind for others to enter into.

Comic timing, I know is a strength with Fonda, from seeing numerous films. But she startled me, made me cry, became my Mum, my aunty, my sister, and was incredibly generous.

Colin Hanks has done all of one show off broadway. He made something out of a bit of a lame part. His voice and physicality were well honed. Clear. He was funny and charming and I've got a little crush on you Colin Hanks.

The surprise was Zach Grenier who I'd never heard of. He played Ludwig Van Beethoven and was the most musically charged actor I've ever seen. His rhythm of speaking, listening and being was so in keeping with his character. A total star. There was live piano in the audience and one particular scene where he lead us into his madness through the 33rd variation was the most exciting moment I've seen on stage.

At the end of the play, distraught and delighted, I started to join my fellow audience members in a Standing Ovation. Now, I'd been wearing Shosh's boots all day, they're the tiniest bit too small and, I'd walked a lot in them. So my feet were a bit swollen. As I went to get up, in the front row, with my new love interest Colin Hanks directly in front of me. I fell over. And not gracefully like I couldve passed maybe swooning. But I literally went 'Huwwwahhh' and went boof, right down agains the stage. 

People laughed. I composed myself and got up again immediately. Oh my life.