Overload?

That is what I thought when I just got my ticket for The Light Years, the Debate Society project at Playwrights Horizons that begins on Saturday. I was able to get a discount ticket on TDF for Sunday matinee--I really did not want to see it this early, but Playwrights Horizons is not often on TDF so I pushed myself to get a ticket. Ok so I got it. If things work out I could be seeing one play a day from Thursday to Sunday. Pretty heavy, huh? Still I think I will try to see The Tempest either Thursday of Friday, and Saturday maybe go to see the play that my friend Merlin is in at  Abrons Arts. What about Ben's play and...oh well, the list is endless, no point in really continuing. Overload, anyone?
 Today, no work at Friends, after a hectic day yesterday which ended with twenty seventh graders sparing me nothing. These kids are not mean, but they have absolutely no self control, especially in a late class.
 Tonight, if not tired, will try to hit one of three bars that have interest---either the Gramercy. a bar near Friends; The Pinball bar on Union Avenue in Brooklyn, where the bartender is a woman whom I had an interesting conversation with a few weeks ago, or the Starr Bar, where I have always been made to feel welcome. Last Sunday nothing happened at South Fourth; I ran into a loud crowd and had no one to talk to--very rare for that place.
 Some reports: The middle school play was a revalation---really beautifully done, and its content was refreshingly moving and real. The kids moved in and out of the stage with incredible confidence. Certainly the most meaningful middle school show of I have in my at least seven years of attending them. (and that is a long time)
 After that, headed to Everybody---the play at Signature that I was very anxious to see. It is a very funny piece by a very bright playwright, but I really did not like it. The play exists in two parts: a framing device that appears to include the audience (but really doesn't) and the story of Everybody, a take on the Everyman medieval passion play. That is where the playwright fails--Everybody's journey is pretty rudimentary. Ultimately the play is smarter than it should be, but pretty empty. Hung around a little bit after the play at the Signature Bar, where I ran into two "downtown" theater people who had just seen Wallace Shawn's play which was playing at another space in the Theater complex.
They both loved it, and my attempts to communicate to them what I did not like about the play seemed to fail completely. Kind of frustrating, after which I headed to Lansdown Road, a bar I often visit where nobody seems to know anything about theater (good or bad?)  and had nice but expensive sandwich, and welcomed a new bartender who had just come here from Rochester (and no, he was not an actor on the side).
 Sunday, off to the Brick to see my friend Brian's play, He wrote a terrific comedy last year called The Golfer, which was performed by the same group, but this play, Enterprise, while funny, was kind of slight---sort of outtakes from his last and more successful play. Headed to South fourth after that, and you know what happened there.
 That is all for now...will report on the evening's "adventures" ( if they happen) and all else soon

still worried about....

roundups in different cities---hateful to see people frightened---it seems like there is a lot of resistance and planning around protecting people. That is a good thing.
 So we live with this (but wern't we really living with it before as well---with much less awareness)
Not much else to say, so I will make this clumsy transition to my own "adventure" last night.
    Headed to Dixon Place to see the Geraldine Page biographical play, created and performed by her daughter, Angelica. Usually when I go to Dixon Place there are some familiar faces to chat with, but here, as I suspected, because the late Miss Page is not that well known by the generation that frequents Dixon Place, there was nobody that I knew, and many first times, sort of awed by the surroundings.Theater was only half filled; maybe this was the first time in my many times at the Place that it was like that. The piece itself was very interesting, a little over long, a little too episodic, but also quite moving in its way. It begins with the daughter confronting us with her inability to let go of her late mother's memory, then she quickly morphs into Miss Page, Anecdote after anecdote follows, in a somewhat orderly fashion. Much of it is interesting, especially to me, who followed her career all her performing life. Lots of dropped names that I could recognize. The three performances that I saw Miss Page give between 1959 and 1964 (The Princess in Sweet Bird of Youth; Nina in Strange Interlude; and Olga in Three Sisters) were all amazing. The piece continues until her death at which time Angelica goes back to the framing device and gives us a moving conclusion. Not a great evening, a little too episodic, but at least got me in touch with Miss Page and her collaborators, who I had followed in the fifties and sixties.
   Walked up to the Fried Chicken place on 2nd and 2nd---yummy! Then returned home. Slept quickly then awoke at about 2---a little turbulent--but things are more in place now.
  Today, after library, will go to Friends middle school play at 5, and then Everybody at Signature at 8. After that, will probably drop into Lansdowne Road two blocks away, watch some sports, and then return home. Tomorrow, as I said in the last blog is the time for me to see Brian Parks' new play at the Brick, at least that is the plan.
   Will report back soon...

first blog in...

a couple of days---and what days they have been! Three days at Friends, including two in which I worked practically the whole day. On Wednesday two different schedules, but I felt very active---on all three days I also had sessions---so after that it was coming home and simply falling asleep very quickly. Yesterday, the snow day---no problem with that, but unfortunately the snow stopped a plane from taking off, the very plane that was supposed to carry the man I was supposed to sub for today. He remained, and I waited by the phone this morning, hoping that it would bring some work. It didn't, and there was a brief scare that Monday would not happen either. But it will, and I will be back there on Monday---really only one day missed.Still, a little frazzled by all these events---I am still, as you say, in motion.
  What about the weekend. Ah, would love to  see I Puritani at the Met tonight, and there are tons of seats available. What a pleasure to bask in Bellini's warm (but not too penetrating) music. But it won't happen, at least not tonight, because cityboy has made another choice---the daughter of Geraldine Page, Angelica Torn, has created a one woman show as a tribute to her mother. I grew up with Geraldine Page; I remember her great performances in Sweet Bird of Youth and Strange Interlude--so I felt this was something that I must see. Better to see it now, as it seems that seventeen friends of mine have theater projects happening in the next two or three weeks. Also, it is always fun to go to Dixon Place---since they do mostly downtown theater projects, I most  always meet someone that I know there, but since the saga of Miss Page brings back a different era, I wonder if there will be a different group of people there tonight---maybe some elderly people, some old Actors Studio veterans who knew and worked with Miss Page will be there to pay tribute to her. Well, we will see.
 Saturday will see the middle school show at Friends, and then off to Signature to see Everybody, the Brandon Jennings-Jacobs play. Really looking forward to that one. Sunday may try to go to Brick on Metropolitan and see Enterprise, which my friend Brian Parks has written. Then off to South Fourth for some (hopefully) good conversation.
  Interesting review of Big River, the musical adaptation of Huck Finn, that is playing at Encores. First the critic praises it,  then in her last three paragraphs she faults it for marginalizing the black characters and emphasizing the white ones. She is very critical of this--the Times reviews are rarely political in tone; I wonder what (if any) the ramifications will be of this. The critic writes regularly for the Times-----in a way, her review is a put down of the Times critic who loved it and shoved it into its fame--Frank Rich. It will be interesting to see what happens.
  So between now and my trip to Dixon Place have much time to kill. What to do---have some reading to catch up on, but where? Anyway, all will be revealed tomorrow....

An ugly movie....

that I saw last night----Nocturnal Animals, saw it at the movie theater on second and twelth. It had sounded interesting to me as escapist---and I knew there were two stories intermeshed, but I had no idea that the second story, the movie within the movie would be gratuitously violent. I was very turned off, yet I remained through the whole movie, and actually it kept my attention throughout,. a little more then the gentle Paterson that I saw on Thursday evening. Still, the violence seemed unnecessary to the main story (a rich woman in her forties at an emotional crossroads)  and I am angry at myself for not knowing that it was there.
  It happened that i saw it becauses I decided not to go to the Brick, to see my friend Brian's play. Why? Kind of tired after the sessions at the library and perhaps with two plays already experienced this week (including the incredible Beardo)  I just felt I had enough.  A lot of procrastionation around choices for the evening (a new bar, an old hangout, a movie) but seeing this movie seemed meaningful enough.
 Today, of course, is super bowl Sunday---kind of hateful that the game begins so late---6:30, I am determined to wait the time out reading and wandering around Brooklyn (where I am now) rather than "seeing something". But that is hard. At any rate, will report on rest of the day next blog, which could be in a few days since I am working at Friends most of the week.

the visit to Greenpoint

to see Beardo, arrived early (as usual) on this cold night, but could not enter the theater space (it was actually in a church) and so walked west to Franklin Street, and noticed three bars very close to each other. Went into one called Glogg, on Franklin's west side. I had passed it many times before; it looked interesting but had never gone in. This time I needed to use the bathroom, and it was not too crowded and from the window the bartender looked friendly, so I ventured in. She was very cordial and allowed me to use the bathroom ( a good idea since the one in the church was very rudimentary)--I thought that I would like to return there again and just sit and have a beer---will do that soon as soon as the weather improves a bit. There is also a very nice book store that is nearbye, should visit there too.
 Then off to Beardo---with music (not lyrics) by Dave Malloy and lyrics and book by his writing partner for Beowolf (2009) Jason Craig. A remarkable event----a two and a half hour musical about Rasputin, but of course with jibes towards the current day. Malloy's music is as usual, very imaginative---Craig's lyrics, a little smarmy but very bright, fits well with them. A two act musical about the rise and fall of the mad monk---it has just about everything in it. Unlike Natasha and Pierre which takes itself seriously throughout, this musical constantly references the present and uses different styles to present itself. It is not great--the character of Rasputin is intense and never changes, so it is hard to create any warmth---it is slow to get started but the second act really improves on the first with several great numbers. My friend Ellie, directed the show; she seems to have done an amazing job---assembly a brilliant cast. Afterwards she told me this was the show's first public preview (I had assumed it was the second) and when I heard that I was really amazed--it is in great shape. Finally the finale of the first act---a chorale for the "peasants" of Russia that arrives without any preparation and is sung acapella is totally amazing. I just sat there stunned. This is one of the few places in Beardo where the creators opt for a totally serious and respectful tone, and the effect is mesmerizing. Really glad I went.
  When it was over, I said hi to Ellie; she seemed really happy that I came---asked me for some feedback (which I gave, but which was overall positive) and then introduced me to her lighting designer as a downtown theater "legend" because I see so many works at the Brick, Bushwick Starr, Abrons Arts etc. Very flattered and somewhat amused that I would really be considered a "legend" ; this may tempt me to see even more shows in these small theaters, since a "legend" has to show up.
Yes it is funny, but this morning, waking up, I felt that good that my identity has some meaning to others---more definition always is meaningful.
  Tonight, the tentative plans are to go to the Brick to see my friend Brian's play, The Brick is situated on Metropolitan near Lorimer, afterwards perhaps can check out norther bell, a bar restaurant where I have been treated very nicely in the few times that I have visited there. Will report soon.

just made plans to...

see Beardo, the new (and practically under advertised) Dave Malloy musical at a church in Greenpoint tonight. Not sure if I wanted to do it, but it seems like the best idea I can have for this evening. It was very easy to reserve an inexpensive ($25.00) ticket for tonight, but who knows, if word of this gets out, it could easily become a "hot" ticket and cityboy might find himself standing on the sidelines, or worse, on the cancellation line. That won't happen now---interesting this is the show's second performance---I also saw the second performance of Natasha and Pierre at Ars Nova---kind of an interesting coincidence.
 Yesterday a free day, so two contrasting experiences in a short time. First, going to the Justice for Ramarley protest at Foley Square---of course I approached this with some nervousness but there were plenty of people there when I arrived around 5. Interesting group, I would say about 50% white---the speeches and call outs were very passionate and focused; they, lasted about an hour and a half---although the leader said that BAN was represented, I did not see anyone that I knew---spent the 80 or so minutes there by myself, though surrounded by passionate people. Very strong experience, glad that I went.
  When it was over, I thought the best place for me to hang out would be the Starr Bar in Bushwick, the "activist" bar that is part of Mayday. But fatigue set in on the subway, still it was too early to just return to the apartment, I opted to see the movie Paterson; I was looking for a calm after the storm and I found it. Paterson is a mellow, lovely movie, totally apolitical--it is beautifully filmed, basically about a bus driver around 30 who drives a city bus in Paterson, but whose name is also Paterson. Although race and class problems were non-existant in the movie, the characters that Paterson interacted with were of all races, living ordinary lives. A beautiful and unexpected conversation about poetry ends the movie. Soft, but fulfilling. The movie theater (sunshine) was about half filled---I must admit I enjoy being at a play much more---I feel much more part of the community, and of course, there is always the possibility for conversation with the artists or with fellow audience members---it is much more visceral for me. Well, that should happen tonight and also tomorrow, if cityboy decides to spend a second evening in Brooklyn (tonight's performance is at a Church in Greenpoint) and see Brian Parks' play tomorrow at the Brick.
  So that is it. Admit to being a little "frazzled" at the moment---a decent amount of free time is in front of me before the Greenpoint adventure---but I should be able to report on the whole thing next post, which should be tomorrow.

cityboy-is rich!

Well, not really, but just won 25 dollar scratch off game (finally, have played them incessantly--only one per day though)  which arrives at a good time. Strangely my impulse is to sit on the money---not spend it---so we will see if that is possible. But finally, the green scratch off card paid off!
  Yesterday a hectic day with a phone call to sub for a  latin teacher  at 6:30---a march to the bathroom to make sure that I could leave the house by 7---a very short trip on the two subways (2 and R) arriving at Union Square in about 11 minutes. Then getting the e-mail with which included a quiz, printing it and making 12 copies of three different pages. No problem doing that though; all ready to give the quiz at 8:15. The rest of the day consisted of supervising three eighth grade classes as they did their assignments on their i-pads, a lot easier then it looks. Eighth graders seem perpetually stuck between lower grade infantility and upper grade seriousness---the result is most of them are wild and wacky. Got out okay and made it over to 145th street for one session. After that it was back to the apartment to crash and sleep.
  On Tuesday evening, caught Wallace Shawn's new play with eight actors including Shawn and Matthew Broderick. It is a strange piece filled with contradictions---one or two beautifully written scenes about despair and loneliness but much of the play is locked in to a simplistic vision and full of  statements that don't really make sense. The setting, an older bar and laid back restaurant in Manhattan is realistic as are the characters who come back to it for a reunion. But the world they inhabit seems made up---it was easier to go with this in Shawn's the Designated Mourner, because it was primarily a monologue, which made the audience almost a partner in Shawn's vision. In this play, a playwright who never made it big, finally finds "success" as a show runner of a superficial television series, and returns to a reunion of his last failed play with some of its other participants. It is the first time in a long time he has been in this restaurant, I assume one reason is that he has been in California making the series. But then the owner of the restaurant announces that one of his other cast members was in the place the day before---so is the series being filmed in NY. And if it is, why has the writer stayed away from the place. This is only one of the many strange contradictions in this half realistic--half fantasy piece. Again, some good and perceptive writing exists in the piece, but it seems to be caught up in a vision that is dull and "locked in".
  Today, will go to a protest demanding that a policeman who shot a black male without provocation in the Bronx in 2012 (about the same time as the more publicized Trayvon Martin incident) be brought to justice. He is still on the force, earning a salary. A little leery about attending, but realize that I must do it. After that not sure where I will wind up, maybe a visit to Mayday bar in Bushwick, I have always had a nice time when I have hung out there. Will report on all this tomorrow or the next day.