A triple appointment day –very rare for me to be that busy these
days. In the morning I had to go to
Brooklyn’s Steiner Studios for a fitting to be on the 4th season of
Boardwalk Empire. I was cast as a
“political dignitary” going to a Chicago mayoral rally… that goes bad. Excellent!
But it took them 2 hours to get me into the correct fitting of a
1924-ish suit. Most of the delay dealt
with getting “remote approval” via iPhone photos from the head wardrobe lady,
Lisa. She wasn't on site and I found out
later that her dog, Gus, had been run down by a car. I remembered Gus from my last fitting
here. He was special in that he was part
of the “wardrobe experience”… I’ll miss him.
Finally, I got out and made my second appointment on Long
Island… barely. The third one would be
in Manhattan, the Actors Studio. I
called them a long time ago to be put on a waiting list for going to one of
their plays and finally got the invitation.
I was to be one of about sixty or so people in the audience. A few of us arrived early and were trying to figure out which of the three doors to enter. They all seemed to be locked. But since the show wasn't starting for another hour… I decided to seek a place to hang-out.
After walking around the block for a while to kill some time,
I decided to settle on a small “hole in the wall” wine bar across the street
from the studio. It was appropriate to
my mood –the name of the place was “Wine Escape”. I went in and sat down at the nearest chair
by the lengthy bar… chatted with the only other patron while the bartender poured
me a glass of fantastic Malbec. It was a
busy day for me and I needed the calming atmosphere that this low-lit place provided. Soon I was nibbling on olives, a bit buzzed
and really didn't want to leave. But more patrons were arriving and suddenly the place was crowded.
Reluctantly, I left the bar and went over to the studio on
the other side of the street. After
figuring out which door to enter, a rather surly elderly man immediately asked if I had my
invitation. Luckily I brought the copy
of the email, presented it to him, and in his brusque manner (sans “Hrrrumph”) efficiently checked me off his list.
James Lipton
So… I was finally here –HERE, inside this theatrically historic method actors’ “shrine”: THE ACTORS STUDIO! I was almost feeling the ghosts of Marilyn, Marlon and Newman and James Lipton... ooops, not James -he's still doing live acting (albeit strange).
And while I gazed around the small living-room-like-lobby, I
spotted a Craigs-List-special-couch that looked very inviting.
I sat and watched more people arriving… and one of them was now next to me, sharing the
comfy-now-cozy couch. We
chatted a bit and he told me that it was his wife who really dragged him
here. He was a lawyer and he was just
taking it all in stride. I was
disappointed. I was sure he’d be one of
the actors attending “The Actors Studio”.
He seemed like one -but maybe it was just my wine-induced wishful
thinking.
An interesting large sign on my right side attracted my attention. Hanging on the wall was a kind of “credo”… a
“mission statement”… perhaps even a warning of sorts in “must-readable” large
type, stating (visions of a town-crier) that everyone here was “working on a volunteer basis”. Hmmmm, it kind of reminded me of the School
of Practical Philosophy, where I once met the actor Remak Ramsay. Here, I just
took in all the impressions created by the modest furniture, the low-key
understated atmosphere and the “people-of-all-ages” crowd who were gathering in this small "lobby-scene". And then the lights flashed,
and an announcement was made to take our seats. Entrance to the theater was up a very narrow set of steps -so it was a while before we all got settled in. We could actually take any available seat as there were no seat
assignments. Very democratic.
I sat in the front row near the “narrator” of the play. There was no “stage” per se –only an open
area with some chairs, a low table and a set of screen-dividers, the type that could
be used for privacy to change clothes (in the play they were used to symbolize
a ride in an elevator). The seat-rows
were staggered in height so there was no problem seeing for those in the back. There were also two balconies on either side
of the theater. It was plain –one had to
realize that it was all about the actors… and their interactions with each
other, the minimalist props and ultimately us.
The play entitled “Existing Privilege”, started with a short
announcement from the narrator about the time and place of the scene. The actors came out in more or less plain
clothing… carrying their lines in a black loose-leaf book. I didn't expect it to be a reading. At one point in the play, one of the actors
had a different version of the lines than the others. She began to “break character” and started to
share her partner’s book –looking down at the “expressive” lines, barely getting
through her part without cracking up laughing.
The play seemed to center on a development of relationships both political and
sexual, but the characters were somehow miscast and it was difficult to feel
anything for them or the story-line.
What can I say? It
was a play “read-through”… not great… just a play. Meh?
But my bigger disappointment here was that I had “expected” both actors
and directors to be “rehearsing”, and the director to give various types of
coaching to the actors, from which I and the rest of the audience might have
learned something about “stage acting”.
But no. I was attending a reading
rendition of the play –and not an actual “teaching session” that I had hoped
for. The intermission was pretty good –they
had free coffee and yet another narrow hallway (eventually leading to the bathroom), with photos of many of the legendary actors
who studied here. Very museum-like.
Marlon and Marilyn
The play eventually ended with a bang (one of the characters got shot). The audience mulled around -quietly putting on their coats. I was not inspired, didn't sense any "method" -and so I left and reflected only on the fact that I’d been to
the legendary Actors Studio, followed by another reflection of my short time at
the Wine List bar across the street… each had its own effect of a dulling
sensation on me.
Chalk it up to an "eventful day".
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