Hey …. You know who we haven’t heard from in a while

EELS!

Orion

Well, well, well …. Today I found out why I had such difficulty understanding the actors when I went to see Seminar in New York, and why I have been having such a hard time understanding my niece and nephew in the mornings when I take them to school, and why I have been so frustrated trying to catch what my coworkers are trying to say and why it sounds like I have a wet blanket draped over my head when I don’t have the hearing aids in …

I have had about a 20% drop off in hearing in my good ear. And not just hearing as in the sounds aren’t loud enough – nooo – the sounds are plenty loud with my hearing aids in but unfortunately it is a drop off in hearing clarity. That means that no matter how loud it gets I’m still not going to understand the words. It’s like listening to life through a bad PA system – its loud but it’s incomprehensible. What really got to me today is that is not fixable and it’s not reversible. That’s when the reality of all this hit. I usually joke about my hearing loss (as does everyone around me) but this got my attention. I’m 55. What’s my life going to be like at 65? Should I forget learning Russian in favor of ASL? Is there sign language for Spanish speakers? How soon before the hearing will all be gone?

I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, grieving over the loss so to speak, when I left work tonight and as I stepped outside, I looked up and there was Orion, his belt shimmering, Betelgeuse beaming, and it put me back in my place. Orion is my constellation. A desert dweller, I wait for winter and Orion announces its arrival. Last year around this time, I stood out in the night sky of Uruguay and found him standing on his head, but still there. There are constants in life. I will allow myself a certain amount of sadness but realized that in the eons of time that Orion has watched pass beneath his feet, this really carries little to no weight.

So I’ll ask people to look at me when they talk and not cover their mouths and bear with me when I ask them to repeat themselves. We’ll just have to wait and see what the MRI reveals if anything.

Mr. Rochester broods …

As I wrote about in a previous post, I’ve been reading Jane Eyre as of late and for better or worse, George C. Scott is my image of Mr. Rochester. I created the image below for myself I was playing with screen caps from the video available on YouTube and started manipulating the images with Photoshop. I had all sorts of enhancements on the image at certain points in its development – red strings from ribs, written quotes about tears dropping from the lash, etc. But the embellishments didn’t really seem to add much to the feeling of the image and looked a tad art school gimmicky. So here it is. I know it is an acquired taste to have George C. as Edward and the image has limited appeal. If you like it, take it, give credit if you can and if you want a small card of the image just click on it and go to the store and purchase it.

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“Seminar” a very subjective non-review

Seminar, a play by Theresa Rebeck, directed by Sam Gold and starring Alan Rickman, Hamish Linklater, Lily Rabe, Jerry O’Connell,  and Hettienne Park currently at the Golden Theater, in New York City.

I’m going to start by being honest.  This is why I went to see the play:  

Meeting Alan Rickman.  Yes, immensely shallow of me, a stage degree-toting and supposed aficionado of the “theatre,” but that is the truth.  I had built the experience up in my head into this sparkling and witty exchange between myself and Alan and the rest of the cast and instead, I just thrust out my program, and said nothing other than a quiet thank you.  Mercifully someone behind me, engaged Mr. Rickman in chitchat about Snow Cake so I got to hear his voice up close and personal, which was the second reason I went to New York.  He is soft spoken and came across to me to be at least as shy as I am … but that voice!   Sound and voice have become very important to me as of late.  I now wear two hearing aids and have come to realize how subjective sound truly is.  Which brings me to a rather sad truth about my experience at Seminar – I missed about a third of what was being said — not through any fault of the performers and I don’t think it was the acoustics in the theater, I think it was a combination of where I was sitting and the performance of the hearing aids at this particular event.  It was most frustrating to have everyone around me laughing and not having a clue as to what had just been said.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THERE ARE SPOILERS FROM HERE ON DOWN SO GO SEE THE SHOW AND THEN COME BACK AND READ (oh, and when you do, maybe you can fill me on what I missed).

The performances were of course excellent as one expects at this level of professional theater.  Alan Rickman’s performance was wonderful and his voice carried strong and clear and I didn’t miss hardly a word he said (fortunately for me his voice falls in the range I can hear quite well).  Unfortunately for me, Ms. Rabe’s voice is in that tonal range that I have lost and I missed a lot of her lines which from the reaction in the theater were some of the funniest.  But the performance and the character that surprised me the most was that of Hamish Linklater.  His performance had a depth that kept up with Mr. Rickman’s, particularly in the second act.

As for the play, well, I should probably give it another viewing before I pass judgment, but what the hell, I’ll pass judgment anyway. The play really comes into its own in the second act.  When the setting changes to Leonard’s apartment, the tone of the play changes and we get beyond the witty veneer of pseudo-critique that goes on in Kate’s apartment which is all style but not much soul.  The set for Leonard’s apartment made me want to crawl on stage and explore the books, knickknacks and papers, snuggle into a corner and read. It personified the more complex internal life of the writer (BTW my BFA is in set design, I leave theaters humming the scenery). In Leonard’s apartment we come to know the reality of Leonard’s life and of Martin’s and of all writers/artists — being an artist is more than just producing the work by yourself in a small room, its having the confidence to then put that work out into the cold, harsh world and enduring all the gyrations and politics that come along with that.  Easy to say, but hard to do. This is the point in the play where Alan Rickman, as an actor, bites into the character and show us who he is, where he’s been and what has shaped him.  We forget its “Rickman, the Actor,” and feel for Leonard, the artist and man and how he is coping with his life.  Talent and technique – the two “t’s” of acting.  This act is also where Linklater shines as the personification of young, insecure talent.

To be honest, I still don’t know what it was that got Kate into Leonard’s bed (I told you not to read until you saw the play, now you’ve ruined it for yourself).  Granted, all Leonard would have to say is “hello” to get me – heck, who am I kidding, he could say “get the hell out of my face” and I would follow him anywhere… but again I digress into my own little fantasy world.  I still don’t understand how or why Kate’s mind was changed about a man she considered loutish at best.  Both Kate and Izzy sleep with Leonard (not that I blame them), leaving me with the impression that Ms. Rebeck believes female writers must use sex to get their work recognized. Is that what women have to do in this day and age to get their work out there?  It would have been an interesting, albeit a different play, if the Martin character was female.  Would the quality of her writing have been sufficient to entice Leonard to help “Martine” without the sexual undertones?  Like I said, I missed a good bit of what went on so I may be way off the mark here.  Bottom line is I’m going to have to see this play again (I’m collecting funds to travel back NYC – feel free to contribute) or get a copy of the play once it is available (probably the more sensible thing to do).

Here are a few more snaps.  I got the one of Jim Belushi by mistake.  Just as I was about to take AR’s photo, someone said “Great show tonight” and he turned to shake hands and I got this:

Rickman and Belushi 12/8/11 Seminar

BTW – I did exchange a few words other than thank you with teh man.  When he had finished, and people were beginning to disperse, he asked “did I get everyone” – which was, I thought, very kind of him, and I piped up “I think so, but you can sign mine again, if you’d like “ which was met with a smile and a “no that’s alright” as he ran for his car… Okay – so it wasn’t witty repartee but I did manage to say something rather than standing and grunting.  I consider that an accomplishment. 

Hamish Linklater 12/8/11 Seminar

Jerry O'Connell!

Alan Rickman 12/8/11 Signing

Jane, George and me

It has been over a month since the last post, so I thought perhaps I would start the year out doing something productive – if blogging can be considered productive. I swore the first thing I’d do when I got back from the trip to back to NYC to see Alan Rickman in Seminar would be to chronicle the experience. But a whirlwind of Christmas and family and work and business came at me as I stepped off the plane and rather took the oomph out of my sails. And since I am at heart undisciplined (sounds so much nicer than “lazy” which is what I truly am), I have yet to tackle the Seminar/Rickman/New York at Christmas post, but I will … soon … really … but first …. I feel compelled to write about something else. Please don’t feel obligated to read the rest of this post, particularly if you have never read Jane Eyre and/or were not a dorky teenager in the early ‘70s with a crush on George C. Scott. That’s right, you read it right, George C. Scott – save the mockery for later please…

I first read Jane Eyre at about 14 years of age, maybe 13. I was obsessed with the book and the story. I came to it in a roundabout way – I saw the made for television version starring George C. Scott and Susannah York and was enthralled. I’ve always tended towards the gothy side (yes, I too, like Messrs. Depp and Burton, ran home to catch Dark Shadows on the telly). And my lord, Mr. Rochester, as portrayed by George C. sent my proto-goth head spinning. Off I staggered to the library upon seeing this to get the “whole” story. The book proved to be much more beautifully angsty than the television movie (obviously) and Bronte’s prose style was completely new to my 1970′s teenage sensibilities. Dear reader, I was hooked. I didn’t come up for air until I finished it (altho’ I will admit to a tiny bit of skimming on the “SintJin” parts).

[Flashforward] On the airplane coming back from NY, surprisingly not really interested in watching “Our Idiot Brother,” I started reading passages from Jane Eyre that I had downloaded to the iPad. The attic door was cracked opened but as I said, when I stepped off the plane, life came at me and I had little time for reading – until Christmas night when I picked up the book once more and then it all swooped in on me from out of the past. I found myself right back to the darkened hall, lit by my spluttering candle, listening to the screams and waiting for Mr. Rochester. I will spare you my analysis of the book (for now), but I did come to realize, under all the emotion and turmoil that drew me to the book, Jane Eyre was a great role model for a young girl. She stuck to her beliefs, she didn’t back down and she made her own way in the world. There is one exchange in the book and I’m paraphrasing ’cause I’m too lazy to go find the passage or uh, undisciplined that’s the word I meant to use, … anyway, Rochester is trying to basically convince Jane to live with him in sin or as near an approximation of sin as they had at the time, that no one would care or know, and she states, “But I would.” Good girl Jane – frankly then and now, I would be throwing my few belongings in a bag and following him out the door. Along with being lazy, I have no moral fortitude.

Still with me? Wow – I thought you would have given up reading this way up there at the “SintJin” part. Okay, continuing then….

The book also took me back to the burly arms of Mr. Scott. I had not seen the movie in many, many years. Since I was already on the iPad I googled the movie and found it to be available in I believe 9 easy segments on YouTube. Well, while I still love George C. as Edward Rochester – he was the first so therefore my definitive Rochester – I couldn’t say the same about the production. Susannah York was way, way way too old to be playing Jane and had a little too much worldly confidence. The ending was so anticlimactic I’m sure something must be missing from this version. So, obsessive/compulsive as I am, off I started to view (insert fanfare) – every Jane Eyre/Mr. Rochester combination available on YouTube to see which was truly the best version of this book. Do you have any idea how many versions of this book have been staged cinematically? I skipped Orson Welles’ version – I’d seen that long ago and while a good movie it was not Jane Eyre. I went through several BBC mini series versions, one with Toby Stephens, another with Tim Dalton and the new movie with Fassbender that just came out. I know, I know, a little obsessive. While I liked all the different Rochester’s for different reasons, I still liked Mr. Scott’s portrayal the best. But as to the best rendition of the book, I’d have to say it was the Timothy Dalton 1983 version that seemed the most accurate (altho’ I really didn’t care for Jane in that one). The most romantic was the 2006 version – zowie, but not faithful to the book. And one does want Jane Eyre to be faithful does one not?

Okay – I’m rambling at this point because I seriously doubt you followed me to the depths of this post so the rest is for me. Should you read this, don’t repeat it – I still love George C. Scott; his smile makes me happy. Watching him in Jane Eyre made me remember him in Beauty and the Beast, another movie that does not stand up to memory but his performance was exceptional and then that took me to “They Might Be Giants” (the movie, not the band). (All conveniently available on YouTube.) They Might Be Giants is a flawed movie but George C. Scott’s and Joanne Woodward’s abilities shine through to make you care about their Holmes and Watson. Scott was no pretty boy, but he had a manly charisma and the ability that all actors should have, that of embodying their character wholeheartedly. What I have referenced is admittedly not Scott’s best work – Dr. Strangelove, Patton, The Hospital, etc. are his best work. But his work in these films inspired me and took me into hallways where I never expected to find myself.

Thats it for now, but be warned, this blog may be visited soon by more analysis of Jane Eyre, the book, and Jane Eyre on film and perhaps a smidge more on George just cause I don’t think I’ve gotten all this out of my system yet.

This is the end my friend

The last mandatory blog post for November 2011! Let the holidays begin! Prepare yourself NYC I will(hopefully) be heading your way. Seminar! Must see Rickman on stage at least once in a lifetime. Perhaps I’ll take the iPad along and post fotos or not. Since November is just about over I don’t have to … But I might.

Ah November

When will you end?
I tire of posting
Entries that are not read
Not worthy of reading
Honestly, stop …
Shall I do this again in December?
And the answer
is
…..NO!

I’m almost there…

I have (sort of) posted every day this month – even when I was pulling an all nighter in the ER, so I feel obligated to post tonight even tho’ I really don’t have a creative thought left in my head. Wait, wait….. I think I’ve got something ….
nope, sorry. Nothing. Consider it my tribute to Seinfeld. Perhaps I’ll get inspired these last few days to post something of merit and worth …. or not.

free shipping but only for today

What am I talking about? Its Cyber Monday and my Etsy store has free shipping but only until midnight eastern time so QUICK! go over there and buy that Snape pendant you’ve always wanted …. click on the image to get to the store….

Remember – I need to get to NYC to see Seminar – so at the least buy a bookmark to contribute to the cause. Thanks!

Seminar

Are we Alan Rickman fans? Are we theater fans? Then go read this: Playbill Brief Encounter
Make sure to read page 2 if thou art a Potterhead.