20 Questions about Theatre

And I made it myself!!! You know the drill – answer back to me and post your own on your bulletin or blog.

1. How many plays have you seen in the last 12 months?
Including the 24 at Fringe, about 38, I think.

2. Which one of these plays you saw was one of your favorites?
Well, I liked a lot of shows, and I personally LOVED A Body of Water (OTP), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Valencia), Glengarry Glen Ross (Mad Cow), Matador (Fringe), and Sweeney Todd (Mad Cow). But my favorite was The Seagull at Mad Cow. I like dramas.


3. How many plays have you been involved with in the last 12 months?
Let’s see, Orlando Vigilante was over a year ago, so Summer Shorts and this play I have being produced in Albuquerque , so just two.

4. Which one of these plays you were involved with was your favorite?
I appreciate the Albuquerque’s opportunities a bit more, but my work there is done…

5. How important is the pre-show music?
I listen to it for creativity and to see what they’re saying about the show, so it’s kinda important to me. (say the man with nearly 1400 CDs)

6. How important is having a well-designed program to you?
Well, I notice if there is no program or if the program is crappy, and I have initial trepidations. However, I’ve had shows still blow me away.

7. What kind of show – even if done impeccably – are you just personally unable to enjoy?
I have trouble with many one-person shows, especially if they seem more like actor therapy.

8. If on a scale from 1 to 5, one is wishy-washy and five is deeply opinionated, where are you?
6+ - I try to be nice, but I am VERY opinionated.

9. If a really talented friend of yours was in a not-so-stellar show, and they came up to you afterwards and asked your opinion, you would say:
I have trouble being dishonest, so I just own up to the fact that my perspective probably sucks: “It wasn’t my cup of tea.” If pressed, I get honest and lose friends. Some. Some stay with me, because they appreciate my forthrightness and they know I have a lot of opinions, which tends to devalue them – law of supply and demand, ya know.

10. If a really talented friend knows they just bombed in a show, what would you say to console him or her?
I just try to empathize, because I’ve been there before.

11. When was the last incident where you watched a show and thought, “I wish I’d thought of that!”?
The drag queen shark costume and Chad Lewis’ “swimming” in JAWZ were neat theatrical tricks I wish I’d come up with.

12. When was the last incident where you went – “Oooo that should never happen onstage!”?
I remember seeing two women go up on their lines and stare at each other panicky for almost a minute (I timed it), and finally the one whispered, “It’s your line!” There’s support and teamwork for ya!

13. Who is someone whom you do not really know, but based on seeing them in a show, you’d like to get to know?
Well, I have a lot, but I was glad to get to know Tim Williams a little before he left for Las Vegas. The others? I am plotting daily to work with them.

14. What’s a theatrical trick you get a kick out of?
I mentioned Chad’s JAWZ swimming – people dressed like ninjas held him while he paddled and kicked. I like things like that, like the forced perspective at the beginning of the musical Hairspray.

15. What do you do if you’re embarrassed for the actors?
I stare at the floor or the curtains. I do!

16. Have you ever cried because of a good show?
Ask David about sitting next to me at Wit with Anne Hering

17. Have you ever laughed so hard at a show, you had trouble breathing or you peed a little?
I got close with Dragness of God and the "bay-bay" in the trash can

18. Have you ever left in the middle of a show?
I used to in Fringe a long time ago, but no, it’s too rude and distracting.

19. Name one production you saw more than once, and state why you went back.
I saw Who’s Afraid… twice at Valencia because it was in a very cool arena set and all the actors took a very naturalistic approach to the acting (not the typical histrionics or broadness I’ve seen with the play). And I love the play, so I wanted to watch it again.

20. What is the next show or project you are excited about?
Well, I’ve mentioned Albuquerque. I also want to get my adaptation of My Antonia polished up for submission to Harriet Lake Festival of New Plays. And I have my absolutel favorite short (7-Second Itch) in Playwrights Roundtable’s 10th Anniversary show in July. And I’m almost through the first draft of a new one-act called Here Be Dragons. I’ve been a writing fool (emphasis on "fool") lately!