September 14-16, 2002.
Volume 3 Book 1 Part 5 of
Living in the Bonus Round
Jim Brochu & Steve Schalchlin.
The Big Voice: God or Merman?
from the Blue Sphere Alliance workshop at the Lex Theater in Hollywood.
Photo by Bev Sykes.[ Book 2-10 ] -- [ Pt 1 ] [ Pt 2 ] [ Pt 3 ] [ Pt 4 ] [ Pt 5 ]
[ Pt 6 ] [ Pt 7 ] [ Pt 8 ] [ Pt 9 ] [ Pt 10 ]
First Weekend.
Health stuff:
Before I talk more about the workshop, today I'm starting on a new anti-viral called Viread, a nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor. My new doctor, Dr. Tony said he's been using it himself for about six months and he finds it very tolerable. The label says the side effects include nausea, diarrhea, stomach upset and gas -- and I have to take it with food, so I decided to take it with the morning meds after second breakfast. Jimmy noticed that it's a blue pill in the shape of a shield.We're also going to change one of my diabetic pills but haven't decided which one to start on yet. I see the endocrinologist Tuesday.
My latest blood tests showed my cholesterol back up to 300 and triglycerides at 800. Very disheartening. Don't know what we're gonna do about that.
Show stuff:
Saturday night after the show I was standing outside the theatre greeting people as they were leaving. So many strangers were hugging me and asking me about my eyepatch ("Yes, I wear it for real because of my Grave's Disease -- the prism blinds me under the bright lights and I see double without them") and whether the story was actually real ("Yes, I do have AIDS and yes, I'm surviving as well as can be expected, thank you").I like the fact that they wondered if the story was real or if we were just two characters in a fictional story. Either way, they thought it was amazing and they promised to tell everyone. One elderly couple said, "We never do this, but we are making a donation to the theatre because this is the best show we've seen all season."
Audience Reaction:
If second night reaction to The Big Voice was a roar, the third night was a nuclear -- or, as George Bush would say, "Nu-cu-lar" -- bomb. First of all, the room was packed. They had to bring in folding chairs to get everyone seated. Then during act one, the audience laughter was so raucous and rowdy, the show just stopped dead in its tracks about four times while we stood there waiting for the laughter to subside.
Jim Brochu & Steve Schalchlin.
The Big Voice: God or Merman?
from the Blue Sphere Alliance workshop at the Lex Theater in Hollywood.
September 17-18, 2002.Photo by Bev Sykes. Sunday afternoon's performance was quieter at first, like Friday's. It was an older audience, for one thing, and once again they consisted mostly of strangers. Jimmy said it scared him because all of a sudden, since they weren't jumping on every punchline like the night before, he went into a little panic. By the end of the play, they were totally there with us. So, it really is a matter of calming down and letting the audience catch up.
One of the great truths about live theatre is that no two audiences are ever alike. You have to feel them and, like wading into a stream, find the rhythm that they are prepared to respond to.
Jim Brochu & Steve Schalchlin.
The Big Voice: God or Merman?
from the Blue Sphere Alliance workshop at the Lex Theater in Hollywood.
Photo by Bev Sykes.Bev took these some pics on Sunday. I will have my camera back from Dallas by Wednesday to shoot more. I want you to meet the other people who are working on the show voluntarily and take you on a little tour of the theatre and the block. One person we absolutely adore is our stage manager, Jeramy. He creates a gentle and warm atmosphere backstage.
Jeramy Peay is our stage manager.
Jeremy is a talented actor with the Blue Sphere Alliance.I'm still refraining from talking too much about the show itself during this workshop process. Again, we want feedback without prejudice or pre-conceived notions of what people are going to see.
I did get this email from Bryon in Baltimore:
"I emailed a friend in Hollywood and he brought a bunch (2-3? I don't know he said a group) to see it. And loved it, and is spreading the word. Here is a capsule review from my friend who is a playwright, and works on soaps. "They talk about each (one a Catholic from Brooklyn, the other a Baptist from Arkansas) seeking in their youth the find the big voice, aka God, but actually discovering the big voice to be Ethel Merman. It was both funny, touching and moving with some very clever lines and songs."Mazel Tov!"
Jim Brochu & Steve Schalchlin.
The Big Voice: God or Merman?
from the Blue Sphere Alliance workshop at the Lex Theater in Hollywood.
Photo by Bev Sykes.
Jim Brochu & Steve Schalchlin.
The Big Voice: God or Merman?
from the Blue Sphere Alliance workshop at the Lex Theater in Hollywood.
Photo by Bev Sykes.The show seems to reach all age groups. Old folks. Young couples both straight and gay. All of them have hugged me afterwards and said how much they loved it. We aren't advertising or spending money on promotion, so the audience is totally word of mouth.
Meanwhile, I'll be seeing my endocrinologist this week and we'll be planning a new attack on my cholesterol and blood sugar.
The Time Before.
First of all, my endocrinologist changed one of my diabetic meds. She attributed my bad test results to the fact that I was having trouble getting one of my other meds this past month. The pharmacist said it required extra paperwork and it never came in. She said my missing this one drug for the month would have also affected my triglyceride and cholesterol counts, so she weighted me down with a ton of samples and sent me on my way.September 19-20, 2002.I got home to new pages from Jimmy and I've been sitting up here memorizing and memorizing.
(Jimmy came to me just now and said, "Only 24 more hours till we get to do our show again!")
That's how we're feeling. Rehearsal today went really smoothly. Jimmy (after listening to opinions from Anthony and myself) switched around two scenes, cut one song and entirely rewrote the second to the last scene. Suddenly, it all seemed to just meld. That's the only way I know how to describe it. Before, we had confidence in the material but the transitions felt forced in places -- and another scene seemed to come too soon.
Working on new lines.But today, working for about three hours, it all suddenly just came together. Jimmy's rewrites worked like magic. Nothing seemed forced or strained. The themes became reinforced, and now we cannot wait to test it in front of an audience again.
Man, this is fun.
Second Week Begins.
Thursday, the audience was quite intense in that they weren't the raucus laughers we normally get, but they were hanging onto every word. (You can tell this by the quality of the silence. If an audience is bored, you hear paper shuffling, seat shifting and throat clearing.) This audience was taking it in -- and they laughed at the "big laughs," of which there are many, thank god, but it was like they were studying the piece, wondering where we were taking them.Afterwards, the applause was tremendous and we got another enthusiastic standing ovation. In speaking with patrons afterwards, they were all over us with praise. Then, we got this letter in the mail from somone who's a theatre professional in town:
Dear Jim and Steve,
Thanks so much for inviting me to The Big Voice. I was a littl subdued after the performance -- it's quite a trip for the audience, funny and harrowing, with plenty to think about on the way home. It's really quality goods delivered by professionals who understand not only where the laughs are, but also the true subtext. And beautifully sung. I have already regaled untold multitudes with [one of the Merman stories]. Delicious stuff.Obviously, it's a huge workout for the two of you also, and I marvel at your tenacity and energy. But I wonder if perhaps you are so close to the material that you don't entirely recognize the emotional impact on your listeners. The work is so true, almost uncomfortably honest, and presented without a trace of self pity. Really powerful theatre.
I think you've created an annuity that you can travel everywhere and perform as long as you will. I look forward to seeing it again. What wonderful lives you are enjoying!
Brian.
Barney Martin and Jim Brochu. Steve with Shannon & husband Rory.We had a couple of celebs in the audience, too. Barney Martin, who's best known as Seinfeld's dad on that sitcom and Shannon Rubicam, the hit songwriter with her husband, Rory, a very sweet guy who called the show "shockingly brilliant" -- Jimmy loved that.
Performance-wise, we are still slightly shaky, missing a line here or there at each show. Friday night, I had a line that would NOT come out of my mouth. No matter how hard I tried to say it, the words just kept getting more and more tangled. ARRRGGG!
But, on the other hand, the new scenes that Jimmy has put in are more powerful as we get them smoother and smoother. It's funny how, in performing the show, we learn more about it each night. We received one other letter from a gay couple just before the show. They had seen it the previous weekend. I don't have the exact text with me but it boiled down to the fact that they had been together for a year and were fighting over little things, like clothes on the floor or beds not made up (things we tease each other about).
They said that watching us (in the play) split up and then come back together again reminded them how silly it is to break up over petty things. They thank us for giving them the inspiration to stay together and work out their differences. Then they actually included 50 bucks in the letter! (We have not been asking for contributions so where that came from we don't know).
All I know is that when you tell the truth and put yourself out there, foibles and all, it empowers people and you never know the effect you're going to have on someone else as you cruise through life.
[ Book 2-10 ] -- [ Pt 1 ] [ Pt 2 ] [ Pt 3 ] [ Pt 4 ] [ Pt 5 ]
[ Pt 6 ] [ Pt 7 ] [ Pt 8 ] [ Pt 9 ] [ Pt 10 ]© 1996-2002 by Steve Schalchlin. You have permission to print from this diary and distribute for use in support groups, schools, or to just give to a friend. You do not have permission to sell it.
