Exercises in Acting and Writing

Had Acting II yesterday, wherein I performed the only funny scene from King Lear, the scene where Edgar leads his father to the edge of the "cliff," and even then it's a pretty grim scene. Everyone's favorite blind, non-crippled Duke of Gloucester was played by Carrie Chapter, who played the bitch in "Blue Surge" and has since become a good friend of mine. Odd casting, I admit, but the result was better than I could have hoped. Dale, teacher and head of the Drama Dept. loved it, saying it "gave him chills," and it left him with very few suggestions to make it better. After seeing us, he said that he "couldn't imagine seeing it done any other way." I'm still riding the euphoria of hearing that.

Edgar, along with Sir Andrew Aguecheek, is my favorite Shakespearian character, but is also the most maligned major character in an already maligned play (Lear gets the least respect and attention of the Four Great Tragedies, IMO). Lots of productions give the brothers subplot the cold shoulder, some omiting it entirely. My Adren Shakespeare Lear, my favorite edition too, even asserts that the evil brother Edmund "offers a more satisfying part for a modern actor than the role of Edgar." Me, I completely, wholeheartedly disagree, and am desperate to play Edgar someday. The comments from yesterday's class only strengthened my resolve.

Then, it was on to Playwrighting I class, where I submitted a scene from my novel that I adapted to play format (and those who have read portion of my book know this is not difficult task). Wellllll... bad idea. While I am still clinging to the hope and belief that my off-beat mixture of coming-of-age, murder mystery, drug war, cop story, superhero, and swashbuckler will work in novel format... uh, as a play somehow I don't think it's as easy to swallow.

If I learned anything from the excruciated experience of hearing this scene read aloud and then torn apart by a handful of the folks in class, it's that I know there will be some people for whom my novel is *not* intended. Anyone who has the slightest personal distaste for anything other than real-life, down-to-earth relationships isn't gonna "get" it. So at least now I have a better idea of who my target audience is, and that is a good thing. I know some dialog and fights and whatnot may turn off some people, but at the end of the day I'm gonna write what I want to write and let my editor do the cutting.

I would very much still like, if I can, to make a career of my acting and writing. But for now, I know that only one is better suited for live public performance. At least I won't have to watch people as they read my novels.

Wow, actually that's pretty damn inaccurate. I care a lot AND I watch TV, go fig

Anyone actually read this book to compare?

You're Compassion Fatigue!

by Susan Moeller

You used to care, but now it's just getting too difficult. You cared
about the plight of people in lands near and far, but now the media has bombarded you
with images of suffering to the point that you just don't have the energy to go on.
You've become cold and heartless, as though you'd lived in New York City for a year or
so. But you stand as a serious example to all others that they should turn off their TV
sets and start caring again.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Now THIS is more like it!

I took the quiz a second time, but answered one question differently. The result is far, far more appropriate. I am content.

You're Catch-22!

by Joseph Heller

Incredibly witty and funny, you have a taste for irony in all that you
see. It seems that life has put you in perpetually untenable situations, and your sense
of humor is all that gets you through them. These experiences have also made you an
ardent pacifist, though you present your message with tongue sewn into cheek. You
could coin a phrase that replaces the word "paradox" for millions of
people.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Keanu is John Constantine... no matter how many times I say it, it STILL boggles the mind!

From Sci-Fi Wire: "Keanu Reeves, who plays the title character in the upcoming supernatural thriller film Constantine, told SCI FI Wire that the movie is faithful to the spirit of the DC/Vertigo comic series Hellblazer, on which it is based. That's despite the fact that the film moves the action to Los Angeles from London and transforms the main character, supernatural detective John Constantine, into a dark-haired American from a blond British guy.

"I think that's about the only change we've made," Reeves said in an interview during a break in filming at a cemetery in Compton, Calif. He added that the filmmakers, including director Francis Lawrence, considered the changes carefully. "We spoke about it, but it seemed in terms of the platform that we were using, which became Los Angeles—the world in terms of heaven, hell and Los Angeles—seemed to be attractive and make sense. And we're kind of doing a hard-boiled kind of take on the piece. So we kind of went this way instead of a more gothic aspect.

"It's serious and, hopefully, funny at the same time," Reeves added. "Again, going back to that hard-boiled motif, Constantine in this film is in a hospital and he finds out he's dying of lung cancer, lights a cigarette up inside the doctor's office. She says, 'That's a good idea.' He gets into an elevator and this character comes by, and the elevator door's closing, and the person says, 'Going down?' And he says, 'Not if I can help it.' The next scene is, he's in bed with a half-breed demon, drinking whiskey with scratches on his back, and the scene ends with her tail kind of swishing underneath the sheets, laughing, going, 'Lung cancer? Hah. That's funny, John.' So hopefully we have the spirit of ... I call it the Constantinian factor. I'm always asking, 'Is that Constantinian enough?' I think I need more Constantine in my Constantine." The movie opens in September."

On one hand, I do want the film to work. On the other hand, it's Keanu frickin' Reeves as John motherfucking Constantine! Constantine IS London, that's the main problem. And if any Americans should be playing him, it should be Denis Leary or James Marsters.

Still, I have it on good account that Reeves can act, when he applies himself. So I'm hoping. And praying.