What Do You Do Once You're Done?
September 10, 2009
I often wondered if I’d ever be able to write the following words, but it’s finally appropriate: After over four years of aborted attempts and pre-production, three come-and-go directors, five staged readings, a few alternate casts, ten days of auditions, six weeks of rehearsals, a run of 12 weeks and over 40 shows – not to mention the passing of playwright Jeffrey Hartgraves – Carved in Stone has finally come and gone.
I’m relaxed and blissful, with the knowledge of a job well done despite numerous obstacles – a feeling helped no doubt by the final rave by Broadway World that came out after we closed.
It was a joy performing Jeffrey’s wonderful words again, and playing Quentin Crisp with such a talented cast. I loved witnessing Kevin Remington’s brilliant, ever-changing performance as Capote; Curt Bonnem’s quiet and thoughtful work off-stage and how it sprung to life on-stage; Jesse Merlin’s masterful ability at landing a joke while never sacrificing the truth of his character; Levi Damione’s fluid talent that kept his character alive and interesting and real every night. Their collective timing was a thing to behold. And while I never shared the stage with them, Amanda Abel and Alex Egan were both delightful to work with and fun to get to know.
Each and every one of them went above and beyond the call of duty. They stuck it out through a very difficult rehearsal process with a director who left many feeling adrift if not downright alienated. But their love of Jeffrey’s wonderful script kept them committed to not only seeing the job done, but seeing it done right! They all worked endlessly to make the show a success, even after opening, be it helping to re-organize sound and light cues; tweaking and improving the set; playing with blocking; working with the understudies; helping sell the show to audiences – as did our backstage crew and understudies.
A plus whenever you do a long-running show: you see so many people with whom you’ve lost touch. I was surprised by many friends and colleagues who showed up during our run: many of the Deer Season crew, including director Arvin Bautista; former co-actors Christine Blake Harkin and Andrew Kelsey (Happy Anniversary), Andy Freeman (A Quiet Place), Heather Hartmann (Final Remains), Jennifer Kramer (Murky Water), Dana Jones (October’s Chosen), Wendy Worthington, Bobby Reed and Kathy Bell Denton (Scheme of Things), SF’s original “Gryphon Tott” Dave Tenenbaum, director Tony Gatto. I was touched when my niece Charlotte Lowe came out to see her uncle on stage for the very first time; thrilled to visit with Jeffrey’s good friend Fritha Knudsen after the show; and happy when make-up artist Eldo Estes, one of my oldest friends from high school, saw the show while in town for the Daytime Emmys (he owns four for As the World Turns and counting!). So many more friends, family and former co-workers showed their support – too many to count.
The hardest work was not on stage, but on selling this show in such a vast city as Los Angeles during one of the worst economic debacles in history. With a next-to-nothing advertising budget, Laurence and I worked every single day to get the word out through mailings, e-blasts and Facebook. We did manage large enough crowds to justify an extension, but never got the large crowds needed to be “big box office.” Theatre Asylum's Matthew Quinn was patient as Job.
The audiences we did attract seemed universal in their appreciation and love of the show. Leaving the theatre every night, I was endlessly confronted by strangers singing the praises of Jeffrey’s script and our cast’s performances. And the reviews were even better here than in San Francisco – only one less-than-rave in, ironically, one of the gay rags. But the main goal has always been to present Jeffrey Hartgraves’ work to Southern California, and that we accomplished, quite successfully I think.
It was wonderful to have so many performances in which to hone our work. This cast never stopped working to make the show funnier, the relationships more real, and the chemistry more sincere.
Closing night was a dream-come-true. Granted, the house was a little stacked in our favor, with friends, repeat customers and some of our terrific understudies. But the large crowd laughed at every single joke, no matter how subtle, and at many moments that didn’t usually draw laughs. They ate it up with a spoon, and rewarded us with a boisterous standing ovation during curtain call.
After a brief champagne reception at the theatre, the cast retired to David McCallum’s home for a wonderful closing-night party. A tremendous cook, David prepared a special menu honoring the show’s characters, such as Truman’s “In Warm Blood” Tomato Fondue and Quentin’s Cheese Crisps – and lots of cocktails.
The set is now no more – torn down and about to be recycled for Kevin’s production of The Mystery of Irma Vep. Curt is rehearsing two new shows, including Big River. Jesse is off to another European opera. Levi just wrapped a shoot for Days of Our Lives. Amanda just rocked MBar with a cabaret act.
But as for Laurence and me, we’re taking some time off, getting real life back on track. I do have a few possible future productions on the back burner, including a thriller screenplay and a possible internet series – and, oh yeah, finding a new agent. But it’s going to be at a slower pace for the next few months, with a focus on personal and spiritual welfare!
And as much as I love playing Quentin, there are things I won't miss, at least for a while. The layers of make-up, and the time it took to apply, was becoming a chore. Wearing said make-up, along with a wig, hat, velvet jackets and scarfs in summer heat was frequently uncomfortable. And those annoying long fingernails, complete with polish. I've since clipped the nails, am growing my sideburns back, and growing out my hair, which had to be cut in order to get my wig on.
I've always said I'd be content to do this show once every ten years, and revisiting Mr. Quentin Crisp & Co. from the prospective of each of my coming decades. But Laurence has caught the show-biz bug, and says ten years is far too long to wait. Though he agrees he needs a good, long rest before producing a show again!
A very heartfelt "thank you" from both of us to everyone who helped me make this dream come true! Jeffrey, I know, is very pleased -- wherever he is!
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