The reading and beyond...

What a week since I blogged you last! Rehearsals. Readings. Birthday doings (yeah, my birthday is next week).

Bottom line, after a weekend of really exciting rehearsals, the reading of Sylvia So Far was a wonderful success.

The cast, led by the fantastically gifted and sensitive Caesar Samayoa, told the story - a true one, you know - with such humor and beauty. About half way throught the second act I had to remind myself that Caesar is an actor and not my loved, lost friend. His rendition of "Long Time Coming" is a great thing.

Marie Gouba can do it all --- be delightfully trashy one moment, tawdry the next, touching the one following that. I loved working with her and know I will again. Lori Lane Jefferson? The woman is a genius. Her ability to paint a complete character (she plays something like nine different people in the show) in just a few lines is astonishing. I am particularly fond of Mother Hester, the blowsy old three-pack-a-day alchie who runs a nightclub. Mother has four lines which Lori parlays into something of a major supporting role.

To a person, everyone at the reading said to me "Where did you find the guy playing Brian? He's great." That would be Josh Franklin of Grease. What a dollbaby. He is simply one of the most talented folks I have ever worked with and one of the most delightful. Josh is one big, beautiful bundle of guy and I hope he becomes a star (and he could).

PP?? Peter Proctor Peter Proctor Peter Proctor??? The concensus last year after the La Mama production was that he was walking away with the show. I loved watching him ease his way back into Marsha - the whimpers and pouts and growls. Peter's Marsha is something of a cross between Mahalia Jackson and Eartha Kitt with a little Latifah for flavuh. It just proved that Peter's performance only needed Peter and last year's enormous, gold organza dress was just the icing on the... um... cake.

There is something special I feel for Gavin Esham. Maybe it's the character. Maybe it's him. Maybe it's just that he reminds me sooooo much of me when I was acting. There were a few moments as he told his story that I looked away. After all, I had a piano to play.

The response has been terrific. The pros who were there have offered terrific - and often conflicting - advice.

So now...

REWRITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!