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Elissa

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Posts posted by Elissa

  4. Santa Claus

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    A few years ago, for the holidays, I was out West skiing with my mom, her husband, my brother, his wife. Christmas morning, with everyone getting the coffee and champagne etc ready, I asked if they'd heard something funny the night before. Because I had. It was like a boom on the roof or the wall or something, so I peeked out through the dark and could swear that right outside my big glass sliding doors I'd seen a really big, fat, hairy guy lurking around and traipsing through the snow. Sure they didn't hear anything weird? No? (All their faces go white and they make like a Serious Breach has occurred.) Cause I heard something, yeah it was right here on the roof and then I saw him again, a second time: a fat guy creeping around outside... It wasn't until I mentioned the red suit that they laughed. Well, not really laughed, but realized I'd gotten 'em.

  8. Now reading...

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    I'm about a third of the way through Paul Nugent's "Africa since independence"

    ...

    Interesting academic study, complete with the usual arguments between academics. But well written and illumines just how constrained many (most) of the politicians were who took their states out of colonialism - many, even some of the bad hats, seem to have made the least worst decisions under the circumstances.

    MG

    Finished this last night. Slow going, but very good description of almost total disaster, with almost no signs of hope at the end.

    MG

    Have you read William Finnegan's brilliant Crossing the Line? I love that book. About a year he spent teaching in a "coloured" Capetown high school towards Apartheid's end. Insightful, full of heart and, as you'd expect from this NYer writer, at once personal and socio-historical in scope.

  9. Play

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    Well the sentiment may be 'good luck,' but it's something I'd quite literally like to avoid in any conceivable case: Though my beloved director's operation Monday went really well, the danger is that if he doesn't give the spike time to fuse with his femur he could indeed do that-thing-which-shall-not-be-named... Anyway! Thanks for all your good wishes (except for you, Nessa :P ) and wowie zowie: I'm even more scared now. Today I gave the down payment check to the wonderful fellow who owns the theater AND learned that my husband won't be able to put more than 10% of his body weight on his leg for 6 weeks. He's still in the hospital til Friday (we think), but he did have likely the world's foremost surgeon put him all back together again. He seems terrifically confident that we can just work at home doing table reads until early February when we'll be able to rehearse in the theater and open two weeks later - and to him it's all old hat - the joint replacement and the production, both.

    As far as rights go: Oh, how I'd like to say that's all ironed out. But! I did get an e-missive from the agent telling me they'll be in touch soon, though that was Monday. Nothing since. Whoda thunk it was possible to become yet more precariously pitched on this little limb? :rhappy:

  16. Play

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted · Edited by Elissa

    Just seems like a lot of work, no "payoff" and money down the drain. Easy recipe for death of dreams.

    As to this - a lot of work, yes. No payoff, there I'd aver. One, I get to do the lead in a play that's perfect for me, with great people. That's a payoff right there, and for me, enough. I've spent two and a half years shedding - no reason not to at least do a gig. Also I get to give a maiden voyage to working with my husband, who's directed many plays and acted in about a hundred of them. Also, it's a great chance to work with people who work, and relationships are what get an actor gigs. And then: who knows, but perhaps the writer comes to see it, loves the production and we move it to a bigger theater with a different caliber of run. Also, perhaps a great agent shows up who realizes that he or she loves my work and will go to bat for me. Among many other possibilities.

  17. Play

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted · Edited by Elissa

    Oh, wait - I started writing the response and then all this appeared.

    One big question from me.

    Why invest money if, as you say, "I could still fail to secure the rights to the play I want to do - and then would have to scramble to find something else" ?

    Seems that would come first.

    Well as to rights: Yes - they come first in a sense and I should have them any minute. I first applied for the rights through the Dramatists Guild, which is the regular process, but I was denied, which is common. So next I contacted the writer's agent, who said he didn't think it'd be an issue as long as I don't advertise too much or seek reviews, since the writer has a lot of fancy productions in town at the moment of other plays. I'm just waiting for the agent to get back to me with what I hope will be his 'go ahead on then.' If not, I think we'd likely do 2 Sean O'Casey one acts - his daughter has the rights I think, and she's a family friend.

  19. What's for Dinner?

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    Fingerling potatoes thinly sliced and fried in not too much olive oil with thyme and rosemary sprigs, garlic and leeks til blistered. Finished in the oven with sliced cremini mushrooms and champagne; dusted with sweet smoked paprika and chopped parsley to serve. Broccoli rabe: blanched, squeezed dry and chopped, then sauteed in lotsa garlic. That's quite enough for me; husband had a roast chicken breast as well, left from a chicken I roasted him Thursday. Never touch birdies, myself - I just polish off the bottles. This one a Chindane brut sparkler from the Loire.

  20. Play

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted · Edited by Elissa

    Sounds incredibly daunting, but obviously its something you have to do, so GO GO GO! Will this be a one-person play or will you have other actors?

    I hope your husband gets well soon!

    Thanks for your good wishes!

    The play can be done with as few as 7 actors, which is what we're shooting for. I have a confirmation from one woman that she'll do it - and she's just phenomenal. Waiting to hear back from two other actors to whom we've offered the next biggest roles. We don't know yet who we want to play the rest. But as I mentioned, I have yet to get the rights, so battening it all down may be jumping the gun. The playwright has big productions up of other works, so last week his agent said that I'd have to promise not to advertise too much (thanks) and not try to get reviews... since mine will be a rather, um, intimate little production. The theater has about 75 seats I think.

    And I misspoke when I said there's no return on the investment. What I meant was that there's no immediate financial return on putting up a play. Returns though can happen in many ways...

  21. Play

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    I don't know why exactly, but I love it here at the Big O. Jazz has always been a sort of cherished foster home for me, Monk my surrogate dad, and this place has become a kind of virtual version. So for the moment, I feel comfortable here (I think) starting to log a project new for me: producing and starring in a play. Which is really scary! I mean I could still fail to secure the rights to the play I want to do - and then would have to scramble to find something else. And that's not even step one really: I've been working with a brilliant actor and filmmaker who's given me an amazing deal on his theater space for two weeks in February, which is a time that, as you'll imagine, not every New Yorker is raring to brave the elements to get to the theater. Amazing deal or not, mounting a play is expensive, not least since one is fairly guaranteed no return on the investment. And so far my producers are.... me. An aunt who said she'd back me just a tiny bit - for about a tenth of what it will cost - called this am with the news that she'd put a check in the mail for half of what she'd promised. And I have to get the first check out yesterday to reserve the space.

    But I really have no choice on the other hand. A little more than two years ago I started to finally do what I'd always wanted and got into a great program for acting - some say the country's best - which I just finished last summer. I'm now in my wonderful teacher's Master Class and have really strong support not only from him, but from a handful of actors and directors who I cannot help but trust. For this play, I have a director who really believes in both the project and in me - though for better or worse he's my husband. Now I don't know if you've ever worked with your spouse, but there have got to be easier ways to go about getting things done. Course, I love and respect him and his work, and as soon as he's out of the hospital and mobile again - in a couple few weeks time - well we'll have rehearsals underway. Or so I'd like to think. Heh.

  22. Wilbur Ware

    in Artists

    Posted

    Tangentially Ware: Once I was talking to Leroy Williams, Barry Harris' drummer, who told me that one night when Monk was at the Vanguard, Wilbur Ware called him. Ware says: Monk needs a drummer. Leroy, still new to NY at that point I think, he shows up early. Well, Monk shows up late and says one thing to Leroy before they hit: "You start out swinging, you end up swinging. Take a solo and play anything you want."

    I love that.

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