One of the disadvantages of producing or directing a play is that you really miss out on some degree of the camaraderie that develops within the group. Because your attentions are directed elsewhere you miss all the off-stage conversations and relationship building. Over the years I’ve experienced this time and time again. For example, there was one production that I produced and directed in the early-90s where two members of the cast actually got engaged … I hadn’t a clue about it until months after the run of the show. I can attribute some of this to my simple lack of awareness but it was my position within the production that really led to it.
Although the Weasel Erotica crew was unique in that we genuinely enjoyed spending social time with one another, both Mel and I have commented on how we missed out to some degree or another. Mel was further separated during the run by the fact that she was running the light board and thus didn’t have the backstage experience the rest of us enjoyed. The girls of the show seemed to all bond instantly. In fact, I would joke that they would get together to gossip about how cute Tony was, how quiet Matt was and how retarded I was. I bet some similar conversation actually did take place.
When you are the guy that is financing the show that separation is expanded somewhat. There are some things that you don’t want the cast to be aware of so that they are never concerned about the tightrope that is being walked. You certainly wouldn’t want them to fully realize just what kind of financial peril the entire production is constantly in. Or the financial peril that you are personally in. I spent in excess of $14K on Weasel Erotica out of my own back pocket. I recouped less than 10% of that. I sacrificed a number of things just so that my little play would be seen by an audience … not the least of which was eating.
I think there is something fundamentally wrong with me. Why would I risk so much, put so much in jeopardy, just so that a handful of people will see the fruition of an insane little dream of mine? My only response would be that it is simply an addiction and that perhaps I need some form of rehab. I came to this conclusion early on in the Weasel rehearsal process when I was hospitalized for a couple of days. I was sacrificing my health to feed my addiction. I think I was aware of this when I wrote in this very blog about the stress involved in getting this show up.
Not that I would learn my lesson.
Regardless of my physical and financial struggles, the months leading up to Weasel Erotica were glorious. Members of the cast commented on how ego-less we were and how refreshing it was to work on a show where the primary goal was to simply just have fun. And the process certainly was fun. Sometimes that fun was alcohol-fueled, post-rehearsal silliness. My admiration for and appreciation of this little group was significant and was something that I would mention frequently. I like to think that the majority of the people involved felt likewise.
The actors were given the freedom to ham it up and be silly and everybody certainly took advantage of the opportunity. In nearly twenty years of doing this I had never worked in so positive an environment. Much of the credit for this must go to Mel, who everybody seemed to respect and enjoy. The remainder of the credit needs to go to a silly script that allowed for Tony to do a striptease with the weasels and the zoo girls, let Rebecca pull random things from her cleavage, let Jeremy play a gay monster flirting with Tony, let Amy react to a mass amount of insanity that surrounded her and let Anne strut and pose.
I spent what little free time I had trying to promote the show and getting the million of little errands that have to be run taken care of. Likewise, I’m sure that Melissa’s personal life was put on hold as she dove in and busted her butt to help make sure everything would be ready for our opening. We both worked long and hard through two months of rehearsals.
August was fast approaching and The Talented Talent Brothers would make a triumphant return to the NYC stage. I was determined to see this through … everything else be damned … and I had my “family” standing by my side.
Although the Weasel Erotica crew was unique in that we genuinely enjoyed spending social time with one another, both Mel and I have commented on how we missed out to some degree or another. Mel was further separated during the run by the fact that she was running the light board and thus didn’t have the backstage experience the rest of us enjoyed. The girls of the show seemed to all bond instantly. In fact, I would joke that they would get together to gossip about how cute Tony was, how quiet Matt was and how retarded I was. I bet some similar conversation actually did take place.
When you are the guy that is financing the show that separation is expanded somewhat. There are some things that you don’t want the cast to be aware of so that they are never concerned about the tightrope that is being walked. You certainly wouldn’t want them to fully realize just what kind of financial peril the entire production is constantly in. Or the financial peril that you are personally in. I spent in excess of $14K on Weasel Erotica out of my own back pocket. I recouped less than 10% of that. I sacrificed a number of things just so that my little play would be seen by an audience … not the least of which was eating.
I think there is something fundamentally wrong with me. Why would I risk so much, put so much in jeopardy, just so that a handful of people will see the fruition of an insane little dream of mine? My only response would be that it is simply an addiction and that perhaps I need some form of rehab. I came to this conclusion early on in the Weasel rehearsal process when I was hospitalized for a couple of days. I was sacrificing my health to feed my addiction. I think I was aware of this when I wrote in this very blog about the stress involved in getting this show up.Not that I would learn my lesson.
Regardless of my physical and financial struggles, the months leading up to Weasel Erotica were glorious. Members of the cast commented on how ego-less we were and how refreshing it was to work on a show where the primary goal was to simply just have fun. And the process certainly was fun. Sometimes that fun was alcohol-fueled, post-rehearsal silliness. My admiration for and appreciation of this little group was significant and was something that I would mention frequently. I like to think that the majority of the people involved felt likewise.
The actors were given the freedom to ham it up and be silly and everybody certainly took advantage of the opportunity. In nearly twenty years of doing this I had never worked in so positive an environment. Much of the credit for this must go to Mel, who everybody seemed to respect and enjoy. The remainder of the credit needs to go to a silly script that allowed for Tony to do a striptease with the weasels and the zoo girls, let Rebecca pull random things from her cleavage, let Jeremy play a gay monster flirting with Tony, let Amy react to a mass amount of insanity that surrounded her and let Anne strut and pose.
I spent what little free time I had trying to promote the show and getting the million of little errands that have to be run taken care of. Likewise, I’m sure that Melissa’s personal life was put on hold as she dove in and busted her butt to help make sure everything would be ready for our opening. We both worked long and hard through two months of rehearsals.August was fast approaching and The Talented Talent Brothers would make a triumphant return to the NYC stage. I was determined to see this through … everything else be damned … and I had my “family” standing by my side.
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