This was, without a doubt, one of the best times I ever had onstage! Me, Eric Johnson and Tom Phillips playin' the HELL outta the THREE MUSKETEERS at LSF in the summer of 02. It was also one of the most challenging. My 36 year old, outta shape ass running , jumping and wielding a rapier and dagger for two non-stop hours- let's just say it kicked my ass like Bruce Lee!
But FUN??? HELL YEAH! The most fun moment? A 4 minute fight scene where the Musketeers take on the whole French army, and...GET KILLED! Then, Alexander Dumas (righteously played by Mike Friedman- who had some experience kicking my ass when I was a Boonie) comes out and says "Nope! That won't work...RUN IT BACK!" And we do the whole friggin thing in reverse! Standing ovation every night! But as tough as anything I've ever done onstage...
So, since I'm thinking alot about physical theatre (I teach a movement class next semester) what is your most physically demanding role and why? Sorry, gang, but I guess this one is for actoids only...
Groove me, babies!
12 comments:
Oddly enough, I've not had to do a lot of physical theatre. While I often got to wear swords and capes (and did so, if I immodestly say so myself, with great aplomb), I mostly got to pose and posture and strut, but never had to do unsheathe anything pointed and lethal and actually use it in any elaborate fight choreography.
Probably the most physical roles for me were the dual of role of Chandibise/Poche in FLEA IN HER EAR that had lots of slamming doors and me running and leaping out of windows and such. Followed by MOVE OVER, MRS. MARKAHAM, a British sex farce with much of the same sort of running, leaping, slamming doors.
Actually, here in my fifties, Rick has been putting me through my paces on TARTUFFE... running, crawling, leaping on sofas, scrunching under tables...not that easy for a man of my antiquated years.
Hey! I actually recognize the quote too! Dumas' THREE MUSKETEERS!
Without a doubt, Ms. Clackett in Noises Off. Hell of a show. Also, any musical where singing and dancing at the same time or interspersed is involved. Worth it, though.
Well, there was that time I had to play dead standing on my feet, staring unblinkingly at the back of the house for ten minutes while a skinny white boy tried to sing and a dozen black kids tried hard not to laugh. It was unbearable for all involved, but at least the rest of them could face upstage momentarily to relieve the tension. The audience too. ("Purlie", directed by, uh, Tim X. Davis)
But I do think I have the song.
It's either that lame-o Bryan Adams/Sting/Rod Stewart thing from that movie ("All For Love")
or...
"Blood On Blood" by Bon Jovi
Then again, you coulda just been quoting the play... Naw!
Hey man...sometimes you gotta make do with what you got!(i.e. "Skinny white boy"- who while he's no singer, wound up a heckuva good actor)
Gotta be HISTORY OF AMERICA: ABRIDGED. The exits and entrances were very demanding. Especially the second week of the show. There was an incident with my damn girlfriend's damn dog...anyway, I cracked my kneecap. At one point in the show I had to get down on my knees to do a Lollipop guild parody. It was extremely painful.
BTW, 3 musketeers was a fun show.
-JB
Caliban in The Tempest, this is when it was Shakespeare in the Park at Woodland...my costume was half man/half fish which included a "finned" head piece and breast plate, being female it was quite challenging and much fun...I got to jump off of a 10 foot platform, sing reggae (the guy I was dating at the time wrote the music)and sword fight...it was a blast...the jump and song got a standing "O" each night...one night I scared a roaming dog and we howled at each other...
Probably the last show I did: "Never Too Late". Wild and quick costume change, drunken dance sequence, temper tantrums, and frantic searches. In that two hours, I was only off stage, collectively, for about 10 minutes.
"Wild and quick costume change, drunken dance sequence, temper tantrums, and frantic searches"
This sounds just like a trip to Daytona that I took once!
Androclese and the Lion was quite demanding. I was sweating so much by the end that I needed 2 identical costumes because I was drenched after the 10:00 show and would need a dry one for the 1:00 show. Handstands, wrestling, dive rolls, barrel walking, scrambling to all sides of the stage, shit like that.
Romeo was pretty demanding. The fight scenes were rough and rampant. I was worked extra hard because the fight director wanted Romeo as well but didn't get it. I think he took it out on the guy who did. But I'm glad he did because the fighting looked bad-ass. And I killed the hell out of Tybalt and Paris.
Rick St Peter!
If you're reading this please call me asap!
(March 1)
cell or office
Ohhhh yes!! X, u were quite magnificent in 3 MUSKETEERS!! I loved watching the reverse fight from backstage! In that show, as Milady DeWInter...I got to throw knives..QUITE the stimulating and thrilling sport. And I got to strangle, run, flip, punch, be attacked. And kiss half the male cast..so not a bad show for me at all.
SHREW was very physical..as I was the SHREW and had to do lots of fighting. Really very fun.
What about, ya'll, emotionally physical stage movement??? I had a doozie in BEAST ON THE MOON during the rape flashback.
Ohh Kimmy, I remember your shirt thing...but hey kiddo...you look good in a wet shirt!
laurieklou@comcast.net
Thoughts?
I did not mean thoughts about Kim in a wet shirt...but I am sure I fired off a few images in a some minds...I meant thoughts about the emotional movement thing....
Oh and JB u were brilliant in AMERICA ABRIDGED...just brilliant
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