Twelfth Night or What You Will

Week two of tour is in the books.  It was filled with the normal SBTS tour problems, instead of the fucking terrifying, life-threatening, injury-inducing troubles we've encountered up til now.  Our sea of troubles this week included dangerous heat levels, broken stairs, lack of power, long driving distances, getting caught in sprinklers, and utter exhaustion.  So, pretty standard week two of tour. Wednesday, we drove to the center of the sun, or at least it was as far away and felt as hot.  Mission Viejo.  How do people survive in that heat?  I can't say, but I did notice that nobody but us was wearing Victorian era clothing.  The audience was lovely, and the show happened, and I think it was good.  We were pretty much in survival mode, so I can only say that I was good and didn't fuck anything up.  My carpool buddy, Tara, and I were planning to drive through Taco Bell after, but it was closed, which turned out to be a blessing, because we fo...

The first week of tour is in the books.  It was filled with the usual problems we encounter, such as the first time we build the tour set (for both shows) takes forever and gets everybody hot and bothered, and settling in to an earlier call time and start time is an adjustment.   But it also is the first time we alternate between shows.  This is the first time I've actually acted in both shows for many years, and it took about two days into tour to remember just how tough it is.  Going to a different park every day (or being in the same park two days in a row and having to change the set) is challenging on so many levels.  One part of me is so proud of those of us in both shows (especially this year where we are all really showing the most extreme parts of our acting range), but the other part of me is already exhausted thinking about the next three weeks. Plus, I'm dealing with the PTS. (It's sort of strange, knowing that there are more people reading this blog...

 I don't really have much to say about the plays.  They are both gorgeous and wonderful.  This should be the headline of this season.  And, to be honest, the reason I came back to direct and act in one show while also acting in Steph's show was because I was very much committed to making this season the best ever.   Lisa Coffi did an amazing thing in creating this festival.  Now that she is retired, I felt a need to do all I could to make sure SBTS survived.  Not only survived but thrived.  And on that count, we are great! This may very well be the best season we've ever had.  The last time we did Hamlet, we also had a great Midsummer, that may give this season a run for its money.  Our Tempest/As You Like It season was also fantastic.  But this really may be the best season of Shakespeare by the Sea we've ever had.  And I am so happy to be a part of it. But I'm a mess.  Since the attack, I'm fucking broken.  Not...