Time for a fond farewell ... Maybe.

Well now time has been flying by at a rate of knots and low and behold the vortex 'Theatre' has sucked me up again and there have been some insane hours being spent painting sets and various other odd jobs for Workshop Theatre's last production of the year. It has been difficult to find the energy for the necessities of this week as I'm still recovering from the sleepless nights and long days of Midsummers. 

In the last fortnight I have been getting the most amazing feedback from people who saw the show and my favourite of these, the ones that have made my soul sing, are the compliments on the integration of the actors in the show. Some people have said that the issue of disability wasn't even a consideration to the enjoyment and connection with the show! It is difficult to adequately describe the joy that inspires in me but wow ... just wow!

I also forgot to mention in the last written post how big an effort some people had to put in considering the germs, bacteria and viruses flying around the cast! We survived a heavy conjunctivitis outbreak, laryngitis, various viruses, colds, sniffles, premonitions of doom & insomnia and we still got the show under the lights ... we are the team of steel or as we were forlornly titled after the show had finished we were the Dream Team! Which isn't too bad ... I guess it's better than the Fairy Crew ;-)

But now, as my thoughts move into the future (and possible planning for another Altogether/Workshop project) I want to thank the people intimate to the production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Firstly, I want to thank Michael, Ryan and Skye from Recreation Illawarra (part of The Disability Trust). I don't have photos of them downloaded but they're all as cute as a bug's ear. Even given the teething problems early on in the piece, it didn't stop these guys giving over and above to the project and providing the strongest of foundations to me as director to help realise the project. Michael is a funny guy and not a bad party dude and as soon as he builds up some credit points with the missus it would be great to have another beer. Ryan likes AFL so that's immediately a big plus and he also enjoys a good party! Skye also lent her choreography skills to the production and was a pretty good partier too ... These guys seem to really enjoy partying - It's a good thing I don't mind a good party from time to time either ;-)

Juliet (Egea and the Fairy Wattle) and Ian (Starveling aka 'What's his name') who were in the cast are long time theatre compadres and friends but they are also the Altogether Drama drama teachers and started the rehearsal process way back in March 2008. I trust them and their help was invaluable. They gave great advice to the guys early on and 'had my back' in rehearsals, they quelled riots, administered first aid to divas and gave sage advice at every step of the way and also gave wonderful performances ... Thank you!

Gemma (Flute), as well as being fantastic in the play, helped design costumes with her Mum Tessa (who has a thank you below) and I now get the privilege to be working with 'G' on another project my thanks and respect is as big as da cosmos. 

Houston Dunleavy graciously composed the music for the Fairy's Song, gratis. Nathan Green provided Didgeridoo sounds and my long time music collaborator and friend Bertie McMahon composed the Rude Mechanicals theme music ... I cheer for them for they are jolly good fellows!

This is Emma. She took photos, prompted at rehearsals and also created the fantastic artwork that was my director's gift. She is a talented lady and a wonderful friend. I regard Emma as a 'Sister from another mother' and look forward to working more with her and hanging out with her to watch Twin Peaks now that we are getting some free time up our sleeves. I give her a standing ovation.

There should be a photo here of Julie ... but she hates having photos of herself taken and that probably explains her amazing skill and willingness to be behind the lens. Jules took our profile shots and some rehearsal pics but also was assistant stage manager ... she is a generous friend and I'm glad she counts me as part of her posse. She too is also as cute as a bug's ear and takes a good photo! There I said it ... now I wait ;-)  

This is Tessa. Tessa helped design the costumes. Tessa made the costumes. Tessa gathered props, made donkey ears to the director's specs, was a firm defender of the director and also stage managed our amazing show. If she were the president and I was a security guy I would take a bullet for her. Seeing as though that's unlikely to happen to us I'll tilt my glass in her direction, cheer for the Wallabies and the Waratahs and hope to the big Iguana that she will work with me again ... Thanks Tessa, always and everywhere. 

This is Susie. Susie is my Wifey. Susie played Titania and is a staunch member and number one card holder of the Lajos fan club. I keep telling her there must be better things to do with her time but - Ouch! She just threw something at me! Oh, right ... Seriously though, she is my rock and my sanctuary. She is a willing and wonderful Sancho Panza to my Don Quixote. She rubs my 'Bottom' ears (not my bum hairs!) when I am stressed and I make her Lemon tea to soothe her throat. Her background support through this whole journey makes me feel about as special as a guy can feel ... Thanks, Darl.

And so I think we're just about done. If I have inadvertently forgotten anyone - look again in a couple of days, Susie's got my back here and I'll make good. We're still waiting for the books to be finalised but we're all pretty sure that the production hasn't lost any money. The more important stuff has been paid in carriage loads and that's the most important part for me. 

Having gotten the blogging bug I have started another blog about the musical/theatrical/artistic influences on my life called the Art/Life Matrix ... If you want to read on please join me in the new blog, if not thanks for joining me on this journey and I'll sign off with the Irish cheer: "May the roof above you never cave in and may the friends below it never fall out!"

Cheers and lots of love,

Lajos.

Some more production photos ...

A couple of extra production stills from the show.

Firstly I'd like to introduce the fabulous Altogether Drama actors:

Malcolm (Puck) & Rachel H (Main Fairy/Peaseblosom)

Belinda (Moth), Sandra (Mustardseed) & Phil (Snug)

Rachel M (Hermia) & Tony (Snout)

More random photos ...

I'll say this one is the penultimate post ... maybe.

It's all over ...

It was a successful season! As good as a sell out on the last night, good ticket sales generally and most importantly an artistically satisfying and happy ending to an amazing journey. I am quite emotional about the whole thing at the moment which is why I would like the opportunity to add to the blog in about a week or so to round off the story of A Midsummer Night's Dream 2008.

I am grateful and privileged to have had the opportunity to direct this play, work with the production crew, and have the actors honour their dedications with such passion (more to say about that as I go) ... And I did allow myself to bask a little in the audience glow after a couple of the shows ;-)

The cast also got me a present of an original art work commissioned from Emma. Emma was our script prompter and rehearsal photographer (not the ones in the other post but will put them up as they come) and she is also a talented artist. Susie, who played Titania and is me wifey, organised it ages ago and Emma did a spectacular job. It was presented to me between the matinee and closing night performances and I blubbered like ... well, like me ;-)

Susie mentioned in the presentation that I don't like the word 'proud' but she and the cast felt that I should be proud of the result of the rehearsal journey. I am wary of pride because of the easily evoked negative qualities of pride and its close relative arrogance ... It's one of my 'things' I suppose, some people have difficulty accepting compliments, some people worry needlessly about looks, a kilogram of misplaced weight or how good they are at the expense of others - but I worry about getting too carried away in pride. It could well be a Catholic thing ... you know seven deadly sins and all. But if I were to use pride/proud as part of my vernacular I would use it to describe the deep pleasure, joy and satisfaction of a job well done and the awe of watching those involved with this production enjoy their work (and frustration) alongside myself. None of this stuff works unless the people with you are willing to jump off the same cliff and I am humbled by the willingness everybody close to the production showed - and yes, I am shedding a tear or two of joy and appreciation as I type this. 

Thank you to my cast: Belinda, Malcolm, Philip, Rachel H, Rachel M, Sandra & Tony, Ben, Bill, Darcy, Gabi, Gemma, Ian, Jacque, Juliet, Katie, Luke, McKenzie, Peter, Rowan, Sam, Susie & Troy ... They worked their arses off, sacrificed a whole chunk of time and gave honour to their dedications and each other. As Barry White would say, "My unlimited love unto you all!"

I will make my production thank-yous in a couple of days ... but I am feeling particularly meditative right now so I might go and bask in the quiet solitude.

Not quite the last one ...

Before I wrap up this blog I wanted to share some show photos. Cast are listed left to right as best as possible:

Part of the great set designed by Simon.

Puck (Malcolm), Lysander (Ben), Helena (Rowan), Demetrius (Luke) & Titania (Susie)

Snout (Tony) & Bottom (Sam) / Flute (Gemma) & Snout

Bottom (Sam) / Oberon (Guru) & Titania

Hippolyta (Katie) & Theseus (Bill) / Quince (Gabi), 'What's his name' (Ian), Bottom, Flute, Snout & Snug (Philip)

Rosebud (Darcy), Titania, Bottom, Moth (Belinda), Peaseblossom (Rachel H), Cobweb (Jacque), Wattle (Juliet), Mustardseed (Sandra) & Grevillea (McKenzie) / Hermia (Rachel M) Puck & Lysander 

Cobweb, Moth, Mustardseed, Grevillea, Wattle (eyes) & Peaseblossom / Puck & Peaseblossom

Egea (Juliet) & Hermia

I slept in my bed last night ;-)

It's one of the amazing things when I get tired - I can sleep anywhere and I do! 

My recliner becomes my surrogate bed and has a nice ass groove. I had plummeted into sleep in my recliner on Tuesday and Wednesday night but last night I managed to get myself into bed and fall into a comfortable satisfied sleep ... Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!

We got some lovely praise from local ABC radio presenter Nick Rheinberger today, who came to see the show yesterday morning. He said it was the best thing he'd seen and played some interviews he did with one of the Altogether and one of the Workshop actors. 

The show itself just gets better and better ... it's a real joy to watch and I am such a sook that every night my emotions rise and I have a joyous tear. There's three more times to enjoy the fruits of our labours and I look forward to each second ....

More to come tomorrow :-)

First show all wrapped ...

Well the first show was a triumph of tired and ill bodies but the audience enjoyed the spectacle and I swear some people released a couple of drops of wee they were laughing so hard!

I've decided that some of the residual problems to solve will or won't get solved depending on the magnanimity of others and there's not much I can do about that except to say poo to them and enjoy the show!

It's been an intense 72 hours really ... amidst all the time spent in the theatre I had an interview for my PhD at Uni of Wollongong which was organised at the 11th hour because of a paper work snafu. I think it went okay but I was way too pre-occupied with self affairs to give it too much nervous attention ... hmmm, maybe that was a good thing. I also only got 3 hours sleep last night so, needless to say, but I am a vague wreck this evening. 

I'm full of ... shit!? maybe ... no! That's not what I meant to say, there are many emotions whirring around the ole brain box at the moment so I'll sign off tonight and leave you with a quote from one of my favourite TV shows: Twin Peaks ...

Achievement is its own reward, pride only confuses the issue.

Oh my goodness where did my night go!?

Okay, it's insanely late and I need to get to bed before we get up for opening performance!

Set the scene ... It's 2.53am! I need to be awake at 8am!

I'll go backwards from here ... Last night was our last dress rehearsal which went smoothly on stage whilst we ironed out some technical issues. I'm glad to say we're at the stage where what is needed now is an audience to inject that necessary vibe to take the show to the next level.

We've had videographers and photographers everywhere the last couple of nights so we are being well documented.

The night before was clunky as most technical rehearsals are: juggling lighting states that don't quite fit, and cd players that are funky in their use, and actors needing to get used to new lights and new surrounds. I was at the theatre from 9am till 10.30pm ... cocooned in a bizarre womb of creativity and frustration. I'm a little disappointed that some of the techie stuff from the venue seems to have been left till the last minute and there's a feeling that we haven't had the fullest of support from the venue ... but, being late at night, I'm tempted to say plplplplplplplplpl! :-P

We've done some very interesting publicity for the show over the last week or so and we've impressed everywhere we went ... I hope a few 'beautiful' people come to the show because I reckon they'll be blown away by the quality of it and the cast and crew deserve as much kudos and applause as an appreciative audience and director can heap on them because they deserve it. 

So ... to opening show! The tradition in the theatre is to say 'break a leg' or 'chookas' as there's a superstition about good luck. I don't say either of these, one because I broke my leg during the run of a show I was doing (not on stage) and when I got back it became the joke of the theatre to say ... you guessed it - 'break a leg' ad infinitum till I could burst! The other reason is that my Mum gave me the funnniest interpretation of 'chookas' when she misheard it and wished me 'chookies'! I love chooks and I can't go past this humourous take on the theatre tradition. 

So, till next eve I wish everyone a hale and hearty Chookies!!!

Signing off at 3.15am .... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ