Over the Fault Line

Today was productive. Because today I did something that I never do. Today I asked for favors.

Our show was reviewed on Friday. Opening night. It was a good performance and the review was available the next evening. One of the girls in the cast had read it before coming to the theatre, but had not brought a copy to share. Knowing that the "Hitch" review was out, others among us were curious -- how could one get hold of a copy and what did it say?

Robert Hitchcox's reviews have an odd format which suggests that they are posted online somewhere, but for as long as I've been in San Diego, no one has been able to answer the question of where they can be found; all that anyone knows for certain is that a handful of people on Hitch's "list" receive the reviews via e-mail. I read Hitch's review of The Odd Couple because my director was on that list and he forwarded the article; but so far, no one had forwarded the Markham review. So, I e-mailed the producers, who I knew to be on the infamous list, and I asked them to send me a copy. And they did.

Hitch concentrated a great deal on the ins and outs of the intricate sex farce plot and not a great deal on the cast as individuals. Our review was the review of an ensemble, which was deemed "truly professional" as we matter-of-factly and in proper accent delivered our lines, then allowed the audience their moments of laughter, giving "the humor of the script a chance to tickle the audience's funny bone." In the end, he wrote that if laughter is excellent medicine, then attending our production "proves extremely beneficial to one's health."

The second favor I asked today was of our photographer. Tony Eisenhower had taken the character headshots for this show, and I was able to keep a copy of the one that was posted on the PowPAC website, but together we had chosen a different photograph for the program... and it's that photograph that I truly love. In the program, it is small and pixellated, so I asked Tony today if he would e-mail another copy of it to me, so that I might show it off to those who would not see the production (like certain menfolk overseas). He obliged, and though I preferred the shot before it was converted to black and white for the program, I'm happy to have it at all.


I can't do a thing without a cup of tea!

Two more critics visited us this weekend, and I am keeping an eye out for their reviews. Although most don't publish as quickly as Hitch did, I checked an online publication I knew to be represented on Sunday. There was no review posted, but the site sent me scurrying to an evening audition.

I read that FaultLine Theatre in Hillcrest was hosting a cold-read audition within the hour for three plays that would go into rehearsals ASAP for a two-weekend run in late July -- and there would be pay! A show that would open and close in late July would not delay my planned return to Nashville, my evenings were free for rehearsals, and Hillcrest is just around the corner, so I scooped up some headshots and resumes, did a quick MapQuest search, and I was on my way.

Once I'd parked the car and fed the meter, I walked into the FaultLine space. Small. Intimate. I liked it. And I liked my odds against the small turnout. I was just getting excited when I looked at the calendar I'd been handed on the way in. I'd known coming in that there was danger of a conflict, and sure enough, there it was. Though I'd hoped that "two weekends in late July" would mean the last two weekends of that month, it did not. There would be performances on the weekend of July 15th -- the closing weekend for Move Over, Mrs. Markham. Auditioning would be fruitless. I confirmed that all three plays would go up on that weekend before returning to my car, a bit crestfallen. Although I would have liked to have been seen for future consideration, it would have been tacky to put myself forth as an option knowing the conflict -- though perhaps I should have thought to ask if they'd like an extra reader in the shuffle. I'll remember that next time. This time, I'm happy to give myself points for going at all.