Ming cho lee's clambake

Not at all sure why its called the clambake. But its a chance to talk to some newly graduated designers.

Sort of like going to a museum - really. Or maybe, like how I enjoy going to a museum. I started at the back and breezed through. Then I started over and drilled down, stopping and talking to the designers that most sparked me. I ran out of steam a bit and had to take a few breaks. I know a few folks who split it up over two sessions and I think I will do that in the future.

Its really hard to make a judgment based on a thesis project. So often the work just feels so theoretical. And impractical. And so often the work here in nyc is very much about how much you can do with very little. Very little in the way of resources, money, time.

Still - one of david korin's great techniques was always to ask "what is the one million dollar production. What about 100k? 10k. Ok - we've got a thousand." And thus, you ask yourself: what is essential.

I took a number of resume's and wished that I had brought my digital camera. I wrote a note or two but I think that might be the way to go.

Saw a number of fine directors there: many of this past year's drama league directors. And herskowitz and tim vasen. Also, saw mara isaacs from mccarter.

I bumped into a friend of mine who is connected to a theater here in nyc on my way out. She informed me of a reading that she pushed to have me direct - but someone else got to do it. "I believe in you", she said. Man, that made my day. I want to type that up and print it and put that in my wallet. In case I forget to do the same...

The obies

Happy to see that takeshi kata won one for adding machine. I am sure mr morfee is pleased. It seemed that they gave out fewer awards this year?

Rachel went because they gave an obie to sean. Sat near korins and carolyn cantor - who I've not seen forever.

Second real day in the city

1) Had meeting at soho playhouse where james braly's life in a marital institute is transferring. Its a great little theater, and I am pleased to be working with darren - any friend of morfee's.... Also bumped into peter lee dean from directors lab 2001. He is the td/pm there, I believe.



2) Called jimmy clarke - who ripped his tendon in florida. He seemed elated - and not from the meds: Turns out he will not need surgery. Spoke to michael edwards and marian too.



3) Spoke to meg at wma about contracts. Always fun. Glad I am not a lawyer.



4) Went to joanne tucker's birthday. I directed her in better than chocolate a year and a half ago at juilliard. She's twenty-five and I predict big things.



5) Continued and began casting processes for sundance (origin story - dan lefranc), second stage (as soon as impossible - betty shamieh), rattlestick (lonesome hollow - lee blessing) and cape cod theater project (nocturama - annie baker)



6) Met with claudia - my costume designer at dallas theater center. She and I talked about steroids, baseball and showing muscles on stage.



7) Attempting to work out cape cod and ojai. Again - there's a one day overlap. Can I get it all to work?



8) Parents want to come up and see rachel in importance of being earnest. This weekend.

Sibyl wickersheimer

Ok - that may not be how she spells her name. But she is a terrific set designer. We met maybe a year and a half ago - and we worked together in LA. She re-vamped the NO CHILD set. Very cool designer.

One day, we'll work from scratch. We met today at the grey dog cafe. I am still attempting vegetarianism and followed her lead - a huge garden salad.

We got caught up - and we discussed her set at berkeley rep. They modified her set - and shipped the whole thing up to brt from mark taper.

And we also discussed the ideal designer/director relationship: a designer and a director come up with shows to pitch. This is not so dissimilar to ann cattaneo's idea (suggested by a director) of having a designer present at rehearsals at the earliest stages

She and I are going to exchange pet plays and maybe there's one she might feel most connected to.

Still thinking PLATONOV is the magnum opus to work on.

Catastrophe in sarasota

Holy cow. I just heard from marian - the psm at asolo - that one of my actors "has ruptured his Achilles tendon. It's a 6 week recovery and we don't know yet whether he will need surgery. After he sees a surgeon we can determine if we can have him do it on crutches."

I feel terrible. Wondering what I can do for the actor from here - (just got back to nyc)

Jack fletcher

My mentor. Loved it. And I know he was genuine with his praise. His sister had been in Our Country's Good directed by tony taccone at berkeley rep maybe 15 years ago. And he just dug no child.

Of course I was moved last night: how great to see NO CHILD for my final time with my teacher and his wife. My friends.

It was a good show - and michael called it tremendously well. He remains one of the best psm's I've ever worked with. And he reveres jack as one of his favorite - and best - directors.

But jack rarely directs these days. In the 90s after I trained with him, and after I assisted him, he transitioned into voice direction and voice casting. He definitely has made a good living doing that.

But it is a shame that he hasn't directed at ACT or at berkeley rep or at the magic for sometime. Because he is so damn talented. Jack has an amazing way of connecting actors to the text, of making you feel that what you are working on is crucial. He is a genius and has an uncanny way of getting to an actor - of culling all of his experience and remembering the details of an actor - and mine those details.

While talking to rachel's father at his office - he's the head of the Cal biophysics dept - I saw a list of his lineage, dating back to the 1750s. It listed his name at the bottom, and above him his professor, and above him his professor.

So I wondered - what's my lineage. In other words, I studied with jack. Jack studied with his father allen fletcher. Allen studied with someone named betcher and someone else named aubrey. I think.

I want to trace that.

Last no child for me

Last night was a great show. Watching nilaja take her time as we see jerome arrive too late for the school play. Beautiful and right.

Tonight is the last time I will get to see nilaja perform no child. I am sad, relieved, overjoyed. And its made all the better that my mentor, jack fletcher, gets to see the show tonight. Jack is the reason I am a director - and I aspire to be as devoted and passionate and SMART as jack is.

Ready to watch.

...And then

Upcoming:

1) Yale college reunion may 30-june 1
2) Reading of lonesome hollow by lee blessing at rattlestick june 3
3) Reading of betty shamieh's play at second stage june 9
4) TRANSFER of james braly's LIFE IN A MARITAL INSTITUTION to soho playhouse. Tech: june 23.
5) Casting of dan le franc's origin story for sundance july 7-july 27
6) Casting of annie baker's NOCTURAMA for cape cod theater project july 28-aug 2
7) Ojai? Here's hoping I can make that work aug 2 - aug 11

The days ahead

I head back to nyc on sunday, may 18. I went back april 18-20 but have been gone since march 28 - when I went to humana. That's a long time.

In the days ahead here in berkeley there a couple of exciting things happening. Looking forward to catching up further with tony t - who I assisted 14 yrs back on caucasian chalk circle; les waters comes back from ART and I am hoping to meet up saturday; catchingup further with amy potozkin. She got me my first two jobs in theater, way back when.

Tonight old roommate keith and his wife will attend no child. I suspect the review will bolster sales. Or at least, that's how its supposed to work. Tomorrow the botchans are throwing a brunch. Leo and megan from bolinas to attend.

Freakin hot

A heat wave in berkeley, and I am schvitzing.

I love it here. If I could find that right job, I'd stay here. Why? Great place to live, great environment for creating challenging work, discerning audience. And its beautiful.

I've had a number of meetings with talented folks thus far. Might not be able to meet with old friend ryan rillette and that would bum me out.

Thus far, I've chatted with pink pasdar at act, melissa smith who runs the conservatory, beloved actor joaquin torres, madeleine oldham - lit manager of berkeley rep, lila neugebauer - soon to be force of all of american theater, amy potozkin, artistic associate and casting director and just one of my favorite people on the planet.

Tomorrow its tony taccone, and susie falk. And hopefully I manage to connect with amy mueller of bapf as well. Saw carey perloff briefly while at act yesterday, too.

Today's student matinee was great - really smart, disciplined, interested students. They asked spot-on complex questions, and I truly believe this will make nilaja a happy happy women.

This feels like the perfect place to end the tour. And I am full of mixed emotions about its ending: proud, relieved, touched that it has lasted two years.

Time for some iced coffee at