Rumors Control, 2nd Weekend: “This is so going in my blog…”

My apparent secret desire to be an actor has been a subplot in the PDP narrative for a few years, so I suppose it was natural that it would find its way into Rumors, especially after I stepped in during a couple of rehearsals to fill in for unavailable cast members.  With that (to say nothing of the persistence of my boss), my professional stage debut was more or less an Inevitable Fate.

Of course, being inevitable and all that, Fate wasn’t exactly bent on making it easy for me.  Buoyed by enthusiastic opening audiences and strong word of mouth (including a great review from Deborah Martin at the Express-News), our second weekend would see our best crowds yet, with Sunday’s show nearly filling the house.

I’ll let you guess who was scheduled to play Officer Pudney that day. Continue reading

Rumors Control, Opening Night: The Arrival

It all came to this.

Two weeks of auditions.  Six weeks of rehearsals.  Days spent on building the set, securing props, publicity, promotion, and phone calls and texts and E-mails to cover every miscellaneous detail you can think of and probably a few more.  All for this.

One moment.

Opening night for Rumors. Continue reading

Rumors Control, Week 5: I Love It When A Play Comes Together

There are moments in the creative process that are hard to define, hard to explain, hard to set down in words or pixels.  But if you’re an artist, you KNOW them when they happen.  Whether you’re working toward the first performance, the first screening, or the first edition, they’re the landmarks that keep you moving forward, until you reach that ultimate goal.

The hope of capturing those landmarks has been a driving force behind the “Rumors Control” series.  The chance to experience and share those moments, be they planned or spontaneous, when a character, a laugh, a scene is found.  The belief that before it was all over, I’d get to write a post like the one you’re about to read. Continue reading