On The Road — Page 44

Opening Night

February 19, 2016 at 10:13 am by Claudia

2-19 favorite guy

This guy got fed up with being alone at the cottage and drove to Hartford on Wednesday night.

It’s very nice having him here, as you can imagine.

One of the perks of working on this production has been the chance to reunite with some actors that I worked with at the Old Globe. And when I say ‘worked with,’ I mean several times. In the case of our friend Kandis, many, many times. She and Don have known each other since they were in their teens. Imagine!

So the three of us went to lunch together yesterday afternoon and talked the way old friends do and it was lovely. Don and I spent the rest of the day in the apartment. We’re both exhausted. Grieving is draining, tiring, and overwhelming.

I haven’t been buying any more food since I’m moving back home tomorrow, but we managed to whip up an omelet and some steamed vegetables and somehow it seemed to be the perfect dinner. Today, we’re going to go to the Wadsworth Atheneum. And I’m going to start packing.

2-19 opening night

Tonight is opening night.

It’s been a joy working on this production. I’ve worked with old friends and made new friends. My Hartford Stage ‘family’ has been, as ever, fun and hard-working and supportive – especially when they heard about Scout. I’ve come to think of this theater as a second home. Romeo and Juliet marks my ninth show here at Hartford Stage. I did at least four more with Darko at the Old Globe, and one in NYC, so our collaborations together now number fourteen.

What an honor it is to work with him.

So, it’s Opening Night here in Hartford. And then…home.

Edited to add: I just saw the news that Harper Lee has passed away. More on her legacy later. Thank you, Harper Lee. Thank you for profoundly influencing my life. Rest in peace.

Happy Friday.

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A Weekend at the Cottage

February 6, 2016 at 9:05 am by Claudia

2-6 afterthesnow

The snow stopped falling by mid-afternoon. It was a heavy, wet mess – pretty – but a mess.

We had our last run-through in the rehearsal room and today, the actors move onstage. This day will be for what is called ‘spacing’ – getting used to the levels on the stage, to trap doors, to movements on and off stage, going through the entire play to adjust to the set. Tomorrow, tech rehearsals will begin and will continue through Wednesday. Thursday will be the first Preview performance.

I don’t need to be there for Spacing or for the first Tech day, so I’m going home for a couple of days and I’ll come back on Monday so that I can check into tech rehearsal on Tuesday to see how the actors are doing and get a sense of the way their voices are working in the space.

I just finished The Kill by Jane Casey and now I’m all caught up. I started that series with the most recent book, After the Fire, which I reviewed on Just Let Me Finish This Page. I was so taken with Casey’s writing that I did what I often do: I went back and read all of the previous books in the series in order. She’s that good. Now, I’m left waiting for her next book to come out, whenever that will be.

Now, I’m headed back into the Susan Hill Simon Serrailler series, picking up where I left off. The Shadows in the Street will be accompanying me on my trip home.

Scout’s had a bit of a tough week and, consequently, so has Don. I hope to take some of the responsibility for our girl off of Don’s shoulders while I’m home. Every day we assess our girl’s quality of life. That’s where we are right now. I know you understand.

Okay. Have to get moving. Have to dig the car out. Have to get on the road.

Happy Saturday.

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More from the Wadsworth

February 5, 2016 at 9:56 am by Claudia

Ready for a picture heavy post? By popular request, I’m sharing more of the photos I took the other day at the Art Museum.

Here goes.

2-5 entrance gallery

This is the first gallery you see as you enter the museum. The lady in the foreground was a longtime employee of the museum and the artist Alex Katz made this in honor of her. It’s titled, “Margie.” There’s a photo of her standing next to the figure. (1971)

The figure in the background is made from rugs. “Sound suit” by Nick Cave (2009)

2-5 romaire beardon

In the same gallery, She-ba, by Romare Bearden (1970)

2-5 silhouettes

Silhouettes, cut from paper, by the artist Kara Walker. (2013)

2-5 dali

Salvador Dali – Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach (1938)

2-5 magritte

René Magritte – Les Intermittences du Coeur (The Fickleness of the Heart) (1950)

2-5 picasso

Pablo Picasso – The Artist (1963)

2-5 winslowhomer

Winslow Homer – Rocky Coast (Maine Coast) (1882-1900)

2-5 johnsingersargent

John Singer Sargent – Ruth Sears Bacon (I love this.) (1887)

2-5 matisse

Henri Matisse – The Ostrich Feather Hat (1918)

2-5 Monet beach

Claude Monet – The Beach at Trouville (1870)

2-5 Monetwaterlilies

Claude Monet – Nymphéas (Water Lilies) – (1907)

2-5 vangogh

Vincent Van Gogh – Self Portrait (1887)

2-5 Hals

Franz Hals – Portrait of Joseph Coymans (1644)

2-5 portraitgallery

One of the portrait galleries.

The museum has a vast collection of American Decorative Arts, where I encountered some of my favorite designers:

2-5 eames

Charles and Ray Eames

2-5 marcelbreuer

Marcel Breuer

2-5 franklloydwright

Frank Lloyd Wright

2-5 stickley

Gustav Stickley

It’s an amazing and wondrous museum and if I get over there again before my stay here ends, I’ll take more photos, okay?

In the meantime, I’m supposed to go home tomorrow and we’re getting at least 6 inches of heavy, wet snow today. Do you sense a pattern here? If I decide to make the trip home…it snows.

Cross your fingers for me!

Happy Friday.

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Opening Night

A Weekend at the Cottage

More from the Wadsworth

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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