Three Down and A Recommendation Revisited

The 57th, 58th, and 59th shows I've directed/designed in NYC since 1997 have been put to bed.

Thanks to all who came out and supported them.

I'll have more of a post-mortem soon (if revving up for the Clown Festival doesn't take over my life TOO much), but Berit™ and I are taking two days to do nothing or whatever damned thing we feel like, and I have some ideas.

For example, whenever I've been driving to The Brick and feeling particularly stressed and harried, and it's been a beautiful day as I drive under the Brooklyn Heights and I look across the East River towards the South Street Seaport, and there are boats on the water and it all looks so peaceful and lovely out there . . . I just wish I was sitting over there on a dock or promontory, looking at the water and eating a cone of swirled soft-serve ice-cream-style product. I may try and do this tomorrow. If it's actually a nice day.

In the meantime, show promotion for someone else who deserves it and could apparently use the help:

Michael Laurence in Krapp, 39, photo © 2008 by Dixie Sheridan

As I mentioned before, I saw my old friend Michael in a solo show he wrote/performed in the Fringe (directed by another old friend, George Demas) called Krapp, 39, which I loved. Now, some of my love may have come from personal knowledge and shared history, but apart from me, the show was one of the big hits of the Fest, and got great reviews all over the place.

I had mentioned it before, not really thinking I could promote it, as I saw the penultimate Fringe show, and was pretty sure the last one was sold out. Well, I forgot the Fringe does indeed extend the more popular shows that it can, and Michael & George's show will be playing another six shows at the larger Barrow Street Theatre in the West Village, rather than down at the small space at Pace where it was.

So - it's a great show, and well worth $18 if you can spend money on theatre. And especially if you can see it soon . . . they weren't able to announce the extension until today, of course, and the first show is this Thursday the 28th at 7.00 pm, so I know they're looking for house. After that, it plays 5 more times to September 14.

Look interesting? Then it is. Check it out.

Berit™ and I had a nice dinner at the Lazy Catfish after the last show last night and discussed next August.

We are definitely planning on doing Daniel McKleinfeld's documentary play A Little Piece of the Sun, which we worked on the original production of back in FringeNYC 2001 (she stage managed/made props; I acted/designed sets and lights). I am still thinking of doing Foreman's George Bataille's Bathrobe - though it wouldn't be the USA premiere; I forgot Yelena Gluzman actually directed it in the 2nd ForemanFest (I can't keep straight what we did and didn't do in those Fests).

And we're thinking of an original show that has something to do with a 1930s-1950s USA view of science fiction (really space opera). Rocky Jones. Commando Cody. Brass and leather and wood and glass and so forth. Republic movie serials. Professional men and women in snappy suits and hats doing their jobs, but with impossible jet packs and rockets and things. Don't forget your space-beams, men! The Crimson Ghost is planning on magnetizing the entire Southwest! Why do the Radar Men from the Moon need to rob Earth banks for their nefarious plot?

But what is it ABOUT? Don't know yet, but there's something there itching at me. When we go up to Maine, we will research this and see where it takes us.

We also have our long-gestating puppet show to work on.

But first . . . CLOWNS.