Community and Friends and Celebration

Arriving at the Ivey Awards, Historic State Theater, Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis

New York has its Tony, Chicago has its Jeff. For many years Minneapolis didn’t have such a thing, but for the past seven years we’ve had the Ivey. Unlike most award programs, the Ivey Awards doesn’t have set categories and there are no nominations, although there are two standard categories of Emerging Artist and Lifetime Achievement. These elements have been a point of criticism since the beginning, but so far it hasn’t kept away the crowds, lessened the excitement or diminished the glory. Of course, with no set categories and no nominations, honorees have no idea they’re going to win, so every statue handed out is a surprise to most of the room.

Two nights ago the Twin Cities theatre professionals, along with numerous fans, gathered at the historic State Theater downtown for this year’s event. It’s colloquially become called “theater prom” by some because in a field where most of the workforce tend to spend rehearsals and pre-show time wearing rather casual (often very casual) clothes, this is an opportunity to dress up big time.

But unlike prom where only certain people are invited, everyone’s welcome to this show, and elbows are rubbed between the newest and most experienced artists, between the smallest shoe-string budget company and the multi-million dollar funded institutions and everywhere in between. The beauty is in the community, coming together for one night to celebrate each other and honor some (though not all) of the standout moments and works of the previous season.

Oh, and then there’s an after party. A HUGE after party, where more elbows are rubbed and ears are bent and deals and promises are made.

I didn’t win anything although I didn’t really think I would. I am, however, awfully proud to have been a part of a show that garnered a lot of attention that night, as two of those little statues went out because of that show, Street Scene. One went to our show’s heroine, Anna Sundberg (who not surprisingly to many was the year’s emerging artist) and one to our show’s director, Craig Johnson, for his direction of the show – an overwhelming task with its 3-acts, 65 characters, 26 actors and a dog on a (relatively) tiny stage. Sitting next to Craig as his name was announced (or rather, the work and the show was announced which prompted a large contingent around him to cheer loud enough he couldn’t actually hear his name) and seeing the stunned look on his face was a real joy. I’ve been fortunate to work on many shows with him, for many years, and I couldn’t have been prouder of my good friend.

Of course, at the after party the cast members in attendance decided we made his direction look good and gave ourselves due credit. But more importantly, we celebrated our friends who won and celebrated our fortunes of working in a community with such widely diverse and strongly talented artists as these Twin Cities have. I’m happy to call it home.

A Random Week

The past week has been a busy roller coaster of life and thoughts. Here are a random few things of discovery:

• On Monday I attended The Ivey Awards, which are sort of the Tonys or Jeff Awards of Twin Cities. This evening always proves to me that I need to see more shows. I don’t know how I do that.  But there were several winners whose work I haven’t seen or shows I didn’t catch. I guess when I hear the buzz about something like Ruined at Mixed Blood and I can’t make it there then I should remember this night and I should find a way. I hate missing good theatre. This evening also always proves to me that I’m lousy at schmoozing when there are a couple thousand people, too few bartenders and lots and lots of chatter, laughter, hugs and a bit of eye rolling. Thankfully though, this year I avoided to say or do anything embarrassing. I think.
• On Tuesday I began my day with insomnia. Literally. Crawling in to bed at midnight I had nothing but Iveys memories, songs performed at the show, conversations had and other sights and sounds running through my head. I then constructed at least two or three ideas for shows I’d like to act in, direct or write. I could’ve easily filled three or four years of work. I slept an hour before getting up to do the day job, where somehow I managed to not fall over. Later that day I saw some promotional video for a local production. It’s a good show (I suspect) and the video is really well put together. I think about how I like working with video, making and editing them together. I think about how I could find a job doing something like that. Then I go back to my other stuff. Eventually I sleep.
• On Wednesday I learned about the possibility of someone producing a play. It might be another two years, but it’s not dead in the water. This is encouraging, if not one hundred percent elating. Anticipation. Waiting. I briefly discuss a new piece that I think might be interesting. Maybe a 2011 fringe show. Baby steps.
• On Thursday I had free swim. So I watched some of NBC’s season premieres. I don’t think I’d ever want to do television. And I can say that because I’ve never done television. (No, I can’t say that, but it’s my justification. That, and I live in Minneapolis.) But given the lack of solid work I’ve done recently, and the overwhelming day job, watching actors play and have fun and that’s their job I was a bit envious of them. Especially the few who I personally know (or at least knew at one time) and for whom I know from where they came. I’m happy for them. I need to replace my day job and be happy for me too.
• On Friday I was at a lovely dinner party at a friend’s house where the host paid a lot of praise to me (and my writing partner) for work on our show last year, and expressed how she hopes to see it produced again. Elated by the ego boost, I mentioned an idea for another project, which she also encouraged. All in all, it was good for the inner self.

And now it’s Saturday. A day of chores preparing to host family for dinner.

As for Sunday…well, I think there’s some free time in there to conjure ideas on a nice bike ride and then sketch up some initial thoughts about that new project.

Oscar and Angst

Oh, the day after the Oscars…

Who could possibly count the number of articles in newspapers and online, the number of TV reports or the number of blog entries about the Oscars? I too could spew on about who deserved what, or who wore what, but instead I want to note a couple things that personally struck me.

I thought it was odd that Babs was given the honor of presenting in the directing category. I know why it was done, but it showed the hand. And if it hadn’t showed the hand, and Ms. Bigelow hadn’t won, how awful would that have been? Why wasn’t last year’s winner there? If he weren’t available, then OK, but then I wished that had been acknowledged. And such an acknowledgement would’ve been a bit classier. There, I said it. I think it was a tacky presentation.

That said, I won’t question the validity of her winning. And I’m glad that a woman director finally won. (That sized gender gap doesn’t exist in the theatre, why does it in movies?) Hurt Locker was a tightly directed movie—not perfectly, but very tightly. The level of suspense and tension was incredible. What’s striking about that movie, especially since it won for best picture, was it basically had a cast of three. That’s truly unusual for a Best Movie and for a war film.  Although, while it was a good and well done movie, I honestly think Inglorious Basterds was a much, much better movie all around. It should have won for best picture….

But I digress.

“life moves pretty fast” – That’s the other thing that struck me. The tribute to John Hughes was heart wrenching for me – perhaps because some of his biggest movies, like Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off came out when I was a teenager. The footage and montage of clips contained so many memorable moments and lines and faces. Each one springing forth another image of that time in my life. In some ways his works seem to resonate with a specific generation, and perhaps solely with that generation. Nonetheless, it’s clear he was a well loved filmmaker, and he was too young to go.

To this day I have issues with how quickly Ferris got from the Loop to Evanston. It’s just not possible. Perhaps it’s time for me to let that go, though.