Bitchy Actress

New York, Acting, and Attitude: Believe These Stories Or Don't - But I Betcha They're True.

Friday, February 27, 2009

A Note About Reviews On Here

Look, I don't claim to be "a reviewer". I'm an actress who is lucky enough to actually be able to live as an actor, affording a studio apartment on the Upper East Side in the city she grew up in, who has family in California and has a place to crash when she goes on a shoot, if the producers are broke (often the case). I see a lot of theatre and film when I have the time in between work, and I have opinions. I am very picky about what I enjoy but only because I believe that actors need to really work up there - not just show up and wait for their cue.

I have several pals in shows right now. Two friends in particular, who are on stage, one in a showcase, one in a bdwy gig in NYC; both of them got reviews. One got both good and bad; one got mostly bad - but they were both damn good. Both of them said to me: "When you have your little blog and call yourself Bitchy Actress, and you write reviews about things, do you have to be so mean? Don't be such a bitch!" etc etc - of course this was after they recently received bad reviews themselves and were sensitive. Beforehand they thought what I wrote was absolutely hilarious. They still do, but one just emailed a little while ago all bent out of shape from a review received from another idiot like myself who happened to also put her down for her physical appearance. If she really reads the review, she should take it for what it is: nothing more than an audience member with access to a computer and a few people who allowed him space on their site to say something. My other friend got panned by several people - but hell, let's face it; very few reviewers out there are actual writers themselves; and most of them are people who wanted to be actors, SUCKED, and so they started critiquing theatre instead. I mean, hell - does their opinion really matter? Does mine?

No.

So yes, I get a kick out of being a "Bitchy Actress" - fun schtick. But I'll tell you what: I'll never, ever trash an actor/actress for what they look like. I'll talk about their acting...because that's something that I do know...something that I care about. Too many actors get work because they are pretty or because they are blowing someone behind the right desk - NOT because of their talent. I write it as I see it...but not to hurt people. Maybe to open their eyes that they need to take an extra acting class or perhaps deal with their fellow actor...and maybe I say it in a way to be humorous to everyone. Especially if I see other actors getting nothing from that actor. Nothing is more infuriating than that for an actor...or to recognize it happening in front of you as an audience member who happens to make their living as an actor.

Take the young Claudio I talked about, below. He's a handsome young man - he can say the words easily and well; but it's the character development behind the good look that makes me cringe. So I'll talk about that. Or last year's train wrecks for the same company with a few of the actors who really were more of a detriment to the shows. Why? Because they were not dealing with their fellow actors they way they should (and because I heard that one of them was such a diva backstage, with so many actors complaining that he was telling them how to act; that is such nonsense! someone like that NEEDS to be slapped - verbally, if necessary).

But when it comes down to it, nothing that any blogger, reviewer, or...well, take your pick, really means a thing.

Christ, they said about Katherine Hepburn once: "Ms. Hepburn's emotional range goes from A to B." WTF???
About Liza Minelli: in the 70's a lovely reviewer compared her to an ugly dog.
About Marlo Thomas: also in the 70's one "reviewer" spent so much time talking about her plastic surgery (some New Yorker reviewer who probably had more than Marlo) that she left about three sentences for the actual review.

Some of us up here write as tongue-in-cheek; some write with that but also with the intention of opening the eyes of people to how ridiculous the industry is - or if a particular production sucks to high heaven.

And then, there are some people that make my little gimmicky name of Bitchy Actress seem like a compliment; they are truly mean, mean people, with no reason behind what they do except to hurt...and perhaps tear down because their favorite actor or actress did not get good reviews or there is a vendetta...or they are jealous. This industry is made up primarily of those kind of people; have no illusions of "the kindness of strangers" in this business.

So - for future knowledge to my friends who know who I am who read this, and to those who think of me as a cunt who has a penchant for witty banter, (or an illiterate fool, take your pick but keep the cunt part in there since it's fun) - I say this: I give credit where I honestly think credit is due, and I will pick someone's acting apart if I think they suck and especially if they suck and also try to hurt other actors...I have an ear to the ground for gossip and I hate evil people; especially those who can't act but who somehow get work despite the fact that they are backstabbers - they will get my poisoned pen faster than you can say "fuck me". But I will never tear someone up for physical features, or if their acting is so-so. I may suggest they take lessons...but never tear to shreds.

I save the shredder for those well-deserving, who are either making lots of money for giving us (and their fellow actors) so little; or who are really bad people who also suck.

Hey, Brando was a PRICK - but one of the best actors ever. And you can't argue that.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Shakespeare Must Be Pleased: Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Row

Let me start off by saying that I was seeing this play as a favor for a friend. She is not in the show, but asked that I go see it to support people she knows and works with. She knows that I have seen so many productions of this fabulous comedy by Shakespeare that I told myself I would wait another decade before going again; that, or perhaps unless it was done by midgets in drag in Transylvania - anything to make it unique.

That said - I had a MARVELOUS time seeing Oberon Theatre Ensemble's production of Much Ado in the Beckett theatre at the Theatre Row complex. It was fresh, entertaining, funny, and heart-warming. From the very beginning of the show until the end, although I knew what was going to to happen from the number of times I've seen - and even performed - the show myself, I was still with most of the actors every step of the way.

Mark Karafin has artfully taken a production, which in my opinion is done to DEATH, and breathed life into it again. Stand-out performances include Benedick (Mac Brydon), Don Pedro (Walter Brandes), Verges (Bill Green), Dogberry (Brad Fryman), Hero (Cotton Wright) and Beatrice (Elizabeth Zins).

Brydon's work was simply amazing. There is really no other way to put it. He was natural in everything he did - made an already lovably frustrating character into such an adorably "in love" man - who also is as serious as a heart attack when he decides to take Beatrice up on challenging Claudio and putting both him and Don Pedro in their place. During the scene when he is being set up for the bait to fall for Beatrice, his almost Chevy-Chase/John Ritter-like physicality was reminiscent of the simple beauty of Dudley Moore hiding behind the flowers in the chapel in "10" - hilarious, believable, entertaining and FUN. I wondered how much was found in improv and moved into staging...because it seemed so natural, yet not... Because so many productions forget that this is a play to have FUN with - and hats off to director Karafin for giving the actors the green light to run with the fun.

Brandes was true in his work and a joy to watch. His ending, the small aspect of sadness in the joy of everyone else working out while he is still alone was poignant and lovely, in contrast to the light-hearted simplicity he gave his character - who was also easy to hate briefly as a co-conspirator to Hero's downfall. Green reminded me of a young Peter Sellers as Verges - and even as the Friar - and his ability to go back and forth was admirable. The glasses on Verges were...genius.

Complimenting him was Fryman's Dogberry, a role that can either be a joy to watch or painful. It was SUCH a joy to go along on the ride with this inept character and Fryman, much to our delight, made the most out of reminding us that he was an ass - and we loved every moment. I think this year is a great year for Fryman - he seems to have grown in the last year as an actor, as visible in this play and the other Oberon play in rep that he is also cast in (American Rapture).

Wright and Zins were lovely in their own right. I especially enjoyed Wright's gentle sadness accepting her fate and dealing with her disgrace. Zins was entertaining many times throughout the play, working the Shakespearean witty banter well; however, for some reason I had trouble buying her love for Benedick...it never really worked for me as much as I would have liked - but I was willing to go along for the ride because I believed his for her.

One major problem I had was the choice for Claudio. From the moment you are in the lobby looking at this young man's headshot you have to wonder if he is trying to market himself as the next possible vampire for the next installment of Twilight - and then when he was on stage I just felt that although he obviously had a mastery of the dialogue, there was nothing behind it. The choices that were made were not filled. The character is one that has to have a sense of humility to him, because after everything he puts Hero through, the audience still has to like him afterwards...and I didn't feel that he was played with any true humility...just he seemed more a frat boy than a young soldier in love. I didn't believe him before any of the chapel scene happened, and when she took him back at the end of the play, I wanted to smack her and ask why him? Indeed Brown is an attractive young actor, but I did not believe his character at all.

The same can be said for Borachio - I feel that that character could have been played more simply and truthfully...allowing the audience to really see what his character is all about. He is more complex than just a drunkard womanizer - and that is all we got to see.

That said - and it could be because I simply always thought that Claudio was a bastard anyway - I was not affected by my love for this production. I'm delighted that I saw it for all the wonderful performances in the show. If you see a Shakespeare production this winter, I suggest you make it this one.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

American Rapture: An Evening of William Saroyan and Alex Dinelaris

I suggest you run out to see this - it opens February 14th. There are some great actors in Oberon's Rep series (Which also includes Much Ado About Nothing on alternate days) and Alex Dinelaris is a playwright/director to keep your eye on.


AMERICAN RAPTURE
An Evening of Short Plays
Featuring Hello Out There by William Saroyan
and World-Premiere Plays by Alex Dinelaris

Directed by Alex Dinelaris

CAST

Gabe Bettio*
Jane Cortney*
Max Darwin*
Brad Fryman*
Vince Gatton*
William Laney*
Dianna Martin
Donovan Patton*
Laura Siner*
Christine Verleny
Stewart Walker*

*Appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association


An evening of short plays, some humorous, some tragic, explore the unique mixture of loneliness and hope, which make up the American Experience. Playwright/director Alex Dinelaris, who was nominated for a Lucille Lortel (Best Musical) and two Drama Desk Awards (Book & Lyrics) for his work on the off-Broadway hit, ZANNA DON’T!, weaves his way through modern relationships, religious hypocrisy, love, loss and the endless cycle of violence that threatens to swallow our society whole. The evening culminates with William Saroyan’s Hello Out There, the powerful tale of two outcasts who find love at the most unlikely of times, in the most unlikely of places.

Performance Dates: February 14 - March 1
Tickets: $20.00

TALKBACK after performance Monday, Feb 23

Buy Tickets Online from Ticket Central.

The Beckett Theatre @ Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street, between 9th & 10th Avenues

You can also buy tickets Theatre Row daily 12-8pm.

For more info, go to www.OberonTheatre.org.