I MET PAUL DANO Image Heavy Because Of Course It Is
I still can't believe that it happened...I have to look at the photos Jeff took to remind myself that it was real.
We went to see "True West", the Broadway show where PD is starring with Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard's best bud since "Dead Poets Society". For this play, Hawke transformed himself in a big loud sloppy guy with a beard and long stringy hair (and a very buff bod). Paul Dano transformed himself into...Paul Dano.
Publicity photo - I have no idea why Hawke is looking like a scared rabbit
This Sam Shepard play is pretty dated, being all about Manly Angst in 1980. But the two leads were fucking incredible. The basic situation: Austin, a buttoned-up screenwriter, is house-sitting their mother's house in Southern California. Lee, his fucked-up desert rat brother, has shown up. He gets drunk and interferes with Austin's writing. Lee is loud and bullies Austin, who just takes it. He's working furiously on a period-piece love story that a producer is interested in. Austin's staked everything on it. Lee has a ridiculous idea for a Western, which seems to be mostly two trucks chasing each other in the desert.
The breaking point in Act 1 is when Lee cons the producer into playing golf with him. The producer loves Lee's idea and drops Austin's love story, saying that Austin should write Lee's script. I'm guessing that PD lost all of the muscle he gained for Escape From Dannemora, because he is his stork-like self.
Act 2 opens with Austin blind drunk and Lee desperately pecking at the typewriter. It's a complete reversal of roles, and really funny. Things escalate, but not in the way you think. It's wildly physical.
Lee freaks out when he can't change a typewriter ribbon
Hawke's character has way more range than PD's. He's threatening but completely falls apart when he tries to write. PD's character is one-note through the first act, but comes alive in the second. There is a lot of destructive of the set, etc., but no real fighting, which I appreciated. They completely trash the house, and then their mother (Marylouise Burke)shows up. Her character was a sit-com cartoon. She doesn't get angry which feels very odd. I won't spoil the ending.
This curtain call photo shows all you need to know.
My heart was pounding even before we took our (excellent orchestra) seats. It was SO FUCKING GREAT to see these two actors in real life! Beforehand I had decided not to wait at the stage door. It was basically a mind-fuck. Of course I waited at the stage door. Jeff stood at a distance, checking his phone. The small group of fans had to go behind a barricade. PD came out before Hawke. He had a baby seat, which he put in the big black Suburban that would drive the actors around. He was clearly exhausted, but quite gracious. A security guarded handed him a Sharpie to sign autographs. I actually practiced what I was going to say! When it was my turn I remember thinking, "yes, his eyebrows really are like that". (This has been a subject of some discussion among us PD fans.) My spiel: "You were wonderful. I love your work. I belong to an international fan group called Paul Dano's Lonely Fan Club Band."
I had no idea how PD reacted until I saw the photos...that's how stunned I was at meeting him. I wanted to say something about "Swiss Army Man" but I didn't want to sound like a crazed fan. I mean, I am, but he didn't have to know that. He didn't interact with the fans the way RSL does, but he was also exhausted. Jeff was down the block and took photos.
Here I'm telling him about his fan club.
More babbling
The obligatory two-shot. I had to lean over the metal barricade.
All the way home I kept muttering "I met Paul Dano. I'm going to faint. I met Paul Dano. I'm going to faint." Actually meeting the real person behind the HUGE amount of my mental space he's taken up was overwhelming. In fact, I didn't remember any of it until I saw the photos!
So. I met Paul Dano. Wow. Fucking wow.
We went to see "True West", the Broadway show where PD is starring with Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard's best bud since "Dead Poets Society". For this play, Hawke transformed himself in a big loud sloppy guy with a beard and long stringy hair (and a very buff bod). Paul Dano transformed himself into...Paul Dano.
Publicity photo - I have no idea why Hawke is looking like a scared rabbit
This Sam Shepard play is pretty dated, being all about Manly Angst in 1980. But the two leads were fucking incredible. The basic situation: Austin, a buttoned-up screenwriter, is house-sitting their mother's house in Southern California. Lee, his fucked-up desert rat brother, has shown up. He gets drunk and interferes with Austin's writing. Lee is loud and bullies Austin, who just takes it. He's working furiously on a period-piece love story that a producer is interested in. Austin's staked everything on it. Lee has a ridiculous idea for a Western, which seems to be mostly two trucks chasing each other in the desert.
The breaking point in Act 1 is when Lee cons the producer into playing golf with him. The producer loves Lee's idea and drops Austin's love story, saying that Austin should write Lee's script. I'm guessing that PD lost all of the muscle he gained for Escape From Dannemora, because he is his stork-like self.
Act 2 opens with Austin blind drunk and Lee desperately pecking at the typewriter. It's a complete reversal of roles, and really funny. Things escalate, but not in the way you think. It's wildly physical.
Lee freaks out when he can't change a typewriter ribbon
Hawke's character has way more range than PD's. He's threatening but completely falls apart when he tries to write. PD's character is one-note through the first act, but comes alive in the second. There is a lot of destructive of the set, etc., but no real fighting, which I appreciated. They completely trash the house, and then their mother (Marylouise Burke)shows up. Her character was a sit-com cartoon. She doesn't get angry which feels very odd. I won't spoil the ending.
This curtain call photo shows all you need to know.
My heart was pounding even before we took our (excellent orchestra) seats. It was SO FUCKING GREAT to see these two actors in real life! Beforehand I had decided not to wait at the stage door. It was basically a mind-fuck. Of course I waited at the stage door. Jeff stood at a distance, checking his phone. The small group of fans had to go behind a barricade. PD came out before Hawke. He had a baby seat, which he put in the big black Suburban that would drive the actors around. He was clearly exhausted, but quite gracious. A security guarded handed him a Sharpie to sign autographs. I actually practiced what I was going to say! When it was my turn I remember thinking, "yes, his eyebrows really are like that". (This has been a subject of some discussion among us PD fans.) My spiel: "You were wonderful. I love your work. I belong to an international fan group called Paul Dano's Lonely Fan Club Band."
I had no idea how PD reacted until I saw the photos...that's how stunned I was at meeting him. I wanted to say something about "Swiss Army Man" but I didn't want to sound like a crazed fan. I mean, I am, but he didn't have to know that. He didn't interact with the fans the way RSL does, but he was also exhausted. Jeff was down the block and took photos.
Here I'm telling him about his fan club.
More babbling
The obligatory two-shot. I had to lean over the metal barricade.
All the way home I kept muttering "I met Paul Dano. I'm going to faint. I met Paul Dano. I'm going to faint." Actually meeting the real person behind the HUGE amount of my mental space he's taken up was overwhelming. In fact, I didn't remember any of it until I saw the photos!
So. I met Paul Dano. Wow. Fucking wow.