Selected Shorts
My friend and I went to see "Selected Shorts" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music last night, with RSL hosting. Thought I'd share a bit, if you're interested.
First, I did not meet him or have the guts to take pictures while he was on stage. (The ushers at BAM are Brooklyn-tough.) I did, however, literally run into Hope Davis as I left. She just strolled out the same exit as the audience, and she and I bumped into each other (her fault). I said, "You were great. Thank you." She looked a bit surprised that I recognized her, then smiled really sweetly and said, "Thank you!" I like theater people.
Here's a pic of the stage before the show:
The Show:
It was really entertaining! I'd never had short stories read to me by real-deal actors, so it was a cool experience. I just wish the program had actually listed the stories and authors. The first story was by Woody Allen, but I'd never heard of the other authors. All of the stories were about characters who had ordinary and (to them) boring lives, and were then offered some kind of magical/mystical deal that promised to transform them into someone interesting ... or important ... or attractive. And it always backfired. Not a revolutionary theme, but something most of us can relate to.
Bobby Cannavale, Hope Davis and Parker Posey were all great. I thought PP was the weakest, though. She was good, but she was essentially "Parker Posey reading a story," whereas the others did more to embody the stories.
RSL:
He hosted the show and read the final story. So he had, by far, the most stage time. The whole thing was pretty informal. RSL just came bounding onto the stage before the lights had even faded. The audience had a collective moment of "Oh," before we realized who it was and started clapping.
He began by reading the official line about "Selected Shorts," then stopped mid-way and said, "I'm not gonna read this." He proceeded to mention something about being glad to be in Brooklyn, with a young hip audience. Then he said, "You all like Taylor Swift or something, right?"
He did give a sweet little tribute to Isaiah Sheffer, the creator of Selected Shorts who died a couple years ago. He mentioned that IS always liked to do certain audience participation exercises, and years ago RSL asked him why he did that (because it's so hokey). And IS said he did it because it took away the barrier between performers and audience, so they could just be a "room full of people, sharing an experience."
The audience collectively "Awww'd." Then RSL said, "So I looked up, like, 48 audience participation exercises on YouTube. They all sucked."
Then he led us all in singing some "Ah's"
When the other actors came on stage for their readings, he gave each a big hug. He also told a cute story about Parker Posey, Mare Winningham's daughter, and clothes shopping.
As for RSL's reading, I didn't love the story itself. But it was fine. It was about a very average guy with a very average wife and two kids; they buy a new house and discover there is a magical portal to other dimensions, right there in the backyard. High-jinks ensue.
I might be biased, but RSL was really, really good. The other actors all did voices for their characters and did a lovely job of bringing their stories to life. But RSL truly embodied the narrator of his story, with gestures and facial expressions. And he looked at the audience a lot, whereas the others mostly kept their eyes on their text. I'm not sure how he kept his place.
What you really care about:
He wore a black suit, white shirt, no tie. For his reading, he tossed the suit jacket aside and rolled his shirtsleeves up, Wilson-style.
For all those who've voiced concern about the state of his hair, I'm happy to report he had a good deal of it. It was longish and floppy, with the desired curls on the forehead. He also kept running his hand through it, so it got pretty messy by the end of the evening. Actually, he did a lot of gesturing and fidgeting when he was speaking as the host. I'm not sure if he was slightly nervous, or just has a hard time staying still.
He looked thin, and his cheekbones were visible from our 12th-row seats. All seemed to be as it should.
I dunno. I think that covers it. Any questions? ;)
First, I did not meet him or have the guts to take pictures while he was on stage. (The ushers at BAM are Brooklyn-tough.) I did, however, literally run into Hope Davis as I left. She just strolled out the same exit as the audience, and she and I bumped into each other (her fault). I said, "You were great. Thank you." She looked a bit surprised that I recognized her, then smiled really sweetly and said, "Thank you!" I like theater people.
Here's a pic of the stage before the show:
The Show:
It was really entertaining! I'd never had short stories read to me by real-deal actors, so it was a cool experience. I just wish the program had actually listed the stories and authors. The first story was by Woody Allen, but I'd never heard of the other authors. All of the stories were about characters who had ordinary and (to them) boring lives, and were then offered some kind of magical/mystical deal that promised to transform them into someone interesting ... or important ... or attractive. And it always backfired. Not a revolutionary theme, but something most of us can relate to.
Bobby Cannavale, Hope Davis and Parker Posey were all great. I thought PP was the weakest, though. She was good, but she was essentially "Parker Posey reading a story," whereas the others did more to embody the stories.
RSL:
He hosted the show and read the final story. So he had, by far, the most stage time. The whole thing was pretty informal. RSL just came bounding onto the stage before the lights had even faded. The audience had a collective moment of "Oh," before we realized who it was and started clapping.
He began by reading the official line about "Selected Shorts," then stopped mid-way and said, "I'm not gonna read this." He proceeded to mention something about being glad to be in Brooklyn, with a young hip audience. Then he said, "You all like Taylor Swift or something, right?"
He did give a sweet little tribute to Isaiah Sheffer, the creator of Selected Shorts who died a couple years ago. He mentioned that IS always liked to do certain audience participation exercises, and years ago RSL asked him why he did that (because it's so hokey). And IS said he did it because it took away the barrier between performers and audience, so they could just be a "room full of people, sharing an experience."
The audience collectively "Awww'd." Then RSL said, "So I looked up, like, 48 audience participation exercises on YouTube. They all sucked."
Then he led us all in singing some "Ah's"
When the other actors came on stage for their readings, he gave each a big hug. He also told a cute story about Parker Posey, Mare Winningham's daughter, and clothes shopping.
As for RSL's reading, I didn't love the story itself. But it was fine. It was about a very average guy with a very average wife and two kids; they buy a new house and discover there is a magical portal to other dimensions, right there in the backyard. High-jinks ensue.
I might be biased, but RSL was really, really good. The other actors all did voices for their characters and did a lovely job of bringing their stories to life. But RSL truly embodied the narrator of his story, with gestures and facial expressions. And he looked at the audience a lot, whereas the others mostly kept their eyes on their text. I'm not sure how he kept his place.
What you really care about:
He wore a black suit, white shirt, no tie. For his reading, he tossed the suit jacket aside and rolled his shirtsleeves up, Wilson-style.
For all those who've voiced concern about the state of his hair, I'm happy to report he had a good deal of it. It was longish and floppy, with the desired curls on the forehead. He also kept running his hand through it, so it got pretty messy by the end of the evening. Actually, he did a lot of gesturing and fidgeting when he was speaking as the host. I'm not sure if he was slightly nervous, or just has a hard time staying still.
He looked thin, and his cheekbones were visible from our 12th-row seats. All seemed to be as it should.
I dunno. I think that covers it. Any questions? ;)