Definition of Excellence

If you read this blog at all, you know that I am an actor in the Richmond, VA theatre community. I have been acting here for over 39 years. Right now our community is in turmoil over the "ousting" the founding artistic director of the Firehouse Theater Project or FTP. Yesterday I was on Facebook, and I saw several of my friends' statuses? Stati? whatever, devoted to Joe Inscoe, a local, PROFESSIONAL actor, and some appeared to be almost in defense of him. I couldn't imagine what had happened, so I began searching. Finally I found a comment that said Joe had posted a comment on a thread in response to a story in Style Weekly. Immediately I pulled up Style on the web and read the story, and then I began reading the comments.
The most recent offering from FTP was Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Joe played Willy Loman. I had never seen Death of a Salesman or read the play. I treated my oldest daughter, an aspiring actress herself, to tickets to the night before closing as an early Christmas gift. We both were absolutely riveted by all the actors, but Joe tackled a very difficult role and delivered a mind blowing performance! I do not give out praise lightly, especially when it comes to acting. As I read the comment thread yesterday, someone saw fit to openly criticize Joe as an actor. This was the initial comment that started the firestorm of defense from the Richmond Theatre Community for one of our own: My husband and I just moved here. We saw "Death of a Salesman" I can understand the board want to go tier One. I realize the actor was a local actor in the lead, but what if he were top notch and brought in. It would have been so much better. A community theater is good and if you want to raise the stakes you bring in a good actor. She went on to dig the hole deeper.  Put a casting notice in any New York trade publication for actors. I appreciate the board wanting to raise the recognition of the company. In the lead you sometimes have to have a real actor. I am not saying local actors are not good. I am saying this production would have benefited from a professional actor. To get donors you have to have good actors in the major roles.
I have this to say, HOW DARE YOU! I realize that everyone has their own opinion, and not everyone will like an actor's performance in a show. I'm fine with that. I welcome difference of opinion, but to make the blanket elitist statement slamming one of the finest actors here, in fact anywhere, well, angered me. I had always been a fan of Joe Inscoe's work, and living in the same town, you would think we would have had several opportunities to work together. Unfortunately for me, that was not the case. I did not have the opportunity to work with Joe until 2010 when I was cast as Mrs. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol with Theatre IV. Joe was Scrooge. I have to say I was a little intimidated. Joe had done countless roles in Movies and Television. I had fallen, I am ashamed to say, to stereotypical judgement of TV and movie actors. I thought he would have an ego and barely have the time to talk to little people like me. I couldn't have been farther from the truth. Joe is one of the most humble and gracious actors I have ever worked with. He has a laundry list of credits working with some of the most renowned actors and directors of our day, but he still takes the time to speak to his fans, share bits of wisdom, and he takes his craft very seriously. My role in A Christmas Carol did not allow me to have any dialogue with Joe. We had one moment where we got to interact, and I cherished it! I found myself watching him work from the wings. It was like taking a master class for free. He never stops being the character. You will never catch him in an off moment on stage. Every action and reaction is spot on. Putting his stellar acting skills aside, he is a warm, wonderful person. He is one of the kindest people I know. He always has time to speak to anyone who bends his ear. I love him dearly, and so does Richmond, and I would be honored to be able to share the stage again with him, and I look forward to the next time I have the privilege of watching him on stage no matter where he is from!

And at the other end of the spectrum....

Day 2: SCROOGED

As much as Scrooge is classic, traditional English Dickens, Scrooged is not. This movie was released in 1988 with Bill Murray playing Frank Cross, an Ebeneezer Scrooge type character who is the head of a huge television network. Greed and the lack of building relationships and caring for your fellow man are still the running themes, but we are thrown into a totally different world. As you can expect from a movie starring Bill Murray, there are plenty of laughs, but don't think it's played totally for comedy because that's just about the time you'll be surprised as you're shedding a tear. This cast is packed with stars: Karen Allen, John Forsythe, Robert Mitchum, Carol Kane (my personal favorite as Christmas Present), Buddy Hackett, Bobcat Goldthwaite, and Alfre Woodard, just to name a few. So many times when someone tries to reinvent a classic, it comes off stale or just plain bad, but not this story by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue. It's so inventive and fresh. Christmas past is played by David Johansen in the form of a cigar smoking cab driver that transports Frank through his past. Christmas present is played deliciously ditzy by Carol Kane as a fairy princess type who can really pack a punch and the scene between Frank Cross and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in the elevator is priceless! If you're not that into Dickens traditional telling, you'll love this rendition. It promises laughs. Few people have a way with comedy the way Bill Murray does, but it will warm your heart as well at this season.

Let's go to the movies!

Christmas Eve is a week from today. I have a ton of stuff to do, and it will all get done even if I am still driving around next Monday for the last, final thing I need. Because life has been so hectic, I have not been able to do something I love at this time of year, watch my collection of Christmas movies. I have caught a some bits and pieces of a few standards on television, and actually made a point to sit down to watch one, but there are some that I never miss, and so I thought in this last week I would pass on a pick a day to you. So, pop a big bowl of popcorn and settle in front of the TV and try to see some of these before the holiday is over.

DAY 1: SCROOGE

It is no secret that there are countless renditions of Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" out there on film. They run the gamut from Silent film to Cartoon animation. This 1970 musical version starring Albert Finney in the title role is one of, if not the best! I first saw this in the theater at the age of 7. I had been invited to a classmate's Christmas birthday party, and we were all taken to the movie. I remember sitting in the theater alongside my other second grade friends with a scarf I had worn to the party strategically placed near my eyes so I could cover them during the particularly scary scenes. As I grew older, I would catch it on television occasionally, and then the invention of the VCR and videotape. I was able to find a copy several years ago on VHS. I hope I can soon find one on DVD as I am sure my VHS will wear thin with time, and this is one I want to preserve. The score is amazing with songs like Father Christmas, December the 25th, and Thank You Very Much, but what makes this version of the classic tale so enthralling is Albert Finney's portrayal of Ebeneezer Scrooge. When this film was released he was only 34. You would never believe the Scrooge you are watching is a man in his early 30's. I remember watching the film years later and realizing that the actor playing the dashing young Ebeneezer in Fezziwig's shop was actually Albert Finney, the same actor playing Scrooge. He won the Golden Globe that year, and deservedly so. 

If you've never seen it, you are missing out. Don't write this one off as just another rendition of "A Christmas Carol". It's not. And after you've seen it, don't blame me if you find yourself singing, Thank You Very Much while you're wrapping your Christmas presents.