Saturday, February 04, 2006
Why The Homecoming?
Originally I wasn't planning on directing The Homecoming at all. The thought never even entered my mind. I had planned to direct The Seagull by Anton Chekhov. I studied the play when I was still in the US and found it to be very funny and tragic at the same time. I remember I was the only one amongst my group of friends that liked it. I have quite a few mates that feel that the only thing that's 'comical' about Chekhov's comedies is the fact that he had the balls to call them comedies. I disagree, although I totally see where they were coming from. My friend Matt put it best "Chekhov's plays are in dire need of a few nob gags....". Did I mention Matt's english? By the way, 'nob' means penis aka dick aka schlong aka one eyed monster aka mushroom aka purple headed yogurt slinger aka.....well, you get the idea.
But anyway, I digress..... I really wanted do The Seagull. The only problem was that I had a very specific actor in mind for the lead and when he told me he wouldn't be able to do it, I started to have second thoughts about doing the play. You have to understand, The Seagull is the kind of play where if you don't have the right cast, its not worth doing. It'll die a slow, miserable death so I shelved it. I still have every intention of directing it, I guess the stars weren't in alignment this year.
I stumbled on The Homecoming pretty much by accident. I had read the play years ago and loved it but for some strange reason, the thought directing it just didn't register until one day I was running from my car into the office, desperate to take a shit. The closest toilet was the men's room on the ground floor which I made a bee line for. Now, I happen to be one of those sad individuals who is incapable of taking a crap without something to read.....sad but true. Particularly tabloids....something about tabloids that just facilitates release. However on this fateful day, there wasn't a rag in sight so I stopped by the resource center (where we keep all the plays that survived the dataran merdeka flood) and hurriedly searched for something I could read. I saw 'Pinter' and just grabbed it without even looking at the title. I figured how could I go wrong with Pinter, right? I made it to the men's room, sat down and I kid you not, I didn't leave the toilet for about half an hour. I was sucked in from page one. I think a few passer-by's were a little freaked out from all the laughing coming from the far right cubicle.....
Anyway, that's how the decision was made. I told Joe about it, he ok'd it and that was pretty much that. Anyway, I gotta go now people. I gotta go toilet.....where the hell's my HELLO mag......
Gavin here. It just dawned on me that I managed to ramble on and on yesterday without explaining how I came to choose The Homecoming in the first place. So I thought I'd give you guys an idea.....you may care, you may not.....ah never mind, if you think I'm talking out of my ass and you wanna put me in my place, just make a comment about Romi and Joo Lee......that always gets me going.:)
Originally I wasn't planning on directing The Homecoming at all. The thought never even entered my mind. I had planned to direct The Seagull by Anton Chekhov. I studied the play when I was still in the US and found it to be very funny and tragic at the same time. I remember I was the only one amongst my group of friends that liked it. I have quite a few mates that feel that the only thing that's 'comical' about Chekhov's comedies is the fact that he had the balls to call them comedies. I disagree, although I totally see where they were coming from. My friend Matt put it best "Chekhov's plays are in dire need of a few nob gags....". Did I mention Matt's english? By the way, 'nob' means penis aka dick aka schlong aka one eyed monster aka mushroom aka purple headed yogurt slinger aka.....well, you get the idea.
But anyway, I digress..... I really wanted do The Seagull. The only problem was that I had a very specific actor in mind for the lead and when he told me he wouldn't be able to do it, I started to have second thoughts about doing the play. You have to understand, The Seagull is the kind of play where if you don't have the right cast, its not worth doing. It'll die a slow, miserable death so I shelved it. I still have every intention of directing it, I guess the stars weren't in alignment this year.
I stumbled on The Homecoming pretty much by accident. I had read the play years ago and loved it but for some strange reason, the thought directing it just didn't register until one day I was running from my car into the office, desperate to take a shit. The closest toilet was the men's room on the ground floor which I made a bee line for. Now, I happen to be one of those sad individuals who is incapable of taking a crap without something to read.....sad but true. Particularly tabloids....something about tabloids that just facilitates release. However on this fateful day, there wasn't a rag in sight so I stopped by the resource center (where we keep all the plays that survived the dataran merdeka flood) and hurriedly searched for something I could read. I saw 'Pinter' and just grabbed it without even looking at the title. I figured how could I go wrong with Pinter, right? I made it to the men's room, sat down and I kid you not, I didn't leave the toilet for about half an hour. I was sucked in from page one. I think a few passer-by's were a little freaked out from all the laughing coming from the far right cubicle.....
Anyway, that's how the decision was made. I told Joe about it, he ok'd it and that was pretty much that. Anyway, I gotta go now people. I gotta go toilet.....where the hell's my HELLO mag......
jotted by Gavin 1:45 PM
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(No show on March 27) Tickets: RM35;
RM20 for students, senior citizens and disabled
To buy call KLPac 603-4047 9000; or
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603-2094 9400
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-- COME WATCH --
March 24 - April 2nd
@ Pentas 2,
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KL Pac)
Sentul Park, Jln Strachan
All shows @ 8.30 pm
except Sunday matinees 3pm
(No show on March 27) Tickets: RM35;
RM20 for students, senior citizens and disabled
To buy call KLPac 603-4047 9000; or
The Actors Studio, Bangsar
603-2094 9400
RECOMMENDED LINKS
KL Pac
The Actors Studio
Living Arts Malaysia
Harold Pinter
ACTORS BLOGS
Patrick Teoh
Ben Tan
Afdlin Shauki
RECENT DIARY POSTINGS
And so it begins....
PAST POSTINGS
--Steal these Banners!--
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1 Comments:
lol! how "desperate to take a shit" became a detour to the resource centre is hilarious. yet profound. =P
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