Friday, March 31, 2006
What the nights have been
Most nights are entirely weird for me. I usually have a sudden attack of Doubt at around 6pm and this has become a ritual. What if the hammer goes astray and I hit Ruth (Jia-Wei)? What if I cock up my cheese roll lines as I'd done countless times before? What if I miss my cue to get out of bed and leave Teddy (Ben) standing at the door like a loon? What if my boxers fall down? I'd been a bit silly about the boxers the during full dress, and Nell didn't really help (sorrylah Nell, I'll take off my socks for you, next week, say?). Too many what ifs, but the shows have been great; thanks to you, the audience.
Now it's Friday and there are only three shows left. I am still jittery before the curtain goes up every night. It won't be over until it's over, and when it's over I suspect I'll fall headlong into depression and take to drinking, or cross-stitching since I already drink. No more Max. No more Sam. No more Ruth, Teddy, Joey.
No more back-stage jokes to lighten the tension. No more laughing like hyaenas for no apparent reason. For the last three months Thor, Patrick, Ben, Jia-Wei, and Ian have been as much a family to me in real life as Max, Sam, Teddy, Ruth, and Joey have been to Lenny. (Ooo, that's not saying much is it? Haha. You know what I mean.)
I shall miss these two families; the one on stage sick and dysfunctional, the one in real life sick and dysfunctional too, but also extremely kind, deeply generous, immensely supportive and above all, ridiculously fun to be with. (Insert glowing adjective and suspiciously sentimental noun here. Wah, U-En is so nice all of a sudden. What does he want ah?).
But wait, it's not over yet.
It's been difficult to write since the show opened. Most nights I leave the theatre feeling like I've been run over by a lorry before being scraped off the road by a tribe of naked cannibal pygmies and slow-cooked in a crockpot. Like Thor and Patrick I get home and find it impossible to sleep. Keep waking up. Some kind of tick. It doesn't help that the clock in my bedroom is exactly the same as the one I try to smash on stage.
Most nights are entirely weird for me. I usually have a sudden attack of Doubt at around 6pm and this has become a ritual. What if the hammer goes astray and I hit Ruth (Jia-Wei)? What if I cock up my cheese roll lines as I'd done countless times before? What if I miss my cue to get out of bed and leave Teddy (Ben) standing at the door like a loon? What if my boxers fall down? I'd been a bit silly about the boxers the during full dress, and Nell didn't really help (sorrylah Nell, I'll take off my socks for you, next week, say?). Too many what ifs, but the shows have been great; thanks to you, the audience.
Now it's Friday and there are only three shows left. I am still jittery before the curtain goes up every night. It won't be over until it's over, and when it's over I suspect I'll fall headlong into depression and take to drinking, or cross-stitching since I already drink. No more Max. No more Sam. No more Ruth, Teddy, Joey.
No more back-stage jokes to lighten the tension. No more laughing like hyaenas for no apparent reason. For the last three months Thor, Patrick, Ben, Jia-Wei, and Ian have been as much a family to me in real life as Max, Sam, Teddy, Ruth, and Joey have been to Lenny. (Ooo, that's not saying much is it? Haha. You know what I mean.)
I shall miss these two families; the one on stage sick and dysfunctional, the one in real life sick and dysfunctional too, but also extremely kind, deeply generous, immensely supportive and above all, ridiculously fun to be with. (Insert glowing adjective and suspiciously sentimental noun here. Wah, U-En is so nice all of a sudden. What does he want ah?).
But wait, it's not over yet.
jotted by u-en 9:06 AM
HOME
-- 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
So far....so good....
What's your say?
One for the back row
Phew!
The Night Has Landed
Preview Review
THE TECH RUN
BACKSTAGE PASS
Get in touch with your inner Lenny
First run-through
PAST POSTINGS
--Steal these Banners!--
-------
Counter
-- 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
So far....so good....
What's your say?
One for the back row
Phew!
The Night Has Landed
Preview Review
THE TECH RUN
BACKSTAGE PASS
Get in touch with your inner Lenny
First run-through
PAST POSTINGS
--Steal these Banners!--
-------
Counter
2 Comments:
When the run is finally over and you don't bitch about getting to KLPAC through the rain and the heavy traffic anymore, you will truly experience the post-run syndrome. You will wonder what the hell you are going to do with your time and take up baking. No more rehearsals, no more bitching, no more sick jokes, not even the familiar abuses from your director.
Some of my best friends today are actors I have worked with in the past. Some productions have presented me with some truly wonderful people, some not. I have made the most friends from Of Men and Other Familiar Strangers in 2000. Somehow, we all just seemed to click. We started having 'Familiar Strangers Get-togethers' after the show and they have continued till today. With new additions to the family along the way. Kennedy, Ari, Mary, Noreen, then Sabera, Merissa, Fang, Carina, Juliana... we still meet up at either Sakura or the Coliseum every now and then. Sakura because it was featured in Stories For Amah and Coliseum because that was where we 'hanged out' after rehearsals at good old Dataran. Yes, we are a sentimental lot. As for this sick Homecoming family of ours,,, it remains to be seen.
first of all:
"U-En, i love you!!! im a fan already! will you be acting in any more plays in the future? this question goes to Ben Tan as well because i think no one besides my father looks SO fine in a suit! anyway, you remind me of someone but i don't seem to remember who. (the thing about me, my memory and my acquaintance) maybe someday i'll come up with a name."
second of all:
will this blog be dead (no more updates) once The Homecoming ends? its SO nice to keep in touch with you guys. i bet the other Homecoming fans felt that way too.
peace =)
Post a Comment
<< home