At the risk of sounding stingy, I'll admit that I think audiences are too generous with standing ovations, but I was among the first to stand after the reading of
Under Milk Wood by some of the same actors I'd seen in 1967, the year ACT was born, and I felt I was applauding for the whole afternoon as well. If I were the
Chronicle's "Little Man," I'd be leaping out of my chair to cheer, which I literally was doing at the conclusion of
Under Milk Wood.
Earlier I'd thought I might leave the 1:00 to 5:00 PM open house early and see
Get Out just a few blocks away, but everything about the open house made me want to stay.
The staff appeared to have been given the role of Charming, and everyone gave convincing, heart-felt performances in that role!
We got to go down to the Wig Room and hear more than I ever knew I'd want to know about wigs. (I already knew I'd want to see the one Marge Simpson wore in
Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play.) The Wig Master made other details interesting too.
We were given the opposite of the usual directive "Don't Touch. No Photos." We were encouraged to touch costumes, try on hats, and take pictures. A photographer from Say Ya took pictures of us with 50 ACT background. Here I am wearing my bold eye-glasses and my even bolder Nordic horned Helmet:
We also got to see the little orchestra pit. Amazing what can come out of so small a place.
We went behind the scenes and talked to the man who is in charge of getting the sets to function and see demonstrations by the Fly Man, who literally brings down the curtain and has probably been told too many times that he knows the ropes. I cringed myself when I told him that and then thought, "They all have to be good actors so they can pretend NOT to have heard these tired plays on words!
There was a memory wall on the Mezzanine where the Say Ya photo booth kept busy taking pictures of us visitors with the ACT 50 background. What a wonderful souvenir--and the photographer was as charming as the ACT staff!
Downtown High School students gave monologues on the third level.
Young Conservatory singers had an open rehearsal in the garret (fifth level), and it was fascinating to hear such young people singing songs from World Wars I and II! They even sang the song my mother wanted to go sing in London's Berkeley Square on her 90th birthday,(which she missed by two weeks), "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square." (I've cropped this so we can focus on the halo above one of the singers. The other singer seems to be wearing a Frisbee.)
On the Geary stage itself were artistic talks by ACT's original company members, a short performance by the kids from the Bessie Carmichael Elementary School, Dramaturg Michael Paller's talk about his book on the 50 years of ACT,
A Five-Act Play: 50 Years of ACT, and A.C.T.'s New Works Program with associate Artistic Director Andy Donald introducing Dipika Guha, a playwright on commission, and Casey Lee Hurt, who played "Revival" for us. (A member of the audience praised his music in The Unfortunates.)
The day ended with a 90-minute reading of Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood with actors who'd been in the production in 1967 and then a refreshments served to donors back up in the garrett. Here's Carey Perloff leading in a toast. She said they'd been dreaming of a spectacular celebration for the 50th anniversary of ACT, and I felt that the dream had come truth--in spite of the current electored president's budget cutting funds to the arts (while giving a 10% increase to the military).
I think it was Rene Auberjonois who quoted something someone said about being able to tell who had just been on stage because of the afterglow similar to that after making love. I felt that afterglow!
