view from the bridge

Here's what I see on my way to work. It's looking north, up the East River. It's a blue collar view of New York. Not the glamorous midtown or downtown skyline. The Willamsburgh Bridge is on the left there and the boat in the middle is the Circle Line I believe. To the right, you can see the stacks of the Con Ed plant and the shoreline of Brooklyn, once a busy waterfront and now in various stages of revitalization/decrepitude.

This morning there was evidence of more partying on the bridge. A big green empty quart bottle of some kind of screw-top malt liquor and I think I counted three empty packs of Newports. You know, Alive With Pleasure? Anyway, there must have been some fun had up there the last few nights.

I was not called to rehearsal the past few days, as the scenes I appear in were not being worked. I can't reliably tell you what went on in rehearsal, just as I cannot for sure tell you what happened on the bridge the last few days and nights. I can only read the traces of each. And it seems that much was accomplished and the scenes that I am not in are going very very well.

Today though, I was put to good use and got down to business with my scene partner and stage relative, Tanya. We have a mediated video relationship which is odd only in the sense that we are actually in the same room together and usually these things occur when people are separated by geography. It will all make sense when you see the show (and you are going to see the show, aren't you?) but let's just say it is very interesting to be acting in a scene with someone who I cannot directly see.

We also had script discussions with the writer, Constance De Jong and Marianne and James to try and work out some of the wrinkles we were running up against. The video, sound and animation must all work in concert with the text (duh!) and sometimes, those design elements are in place before the language is exactly. It is a curious and intricate dance to try and make it all balance out elegantly.

Had a frozen hot chocolate from the diabolical Jacques Torres today. It was exquisite. Jacques has quite a thing going and it is apparently a stop on this bike tour that I have seen coming through twice now. I only noticed because there was one person standing on the sidewalk one day guarding about a dozen identical bikes while the tourists that had been riding them were lined up to buy high-end chocolate goods, still wearing their helmets.

Incredible rain storms the past few days. Wish it made the heat disappear but alas, it just makes for more steamy sidewalks. Water comes into God's Little Warehouse beneath the rolling gate and through some holes in the ceiling. Not near the equipment or stage area, thankfully. It is so loud, it sounds like a fake sound cue.

Hope you are enjoying summer, wherever you are. And if there is summer, wherever that is!

bloggily yours,
moe.