REFLECTIONS

Angela Dickson is currently staying in New York. Earlier in the year she paid a visit as an audience member to The Actors Studio. What follows are her reflections upon this experience.

Inside 'The Actors Studio'

I happen to be living across the road from this famous acting landmark, and stopped by one evening in February on my way home from grocery shopping to ask about seeing a performance. It just so happened that The Actors Studio's Readings Festival, March 2001, was about to commence. The festival originated from a suggestion by Susan Strasberg.

I was handed a schedule with performances. It all appeared too easy. All I had to do was telephone and make a reservation. That was it, no expense, just give my name. And that I did, the very next day for four people.

When we turned up we found a very large crowd, so big we couldn't get inside! A 'regular' informed me that they called names out to be seated, usually in alphabetical order. As I was one of the first few letters of the alphabet, she assured me we would get good seats, as the theatre was small.

The crowd included a wide mix of thespians in full force (quoting Shakespeare as they waited), working actors, out of work actors, patrons, guests of cast and members, us, a Japanese woman who didn't speak much English, and more like us. We later realised the cast and musicians were mixed in amongst the waiting crowd.

We managed to get inside and a very well spoken staff member/actor took the helm and started reading names out, starting with patrons, members, friends of patrons, friends of members, friends of cast, special guests, and more special guests. I managed to get close to her and ask when she would get to the telephone reservations. She loudly announced so everyone could hear that she would get to them last. She then mentioned that carrying out the task of trying to seat everyone was much harder than acting!

Word was coming down the stairs that there were two seats left. The Japanese woman rushed up the stairs as I said to a man standing next to the announcer that I'd telephoned three weeks earlier and was told we were at the top of the reservation list. He said he was in the cast and suggested I mention this to the announcer. She ushered us up the stairs. The next person handed us a program and said there's no-where to sit. The announcer asked if we could stand in the balcony, so I followed another member and went up to investigate. Upon looking down I saw the other three in my party who were unfolding chairs in the front row!! I quickly took my seat next to them. We were so close to the stage they moved the props back.

The performance was 'Dynamite Tonight' (An Actors Opera). The original cast of this production included DAVID HURST, ALVIN EPSTEIN, WILLIAM REDFIELD, GEORGE GAYNES, BARBARA HARRIS, JOHN HARKINS, JIM NOBLE and LOU GILBERT.

We were treated to ESTELLE PARSONS (The Captain), DAVID GREENSPAN (The Sergeant), BOB DISHY (Smiley), MICHAEL LOFTON (The Prisoner), AMY WRIGHT (Tlimpattia), DAROLD FRANCIS HOLLOWAY, BOB LAVELLE, SID WILLIAMS and MIKE ZALLY (all Soliders).

It was a splendid performance from a 'reading' perspective. Each cast member had a thick spiral book, with text and chords, as it was spoken as well as sung. For a 'reading' it was the most incredible performance I have ever seen. ESTELLE PARSONS singing voice splendid. All cast members acted, sang and 'connected' to perfection, with ease.

The piano was the sole instrument, played absolutely brilliantly by Scott Griffin and Alan Johnson.

It was performed as a comedy and it's hard to describe how they did manage to 'read' and physically connect, listen and perform so exceptionally well. As mentioned earlier, we were so incredibly close, we had to move our feet and different times to avoid being stepped on! When "The Captain" died, her head was at our feet!

It was a true, unique New York experience. I have seen a few Broadway shows, and this in my mind was far superior. I think it was a combination of the intimacy of the venue, the legends we were lucky enough to see, the relaxed way in which they performed and the closeness of our seats.

AL PACINO (who is a Co-President of The Actors Studio along with ELLEN BURSTYN, HARVEY KEITEL) is doing his reading tomorrow night. It booked out weeks ago. We thought about being "friends of the cast" but decided we'd just watch the crowd from the other side of the road!

Angela Dickson

Friday 23 March, 2001

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