...at least I am, since it's already Wednesday and I'm only up to last Thursday in Ireland. However, I'll make a last push today (or tomorrow at latest) to finish up the trip. On Thursday night (that is LAST Thursday night, May 14ish), after a few drinks with friends in the suite at the Morrison, I did use the Best Bathroom in the World (double Jacuzzi, massive shower, votive candles, lots of pretty-smelling stuff) and if I were a complete sensualist (I'm too lapsed-Catholic to be one), I'd say the bath was the highlight of the trip. And I LOVE theater.
(Speaking of theater, that fabulous picture to the right is of Jamie Heinlein, Jason Alan Griffin and Hunter Gilmore in this production of "The Adventures of..." It was taken on opening night by J. Stephen Brantley, and perfectly captures the play._
Friday morning brought the familiar wheeling of the suitcase out the door, after yet another filling Irish breakfast (all the rooms included that whopper of a meal, and it cut down considerably on my food expenses because if you have a full Irish breakfast, you really don't need to eat until the far end of the day). I tell you what I miss most this week at breakfast: mushrooms. I do love Irish sausage, and smoked salmon, and fried eggs and beans and a nice grilled tomato. But what I most looked forward to was the giant pan of sauteed mushrooms in each of the buffets, fancy, hip or humble. It's a custom I'd love to see take hold in the U.S. Hey mushroom marketing board, get cracking on that "Mushrooms: breakfast of champions" campaign. It'll confuse the druggies.
(End of breakfast fantasy).
Friday saw me headed out a bit to Ballsbridge, where I stayed at the Grand Canal Hotel. It was a smart, pleasant place, in an actual neighborhood. And I love Central Dublin...but staying there and thinking it's what Dublin is, is probably a lot like staying in the Theatre District in Manhattan and thinking that's what New York City is. It's certainly a part of the big picture, but it's also the part that makes visitors say: oh, I don't see how you can live here. (And we don't. We live in the boroughs or uptown or downtown, mostly).
So there were hardware stores and laundries, and attached houses with small, well-kept lawns. The pub/restaurant at the hotel seemed to be some people's "local." (And at 4 euro a pint I can see why! It's 5-6 euro closer in). I had an appointment at the Four Seasons at 2pm, and at the desk they gave me a map and I walked into Ballsbridge proper, where I mailed my postcards, saw the only Cuban restaurant I'd seen in Ireland, and then down the road with the 50 euro B&Bs on one side, and the high-end hotels on the other. I wasn't able to stay at the Four Seasons this time out, but they'd kindly offered me and a friend a spa treatment and high tea. (If this ever happens to you, just say "yes, please" and show up on time). So I met up with Jamie in the lobby, and they took us in at the spa for a massage (me) and a facial (Jamie).
Afterwards, we went up to have a traditional tea at a table facing the outdoor fountain, and raise a toast to a lovely friendship. I first met Jamie back when we were both fetuses in an acting class taught by Mirror Rep founder Sabra Jones. I worked for Sabra, and Jamie auditioned for and got into the Apprentice Company one summer when the Mirror went to Bar Harbor to do Stage Door and The Seagull. Jamie and I were both in the Kaufman/Ferber play, and while that was toward the end of my acting career, it was an early success for Ms. Heinlein as a thespian. With a "th."
We stayed in touch through the many phases of life in New York City (anger, bargaining, denial and acceptance...oh wait...those are different phases...) and I saw her in a bunch of shows while I realized over the course of a decade or so I was best suited for the page, rather than the stage (I realized some other things, too, which is why I'm at a gay festival).
I went to see Jamie in a reading of Chris Weikel's Penny Penniworth (Coming this fall! Off-Broadway) a few years ago, and barged up to Chris and introduced myself, as I am wont to do in the presence of talent I admire. Start of a beautiful friendship there, too. And Jamie was in the reading of The Audience at TOSOS, which became the production of Rock the Line at EAT, (that's a shot of Jamie and Noelle Holly in the production above), and has done readings of my plays, and shows up at the ones she's not in, which is always appreciated.
A couple years ago, I pulled her name out of the hat for a 24-hour festival at Wings Theatre, as well as the setting "Atlantis: One Million Years B.C."and the words "obstinate" "gymnastics" and "birthday cake" and a play was born. I wrote it to fit her voice, and knew as soon as it was done that it was a great match for her. That picture at the right was taken by J. Stephen Brantley on opening night, and perfectly captures the play. You're all going to see Penny Penniworth this fall at EAT aren't you? Jamie portrays the title character! Of course you are. Even if you are reading this in Ireland, Indiana, South Africa or LA, you know how low the fares are at the moment. Book it RIGHT NOW.
Speaking of Indiana...(how'd you like that segue?) after we finished our high tea (with the bonbons we couldn't finish packed in a box to take with), we parted ways: I had tickets to the Picture of Dorian Gray and Jamie had a show to do in a few hours. I rested a bit and took a nice, leisurely walk back to Temple Bar. Staying in a lot of hotels can be a bit exhausting, but I really like having the chance to see the different neighborhoods, and how they change from block to block, and get to know a city the best way: on the ground, walking. And I also began to feel the germ of an idea forming for a play, and wanted to jar it loose with fresh air and interesting scenery.
I arrived at the New Theatre in plenty of time, and Chris was also there, and we settled in to see the deconstruction of Picture of Dorian Gray. Is structure was simple: three actors are putting on a play about the novel, and they address each other by their real names (Hanna, Miles and Lawrence). They take turns portraying all the characters, as they tell the story chapter by chapter and there's some intersitial stuff (pop-culture based) in which they recap and re-enact the structure of the book's chapters/story, and their own lives seem to follow the patterns laid out in the book. All of them play Dorian...and all of them play Basil, and Lord Henry, and many other characters. It was really well done, and 2/3 of the cast isn't even old enough to drink (in the U.S.)! It was one of the hits of the festival, as audiences younger than even Dorian's picture poured in. The piece was created by Neal Utterbuck, directed by Jonathan Courtemanche assisted by Ryan Gohsman. I think it would go over quite well in the Fringe in New York, and by next summer, most of the kids will be at least 21. I kid because I wish I had been that talented and focused at that age.
Friday morning brought the familiar wheeling of the suitcase out the door, after yet another filling Irish breakfast (all the rooms included that whopper of a meal, and it cut down considerably on my food expenses because if you have a full Irish breakfast, you really don't need to eat until the far end of the day). I tell you what I miss most this week at breakfast: mushrooms. I do love Irish sausage, and smoked salmon, and fried eggs and beans and a nice grilled tomato. But what I most looked forward to was the giant pan of sauteed mushrooms in each of the buffets, fancy, hip or humble. It's a custom I'd love to see take hold in the U.S. Hey mushroom marketing board, get cracking on that "Mushrooms: breakfast of champions" campaign. It'll confuse the druggies.
(End of breakfast fantasy).
Friday saw me headed out a bit to Ballsbridge, where I stayed at the Grand Canal Hotel. It was a smart, pleasant place, in an actual neighborhood. And I love Central Dublin...but staying there and thinking it's what Dublin is, is probably a lot like staying in the Theatre District in Manhattan and thinking that's what New York City is. It's certainly a part of the big picture, but it's also the part that makes visitors say: oh, I don't see how you can live here. (And we don't. We live in the boroughs or uptown or downtown, mostly).So there were hardware stores and laundries, and attached houses with small, well-kept lawns. The pub/restaurant at the hotel seemed to be some people's "local." (And at 4 euro a pint I can see why! It's 5-6 euro closer in). I had an appointment at the Four Seasons at 2pm, and at the desk they gave me a map and I walked into Ballsbridge proper, where I mailed my postcards, saw the only Cuban restaurant I'd seen in Ireland, and then down the road with the 50 euro B&Bs on one side, and the high-end hotels on the other. I wasn't able to stay at the Four Seasons this time out, but they'd kindly offered me and a friend a spa treatment and high tea. (If this ever happens to you, just say "yes, please" and show up on time). So I met up with Jamie in the lobby, and they took us in at the spa for a massage (me) and a facial (Jamie).
Afterwards, we went up to have a traditional tea at a table facing the outdoor fountain, and raise a toast to a lovely friendship. I first met Jamie back when we were both fetuses in an acting class taught by Mirror Rep founder Sabra Jones. I worked for Sabra, and Jamie auditioned for and got into the Apprentice Company one summer when the Mirror went to Bar Harbor to do Stage Door and The Seagull. Jamie and I were both in the Kaufman/Ferber play, and while that was toward the end of my acting career, it was an early success for Ms. Heinlein as a thespian. With a "th."
We stayed in touch through the many phases of life in New York City (anger, bargaining, denial and acceptance...oh wait...those are different phases...) and I saw her in a bunch of shows while I realized over the course of a decade or so I was best suited for the page, rather than the stage (I realized some other things, too, which is why I'm at a gay festival).I went to see Jamie in a reading of Chris Weikel's Penny Penniworth (Coming this fall! Off-Broadway) a few years ago, and barged up to Chris and introduced myself, as I am wont to do in the presence of talent I admire. Start of a beautiful friendship there, too. And Jamie was in the reading of The Audience at TOSOS, which became the production of Rock the Line at EAT, (that's a shot of Jamie and Noelle Holly in the production above), and has done readings of my plays, and shows up at the ones she's not in, which is always appreciated.
A couple years ago, I pulled her name out of the hat for a 24-hour festival at Wings Theatre, as well as the setting "Atlantis: One Million Years B.C."and the words "obstinate" "gymnastics" and "birthday cake" and a play was born. I wrote it to fit her voice, and knew as soon as it was done that it was a great match for her. That picture at the right was taken by J. Stephen Brantley on opening night, and perfectly captures the play. You're all going to see Penny Penniworth this fall at EAT aren't you? Jamie portrays the title character! Of course you are. Even if you are reading this in Ireland, Indiana, South Africa or LA, you know how low the fares are at the moment. Book it RIGHT NOW.
Speaking of Indiana...(how'd you like that segue?) after we finished our high tea (with the bonbons we couldn't finish packed in a box to take with), we parted ways: I had tickets to the Picture of Dorian Gray and Jamie had a show to do in a few hours. I rested a bit and took a nice, leisurely walk back to Temple Bar. Staying in a lot of hotels can be a bit exhausting, but I really like having the chance to see the different neighborhoods, and how they change from block to block, and get to know a city the best way: on the ground, walking. And I also began to feel the germ of an idea forming for a play, and wanted to jar it loose with fresh air and interesting scenery.
I arrived at the New Theatre in plenty of time, and Chris was also there, and we settled in to see the deconstruction of Picture of Dorian Gray. Is structure was simple: three actors are putting on a play about the novel, and they address each other by their real names (Hanna, Miles and Lawrence). They take turns portraying all the characters, as they tell the story chapter by chapter and there's some intersitial stuff (pop-culture based) in which they recap and re-enact the structure of the book's chapters/story, and their own lives seem to follow the patterns laid out in the book. All of them play Dorian...and all of them play Basil, and Lord Henry, and many other characters. It was really well done, and 2/3 of the cast isn't even old enough to drink (in the U.S.)! It was one of the hits of the festival, as audiences younger than even Dorian's picture poured in. The piece was created by Neal Utterbuck, directed by Jonathan Courtemanche assisted by Ryan Gohsman. I think it would go over quite well in the Fringe in New York, and by next summer, most of the kids will be at least 21. I kid because I wish I had been that talented and focused at that age. After, I headed across the Liffey and swung by Pantibar, Chris went on to the "Sing Out Six" cabaret performance up at the Cobalt, and I stuck around...found a seat, which makes all the difference, and had a chance to catch up with Elizabeth Whitney & her wife Lea Robinson, as well as Jeffrey Solomon, whose one-man show Santa Claus is Coming Out was also at the Outhouse. (He's from Jackson Heights! Queens represent! And by "Queens" I mean the borough!)
It's funny how you can live in the same town, and not run across or be able to spend time with people...and you end up bonding thousands of miles away from home. It was a pleasant night all the way round, and I ended up grabbing a cab back to Ballsbridge (how many times can I say that in one post?) and ready to move for the last time on Saturday morning.
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