The Prague Shakespeare Festival
Massive updates to the multimedia section, artistic company, and an introduction to our upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet!
I’ve changed the look-and-feel of my website for 2010. It’s a bit darker, slicker, and more truthful.
I will remember 2009 as a year that began dull and boring, and ended in a flash.
The Year of the Ox meant that anything related to my career and finances was going to be stagnant. It’s seldom a lucky year for the Rabbit. There were very few commercial and film opportunities for most of the year. I was fortunate enough to get involved in an English-language theatre company after I returned from China, and I was gifted with three months of stable acting work.
Which reminds me, 2009 was a year of travel for me. I visited Rome, spent 20 days in China, and a few days in Poland. Looking back at the last 365 days, I could write that it was not a time for career advancement. It was time for self-realization, which is always a brooding time for Sagittarians such as myself.
I, for one, am glad to see 2009 off and embrace 2010. Not too tightly though – it is the Year of the Tiger after all, and that brings as much fortune as it does danger.
This is the blog entry where I want to write: “it’s on!” but I can not in good conscience do such a thing until a few days before the actual day. It’s an exercise I always go through in order to avoid disappointment in the event that all our plans fall through.
I met up with possible spymaster to the Queen and accomplished actor, David Fellowes, to discuss our plans to turn The Globe Café and Bookstore into “the vasty fields of France” for one evening in April. We were greeted by Michael Cella, owner of the fine establishment, whom gave us good counsel about the event and presented some encouraging and sound advice on how to run it. Much appreciated, Michael!
So we have the space and the date. Now to sort out the advertisements, the technical equipment, and (of course) rehearsals. It’s always easier to read about these accomplishments on paper (or in this case, on a blog), but the reality of it is that it’s tough work that requires the organizers to be thick-skinned. This is probably why most artists have agents or publicists or managers doing all the leg-work for them, so they can just focus on the performance.
None of us in the company have this luxury, so we have to play all the roles in and out of the theatre.
I completed a second voice dubbing job for Bohemia Interactive Studios for their upcoming game release.
On one of the few cold days of this winter, I was in the small town of Mníšek pod Brdy at Bohemia Interactive Studios performing my first ever voice dubbing job for their upcoming game release. I’m not legally allowed to communicate anything more about the project; the usual contractual obligations.
It was a great experience for me, above and beyond the money I received for it. If nothing else, I can smile and laugh about it later if one of my friends asks me if it’s really me saying those things in the game.
Guy Robert's Hamlet at Gorilla Tango Theatre in Chicago
February 2009 seems to be a busy month for my partners in crime, Guy Roberts, David Fellowes, and Veronika Bellova.
Guy Roberts’ Hamlet (pictured on the left) opened at the Gorilla Tango Theatre in Chicago on February 6, 2009. We are awaiting a few critics’ reviews of the show, but the audience reception of it has been excellent so far. The next shows will be on February 13, 14, and 15 of 2009, at 20:00, 20:00, and 19:00 respectively.
David and Veronika are both involved with the 2009 Prague Post Playwriting Contest. The plays will be performed on February 21 and 25 and on March 1, 2009, at Divadlo Minor. All shows begin at 20:00.
For my part, amidst the usual castings for commercials, I have a voice dubbing job on February 11, 2009, for a project produced by Bohemia Interactive.
Guy has asked us to read five (5!!!) plays for the upcoming PSF Season. I haven’t told him that I’ve already read through two of them since the beginning of January 2009, and I’m in the middle of the third. I’d say I’m pretty keen, yes.
Other than updates and maintenance, my 44-day project has come to an end. The final product is located at:
http://www.pragueshakespeare.org/
In truth, it will likely be an never-ending project. I expect to be changing content on it on a frequent basis, and the code will never be as perfect as I want it to be. Nonetheless, it was an ambitious project where I used technologies that were researched on my own time, all without the aid of a WYSIWYG editor (I believe in manual coding).
I’m happy that I can now spend more time reading plays instead of reading code!
When it comes to observing special days of the year, I don’t follow the usual customs – all of which have now been commercialized. I don’t believe that one day makes an occasion – say gift-giving – any more special than the next. Getting together with family and having a grand dinner may happen at any time of the year. Telling someone you love them shouldn’t be reserved for a candied day in February. The list goes on.
I was working on a new project on my birthday, on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas Day. I’ve felt like a bit of a mushroom for the past 2 weeks – sitting in a stationary position in the dark; converting consumables into usable energy. A grim picture, I know. It was agreed that the project be kept under wraps in the beginning. For my part, I don’t speak or write too much about it because I don’t want to jinx it in any way. My workload is currently very high, yet I am enjoying what I am doing. Once it’s complete, someone else may take over a majority of the work.
Unlike fungi, I have the ability to motivate myself to get out of the office chair and get some exercise. My goal is to gain 10 pounds (~4.5 kilograms) of muscle using body-weight exercises only. I’ve recently increased my intake of proteins, as well as the frequency of my meals.
Work, work, work!
Sharp “Aquos” (2008 , 30sec)
Agency: Communication Works
Production: Zoomfilms
Director: R.Greičius
At least I posted this a week or so before the first show. Once again, my friend Peter Hosking will be showcasing his excellent acting talent.
Black Snow theater company is premiering the play “Edmond” by David Mamet at Divadlo Na zábradlíi. The show is directed by David Peimer and features the acting talents of: Peter Hosking, Dinah Geiger, Logan Miller, Abbey Martin, Stephanie Kronenberg, Matthew Blood-Smyth, Michael Perakovich, Josef Guruncz and Mel Rada.
Show dates:
Saturday December 6, 2008 at 17:00
Saturday December 12, 2008 at 17:00
Sunday December 14, 2008 at 17:00 and 20:00
Wednesday December 17, 2008 at 19:00
Tickets:
190 Kc / 150 Kc (students and seniors)
Available at the venue, by calling 222 868 867 or emailing pokladna@nazabradli.cz.
Tickets are also available at the Globe Bookstore, Pštrossova 6, Prague 1.
Phone:
222 868 867 (Divadlo Na zábradlí) or David at 607 542 625
