by Sean Donnelly
So sayeth Gertrude Stein…or maybe it was: a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose…In any case Gertrude and her brother Leo had a huge art collection consisting of late impressionist and post-impressionist paintings as well as Cezannes, Picassos and Matisse’s. Some of which the director had painted specifically for this set.
I also discovered that the director agreed with the hair and make-up person to let Whit pay for hair extensions. Armed with plenty of stills and a machete Whit and Stephanie took almost all night to make Whit’s hair the exact right length before Sandy massacred it with scissors. I certainly hoped that the drama would remain on camera and not permeate the set for a second day.
Whit wandered in wearing a rumpled pair of camouflage shorts a T-shirt and really great hair. Whoever fixed the debacle was a miracle worker making his hair look better than ever. “I’m gonna need a LOT of coffee.” He mumbled. “Like a church urn”. “A Church Urn?...” I said perplexed. “yeah, you know, those huge friggin’ steel drums that hold, like, 40 cups…” He replied as if it were common knowledge. I could hear the Duh in the silence.
“We only got about two hours of sleep.” Stephanie added as she unpacked a Starbucks Grande …black. “Come on, Whit we gotta put some shit in your hair.”
What she meant was ‘product’ to make him look rough and a bit dirty. Meanwhile behind the scenes in the kitchen Eddie Joe was making a large bagel topped with cream cheese, scallions, lox with fruit on the side. Everywhere Eddie moved Thom was right behind him cleaning like a hen. “I swear to GOD! You’re the messiest guy I’ve ever known.” Thom bellowed. “If you weren’t constantly up my ass I’d clean it up when I’m good and ready.” Eddie replied. Then Pat laughed and said, “Okay Felix and Oscar if you can’t play nice I’m gonna have to separate you two.”
“F**K you, pay me” Eddie replied. Then, good-naturedly began to move lights and C-stands as instructed.
The set looked fantastic and unchanged from the day before. Only the lighting had moved. Rebecca’s character, Victoria has been arranged on a lovely chaise lounge sitting patiently still as Richard (Whit) sketches across from her. He is intense even in repose. As she fidgets he gets up to straighten her necklace. Then he softly commands her to let down her hair. Well, this simply was not done back in the 1880’s. A married woman only let her hair down in front of her husband. She thinks he is kidding and then he requests that she let down her hair. After a moment as if on a dare, she does. He arranges how it falls on her shoulders and she is visibly changed. The delicate touch rife with an erotic ambience. Then he returns and continues his sketch as she remains in a state of flux.
I know you’re asking how the hell does he know this? I’ve been eavesdropping on the director as she huddles with the actors. I’m not that well versed in all things Victorian. Instead of googling these things like a good researcher might do, I find myself gravitating to the Yankee baseball scores on my blackberry. Balance, my dear reader, balance.
Whit requests to go into make-up first so that he might take a power nap as Rebecca moves out of her current gown and into the next costume. After quickly jumping into a wool morning coat and vest within minutes Whit is out cold on one of the chaise lounges. The entire set is moving and shifting with people laughing and shouting out directives. All the while Whit seems to snore right through it. In fact, he snores so loud that Eddie Joe and Rebecca decide to put powdered sugar from one of the donuts on his mustache and beard. Of course this is to the chagrin of Stephanie who will have to re-groom him. Rebecca got close and gave the sugar a quick puff of air. Whit nearly fell off the chaise lounge choking and looking like Hamlet’s ghost. Pretty damn funny! “motherf**ckers” he mumbled groggily as he was led back to the make-up area. “Payback’s a bitch” he added.
The next scene Victoria is dressed as if she were ready for a ball. The stakes have risen in the courtship dance. Richard continues his sketching and after a long afternoon Victoria returns to a book she had been reading. When Richard inquires what it is she is reading she begins to recite:
I have loved hours at sea, gray cities,
The fragile secret of a flower,
Music, the making of a poem
That gave me heaven for an hour;
First stars above a snowy hill,
Voices of people kindly and wise,
And the great look of love, long hidden,
Found at last in meeting eyes. (Teasdale)
There is another verse but Victoria stops there. That is when Richard moves to her and kisses her for the first time and realizes that she has never been in a real love affair. Then the whole pursuit and retreat thing begins and he is asked to leave. I feel for Richard. Women can be so coy and confounding at times. Navigating an invisible plane seems all but impossible like finding the Holy Grail and to my knowledge it’s still missing. But, alas, man must continue the quest or be alone.
Back in the kitchen I find frick and frack lunching together. Frick being Thom and Frack being Eddie Joe. For those of you who need more info on frick and frack here is what I found: Frick and Frack were two Swiss skaters who came to the U.S. in 1937 and joined the original Ice Follies show as comedy ice skaters. "Frick" was Werner Groebli born in Basel. "Frack" was Hansruedi Mauch, also born in Basel. Frick and Frack were known for skating in Alpine Lederhosen and performing eccentric tricks on ice, including the "cantilever spread-eagle,".
So Frick asks Frack to put the cap back on the Sprite bottle. Frack says he will in a minute. Frick gets agitated and tells him if he doesn’t cap it the fizz will escape. Frack replies that the fizz won’t escape in minutes. It takes longer for the soda to go flat. Frick tells him that he doesn’t want to come back an hour later to the craft table to find flat soda. Frack says he’ll put the cap on when he’s finished topping off his glass. Frick starts tapping his foot getting more and more irritable as Frack happily and very slowly sips at his soda until Frick stands up and with a boarding house reach caps the soda with an exasperated sigh and mumbles “Jesus Christ!” To which Frack replies, “See, it won’t go flat.” Thom calmly says, “I hate you , Eddie Joe” and walks away to everyone’s intense delight.
I ask where Whit might be hiding. Rebecca replies that he’s asleep on the set again. She looks over at Eddie Joe mischievously and says, “Eddie, let’s put something on his mustache again.” That is when I get up and make my exit. There could be blood this time and I don’t want to have to bail someone out of jail. Besides I have to pick my son up from a playground date in McCarren Park. Until tomorrow…
So sayeth Gertrude Stein…or maybe it was: a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose…In any case Gertrude and her brother Leo had a huge art collection consisting of late impressionist and post-impressionist paintings as well as Cezannes, Picassos and Matisse’s. Some of which the director had painted specifically for this set.
I also discovered that the director agreed with the hair and make-up person to let Whit pay for hair extensions. Armed with plenty of stills and a machete Whit and Stephanie took almost all night to make Whit’s hair the exact right length before Sandy massacred it with scissors. I certainly hoped that the drama would remain on camera and not permeate the set for a second day.
Whit wandered in wearing a rumpled pair of camouflage shorts a T-shirt and really great hair. Whoever fixed the debacle was a miracle worker making his hair look better than ever. “I’m gonna need a LOT of coffee.” He mumbled. “Like a church urn”. “A Church Urn?...” I said perplexed. “yeah, you know, those huge friggin’ steel drums that hold, like, 40 cups…” He replied as if it were common knowledge. I could hear the Duh in the silence.
“We only got about two hours of sleep.” Stephanie added as she unpacked a Starbucks Grande …black. “Come on, Whit we gotta put some shit in your hair.”
What she meant was ‘product’ to make him look rough and a bit dirty. Meanwhile behind the scenes in the kitchen Eddie Joe was making a large bagel topped with cream cheese, scallions, lox with fruit on the side. Everywhere Eddie moved Thom was right behind him cleaning like a hen. “I swear to GOD! You’re the messiest guy I’ve ever known.” Thom bellowed. “If you weren’t constantly up my ass I’d clean it up when I’m good and ready.” Eddie replied. Then Pat laughed and said, “Okay Felix and Oscar if you can’t play nice I’m gonna have to separate you two.”
“F**K you, pay me” Eddie replied. Then, good-naturedly began to move lights and C-stands as instructed.
The set looked fantastic and unchanged from the day before. Only the lighting had moved. Rebecca’s character, Victoria has been arranged on a lovely chaise lounge sitting patiently still as Richard (Whit) sketches across from her. He is intense even in repose. As she fidgets he gets up to straighten her necklace. Then he softly commands her to let down her hair. Well, this simply was not done back in the 1880’s. A married woman only let her hair down in front of her husband. She thinks he is kidding and then he requests that she let down her hair. After a moment as if on a dare, she does. He arranges how it falls on her shoulders and she is visibly changed. The delicate touch rife with an erotic ambience. Then he returns and continues his sketch as she remains in a state of flux.
I know you’re asking how the hell does he know this? I’ve been eavesdropping on the director as she huddles with the actors. I’m not that well versed in all things Victorian. Instead of googling these things like a good researcher might do, I find myself gravitating to the Yankee baseball scores on my blackberry. Balance, my dear reader, balance.
Whit requests to go into make-up first so that he might take a power nap as Rebecca moves out of her current gown and into the next costume. After quickly jumping into a wool morning coat and vest within minutes Whit is out cold on one of the chaise lounges. The entire set is moving and shifting with people laughing and shouting out directives. All the while Whit seems to snore right through it. In fact, he snores so loud that Eddie Joe and Rebecca decide to put powdered sugar from one of the donuts on his mustache and beard. Of course this is to the chagrin of Stephanie who will have to re-groom him. Rebecca got close and gave the sugar a quick puff of air. Whit nearly fell off the chaise lounge choking and looking like Hamlet’s ghost. Pretty damn funny! “motherf**ckers” he mumbled groggily as he was led back to the make-up area. “Payback’s a bitch” he added.
The next scene Victoria is dressed as if she were ready for a ball. The stakes have risen in the courtship dance. Richard continues his sketching and after a long afternoon Victoria returns to a book she had been reading. When Richard inquires what it is she is reading she begins to recite:
I have loved hours at sea, gray cities,
The fragile secret of a flower,
Music, the making of a poem
That gave me heaven for an hour;
First stars above a snowy hill,
Voices of people kindly and wise,
And the great look of love, long hidden,
Found at last in meeting eyes. (Teasdale)
There is another verse but Victoria stops there. That is when Richard moves to her and kisses her for the first time and realizes that she has never been in a real love affair. Then the whole pursuit and retreat thing begins and he is asked to leave. I feel for Richard. Women can be so coy and confounding at times. Navigating an invisible plane seems all but impossible like finding the Holy Grail and to my knowledge it’s still missing. But, alas, man must continue the quest or be alone.
Back in the kitchen I find frick and frack lunching together. Frick being Thom and Frack being Eddie Joe. For those of you who need more info on frick and frack here is what I found: Frick and Frack were two Swiss skaters who came to the U.S. in 1937 and joined the original Ice Follies show as comedy ice skaters. "Frick" was Werner Groebli born in Basel. "Frack" was Hansruedi Mauch, also born in Basel. Frick and Frack were known for skating in Alpine Lederhosen and performing eccentric tricks on ice, including the "cantilever spread-eagle,".
So Frick asks Frack to put the cap back on the Sprite bottle. Frack says he will in a minute. Frick gets agitated and tells him if he doesn’t cap it the fizz will escape. Frack replies that the fizz won’t escape in minutes. It takes longer for the soda to go flat. Frick tells him that he doesn’t want to come back an hour later to the craft table to find flat soda. Frack says he’ll put the cap on when he’s finished topping off his glass. Frick starts tapping his foot getting more and more irritable as Frack happily and very slowly sips at his soda until Frick stands up and with a boarding house reach caps the soda with an exasperated sigh and mumbles “Jesus Christ!” To which Frack replies, “See, it won’t go flat.” Thom calmly says, “I hate you , Eddie Joe” and walks away to everyone’s intense delight.
I ask where Whit might be hiding. Rebecca replies that he’s asleep on the set again. She looks over at Eddie Joe mischievously and says, “Eddie, let’s put something on his mustache again.” That is when I get up and make my exit. There could be blood this time and I don’t want to have to bail someone out of jail. Besides I have to pick my son up from a playground date in McCarren Park. Until tomorrow…
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