Monday, November 21, 2005

Curtain Speech Battle Royale

vs.

I hate competition. Specifically any competition I can not participate in, but it seems there is a gauntlet in the ring and somebody had better damn sight pick it up.

Friday I mentioned that Karl Miller (Lord of the Flies and Accidental Death of an Anarchist) gave a fantastic curtain speech on Thursday night and believe me it was good. Jason Linkins (Master and Margarita, The Scarlet Letter and Behold!) stepped up to the plate on Friday night. He swung and hit a hard drive down the base line. There has been some debate whether it was appropriate to threaten the audience that he would cut them if they did not turn off their cell phones and pagers, but his energetic style won the hearts and minds of some pretty jaded folks back stage.

Sunday he followed it up with an even stronger curtain speech where he told the patrons to "lock-it-down" with regards to personal items and their limbs so they would not be hurt during the performance.

Jason also put an impassioned pitch together for our next show Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards.

Is it fair to compare these curtain speeches the way one does with a prize bull. This blogger thinks so and I ask every company member to come and experience the thrill of the Curtain Speech.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

In all fairness, I believe Karl was unaware of the vicious cutthroat contest that he was becoming a part of. Perhaps he can go for a 2nd try?

And I would like to point out the bizzare coincidence that they have both worn eyepatches in Rorschach Shows

The Deceiver said...

I'm only too happy to quit the field of competition entirely and cede supremacy to Karl. In exchange, perhaps Karl could help me learn how to, as they say, act. :)

-->Jason
Visit me at dceiver.blogspot.com

Karl Miller said...

Oh, crap. Are we advancing to semi-finals now? I just got off the JV bench and now I'm up against Jason?! No. No, Jason, we must settle this as gentlemen! At least until there's a category for cutain speeches at Helen Hayes. It'd go nice with "Outstanding Non-Sondheim Musical." Or whatever. When I look for inspiration for curtain speeches, I just ask myself what Tobias Frumke would do on "Arrested Development."

Anonymous said...

One can only wish that my infamous curtain speech would be counted, the one in which no house manager showed up and I made it sound as if the bathrooms were outside, in yonder bank of trees, before walking up to the booth and proceeding to call the shit out of that show...but alas, that was for another theatre.

I'm with G- poor Karl didn't know what he had coming with this one! Let's give him another shot.

-Ellen

DCepticon said...

By no means have I said the competition is over. As a matter of fact I want more people in the Company to take the plunge. I declared no winner and the contest remains open.

Let's say this, there are six shows left in this run. Anyone who does the curtain speech who is not an Artistic Director is eligible and we will allow the cast and crew to decide the winner.

Anonymous said...

I'm very disapointed. I came to see the show last night, and I no one threatened me. I almost left my cell phone on just to see what would happen.