Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Speaking of Jilly


Eric Singdahlsen sent this to the blog. Please read and enjoy it as much as I did:

I’m delighted that the show has been extended. I am delighted also that we’re taking Thanksgiving off. I’m a bit tired. This became increasingly apparent to me in the form of line errors as the weekend wore on, starting with saying “Jilly fond young person” instead of “Silly fond young person.” In the immediate aftermath, I cursed myself for butchering the line, but I ultimately comforted myself with the thought: “Who will notice?” That fantasy was shattered as soon as I reached the dressing room and was atuned to the error by my warm-hearted colleagues. It went downhill from there, and I’ll admit, I was tempted just to say “Frilly jocund person” just to be done with trying to get the line right. I butchered several of my lines. A few examples:

“Well, Good Will, thou hast thy work cut out,” became . . .
“Well Good Will, thy work hast thou cut out for thy.”

“Sick-thoughted Venus,” became . . .
“Thick-sotted Venuth.”


“Thee, me, we, whoever,” became . . .
“Thee, me, we, me, thee we, whatever.”

I switched and dropped lines. I missed an entrance (which gave Val a chance to show her cool professionalism in adding “Lord Oxford! I’m ready!”). Several times I found myself onstage thinking things like, “It’s well after Labor day, why is she wearing white slacks?” or “I keep losing at Chess, and Austin keeps mentioning new rules. Is there a connection?” And suddenly I’m late on a cue.

I lose my focus, or worse, I focus on the fact that I’m out on stage in front of dozens of people who are happily following the story, and who are watching Wendy wait for me to answer a very important question. I liken the experience to Wile E. Coyote running off a cliff after the Road Runner. It’s only when he realizes that he’s in mid-air that he falls.

The fresh audiences are a dream to perform for. It is they who make the show new for me each night. I must point out, though, it’s the camaraderie of the cast that makes it such a blast to come back night after night. I know full well that I am not alone in making line errors and I know that if the rest of the cast with me right now, they’d pat me on the back and say, “Yes you are.”

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Next time we'll go over pawn en passant.

Anonymous said...

i think i hurt my spleen laughing at that. my favorite: “Thee, me, we, me, thee we, whatever.” Really F-ing funny ;)

Have a great holiday, guys.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I second Patrick's comment...though I've enjoyed everything on the blog, this is the first time I've actually laughed out loud at my desk.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jenny

Anonymous said...

My favorite Eric miscue was during the Titus scene. Instead of saying:

"Nay, for my leg is too high and cannot bend!"

he said:

"Jumpin' Jesus on a Pogo Stick! What the hell am I saying? Does anyone, ANYONE, have a clue what's going on here? Christ on a cracker, I'm lost."

Anonymous said...

Glad the read prompted a chuckle.

Anonymous the Second, it's a true testament to my fatigue that I said exactly what I'm thinking every time I speak the lines in that exchange. Fortunately for the audience, Austin Bragg has done extensive research on those lines and delivers their meaning with such clarity that my ambiguity is overshadowed.

Check.

Anonymous said...

For those interested in the meaning behind that exchange, the "Asses Poxy Fable" is an allusion to the fable of a donkey that put on a lion's hide, but was betrayed when he began to bray. A coward who hectors, a fool that apes the wise man.

Ironically, Eric's "leg that cannot bend" is a reference to a classic King's Pawn opening called the "Scholar's Mate."

DCepticon said...

It mean his leg is so far up Austin's ass he can not bend it because his knee is somewhere around Austin's lower colon.

Anonymous said...

I like my version better.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps we could reach a compromise and say that the line refers to my leg being very far up the King's Pawn's opening.

Anonymous said...

wow,
I really thought the 'leg is too high and cannot bend' was another dick joke. After all, that's all that Austin is good at... other than playing chess and reading obscure theory books.

I have to say my favorite 'jilly' so far (besides the original) was andrew's minstrel jillies when he sang them. Ellen and I almost lost it at the board.

g

Anonymous said...

While there have been many great Jilly's, I have a particular fondness for, "Even as to the jilly cormorant..."

-Ellen

Anonymous said...

Eric may or may not have said "Twizzle marvelous thing"- like a Twizzler but not.