Eros and Psyche

I am unspeakably proud to present a film version of the 'Eros and Psyche' theatre-piece our 12:15 Acting created as part of Pace School of Performing Arts first-year final Greek presentations at Pace University.

Starring Kevin Csolak and Bethany Tesarck, this classic tale is probably one of the most beautiful Greek myths.

Psyche was a woman gifted with extreme beauty and grace, one of the mortal women whose love and sacrifice for her beloved immortal husband Eros earned her immortality (as Greek word “psyche” implies, the deity of soul). Psyche symbolizes a self-search and personal growth through adversity, passion, loss, and pursuit of true love.

Enjoy the extraordinary efforts of my dedicated and passionate first-year students. They fill my heart and soul with every possible joy.

The Hornpipe

The Hornpipe from stage right!

The Penultimate Evening Hornpipe at The Savoy Theatre, London (Sharpy's last hornpipe-- Sharpy is played by Derek Hagan in the red head scarf and this was his last show! The ensemble stepped back to let him and Victoria Hinde do their "lovey dovey" sequence as a solo!)

Enjoy!

Coops...

...as Carnival Boy.

Adam Cooper Comes to Rescue of Carousel
Date: 14 May 2009

The audience at last night's performance of Carousel at the Savoy Theatre got a special treat when renowned dancer Adam Cooper (choreographer of the show) stepped in at the very last minute to perform in place of the injured Tom Dwyer, who plays the Carnival Boy. Dwyer's usual understudy, Leon Webster, was also off injured, and the second understudy James O'Connell was too ill to perform.

Cooper, who is currently choreographing a production of the opera Roberto Devereux at Holland Park, only agreed at the last minute to go on, with producers facing the prospect of having to cancel the show if he couldn't do it. After 30 minutes of frantic rehearsal, he went on to perform the famed 15-minute pas de deux segment with dancer Lindsey Wise, and a bouquet from co-star Leslie Garrett at the curtain call.

But Cooper, famed for his performance in Matthew Bourne's seminal 1994 all-male version of Swan Lake and appearance in 1999 film Billy Elliot – is unlikely to be called on again. Leon Webster has today been given the “all clear” by doctors and will resume in the role this evening.

All I can say is this: sitting in the wings with the entire company, stage management team, crew and theatre staff, we experienced a communion of sorts. There, bonded together in the presence of such astonishing greatness, we simultaneously glinted for a moment, and bathed in a feeling of unity that I have only ever experienced in the theatre. Tonight was what being in the theatre is all about. It was beautiful and a shattering honour.

What a day.

"follow follow follow follow..."

Forgive the absence.

Reasons:

1. I have a broken RIB. I blame Jeremiah James. And The Cooper. And myself. Mostly myself. No, actually, mostly Jeremiah. I completed my amazing workshop with The Cooper, and having the weakest lower back in Christendom, and having overworked it with backbends and flippy-Cooper-majigs last Friday, I decided that removing my corset for one show would aid in temporarily relieving the discomfort. I didn't count on the brute force of Mr. James' giant hands, and whilst lifting me in the prologue, a rib (#9 to be precise) was busted (and twisted! according to the Osteopath). Had I been wearing the corset, it never would've happened. It goes to show ya. So. Yes. Back to the blame: Cooper, James... and mostly me.... Anyway it has left me rather distracted. Perhaps I should ask Adam for a spare...[wink wink].

2. I am writing. And writing. Up until 5:30am kind of writing. And I cannot share it with all of you. At least not yet. This may be the case for quite a while and I apologise! But, it is gonna be worth it, my friends. My followers. And speaking of followers, this brings me to my next point....

So. I have been CHALLENGED. [play 'Rocky' theme]

Now I am not a betting woman, but what they heck?! Someone (who shall remain nameless though I would love to name and shame them because they are the same person who insinuated "Dickens of a" was a fiction) has challenged me to a followers DUEL! And this person deserves to go down in flames. [Cruella DeVil voice] FLAMES I TELL YOU!!

Would you be so kind as to become an official "follower" of my blog (scroll down the page and you will see a bar on the right hand side located below my "Labels") so that I may win this silly little bargain?

And just because I understand that in this life one can't get something for nothing, every new follower gets a SUPER DUPER TOP SECRET VERY SPECIAL GIFT from me. To you. With love. I will just need your email address.

LET'S WIN THIS PEOPLE....

Apologies!

I apologise for my temporary hiatus from bloggage. I have had a jam packed two weeks; and I can't go in to a tremendous amount of detail because it is "classified" and all that...

.... Buuuuuut it may or may not have involved a workshop of a new piece (that was actually very good--- which is exceptional, because workshops are often pretty atrocious) that included me dancing, yes dancing (!!) with... WITH... the great Mr. Cooper. There was singing and acting and dancing and the stage smooching of two lovely men and well, it was just thoroughly marvelous. I worked hard doing double duty, rehearsing during the day and performing in Carousel at night, but it was worth it to feel creative and challenged again. It was exhausting in the best possible way and utterly exhilarating.

The other exciting thing-a-majig is something I am not ready to share with all of you yet... but it has something to do with writing. I promise to share more when the time is right.

But I will say this... this has been one of the best fortnights of my recent life.

My return to bloggage begins again this weekend. Thank you for your patience. We will be on the move shortly. Please stand clear of the closing doors.