Showing posts with label theater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theater. Show all posts

03 August, 2008

Stars




I look up at the sky sometimes and I see the stars so far above me, and I just drift away. My thoughts usually drift into some place that makes me think about what it is that has brought me to this physical place, but I wonder if the stars had something to do with it. Some people say that the stars actually control our lives… I believe that to a degree, but not completely. We make our own decisions and I never looked up and asked a star to guide me in making the correct decision, lest one fall on my head. But that is neither here nor there… but everywhere. I’m here because someone or something so far back in time that it is but a mere memory etched in the forbidden reaches of the cosmos, made a decision… Very similar to the decision that my great grandparents made one lonely night, or my grandparents or my parents on their honeymoon. The fact is my life, the life I cherish and value, was the random effect caused by decisions made many years before I even came into the picture. I would never have existed had my Mother not have decided to go to a party one night where she met my father, it was random. God, The Stars, Fate, Karma, all of these are answers to the question, “what happened that brought me here?” But the reality is that the exact opposite was just as mathematically possible at the time. Who is to say that making the decision to use your debit card to pay for gas at the store will not change your life? Ok… So I had my card out to pay for gas… You following me? And then I decided I wanted a Tropicana Pure Premium OJ, The best in the world, so I put my card back in my wallet and I walk into the store. I get ready to pay when this nice looking young man with a nice big black handgun walks into the store; he demands that the clerk and I give him all our cash. The clerk decides to be a hero, the gun goes off…. And now I am a quadriplegic. I would still be able to walk had I just used my card, but that is over there somewhere… not sure where, but what does that have to do with anything. The stars, they are real, decisions we make, they are real… me I know I am real… I think. What is reality? I once read that everything is energy, the molecules that hold everything together is energy, the stars are energy, and I am energy… I’m not sure if I really like that thought, but it still fascinates me, if all we are is energy, than everything that exists only does so because we perceive the energy in certain manners. We touch the surface creating vibrations, we smell vibrations, we taste them, see light waves, and hear sound waves, so we can only perceive our surroundings by sensing the energy in separate ways… this is odd that means that in reality nothing is really solid unless we perceive it in some manner. So who is to say what the office looks like? Or what we really look like, we only see the simulations that our body has set up for us based on the input of several sensory organs that sense energy… nothing more… and the only reason we have those sensory organs to sense the nothingness is because our great-great-great grandparents made a decision one morning to get out of bed, that changed the world. So when people say don’t sweat the small stuff… Stop and think… is it really that small… and when you walk out of a room, stop and ask… does that room exist now that no one is there to perceive it? Or better yet stop and ask yourself if your maternal descendant that lived all the way back in 16 BC thought that when he met that beautiful young girl that it would cause this discussion to take place. Is that the big dipper? You know, the stars are beautiful?


(c) 2008 J. Grant Blakeney

19 May, 2008

Dearly Departed

Theater, such a fun past time. This is a small gift I did for the Cast and Crew of Dearly Departed being presented at Black Rose Theater in Brandon, Mississippi on June 19, 2008 - Jun 22, 2008 and June 26, 2008 - Jun 29, 2008. The cast list is as follows…

Directed by: Robbie Looney
Bud/Norval : Eric Hambrick
Raynelle: Lydie Vick
Raybud: Andy Achord
Lucille: Cheryl Abernathy
Junior: Cameron Lowery
Suzanne: Brighton Goode
Margarette: LaDonna Rogers
Royce: Spencer Smith
Delightful: Brandi Southerland
Clyde: Troy Plaisance
Juanita: Kimberlee Wolfson
Rev. Hooker: Vince Rogers
Veda: Donna Lewis
Nadine: Dani Baisden

The cast is full of many friends of mine that I know will do wonderfully, I can not wait to come support them as they break legs!!!!!

28 April, 2008

Bright Lights

Bright Lights…
Hot Lights…
People….
Lots of People…
All Watching…
Nerves…
Hot Air….
Lines…
Do I remember All of my Lines???
People…
Makeup…
Costume…
Props…
Props…
Props…
WHERE ARE MY PROPS???
Oh No…
There They Are…
People…
Entrance…
Lines…
Monologue…
People…
Yes People…
Look At Me…
More Lines…
More People…
This Is Great…
Curtain Call…
Thank You…

The Photo is of a good friend Chris Lloyd on stage in Romeo, Beatrice, and Toto too! at Black Rose Theatre in Brandon, MS.

22 April, 2008

Counting to Three

Transformation happens all throughout nature children transform into adults… caterpillars transform into butterflies… and staircases transform into trees. The set for MAME called for this winding staircase, and it was somehow pulled off… and when Counting to Three called for a tree, as Assistant Director, I was stumped, and then I remembered the stairs. I drew out the design, and tweaked a few things with Director Celeste, and we got started. After one day we had the basic Skeleton to work with. Well zoom into yesterday, we had to have it done last night no matter what… and all we had was that skeleton… well it happened, me and Wanted-To-Be-Director Stacy buckled down and this is what we ended up with… a tree!!!

Tape, Fake Ficus Trees, Cardboard, Stairs, Paint both spray and otherwise, fake flowers, My feet kicking the cardboard into shape… albeit accidentally, all ended up with amazing results.

Children's Night of one Acts
Apr 24, 2008 - Apr 27, 2008 andMay 01, 2008 - May 04, 2008
www.blackrosetheater.com

18 March, 2008

Mame

Sadly, and at the same time thankfully Mame is over… and it was a great show. It had its rocky moments, and trials and tribulations… but I would not have given anything for it!!!! Cynthia Stuart was a wonderful Mame, and the cast was a wonderful cast… and I personally was honored to have a chance to discover just how far I can take my abilities. I have gained confidence in areas I needed it… and I have made many new friends, and built up ones that I made during Who Killed Aunt Caroline, It was wonderful.

This is a teaser poster I came up with for Mame, nothing big, just Cynthia Stuart as the title character. Cynthia is such a talented sweet lady; it was wonderful playing her nephew!!! Oh I did come up with a photo Montage ….

25 February, 2008

Sunrise over Beekman Place

I was never a huge fan of Jackson Pollock that is not to say that I disliked his work… its just it seemed to me to be too simple. I mean just spray paint onto a canvas with nom form or design, yes it makes for beautiful patterns and shapes… but not too much was really put into it. I was wrong. I was asked to do several pieces of art for MAME (http://www.blackrosetheater.com/) and one of those is this pollock-esque splatter painting. I must say the amount of emotion that you can put into these is staggering, and the colors you use can very much convey the message that you are sending out. When I was done, I stepped back, and I realized just how wrong I was about one of the strangest and tortred souls of the 20th centry.

03 February, 2008

Building a Life

It is slowly coming together!!! Set construction for Mame has proven to be an interesting task, such as a movable winding staircase. Not to mention all the other fun set pieces that will be employed during production. I’m really having fun with this play, and I am so very glad that I got involved with the Theatre.

Friendships are what it is all about; family is always there, and they are usually biased. But friends are the people that you can count on for that un-related biased attitude, and usually the straight forward truth! Building a good friendship is a lot like building a flight of stairs, you have to start from the ground, and work your way up. And not only then but when you think you are finished, you have to walk up those very stairs. It’s not easy, but in the long run it’s worth it.

I have been very lucky to have gained a wonderful group of friend since I came back to Jackson, and I owe that to my participation in the Black Rose Theatre!!! I <3 You Guys!!!!

(This photo shows Adam and Amanda working hard on the wonderful staircase. )

28 January, 2008

Black Rose Theatre

There was something about this photo that reminded me of the Alamo. I think it was the color and the way the lighting played on the building. I of course had to play with it in Photoshop I wanted to play with the color some; I am pleased with how it turned out!!!
The building of course is Black Rose Theatre on Black Street in Brandon, Mississippi. http://www.blackrosetheater.com

25 January, 2008

Mame!

I took this photo last night at rehearsal for Mame, it is going to be a rather large performance for the Black Rose Theatre, but if we can pull it off it is going to be great. I am rather excited about the play; I am portraying Patrick Dennis (aged 19-29) it happens to be the largest most important role that I have ever taken on… talk about expanding your acting abilities. PLUS!!! Hal and Clif are also in the play, as well as many of my other friends from Who Killed Aunt Caroline!

Performance Dates are: March 06, 2008 - Mar 09, 2008 & March 13, 2008 - Mar 16, 2008.


19 November, 2007

Dan Donovan 1935-1952

Dan Donovan is retired… he no longer exists. I guess I should somehow give some sort of proper goodbye to the character that I have given life to for the last few weeks. Dan wasn’t very smart, but what he lacked in intelligence he made up with athletics. He never quite understood the opposite sex… perhaps that was because he spent way too much time with the same sex, more time than any normal 17 year old boy. Perhaps Dan was gay, or maybe he was just an idiot… I guess no one but I can be certain on at least my incarnation of him. However one thing is for certain, he did not kill Aunt Caroline Endicott! But he was present during the events that led up to and preceded her death, including one regrettable tryst with a Detective over a red purse… as well as lying and throwing things across the Endicott’s house, but at least he did clean!

Today Who Killed Aunt Caroline has ended… and I am left with few mementos, wonderful memories, a bunch of photos, as well as a whole lotta new friends! I am glad that events led me into doing this, we really did have a dream cast… and it all came together for a wonderful experience, from the first dress rehearsal on… I loved it!

13 November, 2007

Who Killed Dan Donovan?

When I get bored things tend to happen, sometimes I can get creative. This is a glance at the creative side of me, including my love of graphic design. I did this movie poster and DVD cover for Who Killed Aunt Caroline, as I mentioned in an earlier post I play Dan Donovan. I love doing things like this, and I have learned my photoshop well… What can I say… there might be more stuff like this posted if I get bored enough.