Even before writing, I anticipated that this entry would be a haphazard array of information, thoughts, images. Grimm-related, artistic vomit. Call it Grimmit.
Order of Grimmit #1 --
On the production end, we finally have an official costume designer. Taylor Pedane, one of my good friends and original cast member of Grimm 1.0, has graciously agreed to lend his artistic talent to the show, in more ways than just performing. Last night, he showed me some of his drawings, and everything -- from the dead fox Angelica wears for a cape, to the Grecian, Game of Thrones-inspired gown for Catherine, to crowns made of twigs -- is superbly in-keeping with the show’s aesthetic. Yesterday morning, Taylor and Olivia even sojourned to some thrift stores to begin purchasing fabrics and props.
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| Taylor Pedane: costume designer extraordinaire. |
Order of Grimmit #2 --
Speaking of props, the set is beginning to take shape. Wonderful, random, wait-this-was-in-my-attic-next-to-my-old-collection-of-Def-Leppard-records shape. We have Keith to thank for a spinning wheel made from a bicycle tire. A forest made from mops and brooms. The entire thing is very reminiscent of childhood, of the days when buying a new refrigerator meant you could make a time-machine out of the box.
In this vein, after their thrift store journey, Olivia and Taylor came home with an armful of golf clubs. Olivia then proceeded to run around her apartment with one between her legs. Voila. Horses, man. Horses.
Order of Grimmit #3 --
Yesterday I attended a Fringe meeting for all things tickets and box office. I feel incredibly informed and incredibly confused, all at the same time. As ACR of this production, I alone can sign off on ticket sales and purchase comps. I alone ensure that our company receives any money at all once this is over. A wise man once said: with great power comes great responsibility. I’ll try not to let it go to my head.
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Order of Grimmit #4 --
I realized that one of my new pastimes is watching this cast dance. Last night Olivia taught Clea and Jake the choreography to They’ll Never Know -- a jazzy duet between Angelica and Rumplestiltskin, during which both characters cha-cha their way through their villainous conspiring. Don’t believe Clea and Jake for a second if they tell you they can’t dance; I might as well have used said refrigerator-box-turned-time-machine to crash a 1920s vaudeville rehearsal.
Check out their little teaser here:
Order of Grimmit #5 --
Here’s a thought I just had: if Grimm had been written by Elton John and turned into a Disney movie, My Sister, The Queen would have been called Oh, You Just Can’t Wait To Be Queen.
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| Mufasa approves. |
Order of Grimmit #6 --
Pursuing art is difficult. It’s also incredibly time-consuming. Olivia has fallen asleep on her script more than once. Between the playbill, the emails, the blogs and websites, I’ve been punching out after two the past few nights. Meanwhile, Taylor and Nicole have been cutting fabrics and trying on costumes. Mike has been photoshopping the publicity, solidifying our postcards and posters. Since it’s easier for us to be in the same place while we work (and occasionally break to eat Burger King), Nicole, Taylor, and I have been staying in Astoria with Mike and Olivia. Olivia even created a workspace in her living room, aptly titled “Grimmquarters.” Nicole and I recently organized it, but if you still look closely, you can see the drops of fudge brownie ice-cream I spilled on the table yesterday.
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| Rumplestiltskin, taken from a Grimm graphic novel Samir brought in for the class. Why on earth would anyone ever suspect him of foul-play and/or infantile cannibalism? |
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| Vikki's note to me during rehearsal. Don't worry; last I checked she's still alive. |
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| Olivia cued me for music and, well... let's just say Grant and Sierra were forced to swap the woods for some Weezer on more than one occasion. |
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| The rule that no one in the space actually follows. Things are looking awfully Athlete's Foot. |
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Pursuing art is difficult and incredibly time-consuming. But pursuing art, in the kind of way that keeps you up half the night pulling your hair out, is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
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