Words to live & work by...Circa 1945

Just passing this along to any of you that read my ramblings. Totally inspired and committed to living up to being the best theatre whore I can be!!! Kick ball change bitches!! xoxo

A 1945 Code of Ethics for Theatre Workers Surfaces
News by Janet Thielke | August 11, 2009

While appearing on Broadway in her Tony-nominated role of Jeanette in The Full Monty in August, 2001, Equity member Kathleen Freeman died of lung cancer. Equity Councillor Jane A. Johnston, a longtime friend and executrix for Ms. Freeman’s estate, later discovered among Ms. Freeman’s papers a document containing A Code of Ethics for Theatre Workers. Ms. Freeman was a daughter of a small time vaudevillian team. Her childhood experience of touring with her parents inspired this Code of Ethics, Ms. Johnston writes. She also notes: “What is particularly interesting about this list of dos and don’ts for the theatre is that it was written in 1945 when Kathleen was establishing one of the first small theatres in Los Angeles and she was 24 years old. I wish I had been told some of ‘the rules’ when I was a young actress instead of having to pick them up as I went along.”
The theatre was the Circle Players (with Charlie Chaplin among its backers), which later evolved into the Players’ Ring. Although there is no record that either company used an Equity contract (they certainly pre-dated the 99-Seat Code in Los Angeles), Ms. Johnston confirms that all the participants were professionals.

Foreword to the Code
“A part of the great tradition of the theatre is the code of ethics which belong to every worker in the theatre. This code is not a superstition, nor a dogma, nor a ritual which is enforced by tribunals; it is an attitude toward your vocation, your fellow workers, your audiences and yourself. It is a kind of self-discipline which does not rob you of your invaluable individualism.
“Those of you who have been in show business know the full connotation of these precepts. Those of you who are new to show business will soon learn. The Circle Players, since its founding in 1945, has always striven to stand for the finest in theatre, and it will continue to do so. Therefore, it is with the sincere purpose of continued dedication to the great traditions of the theatre that these items are here presented.”

The “rules” follow:

1. I shall never miss a performance.
2. I shall play every performance with energy, enthusiasm and to the best of my ability regardless of size of audience, personal illness, bad weather, accident, or even death in my family.
3. I shall forego all social activities which interfere with rehearsals or any other scheduled work at the theatre, and I shall always be on time.
4. I shall never make a curtain late by my failure to be ready on time.
5. I shall never miss an entrance.
6. I shall never leave the theatre building or the stage area until I have completed my performance, unless I am specifically excused by the stage manager; curtain calls are a part of the show.
7. I shall not let the comments of friends, relatives or critics change any phase of my work without proper consultation; I shall not change lines, business, lights, properties, settings or costumes or any phase of the production without consultation with and permission of my director or producer or their agents, and I shall inform all people concerned.
8. I shall forego the gratification of my ego for the demands of the play.
9. I shall remember my business is to create illusion; therefore, I shall not break the illusion by appearing in costume and makeup off-stage or outside the theatre.
10. I shall accept my director’s and producer’s advice and counsel in the spirit in which it is given, for they can see the production as a whole and my work from the front.
11. I shall never “put on an act” while viewing other artists’ work as a member of an audience, nor shall I make caustic criticism from jealousy or for the sake of being smart.
12. I shall respect the play and the playwright and, remembering that “a work of art is not a work of art until it is finished,” I shall not condemn a play while it is in rehearsal.
13. I shall not spread rumor or gossip which is malicious and tends to reflect discredit on my show, the theatre, or any personnel connected with them-either to people inside or outside the group.
14. Since I respect the theatre in which I work, I shall do my best to keep it looking clean, orderly and attractive regardless of whether I am specifically assigned to such work or not.
15. I shall handle stage properties and costumes with care for I know they are part of the tools of my trade and are a vital part of the physical production.
16. I shall follow rules of courtesy, deportment and common decency applicable in all walks of life (and especially in a business in close contact with the public) when I am in the theatre, and I shall observe the rules and regulations of any specific theatre where I work.
17. I shall never lose my enthusiasm for theatre because of disappointments.
In addition, the document continued:
“I understand that membership in the Circle Theatre entitles me to the privilege of working, when I am so assigned, in any of the phases of a production, including: props, lights, sound, construction, house management, box office, publicity and stage managing-as well as acting. I realize it is possible I may not be cast in a part for many months, but I will not allow this to dampen my enthusiasm or desire to work, since I realize without my willingness to do all other phases of theatre work, there would be no theatre for me to act in.”
All members of the Circle Theatre were required to sign this document. And they must have-because the theatre, and the group into which it evolved, was successful for many years.

14,600 give or take a day....

Things that are 40.....

NPR
Starbucks
Masterpiece Theatre
Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival
Amtrack
Disney World
and me....this is my list so far.

I am in really distinguished company. This new decade feels less like the end of the road and more like the beginning of the ride. If I hold up as half as well as my counterparts the next 40 are going to rock!

Of course at my birthday party as I was telling everyone I was excited to start a new decade my friends were like, "you are going to love your 30's". I was like I did all 10 of them....shock and awe stared back at me in their nubile faces and as long as that is the response I will wave my 40 freak flag high!!If you think you're timeless you are TIMELESS and moisturizer twice a day doesn't hurt either!!!

Viva la living!!!

Going to the Chapel!

Is it me or are the number of wedding pictures on Facebook blowing up!!! 'Tis the season I guess for people to wear funny traditional clothing, stand up before the deity of their choice with friends and family and say I dig this human and only this human so help me god, forever and ever amen.

As for me I'm NOT a fan. Marriage is like a stogy old aunt that reeks of Bengay and mothballs. She serves no practical purpose because no one likes her ambrosia salad and really her inclusion in family functions is just a formality of etiquette to keep your kids from being called bastards.

As a "gay" & a bastard I wouldn't want to get married if I could. Sure I'd throw a big party and say, "you see that lady, she's with me." But I am not about to clamp a ring on her finger and sign a deed to her heart that makes the county a few bucks and some venue a bundle of my money for dried out chicken and watered down gin.

That being said, I am OVAH THE MOON thrilled to be the Maid of Honor in my best friends wedding. The MOH gets to do all the fun stuff and as she sends to bride off to her shackles she kicks up her heels and finds her way to the bar with some frisky female, at least that's the plan. Plus I don't even have to wear some god awful dress. The bridesmaids get to pick want they want within a color scheme!! Yee freaking haw!! So much better than some bright pink body bag with a bow!

Like I said some people are the marrying kind, and I wish them all the bliss they can handle even though the chips are stacked against them statistically. This silly monkey likes her autonomy way too much and needs room to shake her jelly at will when she wants and where she wants.

I live under a simple rule of thumb, if you wanna go, GO! if you wanna stay, STAY! Don't be in a marriage with me because a piece of paper and the hassle of divorce keeps you trapped by my side...ugh. Really, be a grown up, it's not 1857, keeping your word is good enough for me. God & the government might need more, but I don't.

Mabberfrabbits!

James Lipton will ask me someday what is my favorite curse word and it will be, "mabberfrabbits!"

As a child Bugs Bunny ruled my imagination and as I got older I realized that "mabberfrabbits" was the way Yosemite Sam said, "motherf*cker" to 8 year olds.

And that's one to grow on folks!
(insert stuttering pig here)

Rocking Nuptial Fairies!

As I sat in the Kips Bay Movie complex I thought to myself, "never again, just like the holocaust." I will never again GO to the movies. People are awful, seriously awful with their outside voices and rude self serving attitudes. Finding a seat has become as brutal as the Tet Offensive and frankly if arms were allowed I say thin the herd. Most of these patrons need a good bayonet to the rib cage to school them in the fine art of courtesy and decorum, that clearly they lacked learning on the playground. Coupled with the ads for bed bug prevention everywhere makes for an evening of being annoyed by the seen and unseen.


However, Bridesmaids was totally worth running the gauntly of chattering strangers & the impending threat of being infested with the urban hitch-hikers that have all New Yorkers questioning to sit or not to sit. This movie is literally a scream. As in I screamed with laughter as Kristen Wiig and company made their way to the alter. It was clear when and where Mr. Apatow inserted his "gross" out scenes and they served their purpose to insight laughter & quiet communal prayers of, “please dear lord don’t ever let that happen to me,” ultimately they really only dumb down the smart, witty women parading across the screen, but I guess we have to give the boys something to snicker at…


2nd only to the God of Thunder the Maids pulled in $24.5 million dollars this weekend!! Woo-Hoo!! Hopefully Hollywood will continue to green light female driven comedies because they are not only bright, smart, insightful and break the mold but they also make money!! Of course saying this I already know that there will be a scurry to put unfunny, female driven comedies into the market place as quickly as possible. May their failure not bog down the comedy cream that will surely rise to the top. Keep it coming Kristen & Annie!!