Tried to see the fireworks from rooftop restaurant terrace, too cold gave up. Chips and Magners my last Edinburgh meal. Taxi coming in 2.5 hours (3AM) for airport. France, douce France!
Must pack up the office. Computer, in ye get.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Urbanity
From Potted Potter(All Six Books and Book Seven Teaser in Sixty Minutes):
Don't squeeze me, Harry... I'm your Headmaster.
and, from the Teaser bit:
Dead! They're dead!
Who's dead?
All of them! It's a bloodbath! But on a lighter note, Harry and his friends do a lot of camping.
So Dan, you're saying that book seven is Death... and Camping.
Plus Quidditch in the audience. That's quality stuff.
Went climbing in the hills yesterday, it was cloudy and a bit damp but absolutely beautiful, with views of the city and the sea and thistle growing all over. And big black slugs, lots of them. We made it up Arthur's Seat, which looks over the city. It's amazing that all that separates Edinburgh from the Wilderness is a fifteen minute walk. At the same time, it feels totally urban to me because of the variety - our neighborhood has Indian, Kurdish, East African, Chinese, and Italian restaurants, and French or Italian shops to augment the regular supermarket. I was also VERY impressed when we succeeded in buying ice cream at about 12:30 at night. You can count on the local Fried Everything place, yes indeed.
Don't squeeze me, Harry... I'm your Headmaster.
and, from the Teaser bit:
Dead! They're dead!
Who's dead?
All of them! It's a bloodbath! But on a lighter note, Harry and his friends do a lot of camping.
So Dan, you're saying that book seven is Death... and Camping.
Plus Quidditch in the audience. That's quality stuff.
Went climbing in the hills yesterday, it was cloudy and a bit damp but absolutely beautiful, with views of the city and the sea and thistle growing all over. And big black slugs, lots of them. We made it up Arthur's Seat, which looks over the city. It's amazing that all that separates Edinburgh from the Wilderness is a fifteen minute walk. At the same time, it feels totally urban to me because of the variety - our neighborhood has Indian, Kurdish, East African, Chinese, and Italian restaurants, and French or Italian shops to augment the regular supermarket. I was also VERY impressed when we succeeded in buying ice cream at about 12:30 at night. You can count on the local Fried Everything place, yes indeed.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Ginormous Update
Note to self: Resist the urge to use "Huzzah!" or "Woot!" in emails to The Producers. Even when usage is to celebrate a sold-out house.
Last night had a substantial conversation with Mrs. Congressman Mike McIntyre. (aka Dee McIntyre, but this is American politics - it's an Old Boys Club and no two ways about it.) Her husband and the other bigwigs in town were sporting cute crossed American-and-Scottish flag pins, Mikey even had a Scottish flag pattern on his tie. The Missus and I talked about stem cell research - apparently Scotland has done quite a bit of it without getting mired in pesky moral debates, so she's here to ask questions and see how it's done. However, seeing as she's a politician, I still have NO idea whether she's actually with the Good Guys. I have my doubts, since she repeatedly mentioned god's will, divine plan, role as creator. Her husband was wearing his wedding band and his UNC class ring - they have two sons in law school there.
And, true to form, I had to come all the way to Edinburgh to meet Wes alum John Freeland, a native Middletowner and fellow SIBLING. Whoa Nelly. He's been working in theatre ever since teaching at Oddfellows, his show just finished its run here - it's about a man who was shot in the eye and went blind at 23. His recommendation: teach at Oddfellows. One of his recent gigs was doing workshops with incarcerated teens - get a Latino kid and a Crip to do a scene together. Someone want to check for his picture in the '79 composite?
Work work work, in just a few I take off for Potted Potter - all the books in one hour!
Last night had a substantial conversation with Mrs. Congressman Mike McIntyre. (aka Dee McIntyre, but this is American politics - it's an Old Boys Club and no two ways about it.) Her husband and the other bigwigs in town were sporting cute crossed American-and-Scottish flag pins, Mikey even had a Scottish flag pattern on his tie. The Missus and I talked about stem cell research - apparently Scotland has done quite a bit of it without getting mired in pesky moral debates, so she's here to ask questions and see how it's done. However, seeing as she's a politician, I still have NO idea whether she's actually with the Good Guys. I have my doubts, since she repeatedly mentioned god's will, divine plan, role as creator. Her husband was wearing his wedding band and his UNC class ring - they have two sons in law school there.
And, true to form, I had to come all the way to Edinburgh to meet Wes alum John Freeland, a native Middletowner and fellow SIBLING. Whoa Nelly. He's been working in theatre ever since teaching at Oddfellows, his show just finished its run here - it's about a man who was shot in the eye and went blind at 23. His recommendation: teach at Oddfellows. One of his recent gigs was doing workshops with incarcerated teens - get a Latino kid and a Crip to do a scene together. Someone want to check for his picture in the '79 composite?
Work work work, in just a few I take off for Potted Potter - all the books in one hour!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Glam
Okay, so this is pretty cool:
Last week there was a "Fringe U.S.A." reception, for all American Fringe participants. It was nice and schmoozy, they invited the incoming Fringe head, John Morgan, and the U.S. Consul, Lisa Vickers. I felt like it was an Americans Anonymous support group, but it was fun just the same. They had little American flags on the tables, we drank coffee and watched excerpts of people's acts.
A few days later, all those involved got invited to a cocktail reception at the Consul's house. So tonight I'll be rubbing elbows (any other good synonyms for schmooze?) in a politician's house. Neat.
In other news... I really wish I could credibly greet people with "Wotcher." I will most certainly be referring to completed tasks as "sorted" and I am considering switching from coffee to tea. (France will kill that aspiration, no question. AAAAAH One week!)
Last week there was a "Fringe U.S.A." reception, for all American Fringe participants. It was nice and schmoozy, they invited the incoming Fringe head, John Morgan, and the U.S. Consul, Lisa Vickers. I felt like it was an Americans Anonymous support group, but it was fun just the same. They had little American flags on the tables, we drank coffee and watched excerpts of people's acts.
A few days later, all those involved got invited to a cocktail reception at the Consul's house. So tonight I'll be rubbing elbows (any other good synonyms for schmooze?) in a politician's house. Neat.
In other news... I really wish I could credibly greet people with "Wotcher." I will most certainly be referring to completed tasks as "sorted" and I am considering switching from coffee to tea. (France will kill that aspiration, no question. AAAAAH One week!)
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Snuzzle
Rainy day, am holed up in Headquarters for the moment. Jazz and ticket reports and pajama pants. Soup for lunch is forthcoming.
Have been taking many pictures, and I'm sure all of the "majestic castle" and "incredible view" ones are going to be completely flattened. I wish I could capture more permanently what it's like to sit in a totally urban restaurant or bar, looking down a wide street, and instead of a Times Square-style conglomeration, you see crags piling high with a castle strewn along the top. Edinburgh is truly urban, but the views out of it are pastoral. C'est frappant.
And the city (maybe the country too) has an extremely distinct smell. It makes me think of bread, but also meat, not unpleasant - it smells like peat, earthy and just a tiny bit marshy. The albatross-sized seagulls ought to be enough of a reminder, but I forget most of the time how close we are to the sea (distance is one thing, whether I get there is another).
So, do I want to do this job again next summer? Talk about a brain-frying question. I still don't have my courses picked for the coming semester. Oh, and in order to take on this job again I have to SURVIVE the fall semester...
Shh. Soup, more jazz. Brief foray into rainy wet nasty city (55 degrees F. This has been my summer without summer.) and then I'll hunker down again.
Last seen: Wunderkind, about the insanity of making movies. And the Men of Steel late show, which was all the same kitchen-utensil puppet insanity PLUS half-naked, somewhat drunk puppet chefs. Mess, especially food mess, is so, so sexual.
Have been taking many pictures, and I'm sure all of the "majestic castle" and "incredible view" ones are going to be completely flattened. I wish I could capture more permanently what it's like to sit in a totally urban restaurant or bar, looking down a wide street, and instead of a Times Square-style conglomeration, you see crags piling high with a castle strewn along the top. Edinburgh is truly urban, but the views out of it are pastoral. C'est frappant.
And the city (maybe the country too) has an extremely distinct smell. It makes me think of bread, but also meat, not unpleasant - it smells like peat, earthy and just a tiny bit marshy. The albatross-sized seagulls ought to be enough of a reminder, but I forget most of the time how close we are to the sea (distance is one thing, whether I get there is another).
So, do I want to do this job again next summer? Talk about a brain-frying question. I still don't have my courses picked for the coming semester. Oh, and in order to take on this job again I have to SURVIVE the fall semester...
Shh. Soup, more jazz. Brief foray into rainy wet nasty city (55 degrees F. This has been my summer without summer.) and then I'll hunker down again.
Last seen: Wunderkind, about the insanity of making movies. And the Men of Steel late show, which was all the same kitchen-utensil puppet insanity PLUS half-naked, somewhat drunk puppet chefs. Mess, especially food mess, is so, so sexual.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Getting things sorted
In case you thought producing was a glamourous life: yesterday I was informed that all the PDFing I've been doing (see jubilant note below) has been 50% in vain, because we need JPEG versions of everything as well (JPEG being clean-upable and PDF being professional-looking). Cut to me sifting through files figuring out exactly how many clippings I have to scan a second time.
On the flip side, I went with the Woody Sez gang to two radio gigs this morning. (I haven't mentioned them by name yet, have I? Oh well, now you know who I work with. Cheers!) I absolutely love the company (Broadway performers, down-home super talented friendly foilk) and the show (musical biography of Woody Guthrie) and it was great to see them do so well. The first studio was very shmancy, those plexiglass soundproof windows and pretty mics. The second one is a single room, soundproofed by hand, and is used by half a dozen different Edinburgh radio programs.
That's enough office work for one day. I'm hoping to get to a couple of shows tonight - oh, and I'm not leaving without seeing the theatre version of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. Seriously. And Romeo and Juliet once more, Silent Disco if I ever have the energy... I leave remarkably soon, so I'm kicking into "Oh my god must see shows!" mode.
More later, there's no good segue into the other set of thoughts I have to record.
On the flip side, I went with the Woody Sez gang to two radio gigs this morning. (I haven't mentioned them by name yet, have I? Oh well, now you know who I work with. Cheers!) I absolutely love the company (Broadway performers, down-home super talented friendly foilk) and the show (musical biography of Woody Guthrie) and it was great to see them do so well. The first studio was very shmancy, those plexiglass soundproof windows and pretty mics. The second one is a single room, soundproofed by hand, and is used by half a dozen different Edinburgh radio programs.
That's enough office work for one day. I'm hoping to get to a couple of shows tonight - oh, and I'm not leaving without seeing the theatre version of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. Seriously. And Romeo and Juliet once more, Silent Disco if I ever have the energy... I leave remarkably soon, so I'm kicking into "Oh my god must see shows!" mode.
More later, there's no good segue into the other set of thoughts I have to record.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Bleary Eyed
Despite the fact that the preferred local cold remedy is a hot toddy (whiskey, lemon, hot water) I'm going with antihistamine/pain relievers instead.
... and fizzy vitamin C
... and oscillococcinum
... and echinacea
... and antibiotics.
And I still feel like half-baked hell. At least I've already made my box office rounds, I can stay home and do mindless scanning and websitery all day.
We took a hit on Friday in the form of a two star review, but that's just one show. Two others are totally taking off: one has three or four press opportunities lined up for the week, and the other is running out of comp (press and promoter tickets) tout de suite. And the fourth of our main four is also getting some very fabulous press. Of course, our brains are frying trying to keep track of everything (sickness or no sickness).
Ask me how many non-work-related shows I've seen. Answer? 2.
... and fizzy vitamin C
... and oscillococcinum
... and echinacea
... and antibiotics.
And I still feel like half-baked hell. At least I've already made my box office rounds, I can stay home and do mindless scanning and websitery all day.
We took a hit on Friday in the form of a two star review, but that's just one show. Two others are totally taking off: one has three or four press opportunities lined up for the week, and the other is running out of comp (press and promoter tickets) tout de suite. And the fourth of our main four is also getting some very fabulous press. Of course, our brains are frying trying to keep track of everything (sickness or no sickness).
Ask me how many non-work-related shows I've seen. Answer? 2.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
