Closed Noir tonight

We had a house of over 50 for the world-premiere of Keith & Lara Ballinger's Scenes from a Film Noir. A lovely night of theatre. We performed at the clubhouse of the Carlyle in Bellevue; a high-ceilinged venue with windows, trees, a beautiful bar, fireplace, plants, and furniture. We spent the day bringing in chairs, preparing the food, running & dress-rehearsing, and cleaning the "theatre." Very Russian.

I stood outside in the soft rain under the cedars for a half hour before the show. Partly to guide cars in, partly for coolness, solitude, and peace.

Turning, I asked Stanislavski and Chekhov to come help us. I held their rain hands and walked through the cold silver night toward the light, the roar, and the two alto saxophones playing Bach inventions in a pouring duet.

Last week, when our band of actors arrived to borrow a Microsoft conference room for rehearsal, we found two saxophonists had borrowed it first. It was a conference room which can't be reserved -- so it was one band of squatter artists against another. The sax players sounded fantastic. "We meet here every Wednesday to play," they said. "Hey, will you come be the pre-show for our play this weekend?" I asked. "Sure," they said. "Which play?" When they saw the program, they recognized Marina's name. "Hey," said one of the guys, "I know her. I'm GOING to that show."

So, out of total artist serendipity came a gorgeous classical & jazz pre-show that lifted the party to a roar before the first actor appeared.

I was pleased with the play and the actors. The play looked as classical as the Bach. The actors moved with precision and unconscious command. They spoke clearly, lifted the language & the logic, played their actions & objectives, connected with clarity, and moved with radiant physicality.

The audience followed it closely, laughed in many places, and stayed for an hour afterward to eat potluck and mingle. We served potato chips, salsa chips, bean & guacamole dip, cheddar & pepperjack cheeses, beef salami, cinnamon-raisin bread, crackers, hot meatballs, pepperoni & vegie pizza, purple grapes, apples, fresh strawberries, homemade brownies, cheesecake, champagne, water, orange pop, and root beer.

Stanislavski & Chekhov were helping us.

It wasn't until afterward that I realized we had transcended BCC entirely. There was nothing left to say this was -- or had begun as -- a once-a-week community college Continuing Education class. We had left the campus, the schedule, and all mention of the school. Even the actors just looked like a troupe of players. The audience tonight came to see a play... and got one.

A fitting first incarnation of "Acting In Performance."