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Live From New York!Cynthia's Column February 2004 First of all, I am not in Australia. At the last minute the location was changed. It turns out that though it is indeed Summer in Australia now, it is also a month when school lets out and everyone goes on vacation. And while we could get the weather we could not get the crew and could not prep the film. So instead we are going to shoot in Luxembourg beginning February 3. Yes, this is my Tennessee P. I. movie. And yes, we are shooting Luxembourg for Nashville. No, not Luxembourg, Mississippi or Luxembourg, Kentucky. Luxembourg, Luxembourg. I had to look it up, too. It turns out it is not only a city, but a country as well. A tiny bit bigger than Monaco, nestled between Belgium and France and I guess the Alps. We will be flying actors over from England. It is a short hop, apparently. And I am doing the shooting polish now, which involves things like changing the Pee Wee Football game to soccer or possibly swimming, if we can find an indoor pool that looks American. (Even though you are reading this in February, I am writing it at the beginning of January and these things are still being hammered out. ) I know it seems crazy. And why are we doing it? Let's see those hands. Anyone? That's right. It is cheaper. I just saw Cold Mountain , in which Bulgaria doubled for the entire American South and it was stunningly beautiful and completely convincing. So here's hoping for the best and we'll see what we can do on a fraction of their budget. Meanwhile, back in the actual (as opposed to virtual) U. S. , I have just come home from a week in New York City researching the theatre and a novel I am working on (that involves the theatre. )It was a fabulous experience. Here are the highlights. First of all, I have not been in New York City in a couple of years, not since before 9/11, and the feeling in the city is completely different than it used to be. I have to say, even in the middle of winter, in the middle of the holidays, it was shocking. Walking around, day or night, people met eyes with you on the street, smiled, chatted. Even cab drivers seemed less tense and more friendly. Waiters, tourists, people in cafes, shops, subways, everyone seemed so much kinder. And I was unafraid to be in any of the neighborhoods I explored from 12 Street to 98th. It felt like what was missing from the City now was Fear. Having seen the worst, the City felt utterly unafraid. Of itself. Of each other. Of anyone. This is not the way I remember it. And it was wonderful to be there. One of the things I needed to research involved getting backstage at one of the old classic "Shubert Row" theatres. In case any of you have similar research needs, here is how I went about it. Since it was the most crucial part of the research, I went straight there as soon as I got into town and dropped my bags at the apartment I was borrowing of a director friend. I bought a ticket to the musical playing there and hung around on the street in front. It was about an hour before curtain. And I watched the Stage Door. It became clear that it was not locked, as actors walked right in. So I gathered my courage, opened the door and walked in. I could see instantly that I had it wrong in my imagined description. For one thing it did not open off an alley, but right on the street itself. And the stairs, layout, doorman were all wrong. I stepped right up to the Doorman's office where he watched over a half door and with a mirror, everyone who came in or went out of the Stage Door. Let's call him "Joe" because it is not his real name and I'm not sure how many rules were bent to accommodate this writer's needs. I'm sure some were. I explained briefly what I needed: A complete tour of the theatre, backstage, dressing rooms, wings etc. And I was happy to come back whenever it might be convenient. I'd be in the city all week. Joe called for the Stage Manager and I explained again. And she was very open to my request. She called over the House Manager and got him to okay it, then agreed to give me the tour the next day at 6:00 p. m. (FYI, The HM is permanently with the theatre as is the Doorman, and the SM is attached to the show itself. )It was a date. And I went back out onto the street, through the front doors and saw the show. The next day, I showed up on time and talked to Joe for about ten minutes before the Stage Manager arrived. I didn't tape or photograph any of this, though I did for most of the other research that week. The Stage Manager gave me the full tour, about an hour before curtain. Dressing rooms, back stage wings, fly gallery, and all the rooms under the stage where wigs were being set, costumes repaired or laundered, lighting and sound controls and props set up. As soon as I left, I sat down with my little notebook and transferred all this information into notes before I forgot anything. Tremendously helpful. I had pictured it nothing like it actually was. And everyone was generous and open with their information. As a younger writer I was always worried that my credentials wouldn't be good enough. I feared if I said I was writing an article, book or screenplay, they'd demand to know how important it was, was it sold, being produced etc. But over the years I realize that these questions are almost never asked. Most people respect and like writers and we don't have to beef up our resumes and expound on our own importance. We are writing. We need to know things. And people, on the whole, are ready and happy to help us. I am about halfway through the first draft of the novel and had a list of places in the book I had to research so they'd be accurate. Some of them I had underestimated appallingly. The main branch of the New York Public Library, you know the one with the huge lions on 1:address w:st="on">Fifth Avenue? I must confess that my best information about what it was like inside was derived from the opening scenes from Ghostbusters. I was describing it like a regular library only bigger, and in reality it's more like the British Museum meets the Sistine Chapel. It is far more ornate and fabulous than I had any idea. And you can't check books out of it. Which I had my heroine doing. Good thing I went. Everyone in NYC would have known I had never been there. You check books out at the Annex across the street. Some of the things I described were once accurate but no more. F. A. O. Schwarz for example is going out of business. Sad but true. I went in and it had been stripped of almost every toy. Only a few losers remained on the shelves. So that had to go. It has been done in by the new 100,000 square foot Toys R Us in Times Square that has a 40' high Ferris wheel inside and a life-sized, moving, roaring Tyrannosaurus Rex from Jurassic Park. Huge replicas of the Empire State Building (with King Kong) and the Statue of Liberty made from Leggos. You get the idea. So I had to move a scene from an old time great to new time gargantuan locale. I had a scene set in the Carnegie Deli at 2:00 a. m. and the place deserted. And it's now such a tourist thing that it is never deserted. You have to stand in line just to walk in the door. So I auditioned several other Broadway neighborhood Deli's and cast one of them for the part in my book. Joe Allen's is still there and still great, but they no longer serve "Eggs Joe Allen."Can you imagine? So I had to change the book's menu. By the way, every restaurant was happy to give me a paper copy of the menu when I asked, so I could have people in the book eating whatever these places actually serve. I didn't even have to say I was a writer. Just, "Can I have this menu?"No problem. Also saw seven Broadway shows in five days. Many very good. Loved Aida. But if you're going east, the best thing on Broadway is Hugh Jackman in The Boy From Oz. He is fabulous and has committed to do it for a year without missing any performances. He sings, dances, acts, is gorgeous and six foot four. When God was dealing the cards here this guy got way more than his share of aces. There must be a dozen losers walking around with no talents because God forgot to shuffle the deck that night. Just trust me and see him in this. It is a star performance we don't see often. This is my report. Next month Live From Luxembourg. Cynthia Whitcomb is president of Willamette Writers, and has had 29 of her screenplays produced. She is author of The Writers' Guide to Writing Your Screenplay and The Writers' Guide to Selling Your Screenplay. She teaches screenwriting classes at Portland State University.and through Willamette Writers. |