Rehearsals, thrills and a visitor

This week kicked off with a fabulous rehearsal for Beaten Hearts.  Cindy brought in a friend who is a professional actress/dancer/choreographer to choreograph 'Love Song in Black' and the transitions between each play.  Murphy was great; brimful of energy and ideas, working within the limits of our dancing abilities.  'Love Song' really came alive and we had a ball.  The transitions will also take the form of different dances, echoing the stories they precede and tying the whole show together.  We are truly privileged to have Murphy on board, adding to the collection of talents which will make this show - like it's first incarnation in Melbourne - so special.

Something else that made this week special was going to the screening of an independent film.  The film, called 'Blue' was written by Don Wallace, the husband of my roommate Gina's niece.  It's part boxing movie, part crime drama with a nod to Romeo & Juliet.  Produced on a micro-budget, it's an impressive piece of work; well-written and acted, tough and lean as a boxer.  The screening was to attract distributors and I hope it does because it deserves to find an audience.  The real thrill came from meeting Mathew St Patrick, one of the stars of Six Feet Under, who is an old friend of Don's.  He was very down to earth and lovely (not to mention weak-at-the-knees gorgeous), and I had a nice chat with both he and his assistant, a young British guy.  I didn't have my camera on me, so had to make do with the camera in my phone (hence the graininess of the image).  Did I mention I was thrilled?  I look like I'm about to jump out of my skin with delight.

This week I also had a couple of rehearsals for a new short film/pilot show written and directed by Jerry White, with whom I worked on 'Lost Girls' back in November.  Lovely to be invited to take part in his latest project, plus he's far more organised than the 'Don't Drink the Bong Water' guy - a project which has been delayed due to one of the leads pulling out, at this rate it will never get off the ground.  Jerry's idea for a TV show centres around an elderly man who decides after several years of celibacy to return to the dating scene.  You may be relieved to know I play a workmate, not a prospective love interest.

On Friday I met with Cindy to discuss music for Beaten Hearts.  We spent a couple of hours listening to various tracks and discussing Cindy's ideas for the transitions between each play.  Then I had a Skype date with Tiffany, always a pleasure my dear!  Later that night, cousin Sophie from Ballarat arrived in L.A., on route to South America.  My first official visitor!  Sophie has been travelling in India, so she and Gina had lots to talk about.  We made a cosy bed for her on the sofa, where she was swiftly joined by Milo the cat.  On Saturday morning I dragged her out to Theatricum Botanicum, an open-air theatre in a beautiful wooded area about 30 minutes drive from home, where I auditioned for their summer repertory season; Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, The Three Musketeers and Masterclass.  I did my temper tantrum Capulet monologue from R&J - "God's bread, it makes me mad!" - which was fun.  Fingers crossed!

In the evening we met up with another friend of mine, Tatiana, for a bite to eat on Sunset Boulevard.  We took the scenic route through the Hollywood Hills and along the famous strip, a neon-lit avenue of music venues, nightclubs, bars, restaurants and high-end fashion boutiques.  Then we continued along to the quieter end of Sunset for a drink at The Cat and Fiddle, an English pub with a fabulous, leafy courtyard augmented by fairy lights and surrounded by Spanish-style buildings that add to the atmosphere.  We've been enjoying delightfully warm weather over the past week, so although it was cool in the evening, it wasn't uncomfortably so and we happily sat in the courtyard with our cocktails.