Tag Board

effie tait: hi carol, just seing if i can do this..thought my smoke alarm was the laptop having a nervous breakdown...F xxxx
Destiny: Hi Carol-- I found this nifty little area too. I liked the story and plan on reading the book! You will autograph it for me won't you? Des
Poppy: Liiiiike the new colors! Vibrant and fresh! Good Job!
Margaret B.: Happy Thanksgiving MacDaniels Clan! from the Biernbaums we'll be over for desert!
Livie: Oh Carol! I have found a new toy. I like how I can stop by and drop in a line or two! Now I can pester you for installments all day long and there is nothing you can do about it! Olivia
Chase & Jordan: Hey Carol-It was the thrill of our life to finally meet you and Steve. Can't decide which one of you we have crushes on. LOL! Let's see more blogging and excerpts please. This story is way too good to let stand still. Chase and Jordan
Danny: hey Kiddo--I know I have teased you about your love of football in the past, but I like your post and admire your presentation. You're a pretty cool chick and Steve is a lucky guy to be able to share football with ya.Here's hoping it all turns out fair. For the record, I am not sure whether or not the Blades can avoid being relegated either, but you are all right about the fine being a mere drop in the ocean. It's just wrong. D.
Louise S.: I think you are so interesting. I have begun to make it a habit to come in here to see what you are up to. Looking forward to more BEHIND THE WALL!
Linda: Carol --I've come in here to read BTW and love the excerpts you've chosen. It was great to see you both in Scotland again (And the kids - how they've all grown!) - even though the circumstances were so sad. You were awesome for Steve at the funeral. I am proud of you. He's a lucky man to have you and I believe he will get through this. With you at his side how can he not.
Rick: CarolPlease extend my condolances to Stve and all your family on the loss of your father in law. I know it ia hard right now, so if i don't get to read you for a while, I'll be thinking of you. Rick
Teej---: Carol and SteveYou know we're here for you if you need anything at all. Grandy was a wonderful man and he will be missed by everyone who knew him.Teej and Deej
Elizabeth: Oh Carol, I am so very sorry to learn of Steve's dad's passing. I am sure it is a very painful time for you and yours. Please accept my sincerest condolances.Eliz
Bea: Carol -\Plase extend my sincerest condolances to Steve on the loss of his dad. I know how much it hurts and how you all loved him. He did sound like a wonderful man and he certainly raised a wonderful son. If you guys need anything... If there is anying I can do...Bea
Danny: Carol-Sorry to hear about Steve's father passing. I can't imagine how much it must hurt. S.
Carol: Danny! You can be so unkind! Does this mean you are happy to see someone hurtin'? LOLFirst of all, he is not MY Sean Bean - Second of all, although his last two films may not have been his best, his performances in both of them were outstanding; I trust you made note of that. Lastly, I saw the game yesterday and truly felt bad about it. There is something fundamentally wrong with how all this was attained by West Ham and I am not so sure I trust what the outcome will be... It has made for
Danny: Hey Carol, Looks like your Sean Bean is having a rough go of it lately. Two bad movies and yesterday his team lost Premiership.
Louise: Carol I stumbled in here on Wednesday evening and have loved every minute. You have a real no nonsense way of writing that I happen to like very much. Terrific job. (Oh and I like your taste in men too. Sean Bean is definitely a hottie!)
Elizabeth: Yeah, Carol, post about your wonderful marriage. We do all want to know. What's your secret for keeping things so tight between you and Steve all these years. Most of the time, I can't stand my husband! LOL.
Carol: Thanks for the remarks everyone - Please remember that the excerpts are very raw. What I have prepared now for the book is infinately more polished... Odds botkins, I love youz!Carol
Bea: Oh Carol, I want to be you! What is your secret for getting on so well for so long with your Steve. We all want to know!
Elizabeth: Carol this is terrific. I am so happy for you! I love the excerpts you have chosen (and I can say that because I know where this is going!) Your time has come and I am so excited to be here to see it all unfold for you!Love you!Elizabeth
TJ: You went to see Christopher Plummer and Brian Dennehey? Why you no good low down... I am SO JEALOUS! I love them both! Still, nobody deserves a wonderful night out more than you, lady!JT
Bea: Hi Carol. Good to see Madison County Event restored. I thought it had fallen off the book.
Ria: Carol this is brilliant! I am amazed at your creativity!
Leah: I love your latest. Perfect Muse. You are so freakin' funny!
Marian: This is really great, Carol! Kudos, kiddo!~ :D
DCH: Ah! As soon as you mentioned Sean Bean, I kind of figured you'd had him in mind for your character. (Which character I'm not certain yet; there seems to be several incorporated in the story -- Steve, Logan and Jamie . . .) I'll read it again! I've known how great Sean Bean is since the first time I saw the "Sharp" series on the History Channel years ago . . and just had to own the videos (now a set of DVDs as well!). I love the Sharp character and Sean is absolutely perfect in that role!
Bea: JEEPERS! How did I miss this?!Terrific stuff, even in its roughest form. I cannot wait to see the final product, m'dear! TJ is right; you MUST finish it! And YOU are right; it IS the best thing you have ever done. How clever you are! INDEED!
Chase: I LOVE THE WAY YOU WRITE! You make me want to be Logan!Chase
Ricky: Hey you! Been reading more Logan. Congrats on rekindling your love affair with Bean! LOLSeriously, Carol, it's damn good!
Carol: Thanks D and all... No, Rick, I have not seen it. I am not inclined to scare myself senseless... LOLCarol
Danny: I love this. Your excerpts from BTW are awesome. I am thrilled for you, Kiddo! Don't let the shock of catching Bean out of his element befuddle you; you're better than that. Loved Madison COUnty Event too! As you would say, it's Good Stuff. Cheers babe.D-man
Rick: You scare me. Have you seen Hitcher? Damn!
Barb -: I am left speechless. But in a good way.
Bea: Girlfriend you are something else. This is awesome tho I am surprised you are sharing it. Is our old fashioned girl going to join the millinium and start blogging?

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Friday, February 8th 2008

8:04 PM

GABRIEL BYRNE: TVs SWEET TREAT


Okay, I admit it.  I've been watching TV.  I have become completely hooked on HBO's new half hour drama, In Treatment.

I'll be writing my thoughts on the show as it progresses, but, today, I'm just making note of how delighted I am to see Gabriel Byrne again! 

I first saw him a few years ago in NYC.  He was appearing in Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten, and I was utterly mesmerized by his performance.  Since then, I miss no opportunity to see him.  A fan?  Me?  Well, glory be, I guess I am.  ... and I dare suggest you will be, too, once you experience his work. 

It was the spring of two-thousand.  I obtained tickets to the (sold out) play which was onstage at the Walter Kerr Theater, one of the medium sized houses.  Eugene O'Neill happens to be one of my favorite playwrights, and the idea of seeing the exquisite Ray Dotrice in the role of Phil Hogan made it an irresistible must-see.  (Now that I think of it, I'm fairly certain Mr. Dotrice won the Tony for this portrayal in the Best Actor in a Featured Role category).

It was the first time I ever saw Gabriel Byrne.  He was the brave soul who took on the challenging role of James Tyrone, Jr. and I had no idea what to expect where he was concerned.  Not terribly ambitious about learning, I checked briefly online, and read that he was an Irish Actor.  Saints preserve us!  Being the Anglophile that I am, this pleased me immensely, and enough said.  (As it happens, I am also fairly certain that Mr. Byrne was nominated for a Tony for this part, but I do not believe he took the statue home...)

Cherry Jones, another under appreciated, superbly brilliant actress rounded out the cast as Josie Hogan.  This put me over the moon.  I was just desperate for the days to pass until I would see it! 
~

Sitting in the theater, in my center section aisle seat in the tenth row, I checked my watch repeatedly as the auditorium filled to capacity.  Finally, the lights lowered and the audience hushed as the curtain began to move.  I held my breath... 

There is no way for this writer to separate one performance, that Sunday afternoon, from the other.  Each acted and reacted to the other in perfect harmony, if you'll forgive me the cliche: like an impeccably rehearsed symphony.

Gabriel Byrne stood out for me because I had never seen him before and, forgive me again, I can be an awful snob when it comes to live theater.  He took hold of that character and transported me and, I think, everyone else to the 1940s.  It was not just O'Neill's words that took us away; Byrne's body language, his very demeanor, was of a time gone by.  What a lovely, magical partnership!

Byrne's obvious love of the material shone through.  So many actors simply say lines and move about the stage, gesturing as instructed, and they get rave reviews for doing it.  I have been guilty, too, of this kind of acceptance - and as long as I am entertained, this is all right with me... uh, most of the time.  It's a given, our Mr. Byrne could have gotten away with offering much less than he did.  Fortunately for his audience, however, it would not have been enough for him!  He didn't perform Tyrone; he channeled him.  There was no definitive line between the here and now and the once upon a time.  The assemblage around me disappeared, and I was taken into the story, the proverbial fly on the wall of a real happening. 

I want to share about the one jarring moment, that afternoon, that sealed my bond as a fan of this man's work and talent.  It was near the play's conclusion.  Gabriel Byrne was in the midst of the emotional third act monologue where James Tyrone speaks loving words of confession and apology, revealing the depth of his personhood to Josie Hagen.  It is a heart wrenchingly serious time in the play which has, up to this point, been peppered with O'Neill's perfectly placed moments of comedic hilarity. 

One of the male audience members, up front and to the actors' right, (my left), made it abundantly clear that he had no knowledge of the story and no realization of the depth of what was happening.  He misunderstood the character's intent and let loose a startling guffaw at the precise moment when the actor was escorting the audience to the story's emotional crescendo.  The outburst seemed extremely loud, but that may have been because the theater was silent, except for Byrne's voice.  My heart sank for the actor as the explosive disturbance caused every head in the audience to turn.  I wondered how he would be able to maintain his momentum and, indeed, the integrity of the scene.  Feeling generous, I decided no matter how he chose to handle it, my admiration for his performance would remain intact. 

To my astonishment, Mr. Byrne did not need my forgiveness.  His hold on the character, the time and space, and the audience never faltered.  Without any sign on his face or in his cadence that he heard the young man's misguided outburst, he skillfully ushered us along on our journey to the story's conclusion and kept us unscathed. 

To this day, I remember that moment, and I don't know how he did it.  I have seen things like this happen to other performers and felt just as heartsick for them as I did for Mr. Byrne.  Some chose to step out of character and acknowledge the evil-doer, with humor or admonishment; others hesitate, regroup, and start the scene from a previous point.  One actor actually forgot the next few lines and took a moment to re-compose himself, but he had lost his focus and the character - and the scene fell flat.  All these reactions were understandable.  Things happen in live theater, and I feel it would be unjust to hold the actors accountable.  (It's a certainty I could not do it.) 

I simply do not believe the talent and presence of mind Gabriel Byrne exhibited that afternoon comes along every day.  The point I mean to make is: even though I was affected emotionally in that I was so relieved and happy for Byrne because he was not yanked out of character, he continued with such impeccable timing and grace that my exuberance was shelved.  It did not come through until after I had thoroughly experienced the emotion and sensitivity O'Neill intended. 

Photobucket
Cherry Jones as Josie Hagen comforts Jim Tyrone played by Gabriel Byrne
Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten
Photo Courtesy: NY Times

It was very personal.  I shudder just thinking about it, and I know my words fail miserably to express how amazing it was!  An unforgettable gift to experience first hand!  Someday, I hope to thank him for his love of the material, his selfless generosity to his audience, and his desire - or was it determination - to share both with us that day.


Recently, I saw the play again... with Kevin Spacey in the role of James Tyrone, Jr.   Normally, I cannot be objective where Spacey is concerned, because he is one of my favorite actors.  In this case, however, I have to confess, he could not inhabit the person of Tyrone for me.  It belongs forever to someone else.  

I'm thinking In Treatment may turn out to be treatment for me! 

There.  Now that I have that out of my system, I'll move on to discussing the show:
Uh, I like it.  *chortle*  It satisfies some seedy sense of voyeurism I never knew I had in me... 

More later.

CM
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