Drawer Boy withdrawal...boy!
Sat, 5 Oct 2002, 01:43 amcrgwllms9 posts in thread
Drawer Boy withdrawal...boy!
Sat, 5 Oct 2002, 01:43 amGiven the deluge of controversial opinion that followed some comments made in a review by Geoff Gibbs last month; I wonder what his latest actions will provoke?
The West Australian (Fri Oct 4) reports that he has withdrawn from Black Swan's production of The Drawer Boy only days before its scheduled opening.
Gibbs and director Andrew Ross had a major difference of opinion in interpreting his character. In the last week Ross suggested Gibbs swap characters with Max Gillies, who plays the other main character. Gibbs though, felt that was asking too much.
However, apparently Gillies is still going to swap roles and play the part vacated by Gibbs, while George Shevtsov will take over Max's role, and the opening night has been delayed a week.
I won't speculate as to whether Gibbs' leaving was initiated by him, by Ross, or a mutual decision...but it's certainly controversial.
Cheers,
Craig
[%sig%]
The West Australian (Fri Oct 4) reports that he has withdrawn from Black Swan's production of The Drawer Boy only days before its scheduled opening.
Gibbs and director Andrew Ross had a major difference of opinion in interpreting his character. In the last week Ross suggested Gibbs swap characters with Max Gillies, who plays the other main character. Gibbs though, felt that was asking too much.
However, apparently Gillies is still going to swap roles and play the part vacated by Gibbs, while George Shevtsov will take over Max's role, and the opening night has been delayed a week.
I won't speculate as to whether Gibbs' leaving was initiated by him, by Ross, or a mutual decision...but it's certainly controversial.
Cheers,
Craig
[%sig%]
Re: Back to the Drawing board
Sat, 5 Oct 2002, 08:05 pmGreg Ross wrote:
>
> GibbsÂ’ departure, (or execution) has been clumsy and
> curiously devoid of moral and intellectual responsibility,
> vaguely reminiscent of the theme behind the recent Marsh
> production of Frankenstein. Come to think of it, so is this
> review!
> The Hedonist & Raconteur.
Dear H & R Puffenstuff,
..Good to see there's no bitterness left over from your Frankenstein review, Greg...?
So do I take it you are admitting that your own 'review' is clumsy and curiously devoid of responsibility..? (Although I DO recognise that you are "Drawing" from past experience...and almost entirely parodying Gibb's review of Frankenstein, with a fair whack of irony.)
It's not yet quite clear who is the dummy or who spat it... you're assuming it was Geoff (and it may well have been), but maybe it was Andrew Ross..? This is not the first Black Swan show that has had it's opening delayed because it wasn't up to scratch in time.
Or maybe it was mutually decided to recast, in which case the good of the play was obviously in mind, and Geoff unfortunately has had to wear the sacrifice?
We immediately think of the cliche of the actor storming off the set, but how would you feel if it was the director who told YOU, a week before the show was to open, that they wanted to recast you? Or if it simply became apparent to all that the role was beyond your capabilities?
Either way, it's obvious that a major mistake has been made...but what is the best way to deal with something like this?
We've all seen shows that we think would've been better with a different casting. But once rehearsals are underway (and more significantly, once contracts are signed) there's very little you can easily do about it, if you realise an error has been made.
And there are times perhaps, when many of us would love to jump ship from a struggling production rather than carry through to opening night. What is it that forces us to carry on regardless, rather than pull the pin and save everybody the embarrassment?
Is it always true that the show "must go on", even though it's become obvious that it won't be the best it can be? Or should someone swallow their pride and make the hard decision to fix the problem before it continues any further?
It seems to me that this last minute recasting, while perhaps exposing all concerned to accusations of incompetence, could also be one of the bravest decisions made in the creative process.
It remains to see how the show will bear up, but if we can assume it will be better than had it opened as scheduled, then that must be a positive thing.
Cheers,
Craig
[%sig%]
>
> GibbsÂ’ departure, (or execution) has been clumsy and
> curiously devoid of moral and intellectual responsibility,
> vaguely reminiscent of the theme behind the recent Marsh
> production of Frankenstein. Come to think of it, so is this
> review!
> The Hedonist & Raconteur.
Dear H & R Puffenstuff,
..Good to see there's no bitterness left over from your Frankenstein review, Greg...?
So do I take it you are admitting that your own 'review' is clumsy and curiously devoid of responsibility..? (Although I DO recognise that you are "Drawing" from past experience...and almost entirely parodying Gibb's review of Frankenstein, with a fair whack of irony.)
It's not yet quite clear who is the dummy or who spat it... you're assuming it was Geoff (and it may well have been), but maybe it was Andrew Ross..? This is not the first Black Swan show that has had it's opening delayed because it wasn't up to scratch in time.
Or maybe it was mutually decided to recast, in which case the good of the play was obviously in mind, and Geoff unfortunately has had to wear the sacrifice?
We immediately think of the cliche of the actor storming off the set, but how would you feel if it was the director who told YOU, a week before the show was to open, that they wanted to recast you? Or if it simply became apparent to all that the role was beyond your capabilities?
Either way, it's obvious that a major mistake has been made...but what is the best way to deal with something like this?
We've all seen shows that we think would've been better with a different casting. But once rehearsals are underway (and more significantly, once contracts are signed) there's very little you can easily do about it, if you realise an error has been made.
And there are times perhaps, when many of us would love to jump ship from a struggling production rather than carry through to opening night. What is it that forces us to carry on regardless, rather than pull the pin and save everybody the embarrassment?
Is it always true that the show "must go on", even though it's become obvious that it won't be the best it can be? Or should someone swallow their pride and make the hard decision to fix the problem before it continues any further?
It seems to me that this last minute recasting, while perhaps exposing all concerned to accusations of incompetence, could also be one of the bravest decisions made in the creative process.
It remains to see how the show will bear up, but if we can assume it will be better than had it opened as scheduled, then that must be a positive thing.
Cheers,
Craig
[%sig%]
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