"PW brings simplicity to Broadway hit 'Proof' - Arts & Culture"

Proof has opened... and here's the Brown Daily Herald review.

It's not so brilliantly written, which makes it hard for me to take it seriously, but it IS quite positive.


I'm so pumped. The show has gone AMAZINGLY well so far, and tomorrow lots of my teachers, parents, etc. will be there. And we're taping it. OMG OMG OMG!

I love theatre.

Countdown to Proof: 2 days

...and I am freaking out.

Countdown to Proof: 10 days

OK. Not many of you may be following this, but anyone who reads my blog has seen by now at least SOMEthing about the epic journey I have taken in bringing Proof to the stage. I held auditions last spring. All fell into place. Then, Catherine bailed on me over the summer. And I had to replace her. And then all fell into place again. Which brings us to where we are now.... in a little place called "OMG, my show is AMAZING!"

We've been rehearsing for a few weeks and it's all finally coming together. I'm still a little worried about tech stuff, cause frankly, I'm no good with tech and sets, but I think it'll all work out. The set and tech elements are quite minimal, so not much can really go wrong, but it'll still take some doing to set it up, and that scares me. But other than that, it's all AWESOME.

My cast is PERFECTION. Okay, well, Robert doesn't know his lines still, but other than that... PERFECTION. I'm so excited.

I will post "production stills" soon.

What ties all this back to film, though (come on, you knew that was coming), is that I first got the idea to do this show when Proof the film was released... at least, when it was going to be released... then, it got delayed and turned out to be kind of bad. But still, it planted the seed. Now, here I am, directing my first show, with the greatest actors ever, and it's all just kind of great.

"It's all happening!"

And speaking of great actresses...

Anjelica Huston in The Witches is one of THE great performances of all time. No, seriously. I think she's oscar-worthy in it... very Meryl Streep in Prada. If she hadn't also been in The Grifters that same year and given an even MORE genius performance, I'd give her the statue for this. OK, I haven't seen too many 1990 films, but still... she kicks Kathy Bates' sorry ass. Genius, genius work. And totally inspired casting. She's PERFECT.

More on The Witches later...










































Okay, maybe I'm overstating the case a bit. It's not like the Grand High Witch is actually a "real" person who we care about. But still. One of THE great screen villains of all time. The subtle sexual thrusting during the witch convention scene was pure genius. At the very least, Huston was robbed of a GG-comedy nomination. ROBBED.

She's amazing.

Who will win it?

Is Little Miss Sunshine a contender?

I believe I've modified my stance on the oscar prospects of my favorite 2006 film.

Considering that it's making a whole crapload of money, and is also arguably the year's best reviewed film so far, it might have prospects in several categories. Supporting actor (Carrell or Arkin), supporting actress (Collette or Breslin), and original screenplay (Michael Arndt, WGA) are the most obvious openings. I'd personally put my money on Breslin as the most likely nominee at this point; she's the emotional heart of the film, plus she's oh-so-cute. Carrell and Arkin both have good shots, but they might split each other's support; both will have their fans come awards time.

Final box office still looks uncertain... but I see $50 to $60 million, if not more. Plus I keep hearing random people talk about this film. Everybody's like, "did you see that movie?" or "wasn't it great?". Do you think it has a shot at being nominated for best picture? Probably not. But it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Also, Proof is going really well. Yay for having a life! Woo!

Proof is now under control.

Crisis averted. My new Catherine is:


Bryn Gonzales-Ellis. I hope it works out well.

Proof emergency!

I have been freaking out for a while now because THIS girl (right) pulled out of my show and will no longer be playing Catherine.

But have no fear, she will soon be replaced by one of THESE girls (below).











I will keep everyone appraised of new developments. I know you are all highly concerned. Because this has, seriously, been a major ordeal in my life. Casting decisions = hard.

I'd spent most of the summer agonizinng over whether I'd actually made the correct decision in casting Hope (above), and finally, after all my agonizing, I'd decided/realized that I had. I was so excited. The cast was perfect. And then she bailed. Damn.

I am still telling myself that it will all work out for the best. I mean, look what happened with Woody and ScarJo after Winslet dropped out of Match Point. But this will be hard to figure out and make peace with. Still, I will continue to try.

Wish me luck.

Coming soon: Top 25 greatest Rufus songs, and the return of the Streepathon!

Crossover has a 0% rating on "Rotten Tomatoes"

I have NEVER heard of this happening before. Go to the site and witness the spectacle, before someone reviews it positively. So far, 48 critics have had their say, and not-a-one has been fresh. So unfortunate.

Perhaps as a pity gesture, the writers actually pointed out the movie's "good heart" in the "consensus" area. Crossover must be pretty bad.