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[Want to share your own Rogue story? Email Jaguar Bennett
at jagbennett@sbcglobal.net]
FRIDAY, MARCH 4 -- This is the real thing. Tonight 21 different shows will happen
in eight different places. We in the Rogue Core like to believe this can
happen smoothly and with complete organization. Ha! Opening night is a frenzy
of last-second preparations, sudden fixes, crises surmounted, and yet
somehow, the show goes on.
As always, when I'm involved in a production, I'm reminded of this dialogue
in "Shakespeare in Love," where producer Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush)
gives the straight dope on show biz to theater investor Hugh Fennyman (Tom
Wilkinson).
Philip Henslowe: Mr. Fennyman, allow me to explain about the theatre
business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the
road to imminent disaster.
Hugh Fennyman: So what do we do?
Philip Henslowe: Nothing. Strangely enough, it all turns out well.
Hugh Fennyman: How?
Philip Henslowe: I don't know. It's a mystery.
That's actually the most realistic statement about theater ever made.
My night:
6:00 PM: Before the first show opens, I'm roaming every venue I can get too,
leaving handbills for my stand-up comedy show, "Jaguar Bennett: Pain,
Guilt and Humiliation," opening at 10 PM, Saturday March 5 at Veni Vidi
Vici. The soul of the Rogue is shameless self-promotion. If you're doing a
Rogue show, or you want to do a Rogue show next year, keep this important lesson
in mind.
The crowds are sparse for the first shows. Rogue opening nights are odd; the
audience usually hasn't yet gotten it that a whole festival is happening. But
they get it eventually.
How can you best enjoy the Rogue? Ask Chris Johnson, official Rogue security
goon: "The first thing for our welcome and honored guests is turn your
cell phones off or I will confiscate them if I find them. They can be
recovered for a fee of $100, payable to Rogue charities. Other than that,
enjoy yourselves, imbibe carefully and drive even more carefully, and enjoy
the Rogue."
8:00 PM: Final speed-through on the play I'm doing, "Opposites
Attract," by Jade Ed Gypsy productions. It occurs to me that doing two
shows is not the ideal way to cover the Rogue Report. I'd like to see what's
going on at the other venues, but I'm going to be stuck with my cast until
11:00.
9:30 PM: Standing in front of Starline, I get to talk a little bit to actual
audience members!
Lewis Salinas, who just came out of "Happy Endings are Overrated,"
by Tim Ereneta: "Tim's a pretty cool guy. It was pretty captivating,
really, the way he delivered his monologue and his mannerisms. The Rogue is
really exciting, and I'm glad to be supporting the actors who are coming to
Fresno. People are intrigued by the Rogue. There's a buzz.
Amber, who just came out of Baba Brinkman's "Rap Canterbury Tales":
"It was different. It wasn't what I expected. I thought he was going to
be different kind of rapper. I thought he was going to be black. This is my
first Rogue, I'm a Rogue Virgin, but I like it. I think it's great that you
can go to shows for cheap and see something new and creative like a Canadian
rapper rapping the Canterbury tales."
10:00 PM: Our show goes up! Opening night jitters, lights in your eyes, that
creeping anxiety: Are they laughing? Does the audience like me?
The odd thing about the Starline is that the backstage area is the hallway to
the bathroom. People who just want to pee have to elbow their way through the
cast, who are dancing to the pre-show Adam Ant. Dancing actors are just one
of the little hazards of the Rogue.
11:00 PM: We survived, and the crowd seemed to like the show OK. If you want
to catch "Opposites Attract," we're playing at the Starline again
Saturday night at 8:30 PM and Saturday, March 12 at 2:30 PM.
12:00 AM: Relaxing post-show at the Starline with whiskey, quesadillas and
the Neil Young cover band Ragged Glory.
[Cue music soundtrack: "Keep on rockin' the Free World ..."]
I flit around Livingstone's, dropping "Pain, Guilt and Humiliation"
fliers on unsuspecting patrons. Again, shameless promotion is the soul of the
Rogue.
I've got to finalize my preparations for tomorrow night's premiere of my
standup comedy show, "Pain, Guilt and Humiliation." It's late, and
I need to go home.
Rogue on the Street -- Voices and Comment
Bria Neuenschwander, Rogue Volunteer: "Being a Rogue volunteer is a lot
of fun. We were a little stressed, because we didn't know if we could count
money and tickets right, but we can."
Steven Kaworski, star of "Adventures of a Substitute Teacher":
"Audiences were kind of small and quiet tonight, but I've been
performing so long I don't let that throw me. I like the Rogue: it's well
organized, well sorted out, and kind of mellow."
[Well-organized? Ah, the power of illusion.]
John Jordan, Rogue Number One: "I'm here by default. I don't know what
I'm doing."
[That's what the Rogue's all about. You don't know what's going to happen
next]
Jennifer Lathrop, Rogue Film Coordinator: "The Rogue is here! It's going
to be big, it's going to be awesome, it's going to be great!"
[Cut the crap, Lathrop. What do you really feel?]
"I'm freaking out!"
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