Author: JF.com

Whew! Even though I had yesterday (Sunday) off I didn’t get to blog. First of all, my daughter Vanessa, Samantha Mathis and three of her friends all went out till 2am and I slept till noon which is a first for me. They are all really smart people and had insightful things to say about the play which they found moving. Last night I watched a DVD of the documentary someone sent me called “Trouble the Water” about hurricane Katrina. It is a very powerful view of that disaster. It starts off as a video made by a young black woman named Kold Medina who lived in the Ninth Ward. Kold and her family couldn’t “afford the luxury” of evacuating (no evacuation plans or vehicles were made available to those who had no car) so she decided to document the experience on her own. Because Kold is so charismatic, fierce and generous, I was drawn into her story. Later, after her family had finally managed to leave the city, she somehow hooked up with professional documentary filmmakers who weave together her very rough, hand held video work with their own filming to create the final product. I may be wrong, but I heard it was nominated for an Oscar. Danny Glover is one of the producers. It’s authenticity gives it a power that other films about Katrina have lacked. We just did a complete dress rehearsal and tonight is our first public performance. I feel very ready. I need an audience now. Not that there won’t be mistakes, forgotten cues, dropped lines, etc but time and repetition will cure that. I have a number of close friends coming tonight: Gloria Steinem, Eve Ensler, Pat Mitchell and Scott Seydel, Sharon Fergusen Maxwell and her daughter, the actress Megan Maxwell. I am so glad they are all coming to be with me and the play tonight. I have gotten such beautiful flowers this afternoon and they make me so happy. Val Kilmer sent me the largest bunch I have ever received. He is such a dear friend and neighbor in New Mexico. Kimberly and Katherine who own the Pilates on Fifth sent me gorgeous roses and the Women’s Media Center staff sent a white orchid. I will take my nap surrounded by the sweet smell of love. See you next time.

Feb ?? What day is it? They are all starting to bleed into each other. Work till midnight, fall into bed. Pray for sleep (those good old ear plugs!!). Actually, this morning I did Pilates with Kimberly. It felt great after too many slothful days. Well, not slothful, actually, but with no physical challenge. We got to the second act today. It’s a complicated show technically so it’s slow going but when I’m not needed I go out into the audience to watch. I’m blown away by the set and the lighting. During earlier rehearsals, the ‘old-timers’ who’ve done it before told me I would feel cocooned in light and they were right. Erik Steele, as Anton Schindler, Beethoven’s secretary is amazing. As I said in an earlier blog, he’s Cirque de Soleil by way of Dickens. We should be ready to have a rough tech run through on Friday and then on Saturday we’re hoping to have a very small group of invited guests to watch the final run through before public previews begin on Monday. Moises assures me that people who come to previews know we are still working out the kinks and that they’ll be forgiving. I hope he’s right. I was thinking today on my way to the theater how grateful I am just to be working, never mind doing something really exciting. So many aren’t. I ache when I read about the layoffs. I’ve lost a lot but it’s nothing compared to friends of mine who have lost everything they had because every penny they saved over their entire lifetimes was invested in one of Maddoff’s schemes. I read a few days ago that Maddoff was complaining that he felt like a prisoner in his own penthouse! I want to shake him till his teeth fall out. No matter what happens once this play opens, I won’t be complaining. I feel blessed. I also feel tired. Enough. See you next time.