BWW Blog: Ed Dixon of Casa Manana's OSWALD: THE ACTUAL INTERROGATION - Opening

Friday, November 8, 2013

We started really late... three o'clock and only worked on a few things, just to be together a bit before the first invited audience. There were a couple of hundred students and teachers in the audience and they all stayed for the talkback afterward. The show went surprisingly smoothly for an invited dress and we were all quite pleased with it. So was the audience, judging by their interesting questions afterward. End of rehearsal period.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Woke up knowing that we had two real shows before us, one preview and then the opening night. Very nervous. The script is a bear and there's no way to be relaxed about it. Walking through that door on the first entrance is a bit like jumping out of a plane. There's NO WAY you can possibly anticipate all that's going to happen after that initial jump. There were some lumps in the afternoon show... one actor was late for TWO entrances. It's the kind of thing where you have to stick your head in the door at a crucial moment and yell something important to the action. Two pauses... only a second or two... but on stage, that's like an hour. Very nerve wracking.

Went home and showered and tried to start over in my head. Ran thru the lines one last time and then off to the theater... very early as is my wont. I am happy to announce that the actual opening felt absolutely magical. Everything was in place and everyone was on their game and the electricity between my character and Oswald was palpable. Huge standing ovation with stomping and screaming. Very satisfying. I walked into the party in the lobby afterward and ran into an old friend from high school which was lovely. But I didn't have the energy for small talk and after about ten minutes I was off to my hotel. When I put the key card in the door of my room, I had a sense of relief that was out of this world.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

We had two more shows on Sunday. I didn't know how tired I was until I got in my car to drive to the theater. But good old doctor show biz kicked in and both shows on Sunday were really rolling. The second one ended and we all breathed a huge sigh of relief... and then we realized. We have not yet been in Ft. Worth for TWO WEEKS. That happens tomorrow. Amazing. The first of the reviews has just come in. Lawson Taitte, the main reviewer in the area said, "Ed Dixon is one of the American theater's best character actors." If that's not an exit line, I don't know what is.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Day off. My voice is really angry with me. (There's a LOT of yelling in the play.) So I'm having a very quiet day. It's incredibly beautiful in Ft. Worth today. You'd never know that we're nearing the middle of November.

Photo Credit: Curtis Brown

Photo Credit: Curtis Brown

Photo Credit: Curtis Brown

The silver dome of Casa Manana Theater. Under this very ceiling I did the very first audition of my entire career.

Somehow managed to get this shot of the set in the dark auditorium. Tonight we'll get some professional photos with lights.

The amazing Japanese Gardens between my hotel and Casa Manana.