Liveblogging Xena con day 2, part 2

I was a tiny bit late for Michael Hurst (played Iolaus, Hercules' sidekick, and directed a number of Xena episodes) and Jennifer Ward Lealand, who played British queen Boadicea in the series of episodes set in Britannia. They are married to each other and have two children. The first  question I heard  was about the family of the late Kevin Smith, who played Ares and who was much loved by the cast, crew, and fans of XWP and Hercules. - pictured at right.

Michael is a trustee of the Kevin Smith Charitable Fund - may not be the exact name) and is in touch with Kevin's family, and says they're doing really well, and that one of Kevin's sons is the exact image of him.

Couple of questions about accents in acting, and then a cute anecdote about how they met and started seeing each other. They have great chemistry.

Michael said that one thing having children did for his acting is make it easier for him to cry. And his children beg him not to "act" when he's telling them stories.... and also say, "Don't sing."

He is directing  a play from the 1600s called "Tis Pity She's a Whore" that is playing in New Zealand right now. He's working on a couple other plays right now with a group of young actors, very intensive, very dark. He said they had 240 applications for 12 places, of whom they saw 160, and then broke down to 24, then 12. "They're talented and they're wonderful." Details at michaelhurstnow.com.

Jennifer will be doing Falling in Love Again in Canberra in Australia this spring.

He co-wrote and is directing a horror film called Damnation Island, about "a reality show gone horribly wrong," and will be in a play called The Pillow Man, a new English play. "Once again I play a vicious, awful man, a torturer."

They discussed the theater and acting world in New Zealand. A friend of mine there says he's considered something of a genius of the theater in NZ.

He's making several jokes about his height, of which he doesn't have much.

A fan asked if there  are roles he doesn't want to be remembered for, "espcially the early 80s with the big hair."

He said, "That movie I did, Death Warmed Up? Don't see it." The director wouldn't let the actors see the dailies... it was his first movie. He said when he first saw it, he thought his career was over.

Someone asked him about "Frock Day." He said he took Jennifer's dresses. "Those days are the best days, man, the funniest things you've ever seen."

Jennifer cut in that the Americans would walk on set and have no idea what to think if they came on Frock Day. 

Someone asked for advice about directing and producing people who don't have a lot of theater experience.

He asked if they overdo it or underdo it. She said she sees both.

"Often what you need to say to people is, don't act.... Let's just get on with it.  Also, if I cannot hear you, I'm not interested."

They discussed miking and other techniques to get them to be heard, and not to "act," but just "tell the story."

Asked about the origin of "Frock Day," which is a NZ theater tradition rooted, he says, in boredom. The women get all dolled up and the men wear dresses and makeup, just in the morning. At lunch you change, and no one talks about it, other than to say "nice frock."

I missed a little bit of discussion of Shakespeare and incorporating new ideas.  I have a bitch of a cold (damn you Gale Harold) and a shitty headache. Sorry I'm a bit unfocused.

Michael said, and I agree: "An audience has a great deal more interest in someone trying not to cry, than crying." Also, audiences love it when actors talk through crying.

A fan asked if their kids watch Hercules and XWP - no - and if their children might become actors. Jennifer said, "I don't know if they'll be actors." Said their children are very musical... "Something in the arts, I'm sure."

A fan asked Michael to bring out the Widow Twanke - if not now, next year. "The Widow Twanke has agreed, and if there's an invite there, she will come."

Jennifer: "You heard it here, folks."

Michael: "I thought you might like a sonnet."

"If you want to undestand Shakespeare, you have to understand the sonnets. In the very last sonnet, it appears to be this little ditty about Cupid having a sleep," and grabbing an arrow and throwing it into the water, and it makes the water hot so it becomes a place of healing. Then Shakespeare goes there to be healed of unrequited love, and it doesn't work. Which proves that love's fire heats water, but water doesn't cool love.

Then he did the sonnet I love SO MUCH "If this be error and upon me proved, then I never writ, or no man ever loved." This was read at Angels in America author Tony Kuschner's wedding, which I saw in the documenatry Wrestling with Angels, and it's very beautiful.

Comments

[Teresa]

Hey Christie,

It was great meeting you at the Lucy concert. Stop by my site and drop me a line when you get a chance. Wasn't Lucy fantastic?

[Mary Crawford]

Thanks for a wonderful con report! I appreciate the details about Michael Hurst's appearance especially and will be linking to it on my LJ.

(PS: the classic spelling of our favorite panto dame is Widow Twanky. ;-)