One Week till GUTS is OUT!

"I can feel it. I can touch it... I'm here!"
Though this is a quote from GUTS, it also describes how I am feeling today, exactly one week before the vision of GUTS materializes.
Yes, I am here. A couple of years back (and forgive me for the cheesy moment....) I read 4 lines from my diary to my mentor, Gregory Simmons, and he said "You must create a play out of this!"....
"What?! Who? Where? How?.....No way! That's a crazy thought!", I responded... Plus, it's my personal "stuff"! 
Mr. Simmons insisted that there is something very universal in my messages, he urged me to keep writing, he urged me to get out of my comfort zone, he urged me to develop a play because what I had to say was bigger than me...
I resisted. I resisted A LOT....But what kept me going (other than Mr. Simmons' incessant support and faith in this project) was that deep inside I knew that GUTS could make a difference. At first I didn't know exactly what kind of "difference", but I'm more clear about it these days. 
The name GUTS came to me one day, not too long ago, after quite a while of working on a nameless play. It immediately felt like "the one". Made so much sense to me. I had somehow known that the name would come when it's ready to come, and it did... All the associations of the word GUTS exist in this play, though the word is not used even once. 


Cut to where we are now.....


That diary, which I always liked personalizing (I tend to personalize things....), became Mr. Diary; fiction was added; Middle Eastern dance, an agent in telling the story of Hellthy, was added; multimedia was added; many drafts were created over and over...And then I found my superwoman director/producer, Shoshona Currier, and she put together an incredible team, gifted award-winning designers, passionate artists, who amaze me every day. I couldn't have asked for more. 
GUTS, my surreal dramdey, my multi-media fantasia, is going to hit the stage in one week! What began as a personal story of triumph, something a private person like me did NOT want to share with the world, is about to materialize as a theatrical piece. Now, that alone seems surreal to me....But like my mentor said, it's a lot bigger than me, and I am beyond honored to be the GUTS' vessel.


Here's a lil something from yesterday's costume fitting (Sydney Maresca, our costume designer, is a wizard...):

GUTS Film Shoot Blew Me Away

Even though today was a long day of shooting footage for GUTS, including, but not limited to, a lot of dancing (you'll see it on stage and on screen when you come see it...), which resulted in sore muscles and (sweet) exhaustion, I had to stop by here and say how amazing today was. We shot most of what will end up becoming the "multimedia fantasia" aspect of GUTS, all done brilliantly by our incredible video designer- Kaz Phillips Safer. Can't wait to see the footage!

Gotta say, I was blown away today by her ideas, creativity and imagination, not to mention by the strong wind, provided by New York City. I don't care that I had to cut my nails (for the first time! I love my long nails) for the role of Hellthy, and I don't care that I had to wear summer clothes while the cold wind was trying to fly me away. Because it's worth it. My GUTS experience these days is a dream come true. I couldn't have asked for a more talented, inspired and passionate team. So much dedicated work is put into GUTS, and to think that it's a solo show....

My body needs to rest now.....until tomorrow's rehearsal. 

We open in 2 weeks!!! 

GUTS.

My GUTS...coming out....soon...

PS. I leave you with a photo taken on set today, with our edible props...

Da News is OUT!

I like warm weather, just like Hellthy, my character in GUTS. Had to layer up this morning for rehearsal, since we're in that time of year, when city heat isn't on yet, though it should be.....Even though I constantly move on stage, I am still cold....

BUT, may I say, I am now super warm, and not because the heat at home is on (it's not...), but because our FIRST announcement is out! GUTS is OUT! We open 4 weeks from today!!! Yay! It's amazing that even though the apartment is cold, I am feeling soooo warm inside and out! Cheerz!!
Read:

http://broadwayworld.com/article/Liat-Rons-GUTS-Begins-Performances-113-20111006

My GUTS

I don't quite understand why I've been so neglectful of my blog. It's rude. Please forgive me, Mr. Blog.  I may have been focusing too much on developing a play (GUTS) based on my Diary, and so Blog didn't have much room to grow....

Now, just to be clear, GUTS is NOT my diary! It's actually a fictionalized version of my story...But its original seed was a diary that was written during a very pivotal time of my life, not too long ago. 

So here I am, trying to make peace with you, Mr. Blog, asking for your forgiveness. I didn't mean to desert you. I am back now! I am back now, straight from our first rehearsal of GUTS.  

It's so incredibly exhilarating, hard to put it in words....

Opening night is November 3rd! (and yes, there WILL BE belly dancing...). Sooo pumped! We have the most talented team on earth! (Yes, on earth!) and I have to pinch myself to believe that this is finally happening. GUTS.

I'm leaving you with a glimpse from last weekend, which was designed for memorizing all of Hellthy's lines (that's my character's name, and it's not a spelling mistake) somewhere......in Massachusetts....Enjoy! I will see you back here, VERY soon! Oh, and thank you for not giving up on me...I'll totally make it up to you, I promise!

Shana Tova, Blog (and my Jewish readers too.....)