Stage Right

Jane Fonda: New Play, New Blog, Same Attitude Towards The Troopsby Stage Right

Just when I thought I might run out of ideas for blog posts, I get a gift from God… Jane Fonda has started a blog in conjunction with her return to Broadway in “33 Variations!” The play, by Moisés Kaufman, sounds absolutely fascinating and when I first heard about Fonda’s casting I didn’t think I’d have much to write about since on the face of it the play doesn’t seem political. But now that her friends and fans seem to have talked Hanoi Jane into sharing her personal thoughts in a blog every day… Well, this is going to be a target rich environment!

Jane says that she was in part inspired by none other than Rosie O’Donnell to do the blog and if her musings are anything like Rosie’s, let’s just say I owe that dame a big thank you hug for influencing Henry’s daughter (I don’t usually use the word ‘dame’, but I’m hoping it annoys Rosie if she ever reads this).

A quick overview of the blog gives us an eclectic view of Jane’s days as she prepares for the previews to begin at the beautiful Eugene O’Neill Theatre. The posts range from sweet, nostalgic personal thoughts…

Today, during lunch break, I took my dog, Tulea, for a walk and it really hit me
how much I miss my dad. When he returned from his stint in the Navy after WWII
he went straight to Broadway to star in “Mr. Roberts.” He played that role every
day for four years, never missing a performance! It was not customary in those
days—the 40s and 50s—for movie stars to go back and forth from Hollywood to
Broadway. But theatre was Dad’s great love. My brother and I grew up knowing and
respecting this about him. He loved the immediacy of playing before a live
audience. The instant feedback. He was meticulous, always doing exactly the same
things, the same moves, the same inflections, every night. I have heard this
from so many of his fellow actors.

…to downright strange revelations about dreaming of Robert (Bob, don’t ya know) Redford…

Couldn’t sleep. When I finally did I dreamed of my pal, Bob Redford. He showed
up just when I needed him: I was supposed to catch a plane but discovered I’d
forgotten the bag I have to carry Tulea in. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get her
on without it. Bob devised a way to sneak her on and then snuck himself on as
well. I remarked to myself how playful and happy he seemed and that made me
happy.

…to creepy, Shirley MacLaine style, new age clap trap…

Eve also brought me a gift—it is a rock from the Moroccan desert that has been
split open and when you look inside the two halves, you see a glistening,
shimmering miracle of crystal and mica. “This is how we are when we are broken
open,” she said. ‘We’ means we women, artists, warriors. It the perfect Eve
gift—I will keep it on my dressing table. A constant reminder to allow myself to
be broken open.

…to her embracing her inner “Hanoi Jane” by blogging about the current anti-Iraq war movement:

Joining us was Marlisa
Grogan, Captain in the US Marine Corp (29 UES). I had never met her before
and was very impressed. She has such a deep understanding of why it is important
for us to support active duty members of the military who are anti war or, at
least, anti a war they feel is wrong and ill-conceived. She herself has been
involved in an anti war show that has performed for active duty personnel. She
said that it is the soldiers who have seen active duty who tend to be anti war
more than the ones who have stayed stateside. “They just don’t know,” she
said. She talked about the similarities that exist between today’s
military and those of the Vietnam era but also pointed out the profound
differences, citing in particular, the fact that so many recruits are confronted
with the choice between jail or military. For many it’s a much needed job.

Read that second sentence again. She almost tricked you, didn’t she? “It is important for us to support active duty members of the military…… WHO ARE ANTI WAR” I thought the lefties supported ALL the troops… but, according to Blogarella, it’s only the anti-war types that require our support! And, as usual, the anti-war crowd reveals their condescending attitude toward the military with statements like: “So many recruits are confronted with the choice between jail or military. For many it’s a much needed job.”

She also, unintentionally, reveals the results of her fine education at the Greenwich Academy:

Then we had another session with the music director before staging the scene
where we all sing the Kyrie Eleison from Beethoven’s Mass in
C….. ….I never realized that “Kyrie Eleison” is a plea to God
to grant mercy.

Oh boy, this is going to be fun! And the show is only in tech rehearsals… Just wait until she gets closer to opening!

Fair warning to all you other Big Hollywood bloggers: Theatre is MY beat… back-off… she’s MINE.

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