It’s done, People.
I did it.
For those of you following along, I taped my HBO Special on Saturday.
I am exhausted and truly drained. It’s not a great feeling. It is a great feeling to have done the work and the shows.
I worked for over two years getting this set together. I was working on it right up until I did the two tapings and even in-between the shows. That’s just how I do it.
I think the shows went very well. I almost don’t remember them. I know it just happened two days ago but when you shoot a special it's almost like going to another planet. The experience is so heightened. It’s not a regular show. It’s also the realization of the work of many people.
The BAM Harvey is a stunning venue. It’s very old and they let it be old. It’s not restored, it’s preserved in its natural decayed state. It has a beautiful deep vibe. My production designer Mark Janowitz is a genius who came up with a concept that is inspired by kintsugi. It’s the ancient art of mending broken pottery with lacquer and gold. My director Steve Feinartz shot with nine cameras. The entire set and theater looked amazing. We leaned into all the structural elements of the place to create a stunning look.
I wrote an original rock riff to open and close the show that I recorded with some amazing musicians. Everything was perfect.
When it came time for the show it was all on me to deliver. I did.
It is a different experience than just doing a show. I was almost out of my body. I wanted the set to come in around seventy minutes. Down from an hour and forty a few weeks ago. I wanted to get my sequence right. The first 15 minutes or so are loaded with separate pieces that all have to work together. I was totally deep-focused on this set last week. Nothing else really mattered other than worrying about whether Charlie would shit all over the house.
The first set went great. I was a bit amped and moving kind of quickly but most of it worked great. I came in at exactly seventy minutes. The second set I was more relaxed and loose and the energy was perfect. I think. Seventy minutes again. I really can't remember the experience other than being immersed in it.
I changed some stuff between shows. Took notes from Brendan and my friend Sam who were there for both.
It all seems to go by so quickly after working so long leading up to it. It’s like a dream.
As I walked out of the theater about forty five minutes after I finished they had already broken down most of the set. Was it a dream?
I felt depleted and empty and sad. That’s not exactly how you want to feel but it’s normal after a big show or shows that you have been working towards forever. Every special I do I’ve worked my whole life to do. I am proud of the material. There’s a lot of it. Some of it is challenging. I felt a bit exposed after. Which is weird, but maybe not.
I’m proud of the work. The audiences were great. The theater was great. There is some part of me that never wants to see what I did. I just hope it comes together well.
Wait, I do want to see it. Badly.
One of the best parts of my trip is Charlie didn’t shit all over my house.
Today I have an amazing talk with Bridget Everett who I get a real kick out of. On Thursday I talk to Carol Leifer again. Great talks.
Enjoy!
Boomer, Monkey and LaFonda live!
Love,
Maron
