Alan Cumming's Play

Rex Luscus · Post by **Rex Luscus** » Sun Jul 21, 2002 8:49 pm

I saw Alan Cumming's new play "Elle" when it was in previews last week. I think the bottom line is that I just don't like Jean Genet, but Alan himself was great! He played a campy Pope in roller skates and a prom dress that was hiked up in the back to expose his bare ass for the entirety of the play. Trust me, it kind of makes sense in context.

:

He also played the part with this ridiculous "mafioso" Italian accent, which worked in a weird way, and he was definitely the most charismatic guy on stage. It was impossible not to pay attention to him ... and not just because his ass was exposed.

If I hadn't before, I realize now that he's a totally brilliant actor ... if I were directing, I'd want him in my play.

As for the physical report: his arms looked decently toned, but the prom dress went up to his collar bones so I couldn't assess his pecs. I'm sure he'll look just fine, though. He'll probably be no Tobey MacGuire, but ...

-Rex

Garble · Post by **Garble** » Sun Jul 21, 2002 9:07 pm

And so now you can say you've seen Nightcrawler's ass. Congradulations, Rex.

Bamfette · Post by **Bamfette** » Sun Jul 21, 2002 9:57 pm

we can ALL see Nightcrawers ass, see?

http://www.alancumming.com/gallery/lbig.jpg

but only Rex has seen it in person

the play sounds... interesting...

: i guess it's one of thos 'you had to be there' things, huh? :p good to hear his arms arent twigs.

BamfKat · Post by **BamfKat** » Sun Jul 21, 2002 10:09 pm

By Rex
...he was definitely the most charismatic guy on stage. It was impossible not to pay attention to him...

I would bet!

:
I heard that he had the same sort of presence as EmmCee in Cabaret. In a part that defines many actors he redefined the part.

This production sounds like a gas I wish I could see it.

*Looks at the link provided by Bamfette*

::shocked::shocked:

Oh my, well at least he has the same fondness for primary colors as Kurt....

:

Rex Luscus · Post by **Rex Luscus** » Mon Jul 22, 2002 1:16 am

Yeah, that's the image that was on the program cover.

The dress he wore in the play itself was different, though. He also had on a mitre with a huge, sequined 'P' on it. :laugh:

It was a pretty interesting play. It's all about presence and absence and representation and other juicy postmodern themes like that. The idea is that a photographer has come to photograph the Pope so that the world can have an image to understand him through, but then the Pope comes out and explains that 'Pope' is an ideal that's beyond representation, that can, in a sense, only be represented by absence -- the Pope is only "real" when he's not there. That's the idea behind the exposed ass. As a transcendent idea, the Pope doesn't HAVE an ass or even a body really, so by all logic, there isn't anything that needs covering.

So I think Alan did a pretty damn good job of portraying a man who suffers the constant torment of not really existing. Kind of tough as motivations go.

Alan's boyfriend Nick Philippou directed it, and apparently Alan did the adaptation from a literal translation by someone else. I may not love Jean Genet as much as he does, but I can't deny that the guy's extremely talented. And obviously very comfortable with his body.

:

You know ... it's actually the kind of play that makes you go

when you first see it, but that gets better the more you think about it afterward. Trust me.

-Rex

BlueJubatus · Post by **BlueJubatus** » Mon Jul 22, 2002 4:52 am

hmmm, looks good. I would LOVE to see it live! It has all the makings of the kinds of theater that i like. -then again, im a sucker for all kinds of theater- anyway, he looks like he'll be able to pull off nighty quite well-in spite of the dress:P

Dark Bamf · Post by **Dark Bamf** » Mon Aug 05, 2002 6:36 pm

Originally posted by Bamfette
we can ALL see Nightcrawers ass, see?

http://www.alancumming.com/gallery/lbig.jpg

but only Rex has seen it in person the play sounds... interesting... : i guess it's one of thos 'you had to be there' things, huh? :p good to hear his arms arent twigs.

But where's the TAIL?!? :p

:

little Blue Lucy · Post by **little Blue Lucy** » Tue Aug 06, 2002 12:16 am

I know!:laugh:

Originally posted by BlueJubatus
hmmm, looks good. I would LOVE to see it live! It has all the makings of the kinds of theater that i like. -then again, im a sucker for all kinds of theater- anyway, he looks like he'll be able to pull off nighty quite well-in spite of the dress:P

Same here (about theater and all I mean)!

Nightfollower · Post by **Nightfollower** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 7:33 am

YOU SAW NIGHTCRAWLER'S ASS BEFORE ME?!

Next on my to-do list: Track down Rex, hold a gun to his head and FORCE him to tell me where I can see this.

Hey Rex, betcha liked it, eh?

:;)

Nightfollower · Post by **Nightfollower** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 7:35 am

Originally posted by Bamfette
we can ALL see Nightcrawers ass, see?

http://www.alancumming.com/gallery/lbig.jpg

ROFL!!!!

*shakes head in despair*

Riiiiggggghhhhhht

Now all i gotta do is imagine it blue and fuzzy. hehe

little Blue Lucy · Post by **little Blue Lucy** » Mon Sep 09, 2002 7:40 am

Don't forget the tail!;)

Nightfollower · Post by **Nightfollower** » Sat Sep 14, 2002 7:11 am

Ooh yes, the tail. Let me re-phrase that.

Now all I gotta do is imagine it blue and fuzzy with a tail protruding out from just above it. Or something like that.

Post by **Elwing** » Sat Sep 14, 2002 6:52 pm

*shudders* just *shudders*:eek:

Nightfang · Post by **Nightfang** » Sun Sep 15, 2002 8:28 am

I'm never going to get that image out of my head. *grins.*

::evil:

TahNaziHorse · Post by **TahNaziHorse** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 3:59 am

ohh my god that is a crap picture. i need psychological help for the rest of my life after seeing that!!

Nightgrl07 · Post by **Nightgrl07** » Tue Dec 24, 2002 5:53 pm

Hey, nightcrawler is thight cool and all that, but they should ahve gotten a slimer and better looking person to play nightcrawler on X2

nightcrawler is soooo cool
but alan cumming soooooo sucks

Bamfette · Post by **Bamfette** » Tue Dec 24, 2002 8:10 pm

SLIMMER than Alan? :o have you actually SEEN him? what are you on?

oh, and we don't take kindly to straight out bashing here

: if you have something negative to say about a person, back it up with an actual argument. just 'he sucks' makes you sound dumb.

Erynne · Post by **Erynne** » Tue Dec 24, 2002 8:16 pm

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! OMG!!!! HAHAHAHA!

Erynne · Post by **Erynne** » Tue Dec 24, 2002 8:19 pm

Originally posted by Nightgrl07
Hey, nightcrawler is thight cool and all that, but they should ahve gotten a slimer and better looking person to play nightcrawler on X2

nightcrawler is soooo cool
but alan cumming soooooo sucks

I totally disagree. Alan's not only willing to do odd stuff to play Nightcrawler (i.e. walk around on all fours, figure out how to talk with an accent while his fangs are in) but he has to go through like, 4 hours of makeup everyday. THAT takes courage. Plus, I think he's a good actor.

Ryuu-chan · Post by **Ryuu-chan** » Wed Dec 25, 2002 12:50 am

How much slimmer can they get? x_o I mean, Alan already looks like his parentage was half elf. Should he be paper-thin?

kurtlover · Post by **kurtlover** » Wed Dec 25, 2002 12:57 am

Originally posted by Nightgrl07
Hey, nightcrawler is thight cool and all that, but they should ahve gotten a slimer and better looking person to play nightcrawler on X2

nightcrawler is soooo cool
but alan cumming soooooo sucks

Oh yeah? like how, because if you wanna get a point you better explain it on a more convincent way, not just "He sucks because i want to" use a valid arguments.

Hsu · Post by **Hsu** » Wed Dec 25, 2002 1:12 am

Well, I'm slimmer than Alan, but I'm also sickly pale, so people just think I'm recovering from Chemo or something. :p

Erynne · Post by **Erynne** » Wed Dec 25, 2002 11:51 pm

Originally posted by Hsu
Well, I'm slimmer than Alan, but I'm also sickly pale, so people just think I'm recovering from Chemo or something. :p

Umm....that doesn't sound too good....

Hsu · Post by **Hsu** » Thu Dec 26, 2002 1:30 am

I swear I have muscular dystrophy or something. I was in weight training for a year and I increased my maximun bench press by 10 lbs. That's so lame.

Erynne · Post by **Erynne** » Thu Dec 26, 2002 6:29 am

That's....weird. Well, it's kind of like us girls. My friends in x-country and I made a bet that whoever got a six pack first would get 5 bucks and we were crunching our brains out and the most any of us could get after like, 5 monthes was a 2 and a half pack.