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THE NOVEMBER THEATRE ISSUE
Several lucky rickmaniacs have now seen Mr. Rickman in Antony and Cleopatra. This issue is dedicated to them, to all the rickmaniacs from around the world, and to Mr. Rickman, of course.
Again, my apologies for all delays in responding to e-mail. Mailexcite is (hopefully) finished making changes during this last week and I could not get my e-mail for several days, but things appear to be getting back to normal.
This month’s Letter To The Editor, where we deal with that armor . . .
This month’s Link, to the Royal National Theatre, is the same as last month’s, since A&C is still playing.
Continuing with a stage theme, we also have looked into prospective gifts for the approaching holidays:
The Cleopatra Doll.
The Theatrical Omelet, from the Williams-Sonoma Catalog
Antony's cufflinks, for that Meaningful Other.
My thanks to Raffaella, Claire, Melissa, and Suzanne
The Rickmanista Review
Photo courtesy of Claire
Dear Fausta,
How do you like that armor?
A fellow ‘maniac
Dear Fellow ‘Maniac,
Since I have never had the opportunity to design for the stage (or to be quite honest, to design for nearly anything at all), I am not one qualified to critique.
However, several points have surfaced:
- Melissa asked: How much must that costume *weigh*?!
The Monthly Rickmanista, in its constant – and rather compulsive -- attention to trivia, has attempted to asnwer that question through several means:
My husband & I were just discussing weight question the other night. At a couple of ounces a token, plus the "stuff" they are sewn on which looks sort of like a leather material, plus undergarments, shoes and accessories (maybe a belt, sword, helmet, whatnot), my initial guess was between 15-20 lbs.
A more elaborate, pseudo scientific calculation would estimate each token at .5 ounces (the weight of an American 25-cent coin), x 1 token per square inch x 1512 square inches = 756 ounces
(Estimating that Mr. Rickman might wear a size 42 jacket, that would make it 42 inches wide, and the tunic seems to be approx. 3 feet long, hence the 36x42=1512)
Since there are 16 ounces per pound, 756 divided by 16 = 47.25 pounds
Therefore one can safely estimate that the costume can weigh anywhere from 15 to 50 lbs. No wonder some critics have mentioned that Mr. Rickman looked tired.
And those guys that lift him up after the death scene must really have to chow down the Wheatabix and the marmite! Is he wearing the armor in the death scene, I wonder?
I did e-mail an inquiry to the RNT asking how much the costume weighs, but have received no reply yet. - How difficult is it to remove? Did they go the Roman way, or is there some Velcro to help along? The black and white photo at the bottom of this page shows that it might be fastened with belts and buckles. Again, as with question #1, still waiting for a reply to my inqiry to the RNT.
- Is it clinky? All those coins jingling together in one place must really announce Antony’s incoming/outgoing presence to the world. Any rickmaniacs out there that have seen the play are kindly encouraged to enlighten on us this question.
- A comment: Antony would have enough tokens to pay for his commute to Alexandria, without ever having to carry a purse.
- Regardless of the answers to questions 1, 2, &3, the consensus is that the average rickmaniac would not mind a cuddle from AR even with the armor and all its tokens in the way.
This Month’s Link
Since the play’s still the thing,
Click on the pyramid to visit The Royal National Theatre site 
Definitely not an effigy of Helen Mirren . . .
Flooded as I am with mail-order catalogs, I found a photo of the Gene Marshall doll wearing a costume called "Daughter Of The Nile". Apparently the Gene dolls are based on the glamorous women film stars of the 1940’s and 50’s (like Vivien Leigh and Claudette Colbert, who each played Cleopatra), so each costume has a pretend-movie title, i.e, "Daughter of the Nile".
Maybe the Gene, Daughter of the Nile, doll would like to play with the George, Sheriff of Nottingham, doll sometime. Say, at 10:30?
The Gene Marshall dolls are available through the FAO Schwartz stores and catalog
Preheat oven to 450oF.
In a nonstick ovenproof omelet pan over medium heat, warm
2 tbs. olive oil,
and saute, stirring constantly 2 to 3 minutes:
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. Chopped fresh thyme
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped,
In a large mixing bowl whisk 8 eggs (at room temperature) until they triple in volume. Add 1 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Gently stir eggs and Parmesan into the herb mixture. As eggs begin to set, carefully lift edges with a rubber spatula and tilt pan so uncooked eggs run underneath. When eggs have just set, place pan in the oven and cook 4 to 5 minutes until top of omelet is golden and puffed up. Carefully slide omelet onto a warmed plate. Cut into 4 wedges, garnish each slice with a whole basil leaf, and serve immediately. Serves 4.
This goes well with some salad, bread, and a glass of chilled white wine. But then, most things do!
In case your Meaningful Other wears French cuffs and is feeling neglected, maybe these would cheer him. The Latin words mean "Ready, Willing, Able".
From the Past Times Catalog
B&W A&C photo courtesy of Suzanne
