Saturday, August 22, 2009

Cats and Dogs

Cat’s kits cast [say that 10 times fast]

As reported at GRRM’s Not a Blog, Catelyn's daughters Arya and Sansa Stark will be played by Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner.

Jay Tomio at BCS discusses the casting in his articles the Stark Girls of HBO’s A Game of Thrones and more A Game of Thrones casting

James Hibberd in his writings at The Hollywood Reporter HBO appoints subjects to 'Thrones' and HBO's 'Game of Thrones' casting news announces the daughters and other casting including Richard Madden as Stark's eldest son, Robb, mentioning ”HBO still has a few more roles to fill in the large ensemble cast of Thrones, one of the more buzzed-about titles on the network's development slate.”

Other news coverage of the casting:
SciFiWire
and
Bryant Griffin at airlockalpha

Bloggers weigh in too.
Seven actors for the Seven Kingdoms at the Wertzone
Heroine_tv
SciFi Stream
A Game of Thrones cast expands
Captain Elias at Superpowers That Be
Diana at Fire of Spring
Jace at Televisionary
Nix at SciFi Cool


In an Audio Interview linked from The Montreal Gazette piece by Matthew Surridge GRR Martin pronounces (sort of) on the HBO pilot & casting &writing the books.
The Cimmerian’s August 15th article addressing the interview, In Conversation with George R. R. Martin, points out
“Martin also discusses the much-speculated HBO pilot, and possibility of a series based on the septology, each 12-episode season based on a book. Already cast for the pilot is the inimitable Sean Bean as Eddard Stark, Peter Dinklage (who would make an excellent Count Volmana) as Tyrion Lannister, and Broadway thespian Jennifer Ehle as Katelyn Stark. Even with a several-year head start on the first four seasons, Martin definitely needs to get cracking on The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, and have them in bookstores on time for a series adaptation.”

Catching up with some discussion links from the past few days:

A Song of Ice and Fire thread at Chamber of Secret Forum includes commentary along the lines that Ms Ehle is not “snotty” enough or strong enough to play Catelyn … all based of course solely on Elizabeth Bennet (who could be pretty snotty herself, actually). I am Soooo looking forward to the day when the series airs and the doubters are proved wrong! I have no doubts.

Comments in the HBO to make A Song of Ice and Fire series Thread at NeoGAF are mixed but mostly very positive.

Tracey Steele blogged about the pilot & series in Casting Begins for HBO’s Game of Thrones Pilot

In an August 19th post at Planet Sillicon titled A Game of Thrones - The Cast that author, unlike some others, had no reservations about any Elizabeth Bennet carry-over, saying:
"Jennifer Ehle as Catelyn Stark will work very well, even as Elizabeth Bennett in the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice she had an austere coldness that I think will work wonders - now that she is older - as cold and hateful Catelyn."


Feeble Segue

To flagrantly and shamelessly extend the cat-dog metaphor, I offer: Definition of Fitch = poleCAT. And thank you Douglas Carter Beane for also writing a prize-winning play with Dog in the title so that I could have two reasons to stretch this oh-so-tenuous connection. I'm not sure whether it is irony or serendipity or something else, but how awesome for this blog is it that another of his plays has BEES in its title? It's as if we were designed for each other.


For up-to-date Mr. & Mrs. Fitch news, you’ll need these important links.

Second Stage Theater Home Page

Mr. & Mrs. Fitch Home Page at 2ST

(FYI, a valuable calendar to guide your planning.)

2ST has an interview with the author, TALKING WITH DOUGLAS CARTER BEANE in which he, among other things, verifies a Cole Porter connection.

More about Douglas Carter Beane.

DCB at Wikipedia

DCB in a December 2006 Video episode of American Theatre Wing’s Working in the Theatre.

A W Magazine article also leads to this W magazine interview from July 2009 in which Mr. Beane (I think that’s the last time I’ll write that; it makes me think too much of spray-painting a room by way of paint bomb) talks about M&MFitch & other things.


Meet his work.
Music from a sparkling planet at Google Books

As Bees in Honey Drown at Google Books

The Little Dog Laughed at Google Books

The Little Dog Laughed, the best known of his plays, will certainly be known to the dedicated followers of this blog who have vivid memories of the 2007 Tony Awards. It was nominated in the Best Play category (won by The Coast of Utopia). Julie White starred in it and won the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play the same glorious night that JE achieved BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY.

Last but not least, Robert Simonson at Playbill says of M&MFitch
“John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle will sink their teeth into the no-doubt juicy title roles of the upcoming Second Stage Theater world premiere of Douglas Carter Beane's Mr. & Mrs. Fitch Off-Broadway. They will play married gossip columnists. Scott Ellis directs the work, which is scheduled to begin previews Jan. 26, 2010. This may become the first Off-Broadway play in some time to regularly appear in the city's gossip sheets.”



The past two weeks have been astounding and wonderful and unexpected. Some of us anticipated a longer hivernation. Instead we have cold-hateful-throatslit-Catelyn of a blood-thirsty warring world AND a comedic Mrs. Fitch of the modern celeb gossip world to look forward to. I love the contrast and the opportunity for her to display her awesome acting range.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

The Ride is Bigger than we Thought

Wonderful news!
Jennifer Ehle has been cast in the Douglas Carter Beane comedy Mr. & Mrs. Fitch
Exciting doesn't seem a strong enough word to describe hearing that she is returning to live theater.
"After making us wait a few extra months for the premiere of the new Douglas Carter Beane comedy “Mr. & Mrs. Fitch,” Second Stage Theater has announced the cast for the play. John Lithgow (lately of “All My Sons”) and Jennifer Ehle (“The Coast of Utopia”) will star as a husband-and-wife team of gossip columnists who discover, according to a news release, that “great celebrity can appear out of thin air” when “the social circuit no longer provides any scandalous news.” The play is Mr. Beane’s first for Second Stage since the 2005 debut of his comedy “The Little Dog Laughed,” and the production will reunite him with its director, Scott Ellis, whose recent stint on the Showtime series “Weeds” prompted Second Stage to delay “Mr. & Mrs. Fitch” until its 2009-10 season. The new play is to begin previews on Jan. 26 and open on Feb. 22."

Also announced at
Playbill
"Scott Ellis directs the work, which is scheduled to begin previews Jan. 26, 2010, for a run at the company's midtown home through March 21. Opening night is slated for Feb. 22."

and
Broadway World
"Jennifer Ehle received Tony Awards for her performances in The Coast of Utopia and The Real Thing. She also appeared on Broadway in Design for Living and off-Broadway in Macbeth. In London's West End she has appeared in The Philadelphia Story, The Real Thing (Olivier nomination), Tartuffe (Ian Charleston Award) and at London's National Theatre she appeared in Summerfolk. RSC productions include Richard III, Painter of Dishonor, The Relapse. Film includes: Pride and Glory (2007), Kerala/Road to the Sky (2007), Possession, Sunshine, This Year's Love, Bedrooms and Hallways, Wilde (BAFTA nomination), Paradise Road, Backbeat. TV includes: "Pride and Prejudice" (BAFTA Award), "The Camomile Lawn." Jennifer will next be filming the HBO pilot, "Games of Thrones," based on the book series by George R. R. Martin and adapted by David Benioff, co-starring Sean Bean."


and
Theatermania
and
Broadway.com

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Music to our Ears

After the little battle html and I had last time I hope to be able to orchestrate some links now without invoking any wayward musical instruments.

It is evident that the following sites will be ones to check frequently for updates and discussion so they have been added to the permanent link list here (available under Links at the right)
George R.R. Martin's Not A Blog
and
Winter-is-Coming blog (rich with comments and has a promised-to-be-frequently- updated FAQ)
and
A Song of Ice and Fire Forum


[Morocco!] From the FAQ mentioned above and noted in our own ShoutBox:
"The pilot is filming in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Specifically, a large film studio there called the Paint Hall. They will also be doing some remote shoots in Morocco. Filming for the pilot is currently scheduled to start October 12, 2009 and last until November 6, 2009. Although these dates are not set in stone."



Check Your Bloggage Here

Captain Elias In his Super Powers that Be blog, commented on Jennifer Ehle's casting as Catelyn fearing that, based on her performance as Jane Bennet in "Keira Knightley's Pride and Prejudice" [!!], she was too sweet for the role. After some gentle nudging via comments at his blog, he corrected one misapprehension and switched to Christabel LaMotte to support the "too sweet and romantic" worry.
In the Captain's next Blog anxieties had been laid to rest as he reported "I'm very eager to see Jennifer Ehle as Lady Catelyn".

The Stratovarius Community Forum has a discussion of AGoT casting and favorable comments about JE.

At Chronicles Network , "The UK's largest Science Fiction & Fantasy Forums" there is additional casting commentary including one that notes "What a score the actress who will be Catelyn is!

The treacle mine road blog draupadi writes about the book and the casting.

Ain't it Cool News has a forum thread for HBO's "A Song of Fire and Ice"

The youthink.com site also has A Song of Ice and Fire forum thread, from which this comment caught my eye. "She doesn't look cold enough. I guess it's up to acting." (Oh, you bet it is. I can hardly wait for her to make the doubting jaws drop).


Recent Arrival

Look what just arrived at my house from Amazon! My weekend is now fully scheduled.

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3



Lines on Lizzy

Isabellecs livejournal lists her Twenty Favorite Bad Ass Female Characters. Guess which someone with the initials EB came in at #17.

Alyssa Rosenberg in her blog entry titled How We See Things In Our Heads commented on Jonathan Yardley's article, Pride. Prejudice. Perfection in The Washington Post, which contended that film adaptations of Miss Austen's classic had failed to firmly fix [yep, that's a split infinitive. yep, I'm going to leave it there] actors in the public's (or his at least) mind as the personification of the characters ala Clark Gable/Rhett Butler. Alyssa responded:
"If Yardley somehow managed to miss A&E's 1995 adaptation of the novel, he is deprived. It's perhaps the only cinematic or television adaptation of a work of literature where the faces of the actors deserve to float back into our minds as we read the novels where they originate"

Sunday, August 09, 2009

A Jog around the Blog

It's so fun to see reaction and chatter about Ms Ehle around the groups and blogs. On one hand there are the uninitiated who say "Who? Never heard of her." and on the other hand those who reassure them with, "Don't worry, she's a gifted award-winning actress who is going to be outstanding in this."

So that you can experience the fun too here are some of the links. (A couple have been included before and repeated here. ) Take a look if you have time. Many varying comments (read at your own risk but most are good).


[Edit. I managed to mess up links. I've fixed them (they work for me anyway) and the sad trombones should now be playing upbeat jazz. My sincere apologies.]


George R.R. Martin's Not A Blog

Winter-is-Coming blog
(At last look 482 comments ranging from Who is she to Love
her, great casting.)

Jane Austen Today:Mr. & Mrs. Darcy in the News

A Song of Ice and Fire The George R R Martin Forum,, specifically The Jennifer Ehle cast as Catelyn Stark thread
(Comments now at 6 pages)

HBO to Tackle A Song of Ice and Fire!
thread in Quarter To Three Forums


At The Get a move on, George R R Martin thread included at ‘The Premier TV-Bashing Community Since 2001” (I don’t make these things up), there are a few comments at A JE casting section which I include only because I found the following comment hilarious. "I bet Jennifer Ehle only accepted this role so she could use the "zombie, post-dead Catelyn" as inspiration for when Hollywood eventually adapts "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies".

Xenagia Forums: Fantasy, Science Fiction & Horror

The Wert zone blog

Fronk livejournal

Tower of the Hand

Heroine TV

Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist

Finish the Book, George
A blog that angrily waits for George R.R. Martin to finish A Dance With Dragons

I Was Never Young blog

Writer's News

Fantasy Fan blog

This is Lee blog



A link to
Depictions of some characters from A Game of Thrones by Michael Shanks

Including Eddard and Catelyn

For you readers, a link to the text of the book A Game of Thrones coughed up at the Forum (was that you Kitty Bennet?) A Game of Thrones, the book


Here’ s A Very Happy Mrs. Darcy. I also felt like swinging from the chandelier when I heard about the new project, but I would not have looked anywhere near this good, believe me.


Not forgetting all that has come before, a recent review of Pride and Glory posted by okapi

[…]To watch the interaction between Francis and his dying wife, Abby (Jennifer Ehle, in no doubt an underappreciated role), is to watch love at its purest…and hardest. It’s an interaction that gets lost within all the shooting and bleeding, but I think, in the end, it’s ultimately the symbol of what this movie is all about, and what is most important above all else.[…]

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Let the Game Begin

Stark Raving

The bees and chicks are now very alert and awake. Along with the rest of us, they are stark raving mad with surprise and happiness at the latest news!

















Jennifer Ehle has been cast as Catelyn Stark in HBO’s A Game of Thrones





Reported at
The Hollywood Reporter
and by Jay Tomio at BSC
"Following up recent announcements of Sean Bean (Ned Stark) and Kit Harrington (Jon Snow) Harry Lloyd (Viserys) Jack Gleeson (Joffrey) and Mark Addy (Robert), THR tells us we get another member of House Stark in the form of Jennifer Ehle. [...] this may be the best fit thus far [...] "
Read about it in French too


S'more added

The author George R.R. Martin laments being "scooped" (I can sympathize) at his blog
" [...] she's won a BAFTA Award and two Tonys, and she will be a wonderful Catelyn.

Fortunately, even HOLLYWOOD REPORTER doesn't know all the cool stuff I know, so I will still be able to smile engimatically and drop sly hints in Montreal. "
I can't wait for the "cool stuff"!
If you visit his blog, be sure to enjoy the many lovely comments left by readers.

At The George R R Martin Forum, "A Song of Ice and Fire" you can enjoy a discussion of the news by what seems to me to be a membership of unusual insight and perspicacity.

JE is certain to gain a horde of new fans with this.
Hi, new fans, if you're reading this. You've just met an actress of the highest talent and ability, and a lady of character. While you wait for AGoT, check out her available work so far. You're going to be impressed.


Information about the Catelyn Stark character can be read at the following links.
A Wkiki of Ice & Fire
and
Wikipedia :House Tully
"Catelyn Tully Stark (a POV character) is Hoster's eldest child and once his heir until the birth of her brother. She is the wife of Eddard Stark of Winterfell and mother of their five children, Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. Catelyn is seen as honorable and upright by acquaintances, holding duty over desire as a governing principle of behavior. She has a deep love for family and a strong faith in the Seven. However, she regards the bastard Jon Snow as an outsider to her family, and has never forgiven Eddard for bringing him into her household. She has a strong and stately beauty, with auburn hair, blue eyes, and long fingers.i

Sounds like an ideal match of actor and role, a coup de casting. I wonder if JE will sport the auburn hair. She's been gorgeous in that hue in the past. Perhaps we need a poll here: Brunette (ala Lizzy Bennet), Auburn (ala Christabel LaMotte), Blond (ala Lorainne Morrissey), or Other (ala Abby Tierney).

According to Wikipedia, The shooting for the pilot will begin in October 2009 and take place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the Paint Hall Studio.

And, finally, here's a chance to read a Game of Thrones Script



Thanks to HoBO for the hint in ShoutMix that sent me stalking HBO on Google (only to be scooped by a jezillion other bloggers while I slept); and to Ann who posted the THR news in the Chat Extension; and to t/Tez who shared the great links at the Forum.