Category: Theater

A Lesson in Rhetoric: Damian Lewis as Antony

To be filed in the category of “This is a guy who makes you want to go back to school”, we learned and reported (on our lovely sister site damian-lewis.com) that Damian’s version of Antony’s funeral speech from Julius Caesar, for The Guardian’s video series Shakespeare Solos, was featured in a seminar on rhetoric. This wasn’t an avenue for literary criticism or drama theory, but a newsletter on effective public speaking.

How is speaking any different from writing and reading, you may wonder? Well, there are components to classical rhetoric, when dissected, can show you what makes one speech different from another. Such an analysis would reach your brain (or at least attempt to). Alternatively, we can talk about how a speech makes you feel. Granted we’re not seeing much great oratory from our current elder statesmen, so examples are few and far between. But, there was a time, wasn’t there? In our not too distant history, when a leader spoke, it did a heart good to hear, didn’t it?

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Throwback Thursday to a Special Gift from Knitting Witch to Damian Lewis

Now that Damian tweeted about his lovely gift, his “very own Enry” from Knitting Witch UK, I would love to share the story behind the tweet with you. Denise, I am thrilled that your work is being appreciated by many, and I am proud to call you a friend. Keep knitting, my lovely witch!

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From Festivals to Sports to Theatre: We Know What Damian Lewis Did This Summer!

Happy Labor Day! I am hoping most of you have had the chance to make that last beach trip before the summer ends while I have been sitting at my desk writing about Damian’s summer, the third in a row he has enjoyed fully!

Damian constantly worked all summers between 2011 while he was shooting Homeland to 2016 when they were starting the Billions shoot in summer. So, when asked by a fan at The Goat stage door back in May 2017 about what he would be doing between The Goat and Billions, whose shoot would not start until September, he responded promptly:

“I am going to have a summer.“

Continue reading “From Festivals to Sports to Theatre: We Know What Damian Lewis Did This Summer!”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?”

Damianista’s note: I wrote this post just after the closing night of The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? back in 2017! While it feels like yesterday, I published it more than two years ago — so it deserves a Throwback Thursday. ENJOY!

Well, 12 weeks were gone with the wind and The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? has now closed. And, as if we need another reason to celebrate Damian’s work, I would love to take the closing of The Goat as a unique opportunity to celebrate 12 weeks of Damian Lewis on stage. Please enjoy our Fan Fun Goat Party from previews to media appearances to jam sessions to stage door experiences!

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Throwback Thursday to London, The Goat, and Meeting Damian Lewis

Damianista’s Note: JaniaJania and I were extremely lucky to see Damian Lewis in Edward Albee’s The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? and meet with him after the performance exactly two years ago. So, on the second anniversary of this fabulous experience, why not join JaniaJania today on a trip back? Enjoy!

The times I can see Damian in person are few and far between. It was at Damianista’s urging, i.e. pretty much taking me by the hand and flying me out to NY, that my first “sighting” and “meeting” even happened. (I have no idea what those quotes mean or why I used them, just go with me here) I vacillate often between “I’d be fine if I never saw him in person again, good riddance to that level of stress-filled gut-wrenching fangrl angst” to “Fine, I’ll see him on stage or something, but no reason to talk to him privately, is there? Can’t we be normal people for once and just go home and not talk to him?” to “OMG, when are we going to see him again, in what circumstances, for how long, can we possibly have it go longer, and what if…etc. etc. etc.” Truthfully, I spend about equal parts brain energy on those three states of fangrl-ness. Quite similar, in fact, to the brain energy allocation of an average 17 year old girl around prom time. Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to London, The Goat, and Meeting Damian Lewis”