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From the iW Vaults | Parker Posey’s Diary from the Set of “Suburbia”

From the iW Vaults | Parker Posey's Diary from the Set of "Suburbia"

This month indieWIRE turns 15. In honor of our decade and a half in the game we’ve dug through our vaults to uncover some old goodies. Every day this month check back on indieWIRE for some old classics. Today we’ll step back to 1996, when Parker Posey provided indieWIRE with her diary entries from the set of Richard Linklater’s coming-of-age comedy “Suburbia.” Published here is her first entry. Below find links to the rest of them.

From: Bosepud

Subj: intro.

To: MINDTHEGAP

Sent on: MAC

My intro:

Hi, this is Parker Posey and this is my journal for Suburbia. It’s Richard Linklaters new film, written by Eric Bogosian. Read about what Really happens on movie sets. Discover the genius of Rick Linklater! And get to know the members of the cast! Know the scandal before everyone else does!

Or whatever. I mean, you can put anything, I don’t care.

‘kay, rust mun!

parker

by Parker Posey


Date: Mon, Mar 25, 1996 8:33 PM EDT

From: Bosepud

Subj: PP’s S on S

To: MINDTHEGAP

Sent on: MAC

Day 1

I’ve just arrived in Austin to start a 2 week rehearsal on Richard “Rick” Linklater’s (Slacker, Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise) new film SubUrbia. It’s written by Eric Bagosian, and was originally a Play staged for the theater in New York at The Lincoln Center.

*****I auditioned for the play, was up for the lead, “Sooze”, and was interrupted during a line of my dialog on the second page (of a 10 pg. audition piece), by the director, who said to me, “That’s enough, thank you.” I told him, “No, Thank YOU” and left….of course.****I wonder if he did this to all the actors, and if maybe if I hadn’t of left, if I woulda gotten the part. Different directors work in different ways. I dunno. It’s something I Still think about, wonder about…..contemplate.

A week ago, the whole cast and Rick and Eric got together to read the script 4 times in Los Angeles. There’s really nothing more exciting than hearing a piece of Work read over and over and over and over again. When I slept at night in the Hotel, the Whole script filled my being, and rang in my ears like a silver Bell bought at Tiffany’s. It Echoed through me, is what I mean. By the fourth read threw I was already hearing its essense, its meaning, its story, and its plot.

Just to be really honest for a second, I must admit (and am not ashamed) that I was a little Sad that I couldn’t Highlight as many lines as all the other actors. Giovanni and Aimee and Nicky and Jace, and Steve, and Dina and Ajay ALL have more Lines than I do. Nicky’s highlighter marker ran out during one of his monolouges, and I coulda sworn he threw a Look to me, like, “You really should let me use YOUR highlighter PARKER.” But maybe I was being paranoid. I dunno. This sort of thing always happens to me when I get Immersed in a Role. I “lose” myself. I start thinking like my character and I get confused, as to which thoughts are mine, and which thoughts are Hers. Anyway. Back to me for a second: There are no Small Parts, just Small Actors. And I will be so good in the role of “Erica”.

Hm…

I just realized something….I bet Erica, is Eric’s favorite part, since his name is Eric, and my name is Erica.

Hm…

…..I will save that little tid bit for when I want a close up….

I should talk about the Film, what it’s about. Um….It takes place in Suburbia, U.S.A., and Me and Jace Bartok (“Pony”) come to town ’cause Pony’s playing a concert in his old home town…”suburbia”. Pony was friends with all these losers in Highschool: Giovanni Ribisi “Jeff”, Steve Zahn “Buff”, Aimee “Sooze”, Nicky Katz “Tim”, and Dina Spivy “Bee-Bee”, and then there’s Ajay “Nazeer” who owns the convenient store that they all hang out by. That’s like their Thing. They hang out in front of a Convenient Store, ’cause it’s…convenient. And um….I play Pony’s publicist, Erica. I’m from Bel-Air, Hollywood, and my dad (I’ve named him “John”) is rich, and I shop at all the best stores. There’s more to me, Erica, that meets the eye, and everyone thinks Erica’s really Great and Happy, but deep down, she’s a little girl. She’s fragile. You know, like um…a Hooker with a Heart of Gold…that dichotomy…I think those parts are always the best…and So Does the Academy by the way….3 actresses played hookers, and are up for an Academy Award! Obviously the most winning part for an actress to portray!

Um….

Yeah! Am I right or what?!

So….Anyway. Um….Rehearsals start tomorrow, and it’s gonna take me hours to fall asleep tonight, ’cause I’m so excited!!!!!!! I will fall asleep to one of the tapes I made for my character. (In a couple of weeks I will fall asleep to the tape I made for the film.) It’s all about the process now. About Character.

I ran into Aimee (the lead, “Sooze”) in the elevator and we Hugged like sisters. And Giovanni hugged me too. And Nicky and Jace and Ajay also hugged me. Steve and Dina aren’t here yet, but when they do get here, I’m sure we’ll Hug. I hugged Rick the longest ’cause we’ve worked together before (Dazed and Confused). It’s um….you know…..we’re all becoming a family. We will all get so close. Spend Hours in some Bar talking about the film. We will all have personal jokes by next week, and I’m sure someone will be fooling around and in love with someone else by the weekend. Personally I’M in love the WORK. That’s just me, though. We’ll all have our processes of working. Our means to get into character.

I have to go and figure out what I’m gonna wear for the first day of rehearsal! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t stand it! I’m so excited!!!!!

“Stay gold”, a quote by another character in a film named Pony. Pony Boy from The Outsiders.

Below are the links to her diary entries:

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 8

Day 10

Day 11

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