The Gauntlet

Tonight is my last day off...and then two and a half crazy weeks begin as we get everything ready for the show. Rehearsals every day, production and tech meetings...plus Securities America. If you don't hear back from me in the next month, send out a search party.

All the platforms are going to be out of our way (from "Angels in America"), so that's good. And we're going to start working with the music this week, as we juggle ensemble/third act stuff.

As for technical elements...

I went through the script, and wow, there's going to be at least 100 light cues in this show. Fuckin' CRAZY. That's even more than all the sound cues. Scott Working is going to be helping build our set, and we have some good ideas, so far, I think.

We're gonna move some furniture from the Shelterbelt basement this week, and we're going to take the poster photo. And we're going to pull as many props as possible.

April and Tim's wedding was awesome-good fun. Saw Ben Zinn's little brother, Andrew. Wow, he's all grown up. I feel fuckin' old. I'm only 27, and I feel old.

What else...

Eric and I are currently juggling three TV DVD series: Stargate SG1, Twin Peaks, and Battlestar Galactica.

Anyway, I think I'm going for now. I've got to get some rest for the coming storm.

::deep breath::

The Big Weekend Arrives

New update in things...bad news and good news, and they're related and sort of cancel each other out. Erin, our current June in Acrobat, had to quit the show for personal reasons. But luckily, Jennifer McGill (who is no longer moving to Chicago) has accepted to step back into the part!

Everything has a way of working out.

We have a Kyle now, too. His name's Kevin Stuart, I think. I haven't actually met him yet, but I trust McClain and Caitlin's opinion. He's going to show up next week.

I took that "Emotional Intelligence" class at work yesterday. It was kind of interesting because I found things related to acting. A lot of it was about recognizing and re-directing negative thought to prevent self-destructive emotion, which makes sense - one of the key things I've always stressed about acting is that you don't go up and emote, you have to map out the character's thoughts and think them on stage, and the emotion should be a natural by-product once you're truly thinking like the character.

Today, I'm off work. Getting some well-deserved rest, etc., before the wedding rehearsal and dinner, and then the wedding tomorrow. Yay, groomsman tuxedo! You know, this is only the 2nd time in my entire life that I've worn a tux. I'm pretty sure the only other time was junior year of highschool, at prom. (I didn't go to senior prom, so...)

::glares at the TV:: The announcer just said "Horton hears a HIT!!!" Fuck you, murderers of Dr. Seuss.

I haven't been able to cook lately, with rehearsals and all. I actually should go grocery shopping at some point today. I just need to work up the motivation to finally start for the day, work out, take a shower, etc.

April's bachelorette party was last night, and I spent a bunch of time catching up with Kris Byars, whom I haven't seen in almost a year and a half, I think. She's moved back into her parents' old house, after dealing with all the estated paperwork, etc. I still can't believe both her parents died so soon in time to each other. Her dad had been living with cancer for years, and then all of a sudden, her mom died of pancreotic cancer, really rapidly. I guess her dad died less than a year after that. She seems to be doing well, though. She's who she always has been. I personally still can't believe that she and I have been friends for almost 12 years, now.

Anyway, I suppose I should motivate and get started on stuff, here.

The Shamrock Veil

Let's see, a quick update...

Had St. Patty's Day dinner (one day early) at my grandma's on Sunday, and got pulled into another two-hour pinochle game. It's funny though, I usually give them a run for their money, points-wise.

I guess Mom watched The Painted Veil like three times after I left the DVD there. So that's good.

Rehearsals are going well. We had a really productive one tonight. Worked some more with the creepy Michael/sex freakout scene, and then we blocked the Act I finale (which will look real cool) and then I worked on the Donna/Paul coffee shop scene. Both Chip and Laci have grown as actors since last summer - I can just see it in the little things - and I think we've got a good starting point on the scene. I'm excited!

Let's see...

OH YEAH! April and Tim! Wedding this weekend! YAY! I get to be a groomsman, which is a first for me. But we're gonna have one helluva a party, lemme tell ya...

What else, what else...? Shamrock shakes are back at McDonald's, so Eric's going wild over that. They are pretty tasty. Eric's mom got us a good deal (at Lowe's, where she works) on this little bistro set with two nice folding chairs and a small table - so we have a place to eat meals in our room, now.

And I think that'll do. Aye...aye.

Jackrobat

I really don't know what I mean by the title of this post. It just sort of popped in there. Maybe "Jackrobat" is the one-man version of "Acrobat", sex-scenes included. Maybe YOU are a jackrobat, to talk like this, and jack like that.

Wow, that was weird...

Anyway. We've got three rehearsals down. I always have the hardest time with A) the beginning of the play, and B) the first week of rehearsals. I always feel like I have no clue what the fuck I'm doing, and then I worry about it - it's like my mind won't let me go, "What are you worried about? This is what always happens. It's the beginning. It's still rough, we've got TIME. Calm down." Somehow, I feel like if I can't help the actors perfect it from the very beginning, that somehow I'm not doing my job. But I do this freakout with acting, too. As an actor, I always seem to leave the 2nd or 3rd rehearsal depressed and feeling like I should quit the theatre.

So...just grit the teeth, take a chill pill, and continue working and staying focused...remember how good we had it last summer, it'll get there again in no time. That's my mantra.

That's a long fucking mantra.

And I must be an acromantra
To talk like this
And eat cilantra....

(Cilantra, in my mind, being the feminine version of cilantro.........whatever the fuck I mean by that......serious, what's with me tonight? And what the fuck does acromantra mean???)

Yay, random person posted a comment on my last blog! Here's to you! ::salutes::

I'm so exhausted. WHY DO I HAVE A DAY JOB!? There's no time for me to GET anything DONE. Stupid investment industry. Stupid lack of professional theatre in this city. Blargh. Blargh, I say!

I think there was an enemy in Super Mario World called a Blargh. Yeah, they were these magma creatures that jumped out of lava to try and eatcha.

Eatcha!

OK, I think I should go.

Let the Games Begin

Had first rehearsal for Acrobat tonight. It was productive. Looking forward to our progress...

Man, I'm going to have a busy, busy week. Even though there's no rehearsal on Thursday or Friday, on Thursday we're seeing Angels in America and on Friday I'm doing box office for A Hatful of Rain. Speaking of the latter, Eric did a really wonderful job in that show. I'm happy for him.

Work wasn't so bad today. Dawn's always on about her cats. Jan's always got her mind-wheels turning and shaking her finger. I guess Kurt (my manager) is going to Italy, starting tomorrow. Lucky him.

Eric and I finally watched the pilot of Twin Peaks, which I really liked....even if David Lynch puts in occasional really weird things that even I don't really understand or connect with....like random girls running across courtyards screaming for no reason. But I like Lara Flynn Boyle, and there were some really neat camera shots.

I think that's it for tonight.

I'm Back, B!+(#&s!!!

So wow...it certainly has been one long-ass time since I last posted. I didn't mean to fall out of the habit, but...I think having the week in Chicago threw me off, and it's hard to make yourself do something in your routine again, you know?

Stuff that's happened and/or happening:

~Eric and I visited Chicago first week in February. And I got to see my college friends, Layne and Chad, and Layne took us to the most awesome and beautifully designed gay bar I've ever seen in my life - it's a video bar, and there are about 5 actual bar areas, and on the night we went (Monday) the theme there is showtunes. Everyone sings along with all this footage from stage/movie musicals, and it's just damn fun. And there's all this artwork everywhere... Let's see, we also got to see the Aquarium in Chicago, which was also awesome (I got see fucking Belugas, yay!!!). We also went to the Museum of Science and Industry (HUGEMONGOUS) where we watched a film at the Omni-Max theatre called "Sea Monsters" or something (it was about prehistoric marine reptillian life).

~She Stoops to Conquer has come and gone, and what a fun cast and fun show! We all had a great time getting to hang out with each other, went karaoking, and this new guy Sean (who's a lawyer - but a fun lawyer!) threw a party at his place (Cathy Kurz and I were the last to leave at around 3:00am, if you can believe it)...just all kinds of great fun.

~Acrobat is finally, finally, FINALLY under-fucking-way! The Shelterbelt has been very accomodating thus far, and we get full lights/sound/set/props/publicity from them. We have our cast in order, and we've had our read-through. Tomorrow, we begin rehearsals! Yay, rehearsals! Yay for a SPACE!

Other than that...let's see, we went to Kona Grill for my birthday (can you say "yummy fucking pork tenderloin?"), and Eric got me the complete series of Twin Peaks, which I'm stoked to finally watch. Also, for V-Day, he got me the graphic-novel version of The Fountain, which is gorgeous.

So yeah...things...have been going well. Exciting times, indeed.