As for rehearsals, things are moving along. I think things will start getting more intense next week when we start running the acts. I don't have everything memorized just yet, but I'll get there.

Much more, much later!

  June 18, 2005

Woman at market
Keeps giving me sour looks
I need to wear pants

June 16, 2005
Man, it's Thursday already and my week of vacation is quickly drawing to a close. I really have a knack for squandering my free time.

Rehearsals for Into the Woods began earlier this week. I, of course, play the Mysterious Man. We nearly blocked all of the first act the last couple of days. A lot of complex staging and such. Plus the music is going to be pretty challenging as well. Fortunately, I only have a couple of songs to grapple with, but it's Sondheim so it's worth it. That being said, I really need to start memorizing my lines soon!

Last Friday, Eric and Brad witnessed a hit and run on Bethel. Eric called 911 and actually reported the crime! No one knows if the lawbreaker was apprehended, but Eric hopes the beautiful victim (Her name is also unknown) is grateful enough to look him up sometime soon. 

June 15, 2005
I just turned 36 yesterday (and why didn't you send me a birthday card, huh?) and, as I look about my life, I sadly realize I
really don't know what the hell I am doing. Is that considered normal?

Happy Birthday, Mom! 

June 11, 2005
Last week started off kind of bumpy. I received a summons to appear for jury duty and my audition at the Muncie Civic crash landed on stage. Then Thursday came along and changed everything. My jury duty was cancelled, I actually got a call back for Sweeny Todd  at the Civic (Thanks again, Darrin!), and I found a bundle of Dale Martin comic books in my mailbox. Suddenly, everything turned golden.

 
Wendy Griswold and Dale Martin's
Invasion of the Space Amazons
from the Purple Planet

June 7, 2005
I had a bad, bad, bad audition at the Muncie Civic yesterday! I bombed so badly I'm surprised we're not experiencing a nuclear winter right now. Geesh! And the sad part is I thought I was pretty well prepared before I stepped on stage. I'm developing a theory that no matter how well you think you have your material under control, once you stand about in the lobby awaiting your turn to audition, everything you practice flees your mind. At least, that's what I think happened to me.

I screwed up my monologue from The Odd Couple right out of the gate. For some reason, I dropped the second line and that basically derailed me. My mind fumbled about for a few seconds, trying to figure out what I exactly had done while I stood on stage, staring out to the audience like a deer frozen in the headlights. I tried to aright myself, but the pacing and emotion were thrown off. I muttered the words, but it sounded like I was reading from a badly prepared speech. Eventually, I spiraled to a finish.

Before I could accurately survey the damage, I had a song to sing. Oh, boy. The song I chosen to warble was "Feels like Home to Me" by Randy Newman. It's a pretty song about finding that certain someone that completes you in all the right ways. I have always liked it since I first heard it a handful of years ago and I decided to give it a shot. However, it's a challenging song to sing (Well, at least, it is for me) so I knew I had a couple hurdles to jump to really pull it off. Despite a few days of jumping those hurdles, I tripped all over them yesterday. I don't think I fell flatly on my face, but I was definitely making close contact with the ground after the last note was sung. 

And that was it. I thanked everyone and wished them all a good evening. My acting and singing may not have impressed them, but at least they know I have good manners. I doubt politeness will get me a part, but that's okay. There will be other auditions for other shows. Other chances to get it right.

June 5, 2005
Ugh! I just got a summons for jury duty. We are not amused.

June 1, 2005
Well, another long weekend came and went with little fanfare around these parts. True to nature, I spent my extra time off doing as little as possible. Besides doing my laundry, I did devour the first season of Deadwood , a marvelously rich and entertaining show.  The generous Trent Reeder (a.k.a "Bob" of Bob's Comic Castle) loaned me his dvds and I spent the better part of two days watching them. Damn good television, folks! Do yourself a favor and check it out when you get a chance!

"Announcing your plans is a good way to hear God laugh."
~Al Swearengen (played by Ian McShane)  

May 26, 2005

I just saw the season finale of Lost (Thanks again, Eric!) and I thought it was a pretty decent ending for the season despite the fact...

SPOILERS!

we ended up with the shaft. A pretty long shaft that stretches to the beginning of the new season, of course. I guess I can wait. Here's some random thoughts:

*I enjoyed Artz's gripes concerning the star survivors. Too bad he went boom. However, in the words of John Candy and Joe Flaherty, "He blew up real good!".

*The Black Rock was a slave ship. Huh!

*Sayid sure has a killer way to cure a headache. Ouchie!

*Despite being loopy, Rousseau was out of the loop. Poor Walt.

*So "The Others" are basically modern day pirates? I guess we'll find out in a few months.

*Hurley looks good on a scooter and I should have known the comic book would be his. He's a fellow comic book geek! One of us! One of us!

*For a newborn, Claire's baby is fairly big don't you think?

*Charlie and the Heroin Factory. Things don't look too promising for his new found sobriety. When seeing Mother Mary, he should have let it be.

*A potential power struggle between Jack and Locke next season? I know who Eric is pulling for.

Lost  is such a fun show to watch. It truly had a killer first season and it'll be interesting to see how its second season will play out. Hopefully, the quality will continue. My fingers are crossed!

May 25, 2005
Just caught an episode of Northern Exposure that featured Jack Black as a teenager (It's the one where Maggie is asked to be the homecoming queen and Ruth-Anne gets audited). I didn't remember him guest starring on the show before yet there he was thinner and unknown. 

Northern Exposure is one of my favorite shows of all time. One of these days I'll have to write an appreciation, but I'll spare you that for the moment. I also need to buy the dvds, but they're sort of pricey. Not Sopranos pricey, but more than I'm willing to shell out at this time. One of these days I'll grab them up, but in the meanwhile I have the reruns on Hallmark to keep me satisfied.

By the way, whatever happened to John Falsey and Joshua Brand?

 May 24, 2005
I'm back! I didn't mean to leave anybody hanging, but I had some computer snafus that prevented me from adding my voice to the world wide web. Fortunately, things have gotten better (Thanks much, Tim!), but I'm a little rusty so please forgive the lameness of this post!

Speaking of lame, does anybody else share my opinion that Trading Spaces blows serious monkey bubbles ever since they dumped Paige Davis? I know there are plenty of detractors of the perky one, but even they must admit the show just ain't that fun anymore since her departure. Like her or not, Paige was the glue that held the show together and now it has become a directionless, shambling bore. TLC, I'm afraid I'm calling it quits.

Speaking of "Calling it quits" (Are you detecting a trend here? Remember I did warn you about the lameness!), I'm starting to look about for a new job. So far things are in the early stages so I'm just looking about here and there. I'll let you know if anything turns up.