Pathetic... to be sure....

Wow, a month and a half without an entry. Lame blog alert! My fan-base of 4 must be quite upset with me.

I had my first audition in months at the History Theatre this last Sunday. I could tell that it didn't go well when all they had available to read was a part for a 20 year old and the Father. Just as I was getting ready to read with my third scene partner, the director said "Oh, we don't need to see him read again". Nice. I read anyway, as I was the only one remotely close to 20 years old to read the part. Got to see a few people I hadn't seen in a while in the lobby in any case.

Amy is on the brink of accepting a new full-time job, and I think she will be alot happier. She puts me to shame- getting up at 4:30 am everyday to go to the gym for the last 3 weeks. I haven't hit a treadmill or a street since the marathon. I need to activate myself. It might cause some changes for the good.

Proposed a goofy idea to Jason Hall, "Oats" author. He seems interested- more later.

Wrote a goofy germinal sketch idea inspired by IFC's new Monty Python biopic series. "Almost the Truth". One of those 3:30 am "I can't sleep and my head won't let me rest" inspirations. It was fun to right down the idea with no strings attached or expectations. Not like the screenplay, which sits untouched. That will change in time.

Keeping a lookout for a good permanent job still. "I will become more strategic as the year winds down", I keep promising myself. The current salary ain't cutting it.

breathe in the air

It's been over a week since Fringe ended, and I have to say that the exhilaration I thought I'd feel from the entire experience is/was non-existent. Not to say that I didn't see good shows or have good experiences, but I never fully felt a part of the whole thing. The overall attendance to my show was embarrassing and I'll be lucky to break even. There was a weird yet understandable disparity in box office from Rarig venues to others. I guess if I wanted to Fringe (and Fringe economically), I'd go to the place that had 4 shows in one setting at any given time. No driving and parking all over town. Hard lesson learned.

I'm not a big name, or all that popular on the scene, but I put my eggs in the basket of "People will see my show based on the absurd premise". Some did. Most didn't. Second verse, same as the first. But I guess I'm glad to have attracted those that did find it and discovered exactly what I was up to at Intermedia Arts. This show was for you.

I guess I felt a bit frustrated, and still do to an extent, but I'm relieved that it's done and over with. The oats are vacuumed out from my car, the sock puppet's eyes are back in the sewing kit and the dreaded Oatwheel is in the dumpster. Amy is relieved that I can get back to the real world and concentrate on house-hunting and watch the second season of "Dexter" without worry. Officially out of the system. Moving on...

almost there

4 down and 1 to go. I have to admit that last night's show (10 pm) was not my personal best. My contact came out of my eye for the second time during this run (right away as I ended the dream sequence dance). I managed to salvage it and pop it in, but the tech jumped the cue and didn't give Mark enough time to do his clowning bit. Needless to say I entered late for the first scene, coming out of the "wall" and into the oat box, apparently. Tonight I think I'll go sans contacts, just to be sure. The laptop worked well though (it's been screwing up latley and freezing the last 2 shows; Amy helped me remedy that).

Jason, the author was in town yesterday. I picked him up after I saw BOOM and An Inconvenient Squirrel. Nice shows, each in their own right.

I took Jason to Deviants. Very unique experience, and not what I expected from Live Action Set. He enjoyed it, and it was interesting to get his playwright perspective about a group that creates work from exercises and movements. Stark, very stark.

Went to the Fringe final afterparty. Saw a few folks I hadn't seen in awhile, including the Stitelers. Bill saw my show and gave it a good review last week. I wish we had more opportunities to connect instead of the once or twice a year dealio.

OK, off to townhome hunt!

computer blue

Apparently my laptop is not responding the way it should for the show. The cues were somewhat delayed last night at the show. I ran a defrag on it and got rid of some pictures that took up some memory. It ran fine this morning.

Ugh. I'm a 19th Century guy in a 21st Century body. So to speak.

"How to make an Oatwheel!" or "Things I learned while high on fumes!"

What you'll need:

-2 4 x 8 sheets of hardboard
-4 1/2 cans of 3M spray adhesive
-2 gallons of DAP contact cement
-7 canisters of Cub brand rolled oats (they're on sale!)
-one plastic 9 x12 drop cloth

1. Come up with a "great" alternative plan to having oats on stage for your play. The Fringe techs would frown, otherwise.

2. Ding, ding! Oatwheel!

3. Decide that the material will be oats adhered to thin hardboard. Keep forgetting that hardboard, while sturdy, likes to wobble when carried. Alot.

4. Have your friend who has a garage volunteer an afternoon to constuct and adhere oats. Whee!

5. Have same friend redesign (over the phone) the particular way to cut the aforementioned oatwheel so it fits in your sedan. Put it all together and make an 8 foot diameter oatwheel! Huzzah!

6. Arrive at friend's house. Unload oatwheel parts to be cut with a jig saw. Success! An evenly cut circle.

7. Adhere oats with spray. Wear protective mask, even though you have no sense of smell. The fumes; they'll getcha!

8. Hm. You need more 3M spray. The oats really aren't sticking as well as you hoped. Make 2 trips back to Home Depot.

9. Oats still are not adhering the way you envisioned they would. Buy your friend and his wife pizza, because you've overstayed your welcome.

10. Your friend tries a bit of contact cement, which seems to work pretty well. He only has a small can of it, so you decide to load up the Oatwheel into your car and try again next week.

11. Make the mistake of hauling the shedding oatwheel from your parking stall, up the back stairs and onto your apartment porch. Fire up the vacuum!

12. Apply newly bought gallon of contact cement to larger oatwheel sections. Despite the apparent success at adhering oats, you make a fucking mess on the porch. The wife is going to kill you. And it apparently smells really awful (or so you are told). Call wife on the phone while she's out to prematurely apologize for the mess. Somehow, you're forgiven (hint: get emotional from the fumes- or even if it's not the fumes, get emotional!).

13. Let dry. Buy a DROP CLOTH (something that you should have done in the first place (Hm). Wrap plastic sheet around 4 stacked Oatwheel pieces. Maneuver down stairs. Despite ramming the 8 foot long unwieldy pieces repeatedly on the staircase, they survive.

14. Purchase yet one more gallon of contact cement (that makes 2!). Haul Oatwheel sections to nearby park pavilion. Repeat steps 12 and 13, without as much mess. Ask park garbage collector if the Oatwheel smells. At first he says no, then a minute later he says "Oh, I smell it now"!

15. Let dry. Most of Oatwheel is covered, although the yellowish color from the previously dried oats looks like someone peed on it. It'll do. You are so done with it.

16. Bring still smelly Oatwheel to your tech rehearsal. The smell of the adhesive is still evident, but hopefully masked by the graffiti spray project outside Intermedia Arts. Fortunately, the technicians do not detect the smell, and your fellow actors don't really complain.

Congratulations! Promise yourself that you'll never do anything like that ever again!

Good tech, what a good little tech!

I am so fucking relieved that my tech rehearsal at Intermedia Arts went as well as it did. We finished our set-up, cue-to-cue, run trough and clean up in about 2 hours and 20 minutes I think. The techs were happy to leave early (not sure if they had yet another rehearsal to endure or not). Everyone was pretty competent in dealing with the new territory. The laptop worked wonders and exceeded my expectations. The Oatwheel, yes the Oatwheel, looked not as bad as I thought, and didn't shed uncontrollably. We gained confidence with the use of "duct tape" and didn't disastrous snags. Two more rehearsals to work the kinks out and we'll be fine.

Just so you know. Yes, you.

You Tube video

Fringe-fer-All

I just got back from Fringe-for-All #2. "Among the Oats" went dead last, which was weird but welcome. Mark and I prepped well enough, but we went over in time, and were thusly clapped off the stage. He took some liberty in the beginning of our scene to play, which was fine, as the audience got a kick out of what was happening, I think. I kept wondering "What's taking him so long?" I was worried that he couldn't get the tape ripped off for his accessory. I thought the scene went well though.

I just hope people don't think I was an asshole or something as I kind of yelled my last line over the clapping as I walked off the stage. Really, I was having fun with the fact that we went over, and decided to play that up. Oh well. See the play for the play, not for the producing asshole.

I saw some good previews tonight, and some not so good. Par for the course, of course. I had fun. It was different and weird t be a part of the Fringe like that. I need to make an effort to see some of it (more of it) in the weeks to come.

We don't know who invented the wheel, but...

...we know who's trying to invent the "Oatwheel"!

Um, me.

Trying is the keyword.

I spent 6 hours today with my friend Joe trying to get these damn oats to stick to the hardboard I bought. Great idea in concept, but the 3M adhesive just worked marginally well. Not well enough, though, for the effect I want.

So I brought the boards home in my now sticky oat-filled car. I'll try to apply some contact cement later this week to really make those damn oats stick. What a mess.

Joe was a real trooper. The pizza I bought in exchange for the use of his garage surely wasn't enough. Live and learn, I guess.

Storm a-comin'

Oooooo! Scary storms affecting practically all of Minnesota. The Dakota County sirens are blaring and the sky is black. The trees they are a-swayin'.

We've had good rehearsals this week. Last night was good, despite the giant turn-of-the-20th-Century cast from Rosetown Playhouse performing out on the Como Pavillion patio. Some kid kept knocking on the door to our conference room while we were rehearsing. Little bastard. I went out twice to yell "whoever was knocking on our door better knock it off RIGHT NOW!!!". I am an old man. The only thing missing was a flaming bag of shit.

Despite that, we're really coming along. We concentrated our rehearsal on "Death", looking at the props I had so far and viewing the slideshow on my laptop. Everyone was pleased as well with the postcards that arrived yesterday. They are on their way to the appropriate folks.

Just have my audition for Frank Theatre on Sunday. I hope to tackle some more prop issues and solve/explore the matter of the use of "duct" (gaff) tape in our show. It'll be a good, fun effect when all is said and done.

God bless Amerika

I don't know the source of that title. But it's the 4th and I thought I'd say something at least somewhat patriotic, if not ironical.

Does it not say something that the president was heckled today during a speech? I don't know what was said, or even how appropriate it was to interrupt a speech, but it certainly is a testament as to how angry people are.

No show work today. I've been recovering from a cold and I want to treat it like a holiday. Besides, I have my face buried in a computer daily- time to experience the sunlight. I did get a return email from Jon Ferguson today. He expressed a willingness to look in on a rehearsal of "Oats". It's heartening that someone like Jon at least has the interest to help out and give feedback. I feel that artists like Jon really do enhance the theatre scene here in the Twin Cities, offering a real genuine approach to stagework- something very different than the regular fare of the past 10 years. Glad to know and learn from him.

"Oatiness"

I just got sick yesterday. That "summer" cold that comes out of nowhere and makes you feel like it's midwinter. Ick. I think I'm starting to shake it.

That said, I forgot that I linked my google blog to our Fringe page. No more self-serving rants for me; gotta be professional.

Rehearsals are going well. We are getting offbook this week, and I'm actually pretty impressed with the memorization of the cast so far (myself included). Of course there are fumbles and called lines, but having had a two week hiatus hasn't really shaken us.

So, it's almost three in the morning, and I had the monkey-mind going. I couldn't get the "too-do list" out of my head. Props that need assembling, oat wheel that needs building, a laptop operator that needs hiring/volunteering ( I may have to part with my Artist Pass; know anyone?), etc. Really, it'll all come together with tenacity.

No, "Among the Oats" isn't Shakespeare, and it may not make the critics' pick, but I really needed to do it. It's bothered me artistically for years that I never gave it the chance it deserved back in 2002. Now we have a new venue, a new approach, new episodes. When it's done, I can lay it to rest and move on to other things, knowing that I gave it a pretty good shot and fulfilled it as best I could.