Question: What Does It Take To Get Me In A Suit?

Answer: Either I'm attending a wedding, or someone's paying me. In this case someone's paying me.

Friday's Cumberland Times-News has a little article (not a review, basically a "here's what's playing") about Ten Little Indians -- Click HERE for the article, and HERE to see the whole picture.

I'm Bloody Everywhere!

I'm one step closer to becoming theatrically ubiquitous (meaning, I've made it two steps):

1) Playing Dr. Edward Armstrong in Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians, opening today in Cumberland, MD.

2) Fight choreographer for Maryland Ensemble Theatre's Macbeth, opening on the 19th in Frederick, MD.

So if you happen to be planning a visit to Antietam, bookend your historical bloody violence with some fictional bloody violence.

Dangerous Do-Rags

In last night's rehearsal at MET, we put together the bulk of the fight / violence choreography. Included: various knives, a crowbar, a baseball bat, an axe, a metal pipe, a piece of cinder block, and a bandanna. Yes, a bandanna. Death by bandanna.

Necessities: Food, Shelter, Clothing, Megayacht.

Quote of the day: “Today, a megayacht is indispensable,” said Olivier Milliex, head of yacht finance at the Dutch bank ING. “It’s not like 15 years ago, when a yacht was a luxury item.” (found in the New York Times) Yachts nowadays are reaching over 100 meters in length, and come with amenities like helicopters and minisubs. And many are registered foreign countries, to save on taxes and Soc. Sec. payments for crew members. Because, I guess, money's tight for your average megayacht owner.

Had another day working with the Secret Service last week. The thing I find most interesting about it is that non-Sec. Serv. people like myself can not go anywhere without an escort. I know, duh, that's to be expected. But it's weird when you have to ask to go to the bathroom, and an employee has to go with you (at least they don't go in to the bathroom with you).

I am also now working as a fight choreographer, for a production of Macbeth at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre. Looks to be a neat production, the characters are bikers -- so no swords; rather, Crowbars, baseball bats, knives, yee-ha! And the director, Peter Wray, has given the production an interesting twist (sorry, I'm not telling!).

Yesterday, along before an evening rehearsal with MET, I also had a video shoot -- nothing grand, some background extra work on a commercial. A long day, though, but it's good to be working.

And I'm gearing up to head to Cumberland Theatre in a week for Ten Little Indians.

I Could Tell You But Then I'd Have To . . .

Mon., Sept. 17 was a long day. Good, though, in that I was being an actor the whole time. I was exhausted at the end of it, partly because I hadn't had much sleep the two nights before.

7 am -- Video shoot for the Secret Service. Guess what? I can't tell you about the content of the script! Really! Can't you just hear the James Bond theme in your head right now? It wasn't all that exciting though, I mean, nothing you haven't already seen in Men In Black (I or II).

4pm -- rehearsal for the staged reading of Screen Play @ Rep.

7pm -- reading of Screen Play @ Rep. Went well, and fairly well received. Screen Play is pretty strongly political (A.R. Gurney is definitely no fan of GWB or neo-conservatives). In the post-show discussion with the audience, one thing we talked about was how different folks react to plays with political p.o.v.'s. One woman said that, while a person might not like a play like this, you don't learn anything if you don't keep an open mind. That's true, but . . . well, I didn't say it at the time (because usually it's the audience that asks and theatre reps and cast answering), but I wondered if the woman would have felt the same way if she disagreed with the play's p.o.v.

Would you? Easier said than done. I vaguely remember something from Frederick Douglass, I believe it was. He said that one should be able argue for the opposing point better than the opposition. Imagine that. If you can do that, not only can you understand their p.o.v., you'd be more able to counter it. Your own opinion would be strengthened or changed. That would require a lot of thought and a lot of listening, not strong points for a lot of people, it seems.

Let It Rain

Okay, positive news --

1) Sept. 17: I'll appear in a staged reading of Screen Play by A.R. Gurney at Rep Stage.

2) October 17 - 28: I'll play Dr. Armstrong in Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians at Cumberland Theatre (Rehearsals start Oct. 8 -- yes, it's a crazy-fast rehearsal period).

3) April 9 - May 4, 2008 (with possible extension - May 25): 1776 at Olney Theatre. I'll portray Lyman Hall, a delegate from Georgia, and I will understudy John Hancock and John Adams. I'm as excited by the understudy roles as I am about my regular role, in large part because of the challenge. And I'm quite happy to have this new door open. I have to say, I do think being a reader helped in this matter. Rehearsals start March 18.

It's a start. I still have a long way to go. But I'm much closer to heaven now that I have scripts on my table.

Reading Is Fundamental

I have some positive news, but I'll announce that in another day or two.

Last week, Wed. - Fri., I was a reader for the 1776 auditions at Olney Theatre (I auditioned as well). If you don't know: when an actor auditions for a play, if they read from a side (a scene selected from the show), the theatre may provide a reader to read the other part(s). Readers can range from someone sitting a chair literally reading the lines without any value whatsoever -- which is agonizing for the auditioner -- to someone who gets up and performs with them, hopefully while also letting the auditioner be the main focus. Most actors, myself included, like this sort of reader, and that's what I tried to be. One auditioner even exclaimed, "Oh, thank God!" the moment I stepped up to read the scene with her. Here's the thing: a lot of acting is giving to and reacting off of someone, and it is hard to give and react to nothing.

Being a reader was also very worthwhile to me, and I strongly recommend it for other actors. First, the theatre powers-that-be can get more of an impression of you as a person than a 5-minute time slot can ever provide. Also, you can watch other actors audition and see what you think they do right and wrong. And so here's some unsolicited audition advice, for myself particularly and for my fellow actors as well.

1) Be Confident, Be Natural, Be Yourself, Have Fun and Play. Easier said than done, I know. I had the chance to see a lot of actors put on their "game face," that mask that attempts to hide the nervousness. So how to do you be confident / natural, etc.? I'm still working on that, but I think the idea is to think of the audition as part of a bigger picture -- read the last paragraph for more on this.

2) Don't Look For Subtleties From The Powers-That-Be To Inform You On How Well You Did. There's just too much going on in the audition room to read what looks and gestures may or may not apply to you. The director stopping you halfway into the scene is common, and doesn't necessarily imply lack of interest -- I now know for a fact that's often not the case. Also, if they don't call you back, it doesn't mean you did badly. I saw some great auditioners that didn't get called back, and a few lousy auditioners that did. It has to do with how they see you fitting into their production.

3) Be Decisive. Hoo boy -- some auditioners would bring a music selection, but wouldn't give the accompanist a specific start or stop point. Some, when given a choice of scenes, would say, "What would you prefer?" Some would give vague answers when asked about scheduling availability for further callbacks or rehearsals. It's tedious. If you can't provide a specific answer to a scheduling question, say, "I don't know, but I can call later and let you know."

4) Be Aware That Every Interaction Is Part Of The Audition. Not just when you "enter the room," but also when you arrive, you sign in, when you talk with a theatre rep over the phone or via e-mail, etc.

Here's the thing: the official "audition" is just one part of joining a theatre community. It is not the be-all-end-all, God-I-hope-I-get-it, that it seems to be. Sure, do your best at the audition. Realize that you might not "fit" this particular production for whatever reason -- but if you do a solid audition, maybe they'll remember and say, "You know, I think he/she'd be good for this production we have coming up later." The more in-the-community you are, the more indistinct the line is between the job and the rest of your life. The people I audition for and with are people I hope to spend a fair amount of my future with, as coworkers and friends, and I want them to feel the same toward me. This extends even to the audience -- I want their reactions and their applause, and I also want them to see my name attached to a show and say, Oh, Peter's in that, Let's go see it. They may also see me in public, at the bookstore, the park. So, in a way, I am auditioning at any (every?) given moment in time, which means I need to be the best "me" I can be as much as possible.

Try The Coffee

I'd been avoiding writing about auditions, because the lack of positive results lately has been a real downer. But this blog originally was intended for life-as-an-actor-et-al. commentary. And sometimes the auditions, or the journey to-and-from auditions, are too interesting -- such as a recent audition at Theatre of the First Amendment for Mariela in the Desert, by Karen Zacarias, to be directed by Nick Olcott. For this I ended up researching the Mexican artists like Frieda Kahlo and Diego Rivera, a fascinating, fiery pair. And at the audition Nick and I both gave each other that squinted eyes look that caused me to say, "Yes, you look familiar to me, too, and no, I don't know why, either." He checked my resume and thought we might have met in Montana when I worked at Missoula Children's Theatre and he was there for some NEA thing. This is certainly possible, but I recently realized we had met (again?) only a few months ago, at an audition at Imagination Stage. Karen Zacarias has a play being produced at Imagination Stage in the spring, and she saw me in Sleeping Beauty last fall. And so the world gets smaller.

(By the way, the audition was enjoyable, even though I haven't heard anything since.)

Yesterday I had an audition at Cumberland Theatre for Ten Little Indians. The audition itself wasn't anything spectacular: a cold reading, which Gary, the director, said was mostly for hearing dialects. Normally I'm quite good at dialects, but yesterday, not so much. The journey home included a stop at a Waffle House in Hagerstown. Waffle House is a guilty pleasure, and I'd been jonesing for weeks. One of the waitresses was named Shanice, though her tag said Shaynana. She said her manager likes giving employees nicknames (something he has in common with GWB), ergo the nametag -- she pronounced it "Sha-nay-nay," which make me wonder about her manager's gift for spelling. The tag also said "Salesperson." Later the jukebox revealed its own personality by abruptly dropping, then slowly raising, the volume as it played. I had a cheese omelet with grits, cinnamon-raisin toast, and coffee -- "Waffle House coffee . . . fresh ground . . . the best coffee for your meal." I always get the coffee, and it's always very strong and tastes lousy, requiring cream and sugar to make it palatable. It fascinates me.

This particular Waffle House is not far from Antietam, the location of the bloodiest one-day battle of the civil war.

I have more interesting stories regarding Waffle House -- including "ribbets," a car on fire, and a lousy day for all -- maybe, more on that later.

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

Cute picture, yeah? That's Ndeze, an orphaned mountain gorilla, drinking from a bottle being held by park ranger Andres Bauma.

However, the picture would be more adorable if it were of Ndeze being held by her own mother: "Four or more gorillas had been shot in the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo], inside the Parc Nationaux de Virungas, and there was at least one new orphan clinging to a young male gorilla. The baby's mother and the group's silverback had been killed, along with several others. Equally disturbing, these deaths were the result of an ongoing feud between a number of individuals vying for control of the resources around the park, like charcoal production and mining." Click on the quote, you'll see some rough stuff, including a pic of some gorillas that had been shot.

By the way, this comes from Dr. Lucy Spelman's excellent blog. It'll make you smile and cry and stomp your feet in anger. She works with the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project.

Cave Squirrelum

Nuts. Yesterday, August 13th, was National Left-handers Day, and I missed it. I hope I'm the only one. I think we'd be recognized as an oppressed minority (via scissors, notebooks, 3-ring binders, chainsaws, school desks, pens, erasable pens, some spatulas and butter knives, writing in general, always stuck at the end of the table, shorter life spans, the occasional schoolmarm with ruler though not so much anymore, analog watches) if we could just take ourselves seriously. Belatedly, here's to us.

Actor News: The dreadfully long list of unrequited auditions continues to grow. Sometimes I'm surprised. Sometimes not (a big theatre with the moolah to get pretty much whatever they want recently called me in to audition to understudy Gremio and Vincentio in Taming of the Shrew. I'm not remotely the right age. There were 4 of us auditioning at the time, 2 who were the right age, plus me, plus a guy who is close in age to me. He said, "Yeah, I don't know why they called me in, either."). Today I had an audition for a PSA. It went well, I thought, but, who knows?

Cool Stuff In Art: I recently happened upon this sculptor, Beth Cavener Stichter. You must check her out! Her mission statement is rather heavy, but where it takes her -- well, the quality of her work is stellar. A lot of it is like a bad trip through Wonderland. I'm also amazed at her patience -- because her work is large clay pieces, she spends the bulk of her time hollowing them out before firing them. I just missed seeing her stuff at the Smithsonian, but I noted that she seems to come through Baltimore on occasion. Hmm. Anyhoo, wander around her site, won't you?

Cool Stuff In Nature: Squirrels heat up their tails for defense. True! It'll make sense if you read the article.

Sadie: Is 8 months old and over 60 lbs. And she's not fat. Woof.

Stuff

Just wanted to post an entry so the blog's not lonely. Later, maybe I'll say more about these things: 1) "Stuff" is happening soon, that might turn into "more stuff." 2) I need to make a phone call. It'll certainly be interesting. Hopefully it'll be good, too.

Perhaps you'll wait with bated breath. But not baited breath. Much, much different.

Meanwhile, check this out, just because: Evelyn Rodriguez's blog "Crossroads Dispatches". Check out her "About" page, too. Just cuz they're interesting. (Found via -- which I found via.)

So . . . Do You Floss?

Yesterday I managed to work myself into an existential crisis, during which I accomplished nothing as I sat wondering, "What is the point of all this?" Eventually I felt better when I thought that maybe my purpose in life is to try to figure that out. This may seem silly -- the point of all of this is to figure out what the point of all this is. See?

Meanwhile, I found a marvelous site -- "American Science & Surplus" -- where you can buy all sorts of surplus stuff, science-related et al., at low prices -- art supplies, military bags, solar panels, robot parts . . . even a
dinosaur skull (okay it's a high quality casting, and it's one of the few non-cheap items). If you have any geeky friends or relatives (like me!), this is a good place to do some Christmas shopping. Most product descriptions come with a sense of humor, too, so the site's worth checking out, even just to read.

I'm Back

Apologies for the hiatus. My acting career is currently like the weather here: dry, dry, dry, dry, dry. Lots of auditions with very little success. This may be my worst spell ever, and my ego has taken a severe beating in the process. But I'm feeling better lately, even energized -- hopefully that'll last. It helps that I have a great woman and a good dog.


Otherwise: the world continues to be surreal, as (British) squirrel spies are caught in Iran (via) and some folks gleefully do what they can to cause the Apocalypse (via). Might as well be pro-active with your prophecies. Also necrophilia's okey-dokey in Wisconsin (via).

Stay tuned: in the interest of self-promotion, I'm hoping to get a website started very soon.

Death to Cereal

That's it. Norman Conquests: Table Manners has closed. Not including rehearsals, that's 44 large bowls of Corn Flakes. Nada mas, gracias. A good finish, though -- pretty full house on a Saturday night, lots of laughter. And everyone in the cast got along the entire time. So, okey-dokey.

Future projects: uh, TBA.

Here's Your Gnashing Of Teeth

"A hammerhead shark that gave birth in a Nebraska aquarium reproduced without mating, a genetic analysis shows. "

Here's what happens next: nobody'll hear anything from the Baby Shark for about 30 years. Then the Shark'll become big news again, turning over coral reefs and reprimanding the "Phari-seas" et al. and teaching sharks about loving thy neighbor and turning the other fin and anti-materialism. The Shark will not write any of this down (no time, I suppose). The leaders of the status quo will mock this Shark and render the Shark unto death. Then followers of the Shark will, many years later, write down (with some artistic license) what they remember of it all. More years shall pass, and some sharks of certain authority will edit what was writ, then declare it to be "the unerring word of the Shark." They will say their goal is to bring the message of the Shark unto the common shark (though the common shark will not be allowed to actually read it for a really long time). Somehow this "new testament" will justify the authoritarian sharks dressing themselves in expensive pearls and other such vestments and declaring war "in the name of the Shark" on "non-believers" while simultaneously crying out, "He who lives by the swordfish shall die by the swordfish!"

But When I Talk: Ehh.

The Baltimore Sun recently reviewed Table Manners. Here's what Mary Johnson says about me: "With an expressive face, Boyer [has the] ability to convey emotion wordlessly, and make us laugh while doing so." Not too shabby. Check out the review and a picture of the production HERE.

Today I am Prime

Today is my BIRTHDAY!!!

37 years ago today, I was born in Nassawadox, Virginia. The hospital I was born in no longer exists (replaced by a newer one that stands a few hundred yards to the south). In its place now stand some other medically-related building and, quite appropriately, a playground. When I drive by that area, I like to point at the air above the playground and say, "That's where I was born."

On this day 68 years ago (1939), a 5-year-old gave birth. Really.

You can get my birth-year (1970) from my birth-month (5) and -day (14). 5+14=19, and 5x14=70.

Some more interesting factoids about the number 37 can be found HERE -- including how my age relates to the "Number of the Beast."

(Interesting note: this is post number 69 -- more on that number HERE).

To celebrate my birthday, I hope you will dance. No music required. If someone asks you what you are doing, tell them, "I am dancing in honor of Peter's birthday. Join me." They should. If they don't, give 'em a hug, 'cuz they must be sad if they don't wanna dance in honor of my birthday.

I Like Kipling, Even Though I've Never Kipled

Actor Update: Had an audition today at Imagination Stage for The Jungle Book and for Twice Upon a Time (two stories, The Lorax and The Emperor's New Clothes). Sadly, I did not get called back for Twice Upon a Time -- that's the way it goes, in an actor's life, and it may or may not have anything to do with my reading, but it hurts every time. Happily, I am called back for The Jungle Book, a story I love.

Also, rumor has it that Robert Prosky saw a performance of Table Manners and enjoyed it. I didn't get to see him, though.

And Lately

Actor Update: Table Manners opened Friday at The Bay Theatre in Annapolis. Though the audiences were small – mid-size, the response was very good. Tim King, a local actor et al. who saw a performance, complimented my work. Then he and I spent the next ten minutes trying, unsuccessfully, to figure out where he and I had met before.

Auditions in the past few days: @ Taylor-Royall , for a commercial spoof series (unsuccessful, there); a general audition at Everyman Theatre ; and a callback at Rep Stage for Mrs. Farnsworth by AR Gurney. No responses from ET and RS so far, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. The auditions went "fine" and "alright," respectively (definitions of these words HERE).

Saturday, I attended 4 hours worth of a stage combat workshop with instructors Lewis Shaw, Scott Mann, and Chuck Coyl -- “Fast and Furious”-style fighting (a mix of martial arts, street, and other good stuff) and close-quarter knife fighting. Very fun. Took me a little while to shake off the rust, though.

Upcoming: an audition for a couple of shows at Imagination Stage, a place I'm very fond of.

"Taxes" is an Anagram of "Texas"

A blue funk has kept me from posting. Here some math for you: Taxes + crummy weather = blue funk.

The last post was about 20 pounds of puppy ago (would that be 140 in people pounds?). Sadie is 20 weeks old and 45-ish pounds now. Oy. She's also losing her baby teeth. Good -- adult teeth are not quite so pointy. And while she doesn't look broken to me, I'll soon be taking her in to get fixed. Ha, ha.

We open Norman Conquests: Table Manners on Friday. The last week or so of rehearsal have been . . . tense, but I think it'll be fun once we have an audience. By the way, I'm very tired of corn flakes and toast. If you see the show you'll understand why.

Just had an audition today for Rep Stage, which has already garnered a callback next Monday. Wish me luck.

Introducing the Newest Member of the Family

Jen and I adopted a little girl last Saturday. She's a handful, time-consuming, which is why I'm only getting about to writing it now. She was a bit too thin, I think, and had some dandruff, but she looks like she's putting on some weight already and her hair's looking better, too. Her name is Sadie.

Another Little Bite

I will also be involved in an upcoming staged reading of Season of Sentiment, by Harriet Lawrence, as part of Theatre of the First Amendment's First Light Festival. "This story explores traditions, joys and sorrows of Russian immigrants in the 1800s, as celebrated by their American descendants in 1970s suburban Maryland." All the plays being performed are in-process, so we'll get to work on them all week before the reading. Very cool. SoS will be performing on Saturday, March 17 @ 3 pm. Here's the schedule for all the shows. Admission is free for all of 'em.

Also, something else worth checking out if you're local: Howard Community College / Student-Alumni Arts production of OurSpace -- a dance-and-more performance which opened yesterday in the new black box theatre at HCC. It just so happens that Jenny, my "significant other," directed it, and choreographed some of the numbers. I'm the "head writer," so I wrote most of the monologues and dialogue that bridge the performance pieces. Along with dance -- ballroom, modern, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, et al. -- there is "combat dance," musical performances, and some interesting scene work as well. It's an excellent show, and I'm saying that not just because I'm biased but also because it's true. This one's $12-general, $10-students/seniors/groups, "recommended for mature audiences = 14 and up," and will be performing on Friday the 9th (today!), Sat. the 10th, and on the 15th, 16th, and 17th (Th., Fri., Sat.) @ 8 pm.

A Bite

Got one -- I'll be playing Reg in Norman Conquests: Table Manners at the Bay Theatre. Rehearsals start March 26; the show runs April 27 - June 2. I'll tell ya more as we get into it. Very excited!

On the Plus Side, Bathroom Scales Now Friendly

My New Stage Name: Dixie

Just got back from my audition at the Bay Theatre in Annapolis -- I thought it went alright. Perhaps even not bad. So I'm told, decisions shall be made very soon.

Sometimes it takes some time into the day for me to realize that something on my mind was from the previous night's dreaming. When I woke, I was wondering why Bay Theatre had sent me audition scripts for the role of "Jerry," when I had been told I was auditioning for the role of "Reg." Once I got a bit more coherent, I realized that there was no character of "Jerry" in the play. That, and I realized it was highly unlikely that I had been sent audition material printed inside of a stack of paper cups.

Have at it, dream analysts.

Best Supporting Actor: Sgt. Johnson

Thanks for the comments to the previous post, y'all -- and by the way there's an interesting irony in getting good "highly secret occult" witch vibes when one of the plays you're auditioning for is Macbeth. Proofreader -- I don't know what the deal is, Shenandoah not getting a single Helen Hayes nom. I checked their list, and also noticed that Ford's Theatre isn't mentioned for anything. Hm. Nor is Imagination Stage, though I heard there's an odd rule that essentially allows HH to ignore a lot of children's theatre (I skimmed through their rules, though, and didn't see it, though). Don't know why. Hmph.

News . . . not much yet. The audition for Macbeth at BSF went "alright" (as defined on Feb. 10) -- read a couple of scenes playing the title role. So did a whole bunch of other guys. The waiting area was very cold. The audition area was very hot. One of the women who read for Lady Macbeth with me was very pregnant. The audition at Round House went . . . "not bad" which is a half step up from "alright" which is a half step up from fine. Clear, yes? I read for the character Blind Pew in Treasure Island (with marvelous Scots dialect, thank you very much), and after I read, they asked me about my stage combat experience -- a plus for me, since I have plenty. No word from either place thus far, which doesn't necessarily mean anything. Keep vibing, please.

Also: a further callback at Bay Theatre, coming very soon. So the ball rolls a bit further.

Another cartoon coming soon. Hope y'all don't mind.

Nibbles

I was left uncomfortably staring into space for over a week after the audition on the 10th for Baltimore Shakespeare Festival (okay, not quite that bad, there have been some things to keep me busy) . . . but I recently received a spate of calls for:

1. an audition on Monday the 19th at the Bay Theatre in Annapolis for Table Manners, the first play in The Norman Conquests trilogy by Alan Ayckbourn;
2. an audition (via Taylor Royall Casting) on Tuesday for an industrial (produced by EFX Media) -- which quickly turned into a dayshoot the following day, yesterday, yay me (I played a "business reporter");
3. a further callback this Saturday for BSF's Macbeth; and
4. a callback on Monday the 26th at Roundhouse Theatre in Bethesda, for Treasure Island.

Of course, I'm hoping for lots of good things here, and for this ball to keep rolling. Feel free to send good vibes my way.

Ma, the CB! Batch 'em!

A couple of comments in the yesterday's blog. Very cool, it's always good to see someone's checking me in the e-ether. (Re the comments: 1) Thanks, sis! 2) Benjamin, thanks for the advice. Though BSF doesn't pay much. [I know a few Benjamin's, how do I know thee?].)

Had that audition today at BSF for Macbeth, in which I read a little of Banquo and a monologue worth of Macbeth. I left the audition feeling . . . . like it went alright. Meaning? Well, alright is a half-step better than fine, which is neither pessimistic nor optimistic, i.e., a sort of ambivalence that is not casual but also not high-strung. Make sense?
_________

According to Berkeley Breathed's Opus (not to be confused with the similarly named play, see yesterday's blog), CHUNKY LORD VOLDEMORT is an anagram of DICK CHENEY VA-VOOM. Well, even though it isn't . . . it should be. Thanks, BB.

Opus Is Not Just a Penguin

A handful of auditions, but no solid bites thus far. It is very frustrating. Outside of auditions, I haven't been in rehearsals or performances for a month-and-a-half, and it's driving me bananas. Feels like a year.

The latest: I did a general audition for Baltimore Shakespeare Festival on Saturday, and then had a callback for Opus at the Washington Stage Guild on Monday. I've already received a call that I was not cast for Opus -- but it's okay, sorta. Though I thought my audition went well, I felt that I was a touch younger than what they were looking for.

I do want to say this: the audition for Stage Guild was fun. Some auditions, you go in, you do your thing -- cold reading, monologue, what have you -- and you get no response whatsoever from whomever is watching you. Audience response is food to a stage actor (and in this case the director / producer / head of casting, etc., is your audience) and auditions like that leave you still hungry, and dissatisfied. At Stage Guild, the director and producer responded. It felt good. Additionally, for the production manager to call and say that I was not cast is an act of kindness -- so much better to know than to sit and wonder. And, now I know I'm on their radar. So, check 'em out, they're good folks.

Baltimore Shakes -- well, I got a good feel from them, and I got a callback for Macbeth on Saturday. Wish me luck.

Something You Won't Find On Bourbon Street

An Auditioner's Life

I would have titled this "An Actor's Life," but I sometimes feel a touch presumptuous calling myself an actor when I'm not holding an acting job at that moment (though I have seen / heard / read a few people call themselves "actors" who really shouldn't -- heck, I'm sitting at a desk that I built, but I ain't callin' myself a furniture designer. Does hanging posters on your wall make one an interior decorator? I take the trash out every few days, so does that make me a garbage man?)

But a few auditions have come up, at least. I didn't feel very good about my recent one at Signature, to be honest. I had two yesterday, one for a commercial and one for an "interactive film"(a sort of instructional film, that's about what I know). I felt good about both of these, but here's the thing: with theatre auditions, I usually get some sense of how the audition went. With TV / film, I usually do best when I get no strong impression of how it went. Hm. A couple more auditions are coming up in the next few days. Cross your fingers.

And the drawing pad is getting some use again: I'll have another drawing posted soon, hope you like it.
_________

Otherwise: Here's an explanation of each of the 10 theoretical dimensions in our universe (I feel so pleased, I actually understood them. Sortakindasorta-ish). And: Milk beer? Guh.

Holy Lizards

I've been busy the last month-and-a-half, with travel (visiting various relatives), teaching, and auditioning. I am really, really tired, mainly from the teaching, which just finished today (almost: now I just have to finish grading a few things and fill out some paperwork). On Monday the 22nd was a general audition for a number of area theatres -- I was there all day, because, along with my own audition, I also helped sign people in. Not a bad day -- a few folks, unsolicited, said they liked my audition, and I had the chance to see a few friends, including Carl Randolph, Warner Crocker and his wife Thomasin (from Wayside Theatre) , Chris Youstra and Margo Seibert, with whom I worked at Imagination Stage. And I have a callback already at Signature Theatre in a few days, about which I'll say naught more at this moment, lest I hex it.
_____________

Interesting stuff:
A virgin Komodo dragon has recently given birth to 5 baby dragons. (Okay, "gave birth" is a touch inaccurate -- she laid the eggs, and then they hatched.) I'm sure this'll be horribly offensive to someone: what if this were the Second Coming? Why not? Couldn't Christ could take the form of 5 adorable baby Komodo dragons if He so pleased? Additional proof of the involvement of a higher power: they've been eating locusts (perhaps to gear up for the next plague of 'em).

New items for my materialistic Christmas wish list: I 'd like an "adaptive wave" catamaran. Or a hydrogen powered motorcycle (shame it only does 50 mph, but apparently it has kick-ass acceleration).

Word, Y'all

While looking at the website Neatorama (specifically, the little blurb about the Pillow Fight League in Toronto) . . . .

. . . a random word popped into my brain, and now it's our word of the day: oubliette. An oubliette is "a dungeon with an opening only at the top" and it comes the French word oublier meaning "to forget" (i.e., it's a place where you can be forgotten, not where you can go to, say, forget about your troubles, though I can see how that could work -- I wouldn't be worried about car repairs or taxes if I happened to be thrown into an oubliette). Live it, love it, learn it. See if you can use it in casual conversation.