Ferrets of the English Restoration

I'm in rehearsals for a scene from The Eccentricities of a Nightingale by Tennessee Williams, playing the role of John -- Natasha Staley is playing Alma, Yvonne Erickson is directing the scene. This for the directing class at the Studio Theatre.

By the way, I did a few drawings during the run of The Way of the World. Here's one:

Kicking

Recent news:

The Way of the World has closed. Great cast, I'll miss those folks.

I'm also proud of my work as an understudy. I believe that good understudies are very underrated. They are like kickers in football, little attention but major day savers -- would the Colts or the Pats have made it to the superbowl without Adam Vinatieri? Can you name any other kickers? Have you noticed how many games are won by last-second field goals?

Doing My Job

Understudies often get very little rehearsal time, and it often happens after the first audiences show up.

I put in a lot of hours at the Shakespeare Theatre in rehearsals for The Way of The World. Some of those hours were spent in the greenroom, waiting to rehearse my little bits. I read, I chatted, I went over lines and blocking for my roles ("The Messenger" and "The Footman") and my understudy roles ("Witwould" and "Petulant").

I've known some understudies who've done little or no preparation, and fortunately not gone on. And I've heard horror stories of those that had. Some people think I have good discipline, but really it's the fear of embarrassment. I can't handle the stress of praying please don't let me be put on the spot today I'm not ready. Better to put in the work, relax, and not go on, than to go on unprepared and embarrass the theatre and myself.

Saturday, Oct. 4th: unforeseen circumstances threw me into the role of "Petulant" for two preview performances. Suddenly I was in front of an audience, trying to hold my own with actors who had been rehearsing these scenes for weeks. At this point, I had only officially rehearsed the first scene in this role, and never with the regular actors.

But I had done my prepwork. Both shows went off without a hitch. I even managed to cover someone else's line flub by slightly changing one of mine. The first performance fried my brain; the second performance, I had some fun. I even had a number of compliments from peers who were onstage with me and in the audience that day.

Thank you, just doing my job.

DUSTIN LOOMIS = SMILODON SUIT

This a picture of Dustin Loomis and Barbara Callander in Unnecessary Farce, currently showing at Wayside Theatre and getting great reviews.

Dustin and I worked together once on a production of Twelfth Night at Cumberland Theatre.

"Dustin Loomis" is an anagram for "Smilodon Suit."

Coincidence? Some look to anagrams to reveal hidden meanings.

Could Mr. Loomis actually be a prehistoric creature in human disguise? The smilodon (a.k.a. the "saber-toothed tiger"), if standing on its hind legs, would be rather tall. And Dustin is rather tall . . . .

Playing Ketchup

I've been a busy boy. Baltimore Shakespeare Festival's Taming of the Shrew opened July 18th, closed August 3rd. I started rehearsals for Wayside Theatre's Moonlight and Magnolias on July 22nd, which opened August 8th and closed August 24th.

Wayside and BSF are 115 miles apart, so to pull off both shows with these the overlapping dates, I did a lot of driving -- 2000 miles in 2 weeks. Add to that, both shows involve a lot of scenery chewing. By the time Shrew closed and we got into the final week of rehearsal for M&M, I was getting a bit googly-eyed. But -- I was having a ball, being so busy doing what I like.

Three days after M&M closed, I started rehearsals for Way of the World at the Shakespeare Theatre. It's a rare and beautiful thing in this business to go from one job right to another like that.

And here's a link to pictures from Moonlight & Magnolias.

DEMETRIUS, P. 5!

Way cool:

Jen and I were talking on the phone today -- she's out of town for a few weeks -- and she said, "Guess who called me today."

"Who?"

"Demetrius."

!!!!!

He called her and left a voice message.

We'd both been wanting to call him, but nervous about it -- so we were going to talk with friends who were more "in the know" first.

But then Dee beat us to it.

Rock on.

(Image via)

Check Out The Shrew

No, not that one.

This one:

The Taming of the Shrew opens tonight "In the meadow at the Evergreen Museum and Library." Yup, it's outdoors, so bring your lawn chairs or blankets, your picnic basket, and some nicely chilled vino or brew, and have yourself a grand time!

Frankly, Heidi, I Don't Give a Shrew

We're getting to the tail end of rehearsals for Taming of the Shrew at Baltimore Shakespeare Festival. Moving from our indoor rehearsal space to the outdoor space, it's been frenetic. Sweaty, too, rehearsing outdoors on a balmy Baltimore afternoon. We open Friday the 18th.

And then some crazy days to come, for whilst
This Shrew doth show, once more I'll in the breach,
Rehearsing Midnight and Magnolias, yay,
At Wayside Theatre, though eventually
We'll play at nearby Shenandoah U.,
And open on the day of August Eight.

Whew.

Oh, and just so you know, I was recently cast in Heidi (the musical, based on the book), at Imagination Stage -- that'll be next spring.

At this very moment, the local weather is playing a suitable accompaniment: via the open window I can hear a pleasant, steady rain.

Demetrius, P.4

(Image via)

New update. The latest news I have is via a voicemail message, so I can only be broad right now. Still, worthwhile info:

Dee is out of ICU, as of maybe 2 weeks ago. Good, of course.

And he is now conversing, quietly. That's excellent: that sort of communication, so I hear, is a "higher function." To put it poorly, when an injury happens to an organ, functions generally come back "online" lower to higher, lower being the more necessary functions, breathe, eat, etc., higher more like, "dude, where's my comic books?" Not that he's specifically called me and asked me that yet, but supposedly now we might be able to broach that subject.

More news, hopefully, soon.

Keep praying, knocking wood, etc. I won't be content 'til Dee and I take a jog to the local coffee shop, where we'll play chess and talk about women, music, and mouse-traps (long story).

Demetrius, P. 3

(Image via.)

I went out to Ohio June 4 - 8 to see Tecumseh!, visit a few folks I know, see Jen, and of course, to visit Dee. By the way, everyone at T! did a stellar job from what I saw. The understudies really stepped up to the plate. I had the chance to see a couple of run-throughs and the first couple of official performances, and what I saw was a good, solid show. Kudos to them. Go see it.

I saw Dee on Saturday the 7th. Before Jen and I went in, we talked to mutual friend Geddy, who had visited him a bit earlier. He told us that Dee has continued responding to nerve tests, and that he opened his eyes when Geddy talked to him, he responded a bit with his eyes when Geddy indicated another friend in the room. All good news.

When we went in, Dee pretty much slept. This was not unexpected -- his earlier responses with Geddy were probably about all he was up for at the time. Dee was still on a respirator, but it was just giving him a bit of an assist, it wasn't doing the breathing for him. In fact, while we were there, Dee took a couple of deep breaths and shifted his body a bit. These are excellent, I think -- he has full body movement, and his muscles want to move. I talked to him a bit, told him he needs a new barber, but mostly I just held his hand.

Some of Dee's family were at the hospital. When we left, we gave a hug to his mother, shook hands with his dad, said hello to a couple of aunts. They seem to be bearing through it okay, though I know recent improvements have helped on that account.

Since then I've only heard a touch more. Good stuff -- he has has communicated to a degree with his mom, doing 1-finger-for-yes-2-for-no stuff (I don't think he could actually talk right now because of the ventilator tube), and apparently gave a thumbs-up when his mom prayed and said amen. Occasionally his temperature will spike, and when that happens they sedate him so he'll rest.

And that's what I know. Good news, certainly. I'm impatient, I want more, faster. Turns out he left a couple of comic books in Jen's car. I read 'em, of course. I'm waiting for him to call me and say, "Hey, send me my comic books!"

After a Buncha Bad, A Little Something Good

For a few weeks, I just kept getting lousy news. A good friend in a very bad accident. A close relative developing Type II diabetes. Another close relative's supposed pregnancy turning out to be an unusual non-pregnancy. Getting a thousand $ of emmissions-related work on my car, just to have it fail emmissions again (I have a waiver now). So a few days ago, I silently said to the Power(s)-That-Be, Enough of this, okay?

Well, the same day, the PTB gave in a little. Jen's car passed emissions, yay (after 500 $ of work), and I had a chat with the wonderful Warner Crocker over at Wayside Theatre -- and it looks like I'll be doing the comedy Moonlight and Magnolias there. I'm excited about working at Wayside again!

Alrighty. Thanks, PTB (tho' we're still talking).

Rehearsals for Taming of the Shrew at BSF start in a week.

Demetrius, P. 2

Latest news:

Brain swelling has gone down to more "acceptable" levels. Good.

He has responded to prick tests to his feet. That's very good.

Not conscious, thus far. But that's partly by doctor design, to keep his movements minimal for right now.

Demetrius

Hey, folks.

Demetrius Thomas is a good friend of mine, and has been a part of Tecumseh! for a number of years. The last couple of years, he has played the lead / title character, and was set to do so this year as well. In '06, Jen and I had three ceremonies; the first was on the Tecumseh! stage, and Dee was my best man that evening.

A few nights ago, Dee was in a major car accident. I'm getting my information 3rd or 4th hand, so I know very little for sure. I know he was flown to Columbus, and there was some head trauma. There was some swelling of the brain. Apparently he's been through some surgery, and the swelling seems to have gone down at least a bit. I was told he's in critical but stable condition.

But there's still a lot I don't know. I don't know the extent of the damage, and that has me worried.

I don't know if you pray or not. But Dee is one of the good guys, and I ask that you pray now. Thank you.

Sketch Haloo

During performances, I'd occasionally snag a blue Post-It from our awesome Assistant Stage Manager for 1776, Brandy Wyont, and do a quick cartoon. They might not make much sense if you don't know the show. Or if you do know the show. 10 points to you if you catch the misspelled word.

"It's Done . . . It's Done."

So sayeth John Adams, after the Congress finally votes for independence in 1776.

Sunday at 7:30 we had our final performance. The show has closed.

1776 CLOSES tomorrow AT THE is my END OF birthday THIS WEEK!

I'm currently enjoying a couple of days off, though a "day off" right now means catching up with old business, cleaning the apartment, and reviewing choreography for my fight class.

tomorrow is my birthday!

Tomorrow, the 14th, we have two shows -- a student matinee at 10:15 am and an evening performance at 8 pm. Between shows we're having a little barbecue, you know, for cast bonding and so that we won't just wander around aimlessly.

and on the 14th i'll be celebrating my birthday!

If you haven't seen it yet (you should), or you'd like to see it again (you should), 1776 will run through Sunday, the 18th!

hey! did I mention my birthday is tomorrow, May 14th?

I'm Right There, Behind The Declaration

Life in theatre -- 1776 at the Olney Theatre, the recent spate of auditions, and the stage combat class I am currently taking (taught by SAFD Certified Teacher Lewis Shaw, with Jen as his teaching assistant).

1776 opened three weeks ago, and received good reviews in the Washington Post, the Washington Times, and the DC Theatre Scene blog. We extended an extra week, so we'll close on Sunday, May 18th.

I came close to going on as John Adams, when our lead actor had a few vocally fragile days. I was basically "on notice" for four days. All's well again, but I was ready -- I know that understudies sometimes are called to duty without warning, so I was in good shape for it before we even hit previews. Call it good discipline if you like; you can also call a tremendous fear of being able to respond with only deer-in-the-headlights.

The stage combat class is on the weekends, 9am-1pm. Because of my show schedule, I can only stay till noon. Weekends I'm fighting, acting, driving to-and-fro, eating, and sleeping (but not much), and that's all, folks. No time for anything else. Though I'm no fan of lack of sleep, it is exciting.

Irony #1: Nearly getting rear-ended by a tow-truck.

Irony #2: Not being able to think of the word "Alzheimer's."

in The middle Of A schizophrenic week, somehow i got Married again

Yes. At last count I assumed 16 personalities from 3/2 - 3/8. And got married. Really.

Wait . . . 17.

I auditioned for 16 different roles in 4 different shows at 2 different places. Plus for 1 in a commercial.

And on 3/4, Jen and I got married again. By a rabbi, in an orthodox Jewish wedding (okay, mock wedding -- part of an educational thing at Howard Community College, but the rabbi was legit).

Add that to the 3 ceremonies we had in '06, that makes 4. I have now been married more times than anyone in my immediate family.

Question: if you marry someone with multiple personalities multiple times, does that make you a polygamist? Or, rather, a monogamistic swinger?

Run Nekkid

Ya Hasta Luvs Ya Som Larry Dahlke

Cuz I Does.

Platonically, of course, and in a non-stalkerly sort of way.

Though I think maybe it would be good for Larry to have a stalker -- but a non-scary, casual sort of stalker, that respects his privacy, doesn't make him fear for his life, allows him to have a significant other without getting mad about it. Though I suppose it would be okay to post some "Oh, I wish he were mine" on their blog dedicated to Larry Dahlke. That might be okay. Occasionally send him cookies or a fruit basket.

See, last week I posted that "One Less Beer" drawing. Shortly after, Larry linked and posted it on his blog. Made me happy -- I love attention (actor, duh).

Larry, by the way, is an extremely talented actor. And he also plays umpteen different musical instruments. Yes, umpteen!

So check out Larry's blog (Larry's blogging somewhat regularly again, yay!). And Larry's website. And if you swing by Wayside Theatre, there's a good chance you'll see him in a show there (an excellent show for sure, because it's Larry and Wayside together). Consider stalking him -- gently. (Photo via)

Last Night's Hasty Sketch

That Frog

Here's that frog sketch. I never said it would be a good one.

monologues and headshots and frogs, oh my

1: Thanks, Proofreader. This biz seems to go in waves, and mine is currently in-between. At least I can see another one coming, but it's still waaaaaaay out there, and I am impatient and a bit irritable.

A couple of days ago went to a general audition -- a bunch of actors, a bunch of companies, we go in perform monologue and possibly a bit of song (3 min. limit), they watch. I felt good with my bit -- a Shylock monologue + 40 bars of Man of La Mancha. Good chewing-on-the-scenery sort of stuff. I did get a couple of unsolicited compliments on my audition. For certain, I proved that I can remember my lines and be very loud. I also volunteered to help out in the afternoon, which in this case meant arranging a few thousand headshots. My eyes were googly afterwards. These auditions always turn into mini-reunions, and I had the chance to catch up a little a lot of folks.

2: I've been looking at pics of frogs lately, for a drawing. Soon: bears.

i'm back, with beef

This is a drawing of the Horny Oamisoe.

I was avoiding the blog, because I didn't think I had anything interesting to talk about.

Then I avoided it because I had too much to talk about.

So I'll just skip it and move on.

Two days ago I had an audition for Iago (from Othello). (I also auditioned for Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew, but didn't find that out 'til I got there.) The Othello director rather suddenly had me attempt a difficult monologue with "Yooper" (upper-peninsula Michigan) and Australian dialects (they're both on my resume, because I've used them before in performance. But they're difficult to do without some prep time, particularly with a Shakespearean dramatic character). With an assist from exhaustion and a cold, my brain imploded. Yooper kept sliding into a sort of dopey Brooklyn. And Joe Pesci invaded my cortex when I tried to do Australian, and he wouldn't leave. It was a big, farcical tragedy.

By the way, Yooper sounds a bit like the dialect in Fargo, and goes with Iago like cranberry juice goes with Bailey's Irish Cream. It doesn't.

But you know what? This had had nothing to do with my ability to play the role. If she was testing a concept idea, she should have said so, and I should have been given more time to wrap my head around it. If she wanted to see if I was willing to jump in with both feet, it should have had something to do with the project. I'm willing to test ideas, even if they may seem absurd, but I've come to the conclusion that she didn't want to audition me as an actor at that point, she wanted to audition me as a circus monkey.

Some previous audition entertainment: Abruptly having to do a monologue "with a Scottish dialect, like you're riding a horse." The director who showed up in a dirty t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, and read through the resumes without ever looking up at the actors performing the monologues. The director who showed up half an hour late without any explanation and then wanted a song (the play featured no singing whatsoever). The callback for a musical that (after a two-hour drive to get to the theatre) turned into an audition not for a musical but for the play Art. The director who asked for a dialect in advance, then changed his mind onsite for the sake of the one performer who was incapable of doing a decent dialect (absolutely required by the play) but who had just the right "look". (This performer practically assaulted the reader at the audition, which didn't seem to bother the director, either.)

Sometimes I hate this business.