Road Trips Are Good For The Soul

The Comedy of Errors and Scapin! closed a couple of weeks ago.

Jenny's out in Ohio again, teaching a stage combat workshop. I headed out there for the weekend to visit her and a few friends old and new and to see the latest incarnation of Tecumseh! Go see it, make the road trip, it's excellent.

The road trip was a great little escape. My connection to the world via cell phone and TV and internet was severely and marvelously reduced.

On the way to Ohio, I met some great folks in Grafton, WVa., when I got a flat tire. If your car breaks down, try to break down in Grafton.

Go see Tecumseh! -- yes, I'm repeating -- it's worth repeating: It's a wonderful production of an excellent story, go see it.

More Theatrics

Rehearsals have been going on for a week-and-a-half for Sylvia at Bay Theatre. If you had seen rehearsals on Wednesday, you would have seen me walking around in a rehearsal skirt and 3+ inch heels. Women's size 12, by the way.

New gnus: I'm set to direct A Spell of Cold Weather, by Charles Way, at Red Branch Theatre in Columbia, MD. That'll show in December.

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."

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.