Random Crap

It's been a long time...

So, it's been a little while...

Here's what's been up and what's coming up for those interested...Plus a couple of rants I'm sure...

Let's start with a rant...
Recently I was told of a story of a local community theater actor waltzing backstage after a performance to hang out with a friend in their dressing room after a show...NOT COOL! When I hear stories like this it drives me buggy. Even if you're friends with someone in a show and even if that friend lacks common sense and invites you...DO NOT go backstage if you're not in the cast. The backstage area is a special place where performers get ready for and unwind from performing. The polite thing to do is to wait for your friend in the lobby or sometimes a green room. This rule applies regardless of how many people you know in the show, how many times you've performed there or how big the bouquet is...Don't do it. While we're a pretty tolerant group of people, we do like some privacy. The dressing room is just that. A place to get dressed and undressed. I've been in several instances where people thought it was okay to hang around and shoot the breeze with their friends while a complete stranger is expected to change into or out of their costume. LAME. Some long time performers feel they have a right to traipse in and out of dressing rooms, green rooms, backstage areas...They don't. This also applies to folks who do the inviting...Please don't. Time before or after the show is reserved for the performer. We don't want to meet your friends while trying to change our pants...I don't even want to see my own friends (though I love you all and deeply appreciate your attendance) until I've had a few minutes to shake off the show...Pass this one on.

Now on to current events...

Galvanized...
This one is currently on hold. Lots of folks have asked when the theater company is going to come to life. Let's just say it's on the back burner for now. For many reasons...Not the least of which is a strong questioning of whether or not the community needs another company. In a community that claims over 300 companies, it may be better for me at the moment to work from within. Resources, talent and audiences are spread thin enough as it is and now doesn't feel like the time. That being said...I still feel as if there is room for drastic improvement in the world of theater but to do it right, I would need to devote more of myself to it than I am currently capable.

Acting...
I'll be playing in a little show known as Edward II in February. I'm playing a small role and it's at a theater 3 blocks from my house...So, the usual dedication, with the advantage of an easier schedule and closer to home. More details on that as it comes closer.

MontgomeryPhoto...
Things are clicking right along with the "business" of photography. I've photographed several folks in the past few months and I'm feeling confident. Recently I shot a portrait of A.C.T.'s Scrooge for their current production of A Christmas Carol. It was a huge success and was voted one of the top 5 Portraits of the week (a couple of weeks ago) in an invitation only group on the photoblogging site Flickr. I've been asked several times lately why there are so few photographers shooting in SF. Well, to that, all I can say is now there's one more. Check out www.montgomeryphoto.net for recent images...the idea of a permanent studio is still on the horizon but for now I've decided to keep to natural light photography as it gives me the variety of images that I like. Until I find a studio set up that gives me the versatility I need...I'll be investing mostly in high-end lenses...It's been an interesting experiment to try and work one job in order to fund a burgeoning business. It's slow building but hopefully, in time, it will pay off. So please keep telling your friends where to get their headshots and portraits done. (As long as you're sending them my way ;)

Holidays...
I hope the Holiday season finds all of you well and that you're not stressing too much...I like to remember that this time of year is about friends and family...Not the latest gadget or trinket...Lot's of love to you all.

Well now...What next?

So now that Killer Joe's been closed for a little while and things are beginning to normalize it's time to come up with a new plan of action.

With the dough earned from KJ, I went out and got what has turned out to be perhaps one of the best investements I've eve made. The Nikon D200 is a beautiful machine and it makes such beautiful photographs. Transitioning from the D70 (a great camera in its own right) has been smooth and I've been so pleased with the images that I've gotten from it. I've shot several friends with it over the past couple of months and I couldn't be happier. Many of the new images have pushed out a lot of the old stuff and the Portraits section of the site is being refreshed with all new images. Older shots that were great in their time have been replaced with newer, fresher and more vivid images that are starting to come together and a style is beginning to appear.

In October I'm running an ad in the back of Theatre Bay Area magaizine...Nothing fancy just a little classified but hopefully it will generate some revenue as folks get ready for grad school auditions and leading up to TBA Generals. I've had a lot of fun shooting lately and comparing notes with actor friends on how other photographers do things. The first week in October will be a busy one. "The girl" and I are heading to LA to shoot a little with some folks down there. I'm really looking forward to it. She'll be acting as a stylist/assistant and puttting her costuming skills into play which shold be fun. We work really well together and it's always fun to have her on a shoot. We're looking at ways to collaborate more in the near future on several interesting projects. I'll also be shooting a good friend that (who recntly moved to LA) I have a great photographic repoire with and whom I haven't shot in a long time.

It looks like I'll be "focusing" on photography in the coming months. I noticed there really aren't many options around for headshot photographers and I'm going to try to fil the gap if I can. So far, the response has been pretty positive from casting folks in the area who have seen some of the shots I've done and that's quite encouraging. So it looks like there may be a nice and hopefully profitable future in that...Basically I'd just love it if it were a self-sustaining hobby. More shoots = more gear...and yes, there's always more gear...

As for other things in the "news" I was thinking that the close of KJ would propel me into a whirlwind of wanting to shake things up but so far it's been pretty mellow. The day job has been good as of late and it's going as well as can be expected. There have been talks of moving...Which, knowing me, is the sign of the oncoming appocalypse. Looking for a place that can maybe move further towards my goals and be a little less of a bachelor pad...Nothing in the immediate future but perhaps soonish...Who knows...I could totally freak out and find myself clawing the hardwood at 775 refusing to leave...Tons of memories in that place, both good and bad. Maybe it's time to freshen up my outlook.

All in all my power of positivity trip is working out pretty well. Kind of taking the old serenity prayer as literally as possible and keeping myself surrounded with as much positive energy as I can and my outlook seems to be improving. Amazing what cutting off a few negative folks can do for your outlook and self esteem. I highly reccomend it. I was talking to an old friend the other night about it and trying to explain why I'm not too keen on hanging out with certain folks from our past. I don't how much sense I was able to make at 2 AM but the ideas are there and it seems to be working. So I intend to stick with it.

It's been good to get out and see some of the friends I've been missing the past several months. I'm still recouperating a little so I haven't been a social as perhaps I thought would be but I'm working up to it. In fact, my first night out was a little weird because I had actully kind of forgotten how to be social...But I think I'm remembering now.

So nothing to terribly drastic, no trips to the desert to find myself or anything. No crazy celebratory partying. Although, the timing was great. I could have gone down to Burning Man this year and done all of that...you know, to put it all in perspective...All my friends are stitting at their computers laughing right now because I'm sooo not the Burning Man type...but you never know until you've tried it according to those of my friends who are... No crazy shake up where I quit my job and run off to find the acting career that's awaiting me in NY or LA...;) Although I had given it some thought.

On the cusp of some transition but zenning out and doing little things to be prepared for it when it comes.

Just getting back to the whole life thing. And steadily chipping away...always the tortoise...quietly working my way toward inevitable world domination...One choice at a time...

I hope everyone's well. See you soon.

Hello remember me? I'm getting the hell out of Texas.

So, it's finally here. The end of Killer Joe. Sunday the 13th is going to be the last day. I've been in a wild whirlwind of feeling about this fact. "I'm ready." I keep saying it and I'm pretty sure I believe it but I've got to say I'm a bit nervous about how I'm going to feel on Tuesday night at 7:30...No fight call, no screwing around with Cully, no joking around with the cast and crew...It's going to be harder than I think. I already miss Howard and Stacy who left the show 3 weeks ago now. I'm gonna miss ribbing my "little sister" Anna. Soren and Zehra have been great and I'm going to have this strange hole when the show's no longer here.

I ran into a friend yesterday and we figured out we hadn't seen each other in a year. We worked on Emophiliacs together and he reminded me that I had just gotten the script for KJ this time last year. A year is a hell of a long time to live with a show. And a full time job...and to try and maintain some semblance of normalcy...and truth be told, I'm way out of balance and it will be nice to get back...for a while.

A couple of days ago my friend at work commented on how Chris has sort of taken over. My posture, mannerisms, voice...Not to mention the long curly hair and my best attempt at a goatee and chops...Yeah, patches of scraggly dark facial hair. It's time to purge. On Sunday night, after the curtain call, I go back to being baby faced...Taking off the mask. It's time. On Tuesday, I get to go see the lovely Sara who I'm sure has missed me for the past 4 months. She'll definitely be getting her money's worth as she chops off the curls and gives me what I like to call my "short and cute" haircut...More of the removal process...Getting Chris out of my system is going to take some time. It's been an interesting exercise living with this rowdy, conniving, joker version of myself. It's time to hit the reset button if you will.

I'm actually getting a little sad as I write this. I hope that this experience has made me stronger. That the endurance that it takes to do 121 performances of this very hard piece won't slip away. That the joy that I approach this thing with every day doesn't fade too terribly and that I bring it with me in the future. That somehow, I've found myself on a new level. That the community at large has seen what I'm capable of and that sometime soon I'll be back on stage with people like those I've gotten to work with in this. Again, an amazing cast, crew, director, producers...Amazing. All pouring their hearts into an amazing script and production.

I got a little twinge the other day. It's been very nice being part of this. It's made me feel really good about myself and the kind of work that I do. I hope to take that with me. Somehow pack it away and remember the things that have been so affirming over the past year. After the sounds of applause die down literally, I hope that-on a not so particularly great day-I remember the gasps, the laughter, the applause and can access them within my memories. That this awesome experience becomes part of the fabric of who I am.

It's been very interesting lately. I've gotten a few calls here and there to do projects. All of which I'm very grateful for, but it's time to rest...Time to work the massive knots and kinks out of my neck and shoulders...time to focus on work, which admittedly has suffered because of this show...time to take time really...

And time to see my friends. Some of you I haven't seen in a very long time. I miss just hanging out with people. Actually, as I type this I realize I've kind of forgotten what it's like. It will be nice to have the time to see people and get back in touch with reality. It's been a really strange life...Sleeping, getting to work by 10, grabbing food, maybe a 20 30 minute nap, driving to the theater, getting the crap beat out of me, unwinding at home (or more likely, Thieves) and crashing...just to start it all over again.

Fortunately I've found a renewed passion for the meditative aspect of photography and have been able to channel that lately...my focus for the immediate future is on that. I want to expand that part of my life for now. Shooting, enjoying life and getting to know what the evening looks like around here.

Thank you all so very much for coming out to see the show and/or being so supportive this year. As this comes to a close I want you all to know how much you are appreciated and that I'll be seeing many of you very soon...

as of right now, 5 more...1 tonight and 2 on Saturday and Sunday...your last chances to see Killer Joe are this weekend. If you haven't yet, please try and come out this weekend. Houses promise to be enthusiastic and supportive...We're gonna rock out the last 5...They promise to be great shows...

It's gonna be bittersweet this weekend, I'm sure, but god damn it; I get to do what I love more than anything else in the world...and I'm thankful, very, very thankful...

A Week of Transition

This has been an interesting week. Well, to me at least...

Over the course of the last week, I've been filling every nook and cranny with stuff to keep me occupied.

Notable stuff...

In Photography, I've now shot a couple of folks with the new camera and have played with it quite a bit. I'm really enjoying it even more than I anticipated. Bumping up in the technology department has created a few interesting challenges and I'll have to sit down with the manual at some point to figure them all out. Rising megapixels have meant larger file sizes and I'm sure sometime in the near future that will mean replacing "Old Chuggy" (my desktop at home). I also taught myself some new stuff in Photoshop this week which prompted me to go back through some old files and find some real gems. In exploring those images I went into a really cool and zenlike space focusing on making some really good images. This, of course means looking over a lot of my old work and either enhancing it or dumping it altogether. Images from my early film days are not nearly as appealing (with some exceptions) as they were when I began teaching myself a few years back. I'm really looking forward to shooting even more soon. I shot an actress friend of mine Saturday and have another coming up next Sunday. Special thanks also goes to my lovely assistant/Stylist who's been so helpful in making the past few shoots a great success.

One really great example of a great photograph that I've always really liked getting even better is this.

Going from this...(which is quite nice)

   

to this...

 

Look for more frequent updates to www.montgomeryphoto.net in the coming weeks as I do some serious new shooting. I will also be trimming the site down considerably over the next couple of months and streamlining. Older photos will probably get pulled to make way for the new stuff. A little online spring cleaning if you will.

I hope everyone is well. I'm sending you all my love.

The News(ish)

It's been a while I guess.

Tommorow's Pay Day which means something particularly special this week. The new Nikon D200 is in reach. Maybe...American Photo's "Digital SLR of the Year" has been on my mind constantly as of late. I'm looking forward to tracking down the elusive beast tomorrow and making it mine...It's such a popular camera that it's extremely hard  to get. Tracking its availability has been a bit of a hobby of mine recently. Websites list it as in-stock for a mere matter of hours. B&H in New York had some in stock yesterday but by this morning there weren't any left...Tomorrow, cash in hand, I go on a mission to find one. I'm very excited. Friends and family are probably saying "just buy the damn thing already" since it's been the topic of conversation for the past couple of months...Saving up my Killer Joe money has been even sweeter knowing that I'm gonna have something really nice to show for it. It will be really nice to have something to wind down with after Killer Joe closes.

Shot 4 shoots over the past couple of weeks...The fruits of those labors can be seen at www.montgomeryphoto.net. Lots of great new portraits. I'll be adding to the cityscapes section as well in the next week or so. Looking forward to bumping up the megapixels and getting even better stuff in the very near future.

Killer Joe is entering an interesting phase. We're in a sort of limbo. Not knowing whether we're going to extend past the 23rd of July is a little nervous-making. We start rehearsing understudies to go on for my Dad and Step Mom. They are leaving the show on the 24th due to other obligations. I'm looking forward to rehearsing with the new folks this afternoon. It will be quite fascinating to see what they bring to the table. If you want to see the original cast intact, see it before the 23rd. If we extend past that there should be an interesting and fresh version of the show following but there are no guarantees at the moment that we will. So, if you (a) haven't seen it, (b) want to see it again in SF, (c) have friends who should see it...Spread the word. You've got a little less than two weeks. Full houses will make an extension even more likely.

All-in-all it's been a great run and we're still loving every performance. If we run for another month, then great. If the show closes the 23rd then that's alright too. It has had an amazing life. I think we're doing our 82nd performance of it and we all love finding the interesting nuances and new depths of our characters and how they play off of each other. I've learned an amazing amount about acting and myself since this script ended up on my desk back in August of '05...It's been a long road and a rough one but I've learned as much on this show as I ever learned in acting school. Thanks to all those who've been so supportive over the past several months and have come to see the show. With our busy lives I know it can be hard to see everything that everyone's involved in.

www.killerjoesf.com

There are a couple of ways to see the show at a discount. Tuesday nights are pay-your-age nights. If you're under 35 that means a discount...youngsters get deeper discounts obviously. Tuesday the 18th there will be a post-show discussion with the cast and director. We did one last night and it was quite interesting to hear the audiences questions and feedback. Several A.C.T. students were in the house and their excitement was infectious.

Ushers are still needed for the show as well. Volunteer and see the show for free. Call the Magic Theatre at 415.441.8001 ext 27

Friendster's Dead / Long Live Friendster

So, every-freakin'-body's on myspace now...Friendster is this slightly cool older cousin that seems to try and hang around with the young kids. I'm a friendster person first and a myspace person by peer-pressure. I'm also a PC person, a non-ipod having san franciscan, and I don't drink coffee. I'm just not that cool. If you've noticed your tracking stats it seems like the traffic is dying off over here. In an effort to make myself feel slightly cooler, I thought I'd blog out a bunch of junk to see if anyone actually reads this stupid thing.

First off (and I know this is all I've talked about for the last 6 months) Killer Joe officially opens tomorrow night. A bunch of you have already seen it either in Marin or here in SF. If you haven't yet, check it out. Not just for me, but because it's an awesome evening of theater. And, if you saw it Marin, it might be worth another gander. It's in a smaller theater (The Magic's Southside/Sam Shepard) and it's faster, grittier, and slightly scarier. The humor is still intact if not maybe a little more rapid-fire. So come on by... http://killerjoesf.com/ I designed the site too...Kinda basic, but it serves it's purpose. Please pass the word along. Theoretically we'd like to run all summer if we can. That means lots of butts in seats though...We'll need your help. Also, If you come to the show please hang out for a few minutes afterward. It takes me a bit to get cleaned up and dressed. I'd love to see you all out there...

Thanks again to everyone being so understanding about my schedule lately. With 2 full-time jobs I've been a bit out of touch...Big thanks to "the girl" for her love and support through all this...

Other News...

Work's been tough lately. Rehearsals have cut into my performance over here and I got a mild ass-chewing the other day. It's not anything that can't be turned around in short order though. In fact, I met with my engineer and we discussed some of our ideas for the new site which is coming down the pike. It looks really exciting. A lot of what we'll be doing is contextual design. Depending on the end users perspective we'll allow different architecture to be seen in different ways. A lot of new and advanced functionality will come into play. It's very exciting from a designer's point of view and hopefully we'll be fleshing out soon. It's lot of what's being called "Web 2.0" stuff. XML, dynamic page designs and heightened functionality. It's grabbed me again and I'm excited about work again for the first time in a while.

Went on a nice little vacation with "the girl" a little while back. It's been so nice to spend time with her. She's a ray of sunshine. A while back Starbucks had these little white cupcakes with daisies on them..."sunshine cupcakes"...That's exactly how she is. Cute, smiley and sweet...How cheesy is that? She's been so supportive in the last few months and my successes are directly attributed to her positivity. In recent years I don't think I could have done the things I've been doing this year. Previous relationships have been so much about changing to please the unpleasable. That wasted energy sucked out the ability to move forward and pursue my goals. Her unconditional love allows me to focus on what's good for me. I'm a generally happier and more successful person for it too. She's busily directing over in the East Bay so our time is limited but we're making the best of it and getting along great. Learning big lessons in appreciating what I've got...Tremendously blessed this year.

An old friend was in town from NY and came to the show last night. I hadn't seen him in about 4 years almost. His presence brought together a rag tag bunch of folks. We had a great time. Smoked too many cigarettes. Broke out the guitars, shakers and harmonicas...just like the old days but better. Last night was a long one in the old Solano Boys Style. Pounded through a bunch of beers. Played some music, told stories and laughed a lot...4 am rolled around and I had to call it...always the voice of reason, that's me...

This weekend promises to be a good one. No Saturday matinee...that'll be nice. Opening Night festivities. My Mom and little brother are coming. Good friends, good times, and hopefully, one hell of a show. Look for reviews early next week.

I know I've been lax in talking to many of you directly. I trust everyone's well. Please know I'm thinking of you all the time even if I'm too crazed these days to tell you in person. I'm excited that some of you are coming from far off this summer to see the show and visit. I'm looking forward to it.

Fact or Fiction?

He wakes up a half hour later than he's supposed to.

"What were you dreaming last night", she says. "What?" he responds.

"You were talking in your sleep. You said something like, What's the fucking point of the process? You sounded really angry. Then, something like 'no the real rules'. Something like that."

"Really?" from him. "Then what?"

"I don't know. I wanted to ask you what you were dreaming. But you just mumbled the rest."

He gets up. Contemplating what it is he's so angry about. Wanders to the window, opens it and makes his half-assed attempt to blow the smoke out into the street. The bustle of the an industrial neighborhood waking him up. People and big trucks ambling by.

"What the fuck is the point of the process?" Sounds like a big question.

Grinding it out. Work, more work, beer, sleep...

Recently, he's been good. Feeling good. Living well. Riding high on his successes.

A little less than a year ago, it seemed he'd rot away from cancer. A strange kind of emotional cancer that seemed hard to control and harder to beat. It started as a tiny tumor of negativity. And grew into a large mass in his gut over several years. The strange thing is that he loved it. Like so many...Pain makes you feel alive. Makes you want more pain. Makes you want to embrace it. Show it off like scars on a playground. You learn quickly to love your pain. And the bigger it gets, the prouder you become.

Now the really interesting thing about emotional cancers is that they come from many sources. Doctors haven't been able to pinpoint where this disease originates. But there are many preventative steps one can take. Few are really aware of what these are and fewer yet practice them.

About 10 months ago, he realized his plight and had an operation. Being the glutton for punishment he is, he opted for the painful method. Quick, hard and fast. Burn it out. Burn out all traces. He played with the idea of holding on to his pain. The constant nagging pain was like a comfort to him. Proving he was alive was the goal. "If I can get through this and to the other side I can do anything." He saw the cause. And burned through that too. Sometimes he misses his little ball of negativity. The nagging aching pain. The reminders that he's not a great as he thinks he is. The put downs and the lonlieness, but only a little.

Some people choose to deal with this kind of sagging aching pain in other ways. Medicate it. Slow, grinding recovery...To them, good luck...god bless...

Sometime, somewhere in the last year, the pain subsided. Routine treatments of positivity acted like the chemo for this particular emotional cancer. Cutting out the negativity. Getting the bad influences out. Seeking the positive. The healing. The way to a better life. Thankful to those who've nursed him and understanding of those who'd cursed him, because everyone has their own emotional diseases...A new era begins. As rememberences of the bad days, bad people, bad in himself, fall off and scabs become scars, the sun shines. He cries a little, smiles a lot, and steps forward into a new phase of his life.

In recent months since his recovery, life has opened up. There's energy, vitality, and exhuberance...and then success. Positivity acts like a cancer too. Feeding on itself and growing and growing. A ray of sun becomes a smile, becomes another...and so on.

Today, he woke up...Grappling with the demons in his sleep but feeling good. Working it out at night I guess.

"No! The real rules!"

What the fuck was he talking about?

"Pleasure is a knowledge or feeling of perfection, not only in ourselves, but also in others, for in this way some further perfection is aroused in us."

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (whoever the hell that is)

Collection

Music
The new Whitley album is out. Reiter In. I'm listening to it now for the first time as I type this up. It's gorgeous. Genre bending and haunting. I wish I could see Chris perform these songs but that's gonna have to wait until the big blues club in the sky now. Listening to chris has been so sad for me these past couple of months since his passing. It's a damn shame that we've lost him. I'm thankful for the opportunity to see him while he was till alive and I'm reminded that I need to strive harder to be as present as he was on stage. To live in the moment and enjoy the time that's given us. Gratitude...gratitude...gratitude...Apparently there's some hang up with getting hard copies of this album so for now you can find it on iTunes if you like. It's such beautiful music. Enjoy! The title track made me tear up a bit.

This Thavius Beck song has been in heavy rotation in my world lately...'To Make Manifest'...
It all boils down to this quote..."Thoughts determine what you want. Action determines what you get." It's a motto sticking in my mind these days.

Shows
'Desire' is running smoothly...Lukewarm reviews from the critics...Nice comments on the acting though, which is good. Houses have been so-so in size. Thanks to those who've seen it so far. I appreciate that you made the trek out to 'the creek'.

We meet Tuesday to discuss plans for the remount of 'Killer Joe' at the Magic Theatre. It will be nice to see some of my cast mates there...not everyone can make it though which is kind of a bummer. We'll all be back together for rehearsals in the end of May and I'm really looking forward to it.

Tech
Sony Ericson...Walkman Camera Phone...2 megapixel camera, retarded cool...drooling over this one...must, be patient, wait for new phone...drool, drool, drool...

Nikon...Love them and I'm also simultaneously irritated. I'm looking at getting a new lens. This super-slick one that just came out...Nikon is notoriously bad for releasing limited stock when they come out with something new. There are people selling them on e-bay right now at an average of $150 over the retail price...bastards. Again, patience...grashopper...don't obsess...

Life
I'm just running on blind faith that everyone's doing well these days. I've been neglectful lately. Please send me updates and news as it happens. I've been thinking about you all even if I haven't been so good about calling and such.

Tidbits

Desire Under the Elms goes into previews tomorrow night at Center Rep. Opening Night is next Tuesday. The show is coming together well and the script is gorgeous. I'll post a review or two once they come out next week. Nothing like a little light O'Neill love story to get you in the mood for spring!

Killer Joe opens at the Magic Theatre the first week in June. If you didn't see it in Marin, ask someone who did and get on over to see it here in SF! It's a blast. We don't have subscribers filling the seats so we'll need your help to get the word of mouth going. So far the entire cast is intact and ready to go at it again in SF. We'd love to see you all there.

You can read the review here.

Too Bloody Busy...

So it's a week away...EEEK. One week until previews for Desire Under the Elms. It's a little freaky since it's been only three weeks since we began rehearsals. Got our Dialect coach in last week which was much needed. Now I'm feeling more like I sound like the character if nothing else. Last Sunday was our first run-through of the show from beginning to end. Folks will be happy to know that the show clocks in at just about 2 hours. A nice surprise for those who know O'Neill's tendency for longwindedness...

Yesterday we entered into the week where we try and scramble to find our feet. Teching the show in the theater this Sunday with only a few short rehearsals left has lit a fire under our collective asses. To the director's credit he's letting us continue to work and explore instead of making us nail things down. Having worked with him on the last show (Killer Joe) I expected as much so I wasn't in full blown panic mode at last night's rehearsal. The good thing about the writing is that it's very musical and memorization has been easier this go 'round. Feeling moderately confident about having a good show while pressing for a great one.

OTHER NEWS

Killer Joe is grinding on towards it's San Francisco Run. I saw drawings for one of the proposed spaces last week. The set's being compressed to fit on a smaller stage. I think it should be good and it means less reworking, and new blocking. The producers are talking about maybe one more move i a few months if the show goes well. We're all speculating about how much we're getting paid, where we'll be, how long the run will be and if we'll be able to stay on for the entire thing if it goes into the fall. It all depends on ticket sales and the success of the show. As soon as Desire goes up I'll be breaking out the KJ script again to refresh my memory and work towards going back into rehearsal at the end of May.

That leaves about one week where I can take a vacation. Maybe in early May...going anywhere? Uh, no...probably not. I still need to get the Post-Joey Apartment in order. Designs on a portrait studio have been placed on hold due to the fact that I simply have zero time these days.

TIDBITS

A couple of Photo sessions last month, and one this month are keeping the photography thing going. I'm still not concentrating on pushing that at the moment either. I'm scraping up money for a new portrait lens. There's nothing like a new Nikon Lens. It's a beautiful thing. Hopefully that will happen sometime next month...Shoots galore following that. I'm really excited.

When the schedule is work, rehearse/perform/sleep...nothing much else gets done.

Galvanized is on hold for the time being. It seems the theater gods want me onstage for now since that's where I seem to be. More news and information on the company will probably not come until Killer Joe closes. If all goes well, KJ will help to finance the first Galvanized production. So it's a good trade for now.

My Pool league team got bumped up to B division from C due to our great record last season. I can't play with them this spring which is a bit of a drag. I think once the show opens I'll stop by and see them on one or two of their home matches. Play a bit on the other table, maybe sub if needed. My game's gone to hell in a hand basket since I found a pool tutoring site online. I did a few of their video lessons and now it's a drag trying to incorporate even more new info into my game. It will step up again but it looks like more practice is in order. I think several hours in a pool hall on big table are going to be in order soon. Things at thieves are getting funny. More and more custom cues are coming in the bar. The copetition is getting stiffer...I've got to notch my game back up if I'm going to be considered top of the heap over thre agai. The nice thing is that there are more and more folks taking it seriously and the competitiveness is catching on. We're pushing each other to improve.

Chris Whitley's posthumously released album will be in stores at the end of the month. I've got to tell you I'm very sad that it's the final one. I've had an aversion to listening to Chris too much these past few months because I get very upset thinking I'll never see him play again. The album is called Reiter In...Look for it. It promises to be quite good. There's also a collaboration album with Jeff Lang coming out some time this year. I'll let you know when I hear more bout that.

I hope everyone's well. I'm way too busy and I'm really missing friends and family these days. Soon...soon...