Hogwash
Nelson Eddy Would Love Me
06/12/08
It’s been averaging
over 100 degrees here (figuring with the heat index)
and very dry as well. But, we had a storm last night.
Thunder. Lightning. Intermittent power outages.
Oveflowing downspouts. Lasted about 2 and half hours.
Just down the street, a neighbor’s huge Oak tree blew
over into the road, blocking traffic to the local
swim club (which had its own problems early Sunday:
the Club House burned to the ground in the wee hours
of the morning!) You’d think the rain might’ve cooled
things off a bit. Well, temporarily, yes, but now the
humidity is oppressive.
We have six large trees in our front yard and one very large one in the back. Lost a relatively smallish branch from the back yard, which barely missed putting a hole through the cover of the hot tub. In the front yard, we only lost one branch as well, but it was a doozy. I spent the better part of the morning cutting it into smaller pieces to bundle for curb side pick up next week.
When I came in the house after wrestingling branches, Jo told me to look in the mirror. I figured I had mud on my face or something, but no. I saw this:
So, it’s official. I’m really just a big sweatheart....(Please click here for rimshot).
We have six large trees in our front yard and one very large one in the back. Lost a relatively smallish branch from the back yard, which barely missed putting a hole through the cover of the hot tub. In the front yard, we only lost one branch as well, but it was a doozy. I spent the better part of the morning cutting it into smaller pieces to bundle for curb side pick up next week.
When I came in the house after wrestingling branches, Jo told me to look in the mirror. I figured I had mud on my face or something, but no. I saw this:
So, it’s official. I’m really just a big sweatheart....(Please click here for rimshot).
|
Martha Plimpton Sums It Up
06/01/07
In this "21 Questions" Interview with
New York Magazine, Martha Plimpton gives this
description of a (working) actor's life:
NY Mag: In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
MP: I put dead people's hair on my head and speak loudly in front of hundreds of strangers while pretending they are not there.
Well said, Martha.
And where can I get some of this "dead people's hair" of which you speak?
NY Mag: In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
MP: I put dead people's hair on my head and speak loudly in front of hundreds of strangers while pretending they are not there.
Well said, Martha.
And where can I get some of this "dead people's hair" of which you speak?
In Which Doug Answers Bob's Question
03/27/07
So,
Bob in Louisville asks how I have time to listen to
all those podcasts I wrote about. Well.
I wrote that I subscribe to them, not that I listen to them. But I quibble. It's reasonable to expect that I'd listen to them, since I went to all that trouble to add them to my subscription lists, but the fact is, I download them to give myself the option of listening. And I do eventually listen to most of them. It helps that some of the pod casts (such as The Bitterest Pill, The Jazz Show, and Urban Dharma) are 'cast-as-'cast can, so they're not on a regular schedule. Studio 360, This American Life, and The Science Show are once a week affairs, at about 45 minutes to an hour each. I generally listen to This American Life and Studio 360 the day they show up in my iPod, wherever I happen to be. I listen to The Science Show and Downstage Center on walks through the neighborhood, and The Jazz Show at the gym. I sometimes listen to Urban Dharma as I drift off to sleep, and The Bitterest Pill when I'm driving. Mr Deity is a video-cast, and requires all of about 8 minutes, so I can watch it anytime I'm at the computer.
I've also started downloading NPR's Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me, the weekly comic news quiz, and KCRW's The Treatment, critic Elvis Mitchell's conversations with film folk. Again, about 30 to 45 minutes. I have tried listening to Wait,Wait as I'm falling asleep, but my giggling disturbs Jo....
I wrote that I subscribe to them, not that I listen to them. But I quibble. It's reasonable to expect that I'd listen to them, since I went to all that trouble to add them to my subscription lists, but the fact is, I download them to give myself the option of listening. And I do eventually listen to most of them. It helps that some of the pod casts (such as The Bitterest Pill, The Jazz Show, and Urban Dharma) are 'cast-as-'cast can, so they're not on a regular schedule. Studio 360, This American Life, and The Science Show are once a week affairs, at about 45 minutes to an hour each. I generally listen to This American Life and Studio 360 the day they show up in my iPod, wherever I happen to be. I listen to The Science Show and Downstage Center on walks through the neighborhood, and The Jazz Show at the gym. I sometimes listen to Urban Dharma as I drift off to sleep, and The Bitterest Pill when I'm driving. Mr Deity is a video-cast, and requires all of about 8 minutes, so I can watch it anytime I'm at the computer.
I've also started downloading NPR's Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me, the weekly comic news quiz, and KCRW's The Treatment, critic Elvis Mitchell's conversations with film folk. Again, about 30 to 45 minutes. I have tried listening to Wait,Wait as I'm falling asleep, but my giggling disturbs Jo....
He's So Quiet
03/13/07
Podcasts I Subscribe To, Part Deux
02/26/07
The Science Show
• There are loads of reasons to admire Australia: Koalas, 'Roos, Bondi Beach, The Sydney Opera House, and The ABC's terrific line-up of radio shows. The Science Show is in it's fourth decade with host Robyn Williams. The reporting is smart, Williams is wry, and the net is cast wide...there's an emphasis on Oz science news, of course, but almost every show also includes stories from around the world. Bonus: The transitions between stories are often bridged with excerpts from Philip Glass' Einstein On The Beach.
This American Life
• From WBEZ in Chicago, one of the classic NPR shows. Sure, you could listen to it on your FM radio, if your local station carries it, but as a podcast you can have it whenever you want it. Host Ira Glass (coincidentally, Philip's first cousin once removed) has just the right air of bemusement in his rapid deadpan, and contributing writers such as David Sedaris and Sarah Vowell regularly make this one of the best shows on public radio.
PRI's Studio 360
• From WNYC. Kurt Anderson and his group of reporters and writers put their own spin on current events. The full 60 minute episode is available each week, which wasn't the case a couple of years ago. Always interesting, occasionally brilliant, Studio 360 is Mutt to This American Life's Jeff. Yes, another program you could listen to on terrestrial radio if you're so inclined. Again, I prefer to listen at my leisure.
The Jazz Show
• This podcast had been infrequently updated, but recently resumed production. Host Thom Allen serves up several compositions on each episode, and I'm happy to report that the state of new (to me) jazz - classic to bop, funk to fusion - is in fine form. All of the music is available through links on the TPN Jazz site.
• There are loads of reasons to admire Australia: Koalas, 'Roos, Bondi Beach, The Sydney Opera House, and The ABC's terrific line-up of radio shows. The Science Show is in it's fourth decade with host Robyn Williams. The reporting is smart, Williams is wry, and the net is cast wide...there's an emphasis on Oz science news, of course, but almost every show also includes stories from around the world. Bonus: The transitions between stories are often bridged with excerpts from Philip Glass' Einstein On The Beach.
This American Life
• From WBEZ in Chicago, one of the classic NPR shows. Sure, you could listen to it on your FM radio, if your local station carries it, but as a podcast you can have it whenever you want it. Host Ira Glass (coincidentally, Philip's first cousin once removed) has just the right air of bemusement in his rapid deadpan, and contributing writers such as David Sedaris and Sarah Vowell regularly make this one of the best shows on public radio.
PRI's Studio 360
• From WNYC. Kurt Anderson and his group of reporters and writers put their own spin on current events. The full 60 minute episode is available each week, which wasn't the case a couple of years ago. Always interesting, occasionally brilliant, Studio 360 is Mutt to This American Life's Jeff. Yes, another program you could listen to on terrestrial radio if you're so inclined. Again, I prefer to listen at my leisure.
The Jazz Show
• This podcast had been infrequently updated, but recently resumed production. Host Thom Allen serves up several compositions on each episode, and I'm happy to report that the state of new (to me) jazz - classic to bop, funk to fusion - is in fine form. All of the music is available through links on the TPN Jazz site.
Podcasts I Subscribe To, Part One
02/12/07
American Theatre Wing Downstage
Center
• All theatre interviews, all the time. This is the podcast version of an XM Radio Show of the same name, and because of rights restrictions, they can't include musical performances. Still, the stories told are terrific. My favorite recent shows are Blair Brown, Matthew Broderick, and Alfred Molina. Least fav is Daphne Rubin Vega, who must've been having a lousy day, and comes off as a moron. Somebody, though, needs to tell co-host John Von Soosten that the phrase 'that's a wrap', with which he closes each show, is a film term. In all my years in theatre, I've never heard it used to end a day or session unless it was used ironically.
Mr. Deity
• Smart, snappy, very funny, well produced, exceeding well cast, and catchy theme music. This video pod cast, still only six episodes so far, does religious humor just right. Be offended if you must....it's funny 'cause it's true. When a joke from Episode #2 was repeated, silently, in Episode #6, I laughed at how beautifully it was delivered.
The Bitterest Pill
• Dan Klass has been doing his show since the early days of podcasting, making him one of the pioneers. (He claims otherwise, putting himself in the 'second wave'). He's an old friend from my Los Angeles days, and I am hooked on his very amusing tales of the city, his family, his career, and his adjustment to being a stay at home dad.
Urban Dharma
• Kusala Bhikshu is a Wisconsin born Buddhist monk living in L.A. Kusala "shares his understanding of Buddhism in a simple, non-technical way through stories, humor and personal insights." I like his approach, and he plays a mean blues harmonica.
• All theatre interviews, all the time. This is the podcast version of an XM Radio Show of the same name, and because of rights restrictions, they can't include musical performances. Still, the stories told are terrific. My favorite recent shows are Blair Brown, Matthew Broderick, and Alfred Molina. Least fav is Daphne Rubin Vega, who must've been having a lousy day, and comes off as a moron. Somebody, though, needs to tell co-host John Von Soosten that the phrase 'that's a wrap', with which he closes each show, is a film term. In all my years in theatre, I've never heard it used to end a day or session unless it was used ironically.
Mr. Deity
• Smart, snappy, very funny, well produced, exceeding well cast, and catchy theme music. This video pod cast, still only six episodes so far, does religious humor just right. Be offended if you must....it's funny 'cause it's true. When a joke from Episode #2 was repeated, silently, in Episode #6, I laughed at how beautifully it was delivered.
The Bitterest Pill
• Dan Klass has been doing his show since the early days of podcasting, making him one of the pioneers. (He claims otherwise, putting himself in the 'second wave'). He's an old friend from my Los Angeles days, and I am hooked on his very amusing tales of the city, his family, his career, and his adjustment to being a stay at home dad.
Urban Dharma
• Kusala Bhikshu is a Wisconsin born Buddhist monk living in L.A. Kusala "shares his understanding of Buddhism in a simple, non-technical way through stories, humor and personal insights." I like his approach, and he plays a mean blues harmonica.
Catching Up
02/07/07
So, yes, I've been a wee bit neglectful of you again.
Sorry. Sorry. Look, just...sorry, ok?
The Super Bowl:
Sure, happy for Payton Manning, the Colts, and Tony Dungy. I didn't expect the Bears to win it, but given the history of mediocre quarterbacks in this game (Trent Dilfer, I'm looking at you) I did think anything was possible. Rex Grossman, though, is mediocre on a whole different level. (Like if I were playing QB...) Honestly, I'm still completely gobsmacked that the Chargers weren't playing.
The presentation of the Lombardi Trophy was pure cheese. Shula managed to look uncomfortable and arrogant at the same time, and he was taking mincing baby steps so he wouldn't trample the cameraman who was walking backward. And the Colts scrubs who lined the 'trophy walk' and reached out to stroke it as it went by looked like so many blue-and-white Gollums, clutching at the ring. Whatever happened to giving the trophy in the locker room?
Super Bowl Commercials:
The Sierra Mist 'Comb Over' made me laugh, as did the Robert Goulet Boogey man thing (what was the product?).
And the Bud Light Axe Guy is my friend Lorin McCraley, so I'm
partial to that one. On the whole, a poor
showing. Further Disclosure: Several years ago,
I was in a Super Bowl ad. It was the year of
'Braveheart' and Budweiser decided to spoof it.
We shot the thing over two days in the muck,
rain, mud, and cold, cheek by jowl with oxen,
sheep, horses, and Ad agency weasels. Having
made it to the final four in consideration to
deliver the big 'they can never take away your
Bud Light' speech, I was hired and told I'd be a
'featured' player....not 'the man', but the guy
standing next to 'the man'.
Well, I was paid for that bit, but the idea of using me for anything other than a muddy body was scrapped by a few of the suits and 'the man' delivered his speech from a scaffold, unencumbered by supporting players. The spot itself was forgettable; it looked rushed and unfinished because it most certainly was: we shot it the preceding Tuesday and Wednesday for airing during a Sunday game.
Because I'm a member of the Screen Actors Guild, I get to vote for the SAG Awards™ each year, and some studios, anxious to be awarded something, send screening copies of their films on DVD to the voters. Sweet. This year, I received The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine, and Venus. The catch? They came in the mail last week, well past the voting deadline, well past the Awards Ceremony, even.
The birthday (which I share with Nathan Lane, Horace Greeley, and Lorin's son, Destry) passed uneventfully. No trauma, no drama. Safe for another year.
The Super Bowl:
Sure, happy for Payton Manning, the Colts, and Tony Dungy. I didn't expect the Bears to win it, but given the history of mediocre quarterbacks in this game (Trent Dilfer, I'm looking at you) I did think anything was possible. Rex Grossman, though, is mediocre on a whole different level. (Like if I were playing QB...) Honestly, I'm still completely gobsmacked that the Chargers weren't playing.
The presentation of the Lombardi Trophy was pure cheese. Shula managed to look uncomfortable and arrogant at the same time, and he was taking mincing baby steps so he wouldn't trample the cameraman who was walking backward. And the Colts scrubs who lined the 'trophy walk' and reached out to stroke it as it went by looked like so many blue-and-white Gollums, clutching at the ring. Whatever happened to giving the trophy in the locker room?
Super Bowl Commercials:
The Sierra Mist 'Comb Over' made me laugh, as did the Robert Goulet Boogey man thing (what was the product?).
Well, I was paid for that bit, but the idea of using me for anything other than a muddy body was scrapped by a few of the suits and 'the man' delivered his speech from a scaffold, unencumbered by supporting players. The spot itself was forgettable; it looked rushed and unfinished because it most certainly was: we shot it the preceding Tuesday and Wednesday for airing during a Sunday game.
Because I'm a member of the Screen Actors Guild, I get to vote for the SAG Awards™ each year, and some studios, anxious to be awarded something, send screening copies of their films on DVD to the voters. Sweet. This year, I received The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine, and Venus. The catch? They came in the mail last week, well past the voting deadline, well past the Awards Ceremony, even.
The birthday (which I share with Nathan Lane, Horace Greeley, and Lorin's son, Destry) passed uneventfully. No trauma, no drama. Safe for another year.
Run For The ER
12/06/06
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - New Jersey health officials addressing an E.coli outbreak on Wednesday asked Taco Bell restaurants in the state to throw out all their food and better train workers in hygiene and food handling.
I used to live in New Jersey, and I can think of a bunch of restaurants that ought to be "asked" to throw out their food.
Earlier on Wednesday, Yum Brands Inc. unit Taco Bell said it stopped serving green onions at all of its 5,800 U.S. restaurants after tests showed three samples were found to be "presumptive positive" for the E.coli 0157:H7 strain
The developing story is here. Yum, indeed.
Robert Altman 1925-2006
11/21/06
(1973), which is the best work Elliot Gould has
ever done, followed closely by
Nashville(1975)
and
The Player
(1992). I'm also partial to
McCabe & Mrs. Millerbecause
who can resist Julie Christie? I've yet to see
A Prairie Home Companion
(2006), and there are several of his more
obscure works I've never seen. I have
seen, without knowing it at the time, all of the
Bonanza episodes he directed in
the early 60's, and probably most of the Vic
Morrow-Rick Jason series Combat
episodes. The one to forget, as if anyone who
saw it could, is
Popeye
(1980), a massive train wreck of a film despite
it's near perfect cast.
"Extreme latrine"
11/14/06
From the
journal Nature, this might be filed
under TMI, but it really is sort of fascinating:
Full article here.
An ancient Jewish sect showed such devotion to their definition of purity that they pursued bizarre toilet habits that left them riddled with parasites, say researchers who have discovered and dug up their toilet.The discovery, made at Qumran, near Jerusalem, could provide more proof linking the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Essene people who lived in the area, the researchers claim.The scrolls — the oldest biblical documents ever found — were thought to have been made by the Essenes around 100 years BC. Joe Zias, a palaeopathologist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem dug around Qumran where he thought their toilet should be, and took soil samples to try and prove the connection once and for all.
Full article here.
Post Show
06/30/06
Moonlight and Magnolias
06/26/06
photo by Andrew McKeever
Back from the Dorset Festival. Moonlight and Magnolias was, in my view anyway, the most pure fun I've had on stage in many years. We played to moderate sized houses...the tourist season isn't quite in full swing...but those audiences were very appreciative.
I'll post more photos as I get them. Check out excerpts from the rave reviews here.
Above, from left: Douglas Coler as Victor Fleming, Erik Gratton as David O. Selznick, Sara Peterson as Miss Poppenguhl, and Jim Shankman as Ben Hecht.
The Oscar Goes To....
05/17/06
Victor Fleming, for Gone With The Wind.
And that's my role in Moonlight and Magnolias, playing June 15 - June 24 at The Dorset Theatre Festival in Vermont.
It's a comedy about David O. Selznick's mad rush for a better shooting script for GWTW and the lengths he goes to in order to get it.
I start rehearsals in about 10 days, and already I'm excited about the run. Ya'll come.
And that's my role in Moonlight and Magnolias, playing June 15 - June 24 at The Dorset Theatre Festival in Vermont.
It's a comedy about David O. Selznick's mad rush for a better shooting script for GWTW and the lengths he goes to in order to get it.
I start rehearsals in about 10 days, and already I'm excited about the run. Ya'll come.
None Of Your Business
03/18/06
There are things happening in my life that are none
of your business...unless you're actually in my life.
Then, of course, you know all about it, and you've
offered:
-congratulations
-condolences
-large wads of cash
-medical advice and/or harvested human organs
-your mad identity theft skillz
-a safe haven
-a night on the town
-"to break the legs of the people what done this"
Don't think I don't appreciate it. I do, more than I can ever say.
Particularly the harvested human organs.
-congratulations
-condolences
-large wads of cash
-medical advice and/or harvested human organs
-your mad identity theft skillz
-a safe haven
-a night on the town
-"to break the legs of the people what done this"
Don't think I don't appreciate it. I do, more than I can ever say.
Particularly the harvested human organs.
A Year Of Seconds
01/07/06
John Perry Barlow is back to his
blog, after a year of living harrowily. When you
have a few minutes away from distractions, drop
by and read his first post of 2006, and feel
yourself comforted, kicked in the pants, and
enlightened in a way that you knew you were but
needed to hear from somebody else. Then go
embrace your loved ones. And maybe make this bit
from John into your personal mantra:
The best thing about the future is that it doesn't arrive all at once. It arrives a second at a time. This particular second is good. The next one shows every evidence of being entirely habitable. I'm just going to try to keep it like that. Right now, it feels like I can.
Dave's Not Lowering Your Bills, Man
01/01/06
Clearly, this is a company with
• an identity crisis
• a 'designer' who may be the V.P.'s 12 year old nephew.
• no idea what an actual duck-ape looks like.
• a tainted water supply.
It would be mildly interesting to know just who does click through on an ad like this. If the numbers are more than, say, 5 per day, they may be on to something....
Wall Of Hair
05/24/05
Happy Few Days Into The New Year
01/09/05
Given my spotty posting history, it's unlikely that
there will be much more to see here than there was in
'04. I'm back in Boston for a few weeks, and I'll use
the excuse that I don't have ready access to a
broadband connection. (That's a sham, though...This
city is crawling with wi-fi hotspots, and the private
home where I'm staying also has a cable modem, but
that service is down at the moment. This post is
coming to you from Starbucks next door to Old City
Hall on the Freedom Trail)
I'm flabbergasted that the Jets beat the Chargers, and I have mixed feelings about it: On the Jets side of it, I'm glad they came through with a solid game and got to shut up the NY tabloids for a few days. The flip side is that the Bolts had to lose. The Chargers, I should note here, were a childhood favorite of mine (because of the cool powder blue unis and that simple lighting bolt helmet), and I tend to be a sucker for comeback stories. The turnaround this year was remarkable, and San Diego looked like they had a chance to keep it going deep into the playoffs. The Jets were supposed to be in the playoffs, and frustrated all of us by not being a better team along the way.
Since I'm a Boston resident for a while, I'm rooting for the Pats to get back to the Super Bowl. I don't know what this town would do if they actually win the thing again...two major sports championships in the same year? Who do they think they are, Los Angeles?
I'm flabbergasted that the Jets beat the Chargers, and I have mixed feelings about it: On the Jets side of it, I'm glad they came through with a solid game and got to shut up the NY tabloids for a few days. The flip side is that the Bolts had to lose. The Chargers, I should note here, were a childhood favorite of mine (because of the cool powder blue unis and that simple lighting bolt helmet), and I tend to be a sucker for comeback stories. The turnaround this year was remarkable, and San Diego looked like they had a chance to keep it going deep into the playoffs. The Jets were supposed to be in the playoffs, and frustrated all of us by not being a better team along the way.
Since I'm a Boston resident for a while, I'm rooting for the Pats to get back to the Super Bowl. I don't know what this town would do if they actually win the thing again...two major sports championships in the same year? Who do they think they are, Los Angeles?
Catching Up
06/06/04
For those of you who were wondering, yes, I am having
a haircut today. I may even have all of them cut as
long as I'm there.
Tonight starts the NBA finals and as much as it pains me, I think the Lakers will take the series. I do think Detroit will grab a game, maybe two, but L.A. has so many weapons that the Pistons don't have an answer for, I don't see the series going the full seven games. I fervently hope I'm wrong. Of course, I thought the finals would be Minnesota-Indiana, with the Pacers edging the Wolves in seven, so maybe I'm not such a reliable source.
Of the recent readings: I had an absolute blast with 'Pool Party', Rich Orloff's sextet of plays set in and around a pool. I was particularly fond of "The Total Spiritual", where I played Heaven's gatekeeper...not St. Peter...opposite the delightful Linda Nelson, who played just the right fever-pitch desperation as the applicant who may need certain adjustments before entering Paradise. And in "Hey, Good Lookin'", I played Narcissus, who was caught in the act of gazing by his equally vapid wife (Missus Narcissus, of course). The Missus was played by tiny, wonderful Mary Cross. I wish Mary was in every play; not just just those I'm in, mind you, but EVERY play. Oh, 'Pool Party' also has "The Pond Not Taken", which called for the entire cast to be frogs. I'm happy to report that we were all, indeed, frog-like (and in fine musical form.)
The previous week, I was in the ensemble of "Endurance" by Jennifer Fell Hayes, which juxtaposed the story of Shackleton's 1914 Antarctic adventure with that of 2 brothers in 1970's Chicago. Sounds strange, doesn't it? But it works. The audience -a packed house- went crazy for it. I got to play three members of the expedition, each from a different part of the British Empire (England, Scotland, and Ireland).
And prior to that was "The Bones Of Giants" by Cheryl Davis at Ensemble Studio Theatre. This reading was, um,lightly attended. It's a large cast play, and it was the third time we've read it for an audience. Each time, Cheryl rewritten bits and pieces, and I think the piece is moving in the right direction. I'd love to be a part of this when it goes to production ( C'mon, what actor wouldn't want to play Buffalo Bill?), but there are no guarantees that I will.
And the quandry of the day: The Tony Awards are tonight. I'm not nominated for anything again, but I have worked with one of the producers of Frozen (up for the Best Play award), so I feel I have a vested interest. And the NBA Finals. Plus, the season finale of The Sopranos on HBO. Now, I guess I can tape the game, watch the Awards, and catch the mob later this week using on-demand...but I'm going to be in the city tomorrow, and there's no way The Post isn't going to put the gory details of The Sopranos on the front page. So I'll walk to my appointments and avoid looking at every news stand along the way. But my hair will be cut. And I'll look good doing it.
Tonight starts the NBA finals and as much as it pains me, I think the Lakers will take the series. I do think Detroit will grab a game, maybe two, but L.A. has so many weapons that the Pistons don't have an answer for, I don't see the series going the full seven games. I fervently hope I'm wrong. Of course, I thought the finals would be Minnesota-Indiana, with the Pacers edging the Wolves in seven, so maybe I'm not such a reliable source.
Of the recent readings: I had an absolute blast with 'Pool Party', Rich Orloff's sextet of plays set in and around a pool. I was particularly fond of "The Total Spiritual", where I played Heaven's gatekeeper...not St. Peter...opposite the delightful Linda Nelson, who played just the right fever-pitch desperation as the applicant who may need certain adjustments before entering Paradise. And in "Hey, Good Lookin'", I played Narcissus, who was caught in the act of gazing by his equally vapid wife (Missus Narcissus, of course). The Missus was played by tiny, wonderful Mary Cross. I wish Mary was in every play; not just just those I'm in, mind you, but EVERY play. Oh, 'Pool Party' also has "The Pond Not Taken", which called for the entire cast to be frogs. I'm happy to report that we were all, indeed, frog-like (and in fine musical form.)
The previous week, I was in the ensemble of "Endurance" by Jennifer Fell Hayes, which juxtaposed the story of Shackleton's 1914 Antarctic adventure with that of 2 brothers in 1970's Chicago. Sounds strange, doesn't it? But it works. The audience -a packed house- went crazy for it. I got to play three members of the expedition, each from a different part of the British Empire (England, Scotland, and Ireland).
And prior to that was "The Bones Of Giants" by Cheryl Davis at Ensemble Studio Theatre. This reading was, um,lightly attended. It's a large cast play, and it was the third time we've read it for an audience. Each time, Cheryl rewritten bits and pieces, and I think the piece is moving in the right direction. I'd love to be a part of this when it goes to production ( C'mon, what actor wouldn't want to play Buffalo Bill?), but there are no guarantees that I will.
And the quandry of the day: The Tony Awards are tonight. I'm not nominated for anything again, but I have worked with one of the producers of Frozen (up for the Best Play award), so I feel I have a vested interest. And the NBA Finals. Plus, the season finale of The Sopranos on HBO. Now, I guess I can tape the game, watch the Awards, and catch the mob later this week using on-demand...but I'm going to be in the city tomorrow, and there's no way The Post isn't going to put the gory details of The Sopranos on the front page. So I'll walk to my appointments and avoid looking at every news stand along the way. But my hair will be cut. And I'll look good doing it.
Have You Heard?
06/02/04
Poker
is everywhere. Suddenly every celebrity with time on
his (or her) hands is getting in on the action. What
was once the purview of shady types in the big city,
or groups of old college friends, or Vegas
tournaments, is now the favorite game of every Timmy,
Jimmy, and Mo.
Poker is the new cigars.
Poker is the new cigars.
Tardy. Again.
05/17/04
Yes, I haven't posted in a while. And I'm not really
posting now - this is just a quick update to prove
that I still exist. Lest you feel too deprived, I'm
still angry at the Knicks, and now I have the hated
Lakers to worry about in the West. On the
professional side, all three readings were loads of
fun to do, even if - for one of them - many people
attended while dressed as empty chairs.
More later, but not a month later.
More later, but not a month later.
I Lost Another Bet
12/24/03
A Hard Day At School
10/24/03
LONDON (Reuters) -
Perhaps this was a bid for extra credit?
Six British schoolboys were rushed to hospital after taking the erection-enhancing drug Viagra at lunchtime for a dare, the school said Thursday.The Sun newspaper quoted a source at the school as saying: "By the time the afternoon lessons began, there was no hiding what they had done."Paramedics took the six squirming boys to the nearby Royal Berkshire Hospital, where they were monitored until the effects wore off.'
Perhaps this was a bid for extra credit?
Is That A Nobel Prize In Your Pocket?
10/23/03
Christopher Hitchens lays it out re the beatification of
Mother Teresa. We all know that the Pope is on
his last go-around, and it seems that JP2 decided on
the fast track for MT soon after her death. I wonder,
though, if it was a toss up between Teresa and Diana
of Wales. Maybe his holiness and Sir Elton got
together and flipped a coin: "Heads, Teresa gets the
song, Diana gets sainthood. Tails, Diana is
immortalized in pop claptrap, and Teresa sits two
chairs from the right hand of God".
I'm glad it came up tails. Candle in The Wind was maudlin enough when it was about Marilyn, and got downright syruppy with the Diana remake. World-Wide diabetic coma certainly would've been a possibility if The Rocket Man had won the toss. Or lost it.
I'm glad it came up tails. Candle in The Wind was maudlin enough when it was about Marilyn, and got downright syruppy with the Diana remake. World-Wide diabetic coma certainly would've been a possibility if The Rocket Man had won the toss. Or lost it.
Where Was John McGiver?
10/03/03
I witnessed a "Who's
Minding The Store" episode yesterday. On my way
to the theatre to pick up the script, I saw a
youngish, skinny guy walking 14 dogs. Yes...FOURTEEN.
I had to count, and I'm pretty sure they were 14
separate breeds. Every size, from tiny, yappy
house-slipper things to one that looked like a
Mastiff-Great Dane mix. The kid was in control, but
barely. Every twenty feet or so, several dogs would
stretch out to the full extent of their leashes and
investigate whatever caught their doggy attention. I
walked along behind them on 51st Street for a while,
and I turned up 8th Ave at the corner. But as I did,
I noticed on the opposite corner an attractive woman
(presumably our Jill St. John substitute) leading a
blond Afghan hound. I waited to hear the sounds of
entanglement, but if it happened, the barking and
snapping was drowned out by the usual traffic noise.
