Saturday, February 28, 2009

Suppressing the Urge

How does one suppress the urge to kill? Most of us take a deep breath. Try to think of something else for a moment. But what if you can't? What if the very thing that's driving that urge is a high pitched tone that starts and stops every 30 seconds? What if you can't do anything about that tone because it's so disturbingly high pitched that you cannot identify the source - and thus cannot shut it off?

What if your ears are extra sensitive through lack of sleep? What if you've been woken up every night between midnight and 5am for the past 5 nights, because your crazy neighbor decides to his "spring cleaning" at that hour?

What if your anger from the high pitched wine and lack of sleep is exacerbated by the quote from your mechanic who informs you that you need $1200 of repairs on your transmission? And what if you spent $500 on a new alternator only a week earlier?

Is it wrong to kill if the opportunity presents itself?

Is it?

What if....?

Thursday, February 12, 2009

50 Hour Drive-By Theatre Festival


It's been a while since I stepped on a stage and it's time to step things up. On stage. So to speak.

Bring on the 50 HOUR DRIVE-BY THEATRE FESTIVAL. A half dozen or so 10 minute plays are written, directed and performed in a speedy 2 days. It's crazy. It's foolish. It's downright dangerous! But I'm doing it, because there are other brave people out there, like Captain Sully, who landed his passenger-laden US Airways jet on the Hudson river. Why didn't he land on, well, land? Because he wanted a new experience, people. A new challenge. When asked by reporters why he settled on the Hudson river, the Captain proudly replied "Because it's there!"

Okay, he didn't say that, but you get the picture. Nothing like throwing yourself in the deep end. A lottery system determines which writers get paired with which actors and directors. It's all so gosh darn random - just like life. We actors get the script on the Friday night and rehearse non-stop until opening night the very next day! And while I have no clue as to the story or role, I can promise it will entertain. How could it not? Plus there's a super talented team of peeps on board.

Shows are at Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre in North Hollywood; Saturday 2/21 @ 8:30pm, Sunday 2/22 @ 2pm and Monday 2/23 @ 8:30pm. Oh yeah, and there's also live music. All for the bargain basement price of 15 smackeroos.