Four years ago yesterday one of my oldest friends was killed by the police in California.

He’s been on my mind a bit recently. Little reminders, mostly. I’ve been making these really yummy sandwiches and using ranch dressing instead of mayonnaise. Beau used to come over to my house and do that. We were singing “Que Serra Serra” backstage a week or so ago. Beau and I got in a lot of trouble once when he belted that song at 2AM after we watched Heathers.

Subtle little things, but they are there. And they have made me smile.

I would not have consciously remembered that this was the anniversary of his death were it not for some of our mutual friends reminding me. Not only am I horrible with dates to begin with, but the sheer number of deaths that have surrounded me in the last five years is simply overwhelming.

You see, this month also marks the fifth anniversary of my Father’s Death. I don’t remember the exact date.

It’s kind of funny, but I’m sitting here trying to remember everyone who has died since 2000…and I can’t.

There have been too many of them. It’s blurred.

If this is all part of getting older, you can friggin’ keep it.

Deena, actorkat and I will be on WMNF tomorrow on the Art In Your Ear show between 11AM and Noon tomorrow (Friday, June 10th). You can listen online at at their web site.

Great audience tonight.

Quite tired.

There is a real post in me somewhere.

But not tonight.

I suppose it can now be said that Machinal is a hit with the critics. Marty Clear gave us our third glowing review in today’s St. Petersburg Times.

Just…wow.

As always, I will link to it when the link goes live.

Tickets are still available for our final two weekends.

Have read The Weekly Planet review for Machinal. Will link to it when it’s available.

One word.

Pwned.

*** Edit *** The review is online now. You can read it here.

But, umm…that ain’t me in the picture. Or Deena. Classic Planet picture flub. Oh well. We had a huge picture in the print version.

Blah, Blah, Blah

The first review is in. The Tampa Tribune doesn’t have it linked yet on their main site, but the review is great.

When a long-forgotten play returns to the stage, the first thing you have to ask is : Was it worth rediscovering? In the case of Sophie Treadwell’s 1928 “Machinal” on stage at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center’s Shimberg Playhouse courtesy of Jobsite Theater, the answer is yes.

Dena Cousins…is riveting as the increasingly fragile heroine. Some of her scenes tread very close to Joan Crawford-esque excess, but it’s the character who seems unbalanced, not the performance. In a series of smaller roles, Katrina Stevenson has a wonderful doll-like physicality with a satirical edge, and Caroline Jett makes a chilling mother. Michael C. McGreevy is blithely unbearable as the husband who sees his wife as one more business deal to seal.

Boo-yah.

It’s not a “perfect” review, but I felt that her criticisims were honest and fair.

Of course, having the words “Michael C. McGreevy is blithely unbearable as the husband” in print is perhaps not the most comforting thing ever written about me. I’m sure that if my ex sees that she’s going to get quite a kick out of it.

There are two weekends left, my friends. You’re NOT going to see this kind of theater performed often in the area. Support something different and out of the norm. Go see “Machinal.”

Tickets available online or by calling the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center box office at 813-229-STAR (7827)

*** Edit *** The review can now be read here.

At the request of Mr. etcet

1) Total number of books owned?
Quite a few, but not as many as there used to be. I realized that recently. I don’t even know what happened to them. I used to have a lot of Vonnegut. Gone. Same with all my Hunter S. Thompson, Robert Asprin, Piers Anthony. Kinda sad, really. Anyway, I’d say several hundred.

2) The last book I bought:
“The Cat Who Walks Through Walls” by Robert Heinlein

3. The last book I read:
“Star Trek : Deep Space Nine – Unity” by S.D. Perry

4) Books that mean a lot to me:
“1984” by George Orwell
“The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkein
“The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy” by Douglas Adams
“Richard Scarry’s Busy Busy World ” by Richard Scarry
“Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual” by Gary Gygax

5. Tag five people and have them fill out this poll:
maladr1n, spprs, actorkat, mollyq, ross_winn