Just finished reading We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay!. Interesting. Going to be another one of those shows that the cast has to be 100% invested in to pull off without looking silly. I plan on reading The Goat within the next few days, and I found out how to order a copy of Phyro-Giants! and just did so.

I was asked if I wanted to submit myself for consideration on the original works project next year. I think I’m going to offer to come in on occasion and brainstorm with them if they like, but I don’t feel up to actually commiting to a writing project right now. I’m far too fried, and as of yet I haven’t dissapointed the Jobsite crew (that I’m aware of). I’d like to keep that record.

I sometimes wonder if I should be branching out and working with other companies, but ya know what? I’m doing this on my terms now. I have no pressing need to be a star or have any illusions about this being my bread and butter. I’m acting because I enjoy it, and the work I’ve done with Jobsite has been immensely rewarding. This cannot be said for the other productions I’ve been involved with since getting back on stage. I’m comfortable with them, and they have consistently challenged my abilities and risen the bar on their expectations of me. I really couldn’t ask for anything else.

Quite happy where I am, thanks.

On June 25th, 2003, I made a commment in maladr1n‘s journal to a woman who soon came to be a huge part of my life. On June 23rd of 2004 I drove to Jacksonville to see her for the last time. Almost two years later she is, at this very moment, sitting in our home in St. Petersburg. I think it’s fairly safe to say that on the 24th of June in 2003 neither of us had any clue we would be in the place we are now.

This is one of the myriad thoughts in my head today as I start my Monday Lunchtime ramble. We were asked about our meeting last night at dinner with some of the cast and crew of Machinal. When the show was over we went over to the infamous lair of the Jedi Council, The Tampa Bay Brewing Company, and had several hours of good food and great conversation. It was a blast, and having netgoth next to me just made it better. I’m so grateful to have someone in my life who can so easily make herself comfortable around the huge myriad of people who I associate with (or, at the very least, so convincingly make herself seem comfortable that she fools even me). Someone who, after seeing a play that I’m in, can talk for the entire car ride home about it and have everything she says mirror almost exactly the words of the reviewers for all of our local newspapers. For that matter, someone who isn’t afraid to look at an aspect of a production I do and say “that didn’t work for me.” Someone who loves and appreciates my family, and has been there for them when times are tough. Someone who, at times, seems more attentive to the medical conditions of my son than I am. Someone who still rocks my world in the more private moments of our lives.

Someone who leaves me little notes in my lunchbox that I can leave on my desk and look at every once in a while.

Contentment is a wonderful thing.

One more week on Machinal and then it’s time for a well deserved rest. A nice, long, quiet stint at home. Weekends filled with gaming and home improvement where we don’t go anywhere. Maybe going to bed early because I don’t have to stay up late to spend time with K. Yeah. It’s going to be nice.

Of course, I do have some work coming down the pipe from my side jobs…but I’m still at home when I do that.

Ordered some new shirts today from Think Geek. Realized that most of my t-shirts were starting to look a bit on the worn side. I also got a Taxibot T-Shirt. Yeah, I might be inactive…but I’m still proud as hell of having been a member. Besides, I may be reactivating my account soon. I made the commitment to A. to pay for Warcraft on a monthly basis for him, but he doesn’t seem to be taking to the game. I figure if I was going to do it anyway, I’ll offer to reactivate my CoH account and let him use that if he wants to instead. I know he liked that game. That way he can play online if he wants and I can justify having my account active. We’ll see.

Back on the diet and exercise bandwagon, at least to an extent. Vegas should be an interesting challenge.

Lunch hour over! Back to work, boy!

There used to be a poetry section on my web site.

Note – Used to be.

My god. That was some horrid, angsty, whiny shit.

BALEETED

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