3 weeks

I’ve got about 3 weeks “off”. 

Okay, I'm not actually going on vacation. It just means I have a couple of things to do, but I don’t have anything on my schedule to do at a set time or date. 


I have to get ready to do (The Who’s) Tommy. 

(at this theatre)

And I may need to spend some time working on Silent Pictures for another round of performances that Rachel & friends are gonna do. 

(check it out)

What I’ll do with SP depends on what changes Tommy Trull ends up making to the script &/or lyrics. I might do some work on the 2 musicals I was writing last summer: Dori & the Executioner and Giants Dance.

I’ll try to do some reading. I started a longish mystery novel not long ago. 

And I’m sure I will watch a bunch of crap on the netflix. 

I will be available if people want to hang out, have a meal or coffee or “drinks”, get a massage or give one, whatever. Or if you wanna just stop by and see, in person, what I look like without a beard, that’s cool too.

scat solo

Show-vo-dee-oh Vote-doh

Sha-do-va-dee-vee-oh Vote-doh

Sha-da-va Deet Doh Dee-dn-dee Vo-deedo

Squee-va-doh-doh Sha-ba Daht Daht Dahllya-da-dn Doh-dote-doh

Here's what happens:

I’m not sure why this came to mind today, but...

Here’s what happens: the woman thinks, I’m tired of all these assholes. Why can’t I meet a nice guy?

So, she meets a nice guy. Here’s what she expects to happen: sparks, excitement, this guy is so nice and I want him.

This, however, does not happen. Here’s what could happen: she meets a nice guy and decides to go out with him to see what happens.

But that doesn’t happen either. Here’s what actually happens: the woman thinks he’s such a great, nice guy...and he’s single! How can that be? Wow, I really hope that he meets a great girl, ‘cause such a nice guy like him deserves it... Oo! look at that other guy, he’s totally hot. And...yeah, he’s an asshole, he’s selfish and mean, and, because of that, very dynamic. He definitely has my attention. I think I want him...oh yeah, I want him.

"adult" holidays

The other day I heard someone say that Monday is “swallowing awareness day”.

http://www.newscanada.com/print-may-swallowing-awareness-day-67028

It's a serious thing. Of course, I immediately thought of something else. And that reminded me of a thought I had a few weeks ago: that we should have more “adult” holidays.

Here’s one:

http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/July/nationalnudeday.htm

Actually, that’s more for the whole family, for friends, for the community, for all of us to celebrate together.

But we need some adult holidays! Here are my suggestions:

—small breast appreciation day: the media seems to put a premium on large breasts, but hey, the small ones are great too; some of us really like them

—manscaping day: hey, why not? it happens, to varying degrees; let’s just put it out there in the open and talk about it, celebrate it, even

—threesome awareness day: I’m not necessarily saying threesome participation day, of course that’d certainly be an option; but this could be a day to show support to all your friends, family, co-workers, whomever, that participate in threesomes; and you never know, you may just get a life-changing invite

—maybe a “try a new position” day, or a “that thing you’ve always wanted to try” day—we could all use a day like that, right?

tired

I am tired.

I was so busy for so long that when I was suddenly less busy, I felt weird. It was hard to believe that I wasn't supposed to be doing something all the time.

Now, I'm doing a little: one show, Man of La Mancha.

I certainly have time right now to do some writing. I haven't written anything since February, which seems like a lifetime ago. But mostly I just feel tired. Maybe I should sleep all day, you know, for a day or two. Maybe that's just what I need.

Or, maybe I need to do something with my time: go outside, move around, see people, interact. Anybody wanna do that with me? Of course, I can't promise that I'll feel like doing it. (See yesterday's blog: awkward me.)

awkward me

A few nights ago, one of the only people I talk to regularly told me I was awkward. It came out of my not wanting to be around anybody that evening. I could blame it on still feeling emotionally weird about the events of last week. But she was right. I’m kind of awkward, socially.

I didn’t used to feel that way about myself. I was definitely shy Chris when I was younger. And that kind of turned into my being quiet and observant when I met new people. It would take me a while, but I’d eventually stop being shy and just be open, honest, sometimes brutally so, Chris.

So now, it seems that has turned into awkward Chris: a Chris who doesn’t interact very well with people, who often doesn’t have anything to say and often doesn’t even want to be around people. And then when I do talk, if I have something to say, I sometimes go much farther than anyone wants to go.

Anyway, I do feel awkward. I was just thinking tonight, while talking with a cast member during a break at rehearsal, that I had no idea what I should say to this person. Really, no idea, and I don’t know if I seemed awkward, but I definitely felt it.

I don’t want to be awkward. It is possible that I’m starting to develop a debilitating condition of social awkwardness at this point in my life?

non-bitching

I just thought I'd write a blog that wasn't me bitching about something. So, here's some good stuff:

Tomorrow, I'm having lunch with my friend Bob Baldwin. I like Bob. We were roommates for a little while in college.

On Thursday I'm going to Nancy Walker's voice studio end-of-the-semester party. I like her, and I like Maggie Ramsey, her student, who I've accompanied this semester.

I'm in rehearsals for Man of La Mancha. I like it. The cast is strong. I like them. It should be a good show.

Naming names: an addendum

So this is just sort of an addendum to the blog I posted a couple of days ago (“fear & prejudice, and fear of prejudice...and fear”). Feel free to read it too, if you’ve not. (read it here)

While I was telling the world (okay, I know “the world” doesn’t read this, so...while I was telling a handful of mostly anonymous people) about this whole thing, I didn’t mention the names of the show or the theatre. I was trying not to be too bitter or catty or back-bitey or whatever. 

I’m over that now.

The theatre is Theatre Guild of Rockingham County, (their website) and the show is All Shook Up. The artistic director is Rose Cutuli Wray and the production chairperson & technical director is Jeff Mericle.

I have a friend who warned me some time ago to back out, back out, get out of it, don’t do it.!

Well, I’m generally not one to back out of a situation just because someone else had a bad experience. But maybe I should’ve. It would’ve saved me some grief...well, not grief, rage...and the effort I put into getting ready for auditions and making recordings for the choreographer.

Anyway...

Last night was their first rehearsal. The director, to whom I’d given my script and score when I quit, stopped by to pick up my notes on the singers from auditions. He’d asked if I’d give them to the new music director. For a moment I considered being a dick and saying no. But that’s really not who I am. So, he went to the rehearsal. Apparently, as soon as he got there he was called into a meeting of the board, where he was fired for not respecting the board or not supporting them or something completely ridiculous like that. And(!) they already had hired another director who was there for that first rehearsal. 

They hired someone else, and didn’t tell him until he drove (45 minutes or so?) to the rehearsal.

That just seems kinda fucked up to me.

That’s what they did to the guy who was upset about the racism bullshit, but who was patient enough to wait a few hours to see how it was gonna go down, and who tried to get me to wait and then to come back into the production after they'd decided to go along with our casting. This is a guy who’d put a lot of prep work into the show and was really excited about it. This is a guy who’s done shows with them before and, I believe, was going to do more with them.

Rose and “the board”...? They ain’t right.

So, that’s the latest on the story as I know it. 

Again, mainly I’m just writing this to say: Theatre Guild of Rockingham County and Rose Wray.  (their contact page: "If you have any additional questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you!")