Some folks have been asking me about when I'll be returning to the Tavern stage. Well, wait no longer, one or two people who were interested. I'll be back on the stage in April playing Guildenstern in Hamlet.
I'm pretty sure I've said it before, but I noticed at some point earlier in the year that Hamlet was going to be my last chance to act before the summer came, which was pretty darn scary. So, when I saw Drew's (the director, fight director AND associate producer. He's busy.) number come up on my cell phone, I might have done a little happy dance. I would have felt really stupid if he was just calling to say hi.
As always, one of the main reasons I'm excited to get in something at the Tavern is getting to play with my friends. For instance, I know that Doug Graham and Josh Jones are also cast.
I love how busy I've stayed. I know it's a mixed blessing, because it does make the slow times feel THAT MUCH slower, but I've been incredibly blessed to be working this much in my first full year out of the apprenticeship.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Monologue Monday - King John by William Shakespeare
I've got some pretty good news, but I think I'll wait until tomorrow to announce any specifics on here. I need the material.
So, this monologue is one that I've had in my head for a long time, but never really wanted to memorize until this year. It's Lewis, the Dauphin of France talking to Cardinal Pandulph. It's from a rarely produced play, so often times gets overlooked. I've had the good fortune to see this play twice, oddly enough during two apprentice years. Once this past year at the Tavern, the other during my time at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.
Also, this is going to be my companion piece to Hurrah at Last at UPTA. Both are pretty heavily cut, but I think that they retain their shape nicely. Especially this one. It's written in such a way that almost lends itself to cutting. If you can do the whole thing, that's icing on the cake. It's chock full of great stuff. But there's a lot here to pick and choose from.
Your grace shall pardon me, I will not back:
I am too high-born to be propertied,
To be a secondary at control,
Or useful serving-man and instrument,
To any sovereign state throughout the world.
Your breath first kindled the dead coal of wars
Between this chastised kingdom and myself,
And brought in matter that should feed this fire;
And now 'tis far too huge to be blown out
With that same weak wind which enkindled it.
You taught me how to know the face of right,
Acquainted me with interest to this land,
Yea, thrust this enterprise into my heart;
And come ye now to tell me John hath made
His peace with Rome? What is that peace to me?
I, by the honour of my marriage-bed,
After young Arthur, claim this land for mine;
And, now it is half-conquer'd, must I back
Because that John hath made his peace with Rome?
Am I Rome's slave? What penny hath Rome borne,
What men provided, what munition sent,
To underprop this action? Is't not I
That undergo this charge? who else but I,
And such as to my claim are liable,
Sweat in this business and maintain this war?
Have I not heard these islanders shout out
'Vive le roi!' as I have bank'd their towns?
Have I not here the best cards for the game,
To win this easy match play'd for a crown?
And shall I now give o'er the yielded set?
No, no, on my soul, it never shall be said.
(...)
Outside or inside, I will not return
Till my attempt so much be glorified
As to my ample hope was promised
Before I drew this gallant head of war,
And cull'd these fiery spirits from the world,
To outlook conquest and to win renown
Even in the jaws of danger and of death.
He's even got one of the best putdown lines in all of Shakespeare. In this same scene, Phillip the Bastard comes into Lewis' camp and starts talking all this smack about how awesome the English are and how lame the French are. Lewis' response?
There end thy brave, and turn thy face in peace;
We grant thou canst outscold us: fare thee well;
We hold our time too precious to be spent
With such a brabbler.
"We grant thou canst outscold us." TOLD!
I mean, granted, the English end up winning. But, still...awesome line.
***
Also, as an update to my last worried post, my family is making due. All is as well as can be expected. If you're the praying kind, my home could still use your prayers, though. As of today, there's still a quarter million people without power. Now, granted, they've made quick and amazing strides from even Sunday, when there were 400,000 some odd houses without power. From what my family says, it still looks like a warzone up there.
Also, this week I'll be doing some filming for reThink which is pretty exciting. I'm very happy to be in their rotation! Here's hoping for more. As time goes by, I really think that Kidstuf might be one of the best things to happen to me in Atlanta.
So, this monologue is one that I've had in my head for a long time, but never really wanted to memorize until this year. It's Lewis, the Dauphin of France talking to Cardinal Pandulph. It's from a rarely produced play, so often times gets overlooked. I've had the good fortune to see this play twice, oddly enough during two apprentice years. Once this past year at the Tavern, the other during my time at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.
Also, this is going to be my companion piece to Hurrah at Last at UPTA. Both are pretty heavily cut, but I think that they retain their shape nicely. Especially this one. It's written in such a way that almost lends itself to cutting. If you can do the whole thing, that's icing on the cake. It's chock full of great stuff. But there's a lot here to pick and choose from.
Your grace shall pardon me, I will not back:
I am too high-born to be propertied,
To be a secondary at control,
Or useful serving-man and instrument,
To any sovereign state throughout the world.
Your breath first kindled the dead coal of wars
Between this chastised kingdom and myself,
And brought in matter that should feed this fire;
And now 'tis far too huge to be blown out
With that same weak wind which enkindled it.
You taught me how to know the face of right,
Acquainted me with interest to this land,
Yea, thrust this enterprise into my heart;
And come ye now to tell me John hath made
His peace with Rome? What is that peace to me?
I, by the honour of my marriage-bed,
After young Arthur, claim this land for mine;
And, now it is half-conquer'd, must I back
Because that John hath made his peace with Rome?
Am I Rome's slave? What penny hath Rome borne,
What men provided, what munition sent,
To underprop this action? Is't not I
That undergo this charge? who else but I,
And such as to my claim are liable,
Sweat in this business and maintain this war?
Have I not heard these islanders shout out
'Vive le roi!' as I have bank'd their towns?
Have I not here the best cards for the game,
To win this easy match play'd for a crown?
And shall I now give o'er the yielded set?
No, no, on my soul, it never shall be said.
(...)
Outside or inside, I will not return
Till my attempt so much be glorified
As to my ample hope was promised
Before I drew this gallant head of war,
And cull'd these fiery spirits from the world,
To outlook conquest and to win renown
Even in the jaws of danger and of death.
He's even got one of the best putdown lines in all of Shakespeare. In this same scene, Phillip the Bastard comes into Lewis' camp and starts talking all this smack about how awesome the English are and how lame the French are. Lewis' response?
There end thy brave, and turn thy face in peace;
We grant thou canst outscold us: fare thee well;
We hold our time too precious to be spent
With such a brabbler.
"We grant thou canst outscold us." TOLD!
I mean, granted, the English end up winning. But, still...awesome line.
***
Also, as an update to my last worried post, my family is making due. All is as well as can be expected. If you're the praying kind, my home could still use your prayers, though. As of today, there's still a quarter million people without power. Now, granted, they've made quick and amazing strides from even Sunday, when there were 400,000 some odd houses without power. From what my family says, it still looks like a warzone up there.
Also, this week I'll be doing some filming for reThink which is pretty exciting. I'm very happy to be in their rotation! Here's hoping for more. As time goes by, I really think that Kidstuf might be one of the best things to happen to me in Atlanta.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Spreading It Around - Press
I feel we had a pretty good opening weekend. The opening night crowd was especially vocal. We've had a couple of kind reviews, the only one of which that I have a link to is right here.
Don't judge the hair. I just got done acting.
There's a huge snow and ice storm at home and I can't get hold of anyone. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried.
Don't judge the hair. I just got done acting.
There's a huge snow and ice storm at home and I can't get hold of anyone. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Show me the sidestreets in your life...
Remember on my old blog where I used to start every entry with a title track? Well, let's get nostalgic.
Title Track: Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare by Matt and Kim. I'm LOVING their new album. Absolutely loving it. It reveals new facets to me during every listen. I dunno what it is with me and sorta twee bands featuring two people, one on drums, one on keyboard. Weird.
My musical rotation the last few days, you ask? Grand by Matt and Kim, The Friday Night Lights OST by Explosions in the Sky, the Slumdog Millionaire OST by A.R.Rahman, and a couple of singles (Rolling Stones, "Gimmie Shelter", Royksopp's "Happy Up Here")
Yeah, you needed to know that.
We open Spreading It Around tonight at Stage Door Players. We had our first preview last night. It was a pleasure to get an audience in there. We're actually sold out tonight, so that's good. Show up tipsy. You'll enjoy it more.
I've had a tumultuous couple of days. Lots of personal stuff bouncing around in my head. It's odd...and it makes me carry tension in my jaw. Crazy!
I really need to make sure my UPTA monologues are honed down to a razor sharp level. I may or may not have said it here, but I'm not sure there's anything for me here in Atlanta between the months of February and May except Hamlet. Scarrrrry.
Let's get down and boogie. If you're coming to the gala at Stage Door tonight, say hi. If you're coming at some other point, still say hi.
Sell your shoes. Go see Slumdog Millionaire.
I hope that someday I'll see without these frames.
Title Track: Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare by Matt and Kim. I'm LOVING their new album. Absolutely loving it. It reveals new facets to me during every listen. I dunno what it is with me and sorta twee bands featuring two people, one on drums, one on keyboard. Weird.
My musical rotation the last few days, you ask? Grand by Matt and Kim, The Friday Night Lights OST by Explosions in the Sky, the Slumdog Millionaire OST by A.R.Rahman, and a couple of singles (Rolling Stones, "Gimmie Shelter", Royksopp's "Happy Up Here")
Yeah, you needed to know that.
We open Spreading It Around tonight at Stage Door Players. We had our first preview last night. It was a pleasure to get an audience in there. We're actually sold out tonight, so that's good. Show up tipsy. You'll enjoy it more.
I've had a tumultuous couple of days. Lots of personal stuff bouncing around in my head. It's odd...and it makes me carry tension in my jaw. Crazy!
I really need to make sure my UPTA monologues are honed down to a razor sharp level. I may or may not have said it here, but I'm not sure there's anything for me here in Atlanta between the months of February and May except Hamlet. Scarrrrry.
Let's get down and boogie. If you're coming to the gala at Stage Door tonight, say hi. If you're coming at some other point, still say hi.
Sell your shoes. Go see Slumdog Millionaire.
I hope that someday I'll see without these frames.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Monologue Monday - Rock 'n' Roll by Tom Stoppard
First off, hello Abby.
I saw this monologue in an odd place. I've never read the play, but I was cruising through websites, looking for places to audition for when I saw a spot that was going to do this play. They had some sides up for potential auditioners, and this monologue was crossed out. It caught my interest and I think it's pretty darn solid. I don't know that I'd ever use it for an audition, but I still like it quite a bit.
No, because the policeman insulted him. About his hair. Jirous doesn't cut his hair. It makes the policeman angry, so he starts something and it ends with Jirous in gaol. But what is the policeman angry about? What difference does long hair make? The policeman is angry about his fear. The policeman's fear is what makes him angry. He's frightened by indifference. Jirous doesn't care. He doesn't care enough even to cut his hair. The policeman isn't frightened by dissidents! Why should he be? Policemen love dissidents, like the Inquisition loved heretics. Heretics give meaning to the defenders of the faith. Nobody cares more than a heretic. Your friend Havel cares so much he writes a long letter to Husak. It makes no odds whether it's a love letter or a protest letter. It means they're playing on the same board. So Husak can relax, he's made the rules, it's his game. The population plays the other way by agreeing to be bribed by places at university, or an easy ride at work… they care enough to keep their thoughts to themselves, their haircuts give nothing away. But the Plastics don't care at all. They're unbribable. They're coming from somewhere else, from where the Muses come from. They're not heretics. They're pagans.
I'd like to read Rock 'n' Roll at some point. With music being such an intense interest in my life, I love plays that mix the two skillfully. I wish wish wish I could get my hands on a copy of Clay because I just know there's a monologue in there that would be perfect for me. If you know where I can get it, let me know...
***
We've got another Monologue Monday supporter out there. If you're wanting to check out a couple of other monologues (since Frymire is being so slack), check out Old Ned's blog. He's had a couple up so far. We need more, folks. If you're interested in Monologue Monday, let me know! Our collective repertoire could be so powerful!
I saw this monologue in an odd place. I've never read the play, but I was cruising through websites, looking for places to audition for when I saw a spot that was going to do this play. They had some sides up for potential auditioners, and this monologue was crossed out. It caught my interest and I think it's pretty darn solid. I don't know that I'd ever use it for an audition, but I still like it quite a bit.
No, because the policeman insulted him. About his hair. Jirous doesn't cut his hair. It makes the policeman angry, so he starts something and it ends with Jirous in gaol. But what is the policeman angry about? What difference does long hair make? The policeman is angry about his fear. The policeman's fear is what makes him angry. He's frightened by indifference. Jirous doesn't care. He doesn't care enough even to cut his hair. The policeman isn't frightened by dissidents! Why should he be? Policemen love dissidents, like the Inquisition loved heretics. Heretics give meaning to the defenders of the faith. Nobody cares more than a heretic. Your friend Havel cares so much he writes a long letter to Husak. It makes no odds whether it's a love letter or a protest letter. It means they're playing on the same board. So Husak can relax, he's made the rules, it's his game. The population plays the other way by agreeing to be bribed by places at university, or an easy ride at work… they care enough to keep their thoughts to themselves, their haircuts give nothing away. But the Plastics don't care at all. They're unbribable. They're coming from somewhere else, from where the Muses come from. They're not heretics. They're pagans.
I'd like to read Rock 'n' Roll at some point. With music being such an intense interest in my life, I love plays that mix the two skillfully. I wish wish wish I could get my hands on a copy of Clay because I just know there's a monologue in there that would be perfect for me. If you know where I can get it, let me know...
***
We've got another Monologue Monday supporter out there. If you're wanting to check out a couple of other monologues (since Frymire is being so slack), check out Old Ned's blog. He's had a couple up so far. We need more, folks. If you're interested in Monologue Monday, let me know! Our collective repertoire could be so powerful!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Bah!
Bah! I just found out that all slots are filled for the League of Washington Theatres auditions! Damn.
I really wanted to make those happen, I just didn't know if I would be able to make the planned time... See, it would have required me to have the following itinerary.
- Sunday, Feb. 8th
Perform in Spreading It Around at Stage Door Players.
Leave immediately after and drive from Atlanta, GA to Memphis, TN (6 hours, 14 minutes) for UPTA.
- Monday, Feb. 9th
Audition in the afternoon for the fine folks at UPTA. Callbacks (hopefully) into the night. Drive from Memphis, TN to Nashville, TN (3 hours, 13 minutes). Find a place to sleep.
- Tuesday, Feb. 10th
Get up. Drive from Nashville, TN to Washington DC (10 hours, 27 minutes). Find Meg and Tyrone. Sleep and prepare for the long day ahead of me.
- Wednesday, Feb. 11th
Audition for League of Washington Theatres. High five Obama. And, either this day or the next, depending on my audition time, drive back to Atlanta from Washington DC (10 hours, 10 minutes).
- Thursday, Feb. 12th
Collapse. Do Spreading It Around again.
All in all, it would have been a trip I'm not sure I'm capable of making any more. But, man, it would have been fun to give it a shot...
I really wanted to make those happen, I just didn't know if I would be able to make the planned time... See, it would have required me to have the following itinerary.
- Sunday, Feb. 8th
Perform in Spreading It Around at Stage Door Players.
Leave immediately after and drive from Atlanta, GA to Memphis, TN (6 hours, 14 minutes) for UPTA.
- Monday, Feb. 9th
Audition in the afternoon for the fine folks at UPTA. Callbacks (hopefully) into the night. Drive from Memphis, TN to Nashville, TN (3 hours, 13 minutes). Find a place to sleep.
- Tuesday, Feb. 10th
Get up. Drive from Nashville, TN to Washington DC (10 hours, 27 minutes). Find Meg and Tyrone. Sleep and prepare for the long day ahead of me.
- Wednesday, Feb. 11th
Audition for League of Washington Theatres. High five Obama. And, either this day or the next, depending on my audition time, drive back to Atlanta from Washington DC (10 hours, 10 minutes).
- Thursday, Feb. 12th
Collapse. Do Spreading It Around again.
All in all, it would have been a trip I'm not sure I'm capable of making any more. But, man, it would have been fun to give it a shot...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
The New Year
Here we are, folks. 2009. As I look back on the year that we just left, I must admit, it's been pretty eventful.
- I started this year having not even performed once at The Shakespeare Tavern, the place I now consider to be my "theatre home" in Atlanta. By the end, I'd added Twelfth Night, an understudy gig in Romeo and Juliet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, my beloved Much Ado About Nothing, and the Three Parts of Henry VI. Not only that, but I was their May Featured Actor, which got me a lunch with Redd, so it's alright by me.
- I started this year basically not going to church, since not being able to attend The Journey. Now, I'm the comic host at Kidstuf Buckhead, and feel like I'm actually affecting positive change, I judge.
- That's another difference. A year ago, I wasn't ending any sentences with "I judge."
So, here I am, a year later. A year older. A year into my Atlanta theatre career, having auditioned for most of the places I want to audition for. I've auditioned at The Alliance, Theatre in the Square, 7 Stages, Georgia Ensemble, Synchronicity, Theatrical Outfit and Georgia Shakespeare. Now, granted, nothing came from those... So, maybe that's a bad thing. Maybe it's a good thing. Maybe it's just a thing. The hope is, though, that the more familiar these people become with my face and with my work, the more comfortable they will feel using me. That's the hope...anyway. Plus, there are a couple of spots in town that I'd really like to audition for that I haven't been able to, for one reason or another (I'm looking at you Horizon, Aurora, Actor's Express and True Colors...), so I've got to redouble my efforts this year.
I say I've never been one for resolutions, but, down deep, I know I am. I love the idea of being able to have a fresh start, and will myself to a better, somehow more true "me". Some have worked out pretty well in the past. Some haven't. Some I make foolishly, knowing I've got no real control over them. But, most are resolutions that are based on my own willpower and drive. This year, I'm hoping I have more of the latter.
By my expectations, I've had an incredibly successful year. Coming out of my apprenticeship, I didn't dream that I would be involved so much in the next year at the Tavern. There's a problem buried in that, though. I'm so used to working solidly, especially during the tail end of the year, anything less feels like failure. Do I need to readjust my expectations or let that feeling of failure drive me, even if nothing comes from it? I don't know. Really, truly.
I'm doing a lot of introspection. "Thinking out loud" is how I just described this.
So...what do I want to do (somewhat "professionally") in 2009?
- Lose Weight.
Isn't that just so cliché? I lost a lot of weight my summer at The Lost Colony, but, since then, I've sort of stagnated. It's almost enough reason to make me want to go back. (You hear me, Tim Dunn!? Spectrum!) Don't get me wrong, I feel like I was getting in really good shape (for me, at least...), but my weight loss sort of plateaued. Not only that, but in the last few months, I feel I've taken some pretty severe steps backwards. Well, no longer. I'm going to start my new workout program on Monday. I'll be doing some basic warm-up workouts this week, to get my body used to the idea that it's going to start having to work again. Then, I begin my EXTRA SUPER SPECIAL WORKOUT PLAN OF PAIN. It has, basically, three components.
P90X, which forms the backbone of the program.
Bas Rutten's MMA Workout. One! Liver Punch! Right Straight, Left Hook!
And, of course, good old fashioned weightlifting and cardio.
Theoretically, I'll be doing two workouts a day (excepting Sundays and rest weeks...) for 90 days. If I can make it through...and there is doubt in my mind...then I will come out the other side in the best shape of my life. I just know it.
- Work around Atlanta more.
I really like Atlanta. I mean...I'm truly a huge fan of Atlanta. I like it's proximity to home. I like it's proximity to the only other place I've felt at home. I like the fact that it's in the south, so it's warm and people talk slowly. I like the people I've met down here. I like the Hawks. I like living in a city, without the feel of living in a city. I like the fact that, actually, it's a pretty darn good theatre town, with a lot of different options for jobs. That's where this one comes in.
I want to establish myself more firmly in Atlanta. In reality, I could see myself being here for a very long time. Laura Cole, one of my teachers at the Tavern, said in a podcast interview that she was interested in training and retaining Atlanta actors. I want to be one of those actors, so one of my goals is to work around town. To get more places on my resume, to improve my standing at The Tavern, and, in general, start to gain a foothold as a solid Atlanta actor.
- Audition outside of Atlanta more.
Now...that being said...I want to go where the work is. For instance, this summer, I see nothing for me around town. Last year, when I went to UPTA, it was on a lark more than anything else. I was pretty sure I would be able to swing something in the summer, and I wanted to be able to solidify my standing in Atlanta further. Now, though, I really want to be out of town this summer. Don't get me wrong, if something fantastic fell in my lap from any of those places I mentioned earlier, I'd take it. But my instinct tells me that I need to roll on to another pasture for a bit.
And that doesn't just me talking from a summer perspective. I want to head back up to Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and audition for Shakespeare Live, to give that one last shot. I want to head to Orlando Shakespeare and get in for their generals, so that I might be able to take a year and move back down there. I'm strongly considering going to the League of Washington Theatres general audition, since I've got an offer to live up there, rent free. I'm also...secretly...half considering auditioning for another "apprenticeship" type position out of town. It's something I'm currently wrestling with since, frankly, I'm so old. 26, folks. It ain't no picnic.
I'm in like with Atlanta. Not quite in L-U-V, yet. I want to be...but I also want to go where I'm able to get hired.
- Read More. Learn More.
I feel this is pretty self explanatory. As I've said before, I can't change a perception of me. But I can change myself, and through that, others may change their perception. I want to educate myself. That will change me.
- Slowly...quietly...take another step toward my degree.
I don't care what it is. But I need to move forward. Sounds like something else I can do this summer.
- Go to Florida more.
I actually don't know if I can do this. I've been to Florida quite a bit this last year... This one isn't particularly professional. I just like it.
- Enjoy it.
It's been a really good year. A hard one to top, frankly. I started off this year in a place of structure. Now I'm in a very nebulous place, where things switch from month to month. I played Claudio. In the last six months, I made more money from acting than I did at my "day job", which made me feel like a professional. Without the quotes. I ended the year by going to Disney World and a black dude got elected president. It's been a really good year. Here's hoping for another one just like it.
Love to all those that I love. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
- I started this year having not even performed once at The Shakespeare Tavern, the place I now consider to be my "theatre home" in Atlanta. By the end, I'd added Twelfth Night, an understudy gig in Romeo and Juliet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, my beloved Much Ado About Nothing, and the Three Parts of Henry VI. Not only that, but I was their May Featured Actor, which got me a lunch with Redd, so it's alright by me.
- I started this year basically not going to church, since not being able to attend The Journey. Now, I'm the comic host at Kidstuf Buckhead, and feel like I'm actually affecting positive change, I judge.
- That's another difference. A year ago, I wasn't ending any sentences with "I judge."
So, here I am, a year later. A year older. A year into my Atlanta theatre career, having auditioned for most of the places I want to audition for. I've auditioned at The Alliance, Theatre in the Square, 7 Stages, Georgia Ensemble, Synchronicity, Theatrical Outfit and Georgia Shakespeare. Now, granted, nothing came from those... So, maybe that's a bad thing. Maybe it's a good thing. Maybe it's just a thing. The hope is, though, that the more familiar these people become with my face and with my work, the more comfortable they will feel using me. That's the hope...anyway. Plus, there are a couple of spots in town that I'd really like to audition for that I haven't been able to, for one reason or another (I'm looking at you Horizon, Aurora, Actor's Express and True Colors...), so I've got to redouble my efforts this year.
I say I've never been one for resolutions, but, down deep, I know I am. I love the idea of being able to have a fresh start, and will myself to a better, somehow more true "me". Some have worked out pretty well in the past. Some haven't. Some I make foolishly, knowing I've got no real control over them. But, most are resolutions that are based on my own willpower and drive. This year, I'm hoping I have more of the latter.
By my expectations, I've had an incredibly successful year. Coming out of my apprenticeship, I didn't dream that I would be involved so much in the next year at the Tavern. There's a problem buried in that, though. I'm so used to working solidly, especially during the tail end of the year, anything less feels like failure. Do I need to readjust my expectations or let that feeling of failure drive me, even if nothing comes from it? I don't know. Really, truly.
I'm doing a lot of introspection. "Thinking out loud" is how I just described this.
So...what do I want to do (somewhat "professionally") in 2009?
- Lose Weight.
Isn't that just so cliché? I lost a lot of weight my summer at The Lost Colony, but, since then, I've sort of stagnated. It's almost enough reason to make me want to go back. (You hear me, Tim Dunn!? Spectrum!) Don't get me wrong, I feel like I was getting in really good shape (for me, at least...), but my weight loss sort of plateaued. Not only that, but in the last few months, I feel I've taken some pretty severe steps backwards. Well, no longer. I'm going to start my new workout program on Monday. I'll be doing some basic warm-up workouts this week, to get my body used to the idea that it's going to start having to work again. Then, I begin my EXTRA SUPER SPECIAL WORKOUT PLAN OF PAIN. It has, basically, three components.
P90X, which forms the backbone of the program.
Bas Rutten's MMA Workout. One! Liver Punch! Right Straight, Left Hook!
And, of course, good old fashioned weightlifting and cardio.
Theoretically, I'll be doing two workouts a day (excepting Sundays and rest weeks...) for 90 days. If I can make it through...and there is doubt in my mind...then I will come out the other side in the best shape of my life. I just know it.
- Work around Atlanta more.
I really like Atlanta. I mean...I'm truly a huge fan of Atlanta. I like it's proximity to home. I like it's proximity to the only other place I've felt at home. I like the fact that it's in the south, so it's warm and people talk slowly. I like the people I've met down here. I like the Hawks. I like living in a city, without the feel of living in a city. I like the fact that, actually, it's a pretty darn good theatre town, with a lot of different options for jobs. That's where this one comes in.
I want to establish myself more firmly in Atlanta. In reality, I could see myself being here for a very long time. Laura Cole, one of my teachers at the Tavern, said in a podcast interview that she was interested in training and retaining Atlanta actors. I want to be one of those actors, so one of my goals is to work around town. To get more places on my resume, to improve my standing at The Tavern, and, in general, start to gain a foothold as a solid Atlanta actor.
- Audition outside of Atlanta more.
Now...that being said...I want to go where the work is. For instance, this summer, I see nothing for me around town. Last year, when I went to UPTA, it was on a lark more than anything else. I was pretty sure I would be able to swing something in the summer, and I wanted to be able to solidify my standing in Atlanta further. Now, though, I really want to be out of town this summer. Don't get me wrong, if something fantastic fell in my lap from any of those places I mentioned earlier, I'd take it. But my instinct tells me that I need to roll on to another pasture for a bit.
And that doesn't just me talking from a summer perspective. I want to head back up to Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and audition for Shakespeare Live, to give that one last shot. I want to head to Orlando Shakespeare and get in for their generals, so that I might be able to take a year and move back down there. I'm strongly considering going to the League of Washington Theatres general audition, since I've got an offer to live up there, rent free. I'm also...secretly...half considering auditioning for another "apprenticeship" type position out of town. It's something I'm currently wrestling with since, frankly, I'm so old. 26, folks. It ain't no picnic.
I'm in like with Atlanta. Not quite in L-U-V, yet. I want to be...but I also want to go where I'm able to get hired.
- Read More. Learn More.
I feel this is pretty self explanatory. As I've said before, I can't change a perception of me. But I can change myself, and through that, others may change their perception. I want to educate myself. That will change me.
- Slowly...quietly...take another step toward my degree.
I don't care what it is. But I need to move forward. Sounds like something else I can do this summer.
- Go to Florida more.
I actually don't know if I can do this. I've been to Florida quite a bit this last year... This one isn't particularly professional. I just like it.
- Enjoy it.
It's been a really good year. A hard one to top, frankly. I started off this year in a place of structure. Now I'm in a very nebulous place, where things switch from month to month. I played Claudio. In the last six months, I made more money from acting than I did at my "day job", which made me feel like a professional. Without the quotes. I ended the year by going to Disney World and a black dude got elected president. It's been a really good year. Here's hoping for another one just like it.
Love to all those that I love. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
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