Battery of OA

[GreenLanternMD]

2k-6

I went to two parties last night... both improviser related. At the earlier party, I told everyone there that we were stilling planning on having a PIF meeting today, even though Bill is in Detroit. I had also mentioned this to people at Lolo's that morning.

At the second party, there was more drinking... more people expecting to be hung-over, partying, or just unproductive on New Year's Day, so there was a general assumption that the meeting would be cancelled. Since a lot of the key people there were not planning on showing up, I decided to step up in Bill's absense and make an executive manuver.

Stumbling in around 5AM, I got on my computer and cancelled the meeting. Hurray E-Mail! Hurray myspace! Bill followed up with another message, making sure everyone who was not on my list got the info. Also on my agenda, going to Bill's house to put a note on his door.

I'm feeling grumpy and unproductive. I think cancelling the meeting was a good call.

I just hope I'm up for going back to work tomorrow. :bleagh:

 

[GreenLanternMD]

Posting Just for the Hell of It

I don't want to go to work tomorrow.

I'm not sure what exactly I'll be teaching.

I have no idea of my rehearsal materials are in for G&D.

Darin has a new kitten.

 

[GreenLanternMD]

What's Wrong w/ My District?

I found out today that my school district was the only one in the state (possibly the country) to start the semester today. TODAY was a FEDERAL HOLIDAY!!! So, in a way, those of us who showed up today were compelled to work illegally.

Hmmm... Is it worth a class action suit?

The day was a waste of time. Only about 2/3 of the students showed up today, only 3/4 of the teachers. This means we're essentially a day behind in our instruction because we were compelled to show up on a day when the rest of the country had a holiday. The dance teacher thought we had the day off and was at home watching the Rose Parade when the principal's secretary called her and asked her why she had missed two classes already.

I wish I had today off. My body clock was not ready for the return. I functioned on two hours sleep and felt like crashing hard when I got home. I lapsed into a 20 minute cat nap, but forced myself awake, knowing that I had "Remainders" practice tonight.

I was the first to arrive, so after punching in the door code about a half dozen times, I finally let myself in. (Bill is still in Detroit and should be getting in any minute now. He was supposed to call Ashley for a ride from the airport, but I have reason to believe his dreaded cell phone died. I recieved a voice mail from him earlier today which consisted of "Hey, it's Bill..." and nothing else.) It was 10 to 7 and I was concerned about being the only one there by then. Usually about half of us get there about a half our early... but, to be fair, this is the first week in over a month that we've started at 7. Everyone filtered in eventually, but we ended up starting almost a half hour late... In Bill's absense, everyone was waiting for someone to step up and take charge... It ended up being me, so I decided to have us all check in with our thoughts on the Thursday's show. Refreshingly, everyone was without ego and able to look at our work objectively. We could embrace the nice things about it, but we were all willing to note the areas where we need improvement. One thing's for sure... our group mind is there. Our trust could be a little stronger, as well as our overall scene work and musical skill. These are all things we will be working on soon.

We spent the evening doing "kereoke". Lots of fun, but no one had the nerve to say, "here's what you need to work on." Speaking for myself, I could hear some of my own flaws (timing, pitch, etc.). I could have done well to have some specifics, though. I guess w/out Bill, we as a group don't feel ready to give feedback to individuals. We're fine with praise and notes for the "group," but I don't think we collectively know each other well enough to know how thick each individual's skin is.

I like the direction we are heading. I think we are at a place where we can benefit from one show a month.

 

[GreenLanternMD]

Do I Have Enough to Say in Order to Post Here?

Last night's A12 practice was better attended then many of recent past. Stacey and Jon were both there the entire time... no Travis or Robin, but I'm sure they'll be back with us next week.

We spent a lot of time on strong initiations and acceptance of unusual offers. One of those things we're actually pretty good at, but can get sloppy if we don't revisit the skill on occassion. Early in the session, Greg wryly suggested we only use titles of Batman story arcs for our suggestions... almost ashamed to say I indulged him for awhile... Bill attempted to put a stop to it by throwing out a Star Trek referance ("Best of Both Worlds..." Yeah, I caught that one).

Another portion of our time was devoted to our "up our professionalism" talk. We've got a good thing going, but there were some suggestions made to make minor improvements... just to give our show a little more quality in its presentation. We want to raise our public perception; show our audiences that we are a professional performing troupe and not some improv equivalent to a garage band. There was some debate over a few points... Not the smoothest of conversations, but it could have been a lot worse. We also talked about projected goals for our company, some of it specific to A12, some of it on a broader scale.

I stuck around a little later than normal to talk about the future of Elastic Theater, both immediate and long-term. Stacey is talking seriously about moving to Austin, TX... as is Tommy. Both have the goal of opening a puppet theater there. Stacey asked me, "How do you feel about Austin?" I took it to mean would I be willing to move there in order to build of Elastic Theater. I love Austin, but I feel my place is here. We've been working on building up A12 and CFWP for three years, and I'm not eager to walk away from it to start over in another state. It's a big leap... but if they choose to take it, I won't stand in their way... They'll just have to go without me.

 

[GreenLanternMD]

One Task Complete

Guys & Dolls now has a cast. A big one. God help me.

I am getting help. The choir director, of course, is in charge of music. The band director has volunteered to supervise the set. I may just steal the designs from Bubba at Washington. Shelly has volunteered to oversee the techies and all of the other crap I don't want to think about. I may even have Ashley come in and run some Alexander exercises (I know she's willing and able, just have to get through the admin. red-tape). That just leaves me with directing.

I was always of the belief that I delegate quite a bit on these projects. As I walk into this one, though, I feel as if I've delegated a lot more than I ever have before. I am so used to being "hands-on" with every aspect of the production. I always design the sets. I chose the ad strategy. I oversee costume and prop design. On Little Shop, I even worked on the puppets (although Tommy and Stacey did the bulk of it... lucky break for me). Do I really control that much? Can I give this much up? Can I afford not to?

And what happens with future shows? Will people see me as a necessary element? I know that's a rediculous question, but... And what will this do for the recruiting of my classes? Is this the shot in the arm my program needs?

I boggles the mind that I can have two hits last year and fewer theater classes. Granted, most of my success was outside of the classroom. I had an entire Theater 1 class that I never wanted to see again (not entirely true; there were about 3 or 4 kids in that group that I wanted to continue). Fewer assholes this year. Maybe the pendulum is swinging the other way. Odd Couple was a good show. Guys & Dolls could be a great show. I just hope I don't drop the ball on this one.



:nervous: Success seems the frighten me more than failiure. I keep waiting for my wings to melt.

 

[GreenLanternMD]

Holy Crap!

There were over 70 people at the Puppet Theater last night.

There were 120 there tonight!!! :loopy:

What the hell?!!! I mean, the show was good, but what made all these people show up? They weren't even friends of ours.

I bailed during intermission to go to the Bingo Jam. Actually had the fortune of being called up twice. The Bingo Jams are not always the greatest shows in the world, but they're always delightfully weird. We had one young lady from Prescott up there... never performed before. Had her back to the audience a lot, but otherwise, held her own okay. I think some of the younger fellows in this impromtu set were unaccostomed to working with a woman, so there were more than a few exploitation gags in there.

I have a lot of work ahead of me... but I don't want to think about it. Right now, I just want to put in a DVD and relax.

 

[GreenLanternMD]

10 Hour Days +

Day 1 of Guys & Dolls rehearsal down. All good. It seems everyone is keeping busy and we're already making progress.

I need to teach Nathan Detroit and Benny Southstreet a little about acting. I see it in them, just need a lot of skill work.

Good work with Remainders tonight. We focussed a lot on story telling. I think we're making progress there, although I can feel myself getting gun-shy with the music. I've been hearing myself more lately and I'm becoming self conscious of it. I'm hitting one of my "in my head" plataus with improv. Since I've been here before and I can see it coming, I think I can get myself out of the traps a little easier.

Practice tomorrow and show Wednesday. Seems like I just did a show. When I get busy like this, time slips away really fast and it scares the shit out of me. Stacey R. and Robby have an experimental 2-person set on Thursday. I'm going to do my best to catch that, even though I have Future Freshman night right before. The next two weeks are going to be big for recruiting. Maybe I can get my class numbers up next year. Maybe a miracle will happen and I'll end up with 5 full Theatre classes and I can give up on English... okay, now I'm talking crazy talk. :loopy:

 

[GreenLanternMD]

Uh....

For all the good work we did tonight, I'm disturbed by one little thing. As I was leaving, I asked who else would be at the show tomorrow. I was met with the response, "Oh yeah! We have a show tomorrow." There better be someone for me to play with. I'm not doing a one-man deal.

 

[GreenLanternMD]

Check One More in the Win Column

Apollo 12 is the greatest improv team to reside in Phoenix and borrow its name from an obscure NASA Moon Mission.

`nough said.

At work, we need to pick up the momentum on Guys & Dolls. There's still enthusiasm, but I think my biggest hurdle is figuring out when I can rehearse without having people missing. An impossible task when you're doing a huge show at a small school where everyone is involved in everything.

:bleagh: <---The name of this emoticon is "bleagh"!

 

[GreenLanternMD]

Counting Down...

I am 13 months away from being 1/3 of a century old.

This post is a complete waist of web space.

 

[GreenLanternMD]

Nothing Like a Crazy Man to Make a Show Special

Had a thing to do at work tonight. Complete. Waist. Of. Time.

I got out of there just in time to catch Robby Walker and Stacey Reed's special "Irrational Fear" show. They were definitely on tonight.

But there was yet another show going on in the audience that made it unforgettable.

So, about 5 minutes into there set, there's a knock at the door. Now, I don't mean one of their characters improv knocked on an improv door... I mean, some guy knocked on the door at the Trunk Space. This tall black gentleman sheepishly joined the audience and plopped himself down infront of Greg Jarvis. Greg is a tall guy, so it's not easy to block his view... this guy managed to do it. He soon made his pressance known to everyone when Robby delivered a line similar to, "According to the book, if you're preagnent you have several options: 1) Keep the baby... 2) Don't keep the baby... That's it. I don't think they correctly used the word 'several'" Big laugh from the audience... except tall guy (whom Greg later dubbed "Sasquach") who said loudly, "Wait... That's not funny." As the show became more edgy, "Sasquach" got up to complain to JRC. Our good propriator offered a refund, to which "Sasquach" replied, "No... Can I go up there?" Instead of leaving the Trunk Space, "Sasquach" returned to his seat for the remainder of the show. Whenever the audience reacted to anything, he would join in with a golf-clap. At the end of the show, the house applauded... and "Sasquach" gave a standing ovation. Immediately after lights came up and Robby and Stacey came down to chat with people, "Sasquach" went up to each and said, "I thought you did really well, but you truly offended me."

I had the priviladge of sitting a few seats away from Greg, so I got the full show of 1) what was on stage, 2) The full effect of "Sasquach's" participation and 3) Greg's ironicly gleeful reaction to it all.

Glorious! :up:


By the way, to Kate of Beatnic Syndicate... I'm one of your 21.61... and if you're reading this, you're one of my 20.64.

 

[GreenLanternMD]

To Push a Boulder Up a Steep Hill

Between speech tournaments, wrestling tournaments, basketball games, and whatever the hell the soccer team was doing (it wasn't a practice or a game, but some other important thing) I had very few people to rehearse with this afternoon. We worked a couple short scenes for about an hour, then I sent everyone home.

I'm hoping to have a good turnout for rehearsal on Monday (the MLK holiday). Not sure what I'm going to do about the kid who plays Nicely. He doesn't come to rehearsal... because his dad keeps forcing him to come home and work the family business. If this was going to be a problem, why did he audition? Is it because Chuck pushed him into it? Can we find a Plan B if he doesn't work out?

Hopefully we can figure it out Monday.

Scott is working on the set tomorrow. I may stop by, but I don't plan on being there long.

It'll work out... it always does.

 

[GreenLanternMD]

Delegation: So Far, It's a Good Thing

Earlier this week, when Bill asked if I could attend a meeting today, I hemmed and hawed because I did not know how busy I would be today. We'll be meeting in a couple hours, which is actually more convenient for the others involved.

It turns out, I was a little busy today, but not very. So many kids were away for other activities that I did not schedule a rehearsal. I did, however, say that today would be a good day to work on the set. Scott, the band director who has also volunteered to take over set construction on this show, agreed to come in at 9AM and supervise the kids at work. I got up around 10, showed up there a little before noon. Scott and about a half dozen kids work working away, building the news stand. We talked about a few of my ideas and needs for the set and how we want to accomplish some things. After about 20 minutes, I decided my pressance was no longer necessary, so I went home.

So, really, on this show... All I really have to worry about is coaching the actors. So if they show, it will be fine. :up:

 

[GreenLanternMD]

Holiday My Ass!

I'm glad everyone else is having a good day... I'm not.

So, everyone has the day off today. We need as much rehearsal as we can get, so I call a rehearsal for 9AM today. Almost everyone is late... in varying degrees. The kid who plays Nicely Nicely hasn't shown up ONCE! He's in almost every fucking scene. AAAAAAAAARRRRRGH!!! I may have to kick him off the show. Not sure who to replace him with... possibly Chuck's student teacher... we'll see.

I wanted to do all of act one today, but couldn't for obvious reasons. When we broke for lunch, large chunks of the cast took off... We had arranged to have food brought to us so that no one would leave... but people left... I only wanted a 20 minute break... they were gone more than 45 minutes... and some of these kids were more than 2 hours late to begin with.

I am so fed up with this shit. This is why I prefer the smaller shows.

LET'S GET WITH THE PROGRAM!!!

 

[GreenLanternMD]

Morning Break

My weekly "Remainders" workout last night did lift my spirits a little.

I'm still feeling frustrated with my progress on G&D. I think my biggest headache is the kid playing Nicely. If he's not showing up, I have to drop him. If I drop him, I have to replace him. There's my big problem. The reason I cast the kid in the first place is because he could sing the part. I'm thinking of having the guy playing Benny take over Nicely, have Rusty Charlie move over to Benny, and pick one of the other gamblers for the opening number. Dammit! Why don't more guys do theater? It's not THAT gay.

I get a little break from teaching English this morning. The councelors are taking over my classes today to get kids registered for next year. I've already got at least one Theater student signing up for next year. I hope the trend continues. I want my advanced section back.

 

[GreenLanternMD]

Better Day!

Positive Rehearsal for G&D. Productive! Nicely showed up. My only complaint is that he didn't write down his time constraints before he left. I'll ask Chuck to try and get that for me in the morning.

I went to A12 with a more positive energy as well. The CFWP meeting was efficient. We mostly prepped for a longer meeting, to occur on 1-28-06.

I can summarize the practice in four words: Snakes on a Plane!

`nough said. :up:

 

[GreenLanternMD]

Red Tape!!!

I've asked Ashley to do some Alexander Technique with the G&D cast. She's more than willing to do it... now I just need permission.

Here's what I know:

1. She has filled out the appropriate paper work. [x]

2. She has my recommendation. [x]

3. She will meet with the Asst. Principal. [x]

4. She is not a fellon. [x]

5. She has her STATE ISSUED fingerprint card (the same one that I and every other teacher in AZ have). [x]

That should be enough, right?

Well, now Admin is telling me that her fingerprint card may not be sufficient to keep the district happy, so they may ask her to go through the process again. WTF?!!! If she has a fingerprint card, she's had every background check done that would be done if she goes through it again. If they hire a person from another district to TEACH and be around the kids EVERY DAY... for MONEY, then the existing finger print card is sufficient. So why would someone VOLUNTEERING to give maybe 5-10 Hours of her time... why would she need anything more secure than what I have?

If they make her jump through too many hoops, I'm going to be very upset. Her I am trying to enhance their education by providing a professional expert, and I may be prevented from doing this because of some beurocratic technicallity. I'm afraid that such a process will take so long that by the time it's all finished, the show will be over.

 

[GreenLanternMD]

I Shoulda Stood in Bed

This is probably not the best attitude for me to have right now, but I feel like today will not be productive at all.

Large chunks of the cast will be gone for a speech tournament today and tomorrow. Those that are not going... I don't know. Maybe we can get some stuff done. Come to think of it, I should have Nathan and Adelaide for awhile. Maybe it won't be a total waist... I just don't feel like being here until 5 if I'm not getting anything done.

We really need another Saturday rehearsal. Going into this, I was concerned about Soccer and Wrestling schedules... but it's Speech that's kicking my ass. The ironic thing is I could take over coaching the team next year if I want to... but, that would mean one program would suffer to compensate the other. Either I'd have to concentrate less on Theater, or the Speech Team would do almost nothing next year. I couldn't run it like Sally. I'm not crazy... not like that, anyway.

The good news is, I'm seeing more and more schedules with "Theater" written in for next year. And more kids are telling me they want to come back to it next year. I think I'll get my advanced class back. And if the typical Freshman numbers stay the same, I should be back to three sections of theater next year... four if I'm really lucky.

 

[GreenLanternMD]

The Boys are 10 Now

Bill, Tommy & Jose had their "10-Year-Old Party" at the Trunk Space last night. They throw a party like this every year because they all have January birthdays... and they like to be juvenille (although this year's seemed significantly more mature than the "8-year-old" party two years ago... I missed the "9-Year-Old-Party" last year... because I forgot it was happening).

The party included a 3-man improv set with the three birthday boys, a "cooking show" with a lot of deep frying (some of the featured items included sushi, some Virgina Ham flavored "Treet", and a hot wheels car), and a performance by the band "Nerd Love" (Bill on sax, Tommy on baratone, and Jose on the synthesizer).

Someone asked why my birthday wasn't included in this madness, because somehow it would seem natural. Simple explanation: My birthday is in October, not January. I could have a similar party with Shane Carrey and Todd Gordon, as their birthdays are within a couple weeks of mine... but it wouldn't be a "kid" party like Bill, Tommy & Jose. No, a party for Todd, Shane and Mack would be a grumpy old man party... and who wants to go to that shindig?

The most wonderful thing about a Bill, Tommy & Jose party is that everyone gets crazy without drugs or booz. We can have a rediculous good time and get home safe. Good deal for me because I'm on the wagon for another 6 weeks.


By the way...

...Bob Fischer.

 

[GreenLanternMD]

The First Rule of *****: We Do Not Talk About *****

I watched Fight Club again today. It's remarkable because when I think back to the first time I watched it, I did not expect to like it as much as I do... or at all. I had heard many things (good and bad), so I wasn't sure what to expect. It's still one of my favorite movies, although it has little in common with other movies that are among my favorites.

I remember when the film was released. For about a year, the film resonated with younger, male Gen-Xers. Much of Tyler's rage about his generation being socially displaced struck a chord with the target demographic (a group I happen to be a part of). The irony is that the philosophy is being spouted by someone who is out of his mind... and yet, so many viewers walked away wanted to be like Tyler. It's like how every first year philosophy or poli-sci student becomes a Marxist after reading The Communist Manifesto.

In a way, the idea of a "Fight Club" is not that differant from an improv troupe, particularly in a city like Phoenix. We all go on about our daily lives, but there are a few nights in the week when we get together somewhere, forget about everything else that's going on, and we let go. True, we're not beating the shit out of each other (although some A12 workshops happen that way), we are behaving in a way that doesn't necessarily work in our day jobs. And, like a "Fight Club," every improv troupe is run by someone who is a little out of his mind, has an agenda, and is otherwise misunderstood. Also, every improviser has at least two personas... one they show at work, and one they bring out just for "Fight Club."