Outrider

[Sammy]

.

Dear Audience Member #1,

I understand that sometimes one forgets to turn off their cellphone at theatrical events. Thank you for turning off your cellphone promptly after it rang. Even though it was a bit distracting, it gave us a throwaway bit to use on the stage. I hope you enjoy the show and remember to turn off your phone for the next theatrical event you attend.

Sincerely,
Sammy

----------------------

Dear Audience Member #2,

Perhaps you were so amused during our show with our quick integration of the first cellphone ring, that you forgot to silence your own. These things happen, but perhaps you should have double checked your cellphone after the first one rang. Regardless, thank you for coming out to see our show.

Sincerely,
Sammy

---------------------

Dear Inconsiderate Audience Member #3,

Two phones rang before. Maybe you should have checked yours.

Sincerely,
Sammy

---------------------

Dear Jaghole #4,

What the fuck!?! Is your tiny fucking brain incapable of TURNING OFF YOUR GODDAMN CELLPHONE?! Jesus H. Christ! You just joined the idiot brigade by being the fourth motherfucker to let their phone ring during our show!

Sam

---------------------

Asshole #5,

eat shit and die cocksucker

Sam

 

[Sammy]

I'm dying here!

My order from Amazon.com is still being processed and won't be delivered until later this month! Gah!

Nerdy me needs my Heroes of Might & Magic NOW!!!!

--------------

In other nerdy news, a performer out here in Chicago is putting 3rd Edition Forgotten Realms D&D game together and I've been asked to play! Woo-hoo! Already, my mind is swirling with possible character concepts! Should I play a deadly Fighter-Rogue, master of the blade and backstab? Should I play a stoic Sorceror, seeker of secrets best left unknown? Or should I play a Cleric-Wizard, worshipper of all things magical?

Or will I just suck it up and just play whatever the party needs?

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.

 

[Sammy]

Ever since the Dave Pasquesi's Inside the Improvisor's Studio, I've made a simple vow--just do good work.

Don't worry about what other people think about you, just do good work. Don't compare yourself to other performers, just do good work. Don't worry about shows you're not in, just do good work.

You get the idea.

Just do good work...because that's all you can control.

I wrote those words 7 1/2 months ago...and I credit that simple vow and the accompanying mindset for making me a happier, more successful performer than I was performer. Sure, I still get a little mopey after mediocre-to-bad shows (because I am Bobby Knight-ish on my own performance), but because I just focus on trying to play a little bit better each following show, I don't get those life-or-death mood swings like before.

Anyways, since I made that vow, I have:

*Been on two different IO Harold teams, Panaderia (deceased) and The Home Run Kids (active)

*Had two runs at IO with Courtesy Sleeve (6 shows last winter, then another 8 in the spring)

*Brought together The Bruise, which did a six-week run at IO and some shows for C.I.C. at Frankie J's.

*Performed in the Skybox and the Playground (and now the e.t.c.) with KOKO

And now, looking back, I am proud of what I have accomplished in that span of time. It may not have always been the most artistic or highest quality, but I stand behind everything I've done since last October--and that feels good.

Now, it's time to re-assess as I look forward...

*Courtesy Sleeve is on indefinite-to-permanent hiatus. It was something special in all our lives, but it looks like we've all moved on...

*KOKO will wrap our Unhinged run August 5th and then take a well-earned rest until October.

*The Bruise, theoretically, is getting back together in September but one Bruiser may end up travelling and working across the country for extended periods of time. Since we're only a four-person ensemble, we'll have to have get-together and figure out our future.

*The Home Run Kids are basically my only improv commitment in the month of August. I'm looking forward to getting back with them after my mini-break in July (due to Unhinged) is over. August is my "rest month"--I'm only rehearsing and performing with the HRK.

As of right now, as always, I've got something cooking--actually somethingS: a small four-person improv ensemble to start in mid-August and a mid-sized ensemble (6-8) to be directed by Liz Allen, starting late-August / early-September. I also have a super-dooper secret project that supercedes any and all of the previous commitments I have because it's such huge undertaking that would benefit many, many people.

So, now, I have to figure out what my goals are for the next couple of months...

 

[Sammy]

...OK, I had to switch computers since the Small Chicago Law Firm Receptionist is taking her lunch I have to cover the phones.

Before I delve into my outloud, on-line musings about my goals I'd like to share an epiphany I recently had:

I don't want to perform for the Second City e.t.c. or the Second City Mainstage.

I know that's the goal of many improvisers (spoken or unspoken), but I realized recently that I don't think I'd enjoy doing what they do for as long as they do it--i.e. put up a show and then perform it over and over and over and over every week Tuesday through Sunday (double shows Friday and Saturday) for months at a time with your only improv being the sets after shows (or audience bits during shows).

I don't think that's the life for me.

Sure, the money's decent (I think) and you've reached a professional milestone, but still, I'd rather not, you know?

Now, here's the kicker:

I'd rather be on Tour Co.

I've heard all the stories, good and bad, about being on a SC Touring Company and to be quite honest, it all sounds pretty cool anyways. Sure the money's not that hot and sometimes the locales ain't all that, but to travel and perform across the nation--and sometimes the world--on someone else's dime is just too damn an alluring idea for me. And at the same time, I'll still have a life back here in Chicago to do what I want.

So, for right now, my long-term professional goal is to perform as a member of a SC Tour Co.

I sat down at Starbucks the other day, cracked open my Penway Compositions notebook and wrote down my improv goals:

PERSONAL SHORT TERM GOALS

More support, patience in scenes--less initiating

Embrace the Art without being self-aware

Take more risks at the top of scenes--playing becoming too "samey"

Take Annoyance classes

Take August off (except HRK)

PERSONAL LONG TERM GOALS

Develop all around skill set

Expand training

PROFESSIONAL SHORT TERM GOALS

Get headshots

Re-update resume

Do groundwork for L.A.P. / Beans

Promote KOKO

PROFESSIONAL LONG TERM GOALS

Revolving set of projects

Get paid for this shit

Deuces Wild as regular slot

Become a coach

Now to clarify one or two things...


Embrace the Art without being self-aware
Sometimes I feel I am too aware, too conscious of the scenic and form moves I make--they're coming from a distant, detached place in me rather than an immediate, involved me. While the former is necessary for the overall show, I want to feel more natural and organic when I do make these choices and moves.

Take more risks at the top of scenes--playing becoming too "samey"
Jean made the excellent observation that while there is much good improv going on, a lot of it looks the same (i.e. two people on-stage being people, performers religiously adhering to the rules of how a scene should be played, etc.) and that it was refreshing to teach a level one where students took risks with their scenes--not because they didn't know any better, but because that hadn't been so mentally inundated about "rules" and whatnot. Anyways, I realized that for a while, my characters and scenes are becoming "more of the same" and that I need to take more risks (physical / emotional / improvisational) at the tops of scenes to force my play to a different place.

Get headshots
Eventually...eventually... The problem with being the guy who starts up many different projects is that A) you never audition for other things so B) you never need headshots. But being an actor without headshots is like, as Jennifer Cestlin from the Annoyance has said, being a shoe salesman without shoes.

Do groundwork for L.A.P. / Beans
The nicknames for the projects I've previously mentioned (L.A.P. = Liz Allen Project). I have a habit of giving them nick-names before they take off so I can keep them straight. Courtesy Sleeve was "The Project," KOKO was "Tim Whetham Vanity Project" and The Bruise was "San Martino"

Deuces Wild as regular slot
One night at CIC, I was the only Bruiser to show up for a show. So, I picked a random improvisor to play with and did a two-person show. It went pretty well. I liked the challenge so much, I'm going to try and do it at least once a month--just show up and pick someone random to play with. I have no illusions that it'll be brilliant, or even decent, every time, but sheer thrill of going out to do the make 'em ups for 25 minutes with only one other person, quite possibly someone you've never played with before, is something I want try again and again and again.

...sometimes I wonder if anyone else ever makes these lists and ruminates over them for hours at a time over a Grande soy mocha with whip...

 

[Sammy]

I just had a heart attack. I thought I wrote that all down and didn't post it before I exited my browser.

Attention Heart: You may beat again!

 

[Sammy]

Awkwardly awesome. That pretty much somes it up.

The night started with me hanging out in the e.t.c greenroom killing time before Tami Sagher's one woman show (which was preceding Unhinged that night). I sat and chatted with Jeremy, the e.t.c. stage manager, while he played Vice City on the greenroom computer for about an hour. (For the record, he didn't finish the stunt boat mission, but he bought the movie studio and picked up some talent for his porn film.)

Tami came in and began to get ready for her show. We talked a little bit while she was getting ready. I felt totally awkward because A) she was doing a show shortly, B) she's a totally awesome performer, C) she remembered who I was and was just having a normal conversation like it was something we did every day. After a bit, I excused myself and headed out just cause I felt like a blithering idiot. Blech!

(Tangent: After the KOKO show, when we were getting some compliments from the audience peeps, I totally felt like I was caught in a snare. Double blech! Sure, performing in front of a full house is nothing--it's the whole one-on-one shit I'm no good at. I wish I could be like TJ and Gronde and Lutz who just seem totally at ease chatting with other improvisors, students and audience people.)

I caught Tami's show (which was great) and then after a truncated KOKO warm-up, we did the make 'em ups for the crowd. Again, we had a silly, energetic show that had me laughing both on the sidelines and onstage during scenes. Some highlights were butterflies humping in mid-air, Megan Hovde as an asian violin teacher and, for our out, singing Happy Birthday with the audience to a girl named Julie. Totally fun.

While I was happy with the show, again, my nit-picking mind is turning over lines and moves and scenes and figuring out what worked, what didn't and why. It's the curse of being an overachiever, yeah?

Tuesday Night Special closed it out with a great set of their own and it was good night had by all (special props to Jean, Peter and Arch who had me laughing non-stop). Afterwards, we got great feedback from the vet improvisors in the crowd who were there to see Tami do her show and, honestly, it's so embarassing (but still cool) to have performers you admire tell you that they loved KOKO's show.

But the absolute best part of the night?

Abby's back from Europe and she stopped in for our warm-ups and came back during her intermission from the mainstage to ask us how our show went. God bless that lady Sunday night is her last night on the mainstage and, for the first time ever, she will actually see a KOKO performance next Tuesday! I'm totally psyched for that.

 

[Sammy]

My fingers are raw.

Small Chicago Law Firm is handling a bankruptcy case that involves the sale of 600 properties. Each of these properties require it's own accordion file with 20 manila folders inside of it. I've had the unfortunate luck for the last couple of weeks to be the one organizing, collating and storing the files--we haven't even put documentation in the files yet and we're running out of space! Anyways, my fingers get tender from collating and filing and I usually scotch tape 'em to preserve what's left of their dignity. (Luckily, I don't put the labels on the 12,000 manila folders--one of the unlucky legal secretaries does that. Consider that drudgery bullet dodged!)

So, for the last couple of days, I sit in the back hallway, right in front of the fire exit, filing, filing, filing with an occasional break for collating. During these long stretches, I've had:

-imaginary conversations with my friends

-daydreams of "Die Hard" situation in my office building

-full length Harolds performed, analyzed then promptly forgotten

-interesting character monologues

-meandering thoughts about the status of the improv community

-a moment of clarity about my life, which really wasn't all that interesting or deep, but was distracting for a whole five minutes

I like to think that Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance is worth this, but I'm beginning to wonder if "file madness" is covered...

* * *

It'll be a stretch, but I can afford it.

This weekend, I move into my new studio in a building next to the Music Box Theater. Expect many reports on my new studio and new neighborhood, dubbed the Planet of Ladies by Dave Gilley, to begin next week.

* * *

Dear EastEnders,

Breaking up is hard to do.

It tears me apart but some things have to end. My relationship with you has reached a point of decision. And the decision is that we were a summer fling--we had a good time and we should leave it at that. You were a thing of convenience. We met through my roommate and we had a great five months together. Let's remember the good times (Kate and Phil finally getting together, Dennis' arrival in the Square, Alfie and Kat's relationship) and forget the bad (Martin becoming a jag-off, the overblown Perreira dad).

I don't own a TV, I don't own a VCR--and even if I did, I'd have to order the premium cable package to get BBC America...so I'd be paying $50/month for just 10 hours of TV (on top of buying a TV and VCR). I'm sorry EastEnders, I don't think I can invest that much of myself into you.

So let's end it on a sweet note, Alfie and Kat snogging and *finally* ending up together. It was a great way to go out and that's how I want to remember you.

Sammy

PS
Please don't make any booty calls

 

[Sammy]

Well, the receptionist has called off sick, leaving me stranded at the front desk all day. This is good thing--since all I know how to do is answer phones, that's all I'm expected to do...leaving much time for web surfing and writing...

 

[Sammy]

The Unhinged run has so invigorated the KOKO cast that instead of a two-month hiatus for R&R, we've decided to downgrade it to a one-month break before reconvening and working on a new form. While we love the Scary Mary (named after a frightening Mary statue from Jane's catholic school girl days), but it's time to move on to something new for a bit.

* * *

Strike while the iron is hot.

I asked Abby to be a part of an ensemble I'm putting together and she said yes! So far, it's Abby, Andrea Swanson, Charlie McCrackin and moi. Paul Gronde is a maybe (fingers crossed) and I have a few feelers out there for some other peeps.

I'm definitely looking forward to getting this off the ground...

* * *

My piecemeal move went well. I did a bit on Thursday, a bit on Friday and the rest on Saturday. In total it was 5 car trips or so...but if I had packed the car, I could have done it in 2. I liked the leisurely pace of this move--just doing some whenever I could.

Once again, I'm sleeping on the floor. After two years of sleeping on a matress (and then a futon), I forgot what an adjustment it is to go back to floor sleeping. It's not uncomfortable, just different.

The other adjustment is remembering how many little things go into making a home comfortable. I need shower curtains, floor mats, silverware, lamps, etc. My studio is fine livin' for me, but it ain't the most comfortable livin'.

Current furniture census: 6 milkcrates (as bookshelves and clothes storage), a cute wooden table (scavenged) and a folding chair (likewise). I got some furniture in the pipeline from friends and since moving season is for the next couple of months, I should be finding some sweet, sweet stuff out back...

Ah, the sweet slobbish life of the bachelor.

* * *

The only negative thing so far is that some work that was supposed to be done on my place wasn't. It's more of an inconvenience than anything else, but still, I'm paying some $ for this place, yo.

* * *

I was lucky enough to see Bill Saveley's baby, Barbershop, at IO this weekend. Cool concept, fun show. I also got pantsed by Molly Fitzgibbon 1 1/2 times (not a part of the show).

* * *

Random Thought:

Funny how certain players get a buzz as the hot new thing at IO when they've been performing around town and doing good work for a while. Get out of the Improv Ghetto people.*

*= "Hello, Pot? It's Kettle. You're Black."

* * *

Saturday night was the first night in my place. My first warm-fuzzy moment of happiness was walking home from IO, going into Jewel at 2:30 am and getting some Sugar Pops and 2% milk.

Me and the 24-hour Jewel are going to be bestest friends.

* * *

Speaking of Saturday night...

...I was doing tech as usual for the Arab-Israeli Comedy Hour. Then, I was asked to do the tech for the MadTV showcase--MadTV was looking for ladies. After a chaotic 15 minutes of me figuring out what everyone's thing was, how they wanted it lit and scribbling out the blow lines it got rolling.

It was cool seeing my friends strut their stuff. It was also awkward when it didn't feel like it was going so well for others. I wish could have been a bit more polished on the lights, but given the haphazard nature of it all, it turned out all right (except for the very last person who I totally missed the out line because I was in a daze in the booth. Never a good feeling when the person on stage flaps their arms a couple times on stage at you to get the lights pulled. urk! )

Just wanted to give a tip of the hat to one Ms. Katie Rich. She killed. Totally poised like a pro.

* * *

Mail's here. Thank god for some distraction from desk duty.

 

[Sammy]

Lunch started with a pitiful whimper and ended with a triumphant bang!

Just as I was about to head out to lunch, I stepped over to the kitchenette to make sure the coffee was full and the fridge stocked with soda. When I came back, the legal secretary who was relieving me had transferred a call to voicemail--a call that had to go the conference room for waiting attorneys. I felt my heart sink, the only real thing I had to do all day (besides shredding documents) was make sure that call went to the conference room...and I forgot to tell my relief about it.

Shite.

I had to mince into the conference room and inform one of the partners of my mistake and got a very curt reprimand. Most deserved I admit.

So I escape the building and slink down Clark to Osco to hit the ATM machine for lunch money. Oops...no ATM card in me wallet! Must have left it at IO or in my pants from last night. I have just enough cash on hand for an EL ride home after buying two Junior Bacon Cheeseburgers Deluxe (unfortunately, I got two Junior Cheeseburgers Delux instead, but I was in no mood to argue).

To bolster my sagging spirits, I head over to the local library a.k.a. BAM! BAM! stands for "Books-A-Million"--the nice little bookstore right next to where I work. I visit there almost every day to skim through magazines and books, as does most of the Loop apparently. After flipping through Entertainment Weekly, I tore into the Alien Legion trade paper back...and ignored the screams outside.

I guess one must be pretty jaded to ignore the screams of a woman directly outside the window you're sitting by. So jaded that a cacophony of yelling cops and a swearing perp only makes you wonder if you'll finish Alien Legion before your break ends. So jaded that when you walk out the revolving door and see the cops pinning a man to the ground, you laugh out loud because a Trolley full of tourists was trapped in traffic right next to all of this.

Ah, that really made my lunch.

 

[Sammy]

What the F-balls?!

Sunday night I get a full 8 hours of sleep in and the next day I'm dragging ass. Last night, I have a show and get maybe 6 hours or so and I feel fantastic.

Either I'm coasting on the high of a fun show or my body can only operate on borderline sleep deficits.

 

[Sammy]

KOKO played fast and loose and had a hellaciously good time last night...in part to our special sit-in--due to ComedySportz rehearsals and illness, KOKO was down to five players and we asked Abby to sit-in. Holy shit did it rock to play with her! Once we set the pace early in the show, we locked into that speed of play and zipped along through the form. We were going so fast I think the stage manager thought we had another cycle in our form when we were wrapping up the show--we usually run 45-50 minutes and we finished around 35 minutes. Funny bits, great characters, good times

Then after the show, one of the ladies had to leave pretty much right away. When we asked why, she was embarassed to tell us that she was flying out to L.A. the next morning--to audition for MadTV! We were totally blown away because we didn't know about it. I'm so excited for her and hope for the best. She (and all the peeps of KOKO) deserve whatever comes their way.

To balance out the goodness of the show, later in the evening I ran into Abby at Cafe Avanti which is right across the street from where I live now. I walk in, see Abby with a friend and I try do that "I'm playing cool but let you know I'm intentionally playing cool so it's a smarmy cool that's kind of insider funny" sort of thing.

I immediately walk into table and knock it over.

Yes, from entertaining an audience to embarassing myself in two short hours.

* * *

I don't think I've ever discussed Koko's current form. For those of you who hate reading forms described, skip this section.

Pre-show:
An easel with a pad of paper is placed on the stage. A sign invites the audience to create one cohesive piece of art with the markers we've provided.

Opening:
A CD is played. It is an intro based on those museum audio tours you get on headphones. We show three drawings that have been created by previous audiences.

Then, the audio tour directs your attention to the artwork of the evening, the one created by that night's audience.

The players then physically recreate the artwork using our bodies (Statue). Then, from this statue, we tell a story that is inspired by the picture.

At a good editing point, players peel off leaving one performer to give a character monologue inspired by the narration or their statue position or a combination of both. After their character monologue, another player joins them and begins a scene that heightens the first player's character (example: A character monologue by someone's who's super touchy-feely emotionally sensitive and then taking that character into a scene that plays on/against that sensitivity--so maybe making them a general in the army or making them an armed robber). This is monologue/scene couplet is repeated a couple of times.

The players return to the statue and continue the narration. Again, when a good editing point has been reached, the players peel off.

The second cycle is a bit looser. It starts with a character monologue, but after that, more improv tools and devices are allowed and used. Whether it be tag outs, transformations, runs, etc. The second cycle is an upshift from the first cycle.

Return to the statue and narration. At the editing point, some one tags out some of the players to leave a group scene that starts from the statue positions.

The third cycle is anything goes...if you do it, we support it.

The narration returns and closes the show.

It sounds very cut and dry and looks like a modified Harold, but it's much more and the only hard and fast rule we have is that Statue/Narrations act as our information generators/form resets. I think of it as a kind of a Mosaic, the statue separates various chapters and these chapters each have their own tone and style of play. It is important to also note that we don't see any of the narration story in the scenes or monologues--the narration exists in and of itself.

So, if you were to write it down, it would be:

Audience Draws Picture
Statue
Narration
Monologue / Scene / Monologue / Scene / Monologue / Scene
Statue
Narration
Monologue / Scene / Free For All
Statue
Narration
Tag Out
Free For All
Statue
Final Narration

...hmm, well, yes. That's it, then. I just wanted get that all down for posterity.

* * *

I've been trying to meet with Charna to chat with her about a couple of different things but between our divergent schedules, it hasn't been easy. Hopefully things'll work out for some chatty-chat this week.

 

[Sammy]

Who the F faxes 120+ page documents to other people...and why do they have to work here!?

*grumble grumble grumble*

 

[Sammy]

And soon comes the impending communication blackout...

I plan on getting a cellphone soon, but until then, I remain unreachable in the evening; I have no phone in my new studio and therefore no voicemail or access to the internet.

It also makes for a long weekend...

 

[Sammy]

So begins day one (of a projected three) of THE CLOSINGS of the ROUND ONE PROPERTIES in the BANKRUPTCY AUCTION at my Small Chicago Law Firm. And, of course, there isn't enough Quill brand (tm) paper to last through a normal day, let alone a Day Like Today...and for the first time, I'm actually looking forward to a UPS delivery of office supplies. C'mon 500 pounds of paper, daddy's waiting!

* * *

So you'd think that with that constant itch to Italian that I would take advantage of my situation--no TV, no VCR, no internet and no phone and plenty of time on my hands when I'm at home.

But nooooooooooooooo...

Instead, I've become hopelessly addicted to Space Cadet 3-D pinball, one of the pre-installed games on my computer. If I have a few minutes (or hours) to kill, I automatically start up a game and begin pinballing away...intentionally forgetting that I could be outside and a part of the real world or inside bettering myself through study of a foreign language.

I've played so much, I've figured out the basic digital patterns of bounces that you would only get on a computer and not an actual pinball table. Despite this, my highest score is a paltry 4.7 million or so and my highest rank that of Ensign.

Goddamn my A.D.D.

What really chaps my ass (what a great phrase!) is the fact that I even got one of those Italian learning programs that supports my headset, so I can speak Italian and the computer will compare my speech pattern against the typical pattern of a native speaker. And I'm pretty damn good when I actually do it (and if I'm not good, I pretty damn close enough). If only they had Italian Voyager 3-D Pinball with noun bumpers, verb flippers and adjective spinning-things...I would be the fucking king of language!

* * *

Deuces Wild was a rousing success.

I was at IO Saturday afternoon and realized I had a show that night for the Dueces Wild (my little experiment where I show up by myself and randomly select someone to play with for a two-man show). Jake Schneider, fresh from his hiatus doing summer stock, was in the office and I decided to mix up things up by asking him to play with me (and a random person) that night.

I showed up to Frankie J's early (I'm a compulsive early arriver, stems from a traumatic childhood incident involving a late arrival to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) and was amazed at how full the restaurant was. Apparently, it was a wake of sorts. At least I think it was--there was a sign out front that said, "We'll miss you Judi" or "We'll always remember you Judi". If it wasn't a wake, it was a pretty low-energy send-off.

I went to the theater upstairs and asked David Montgomery from Obsessed to sit in with the Deuces Wild that night. After some consideration he said yes--he said later he wasn't nervous about performing that night until I asked him to play with Jake and I. Truth be told, I was nervous too. (Strange--I don't get nervous with KOKO playing in front of a full e.t.c. theater, but I get nervous performing to a handful of people in a tiny blackbox theater. Must be the whole "performing with a stranger" vibe.)

I then stole a page from TJ Jagodowski's playbook: before TJ & Dave, whether it be Dave or a guest, TJ has a conversation with his partner that usually begins with questions like, What's been on your mind this week? What news stories caught your attention? What else is going in your life?

No warm-ups. No form discussions. No abstract overthinking of things. Just involving conversation with your partner(s) about what's held their attention of late. And the best thing? It works. People just light up and get all lively-like when you take in interest in what's interesting them and you can't help but pay attention and get conversationally attuned to someone when they're opining on something they feel passionately about.

So we did the show and it pretty much broke down into first 1/3 Great 3-person scene, middle 1/3 loosey-goosey on-the-fly games and gamey scenes and last 1/3 a little frayed but still fun.

In retrospect, I realized that our first scene (Jake and I as old men in a restaurant and Dave as our heartbroken waiter) could have lasted the whole show if we let it. By "we," I mean "I" since I pulled the trigger on an edit on a big blow line. I guess the thought of sustaining a scene for 25 minutes was a bit intimidating...even though we had one chockfull of patterns and potential that had already been running for about 8-10 minutes at the time. Ach, lesson sheepishly learned.

(Sidenote: I've been watching shows that feature longer scenes more analytically to figure out how players sustain those scenes. Some of things I've learned seem basic, but unless you look for it, it's easy to overlook.)

We all had a blast and it cemented what I said earlier to people who asked what Deuces Wild was, "Yes and is yes and is yes and..."

Hopefully, I'll keep this going and get to play with more people as time goes on...

 

[Sammy]

Damnses legal sssssecretary makesss usss create 400 copiesss of sssssssomething that didn't need to be copied! Wasting my preciousssss paper! *chews fingernails* Where are you UPSsssssss!

 

[Sammy]

Attention attorneys who make kajillion dollar property deals:

Please don't piss all over the toilet seat.

Thank you.

 

[Sammy]

Real Life Drama #1 (yesterday): I was on my last few sheets of blank paper with stacks upon stacks of files left to photocopy...when at 4:58 p.m. the delivery dude comes with 8 cases of paper. It was Gandalf at Helm's Deep timing.

Real Life Drama #2 (today): It's KOKO's last Unhinged show. I'm kinda sad because it's been an absolute pleasure and I'm bummed this run is ending.

Real Life Drama #3 (tomorrow): I'm going to put up shower curtains and buy a mop. In the life a bachelor, that's drama and torture all rolled into one.

* * *

Even though this week will be a busy one for me at the Small Chicago Law Firm, I brought my Italian study book to work. I figure during my downtime (and lunches) I'll get back into the swing of things.

Yeah, right.

 

[Sammy]

Using the e.t.c. computer to update the journal.

Garlic mouth from overly strong Sbaro's garlic stick thing. Coffee breath from delicious Grande Soy Mocha (with whip). Will the Arctic Chill Dentyne Ice (emphasis theirs) with the New Taste New Chill overcome the combined garlicky coffee hotness. One can only hope so.

Talking to Sam Albert before she ran off to teach class I found out that Gillian Vigman and a lady (something Parker) from Boom Chicago got picked up for MadTV. I'm sure I've seen Vigman play before but I can't place the face. I'm sad it wasn't Megan from KOKO, but I'm glad too--she still gets to bring the haha to our shows.

Peter Grosz is eating something that smells delicious. Damn him.

 

[Sammy]

Now, that was outrageous fun! :jump:

Last Sunday, Pat Shay sub-coached KOKO and worked on group scenes with us. It paid off in spades! Our entire second chapter was nearly all group scenes, transforming from one to another. It was another fun, fast show that got me breaking in scenes and laughing out loud on the sidelines. It may be borderline unprofessional, but when you're having that much fun, sometimes you just can't help it.

The other cool part is Pierrrrrrrrrrrro Procaccini came out (again). Pierrrrrrrrro is one of the nicest, sweetest and funniest guys in Chicago and to have him coming out to see KOKO shows makes me warm and fuzzy inside. It's beyond cool that he takes time out of his busy schedule to support us. During a show, no matter how many people there are, I can pick out his laugh and pinpoint where he's sitting to the table.

A young Piero cleans up after the first outdoor KOKO show

An older, wiser Piero cleans up after our late evening KOKO show


After the show, KOKO partook of some stale APEKOPPEN candy from Amsterdam (?) that Abby bought for us when she was in Europe--it's candy shaped like little gorillas:

Ha ha! Hee hee! Gorilla candy!


The candy looks cute, but is actually nasty. Very nasty. Macauly Culkin nasty.

Pure evil topped with blonde hair