I AM AN ACTOR IN 4 HOURS
Electronic Yoga
Stimulating stretch over the internet
So I am an actor in about 4 and a half hours. I’ve woken mid-morning and made a few important phone calls, then got onto the important stuff – the internet, and formed a sort-of download rhythm of songs from the internet. Check e-mail. Check Blogs. Download. Don’t listen to the one you just downloaded until you download another. OK, so my Coach thinks it’s immoral to download songs from the internet. Is he right? I, like, never would have been introduced to this music, though. So I don’t know. I’m having fun putting music back into my life. And, of course, I’m now addicted. Which is why I haven’t attacked the script yet.
It’s at Fort Mason by the Way
It’s a reading at the Playwright’s Center. I used to go there fairly frequently 10 years ago or so. Hold on a sec. Another song just downloaded. Hold Please! I want to say that it’s really good and I’m not going to tell you what it is. (I don’t know, the pirate feels outlaw panic or something). But it’s not really that great. Sometimes these songs grow on you, though. I can just see it now, I’ll be at the reading humming this silly pop tune. It’s in character. It is! So in getting ready for this reading I had to write a bio, you know? So I went to my carefully organized (!) closet and got out my stack of scripts. And lo and behold I came across the script rejection letter I had gotten from the Mark Taper Forum. The one I saved because it really meant something to me. It said that there was much discussion for room for my script, but at this time they didn’t have a place for it. OK, so maybe the letter was bullshit. Form letter, duh. Me, naive. But this Literary Director really had his act together in the way his programs supported writers. And his personal touch to writers. Writers are the lifeblood, you know? The script I had written was entitled “Dying to Go Grey.”
The Play I’m in is “Roadsigns”
It’s written by my Directing Teacher. I’m playing a lawyer (god knows I’ve worked for enough of them) who is on his way to San Francisco with his old college friend. I live in San Francisco in real life, so I can definitely see why he would be interested in moving here. San Francisco has a small theatre scene, but the people pursuing it are passionate. I’m currently studying film at City College (now film is another matter – a very vibrant film scene here in the Bay Area), and decided to really get into working with actors. I mean I love actors. Don’t you? This to me is a pinnacle of life. To see great Life portrayed. To feel and think. And be moved.
The fact is I love to intone. Give me words and I will intone them.
Intonation Incantation
OK, that download is 89% through and I have to be disconnected by 2:30 pm to get the call from my fellow actor. We need food, dude, we need food here. One cannot live on electronics alone. And we need the real yoga, those rejuvenation exercises (see last post). While I was waiting for some electronic function or another I checked my favourite Swedish blog (o what would it be like to be married in Sweden?) How to learn Swedish in 1000 difficult lessons. I naturally gravitate towards Sweden. OK, I admit I’ve had a crush on Stellan forever. And I checked (one of) Francis’ favourite blog(s) in Copenhagen, Tinka. Then I checked out one of Tinka’s faves in London: SwishCottage. So naturally I feel so international right now. I’m looking for something in France, actually. Download complete. Onto lunch, reading.
And I’m supposed to fold Laundry
There’s fifty t-shirts waiting for you you know. In case you didn’t get enough meditation. Fold and med. Med and fold! And for those of you wanting to know the weather here, by the way, il fait du vent et il fait assez frisquet. It is windy and rather chilly. But sunny. OK, hopefully if this is my last song download, I will be actually be able to check out what the weather is like today. In person. I'm like a vampire, I never make it outside. I haven’t even formed my schedule yet, you know?
It’s 2:20 p.m.
He smiles. He laughs.
I Start a New Job Monday!
I’m waking up at 5:00 a.m. Geez, Vauxhall Tavern tripping seems out of the question. (If I were in London I’d definitely check it out!)
The job is, of course, working for lawyers.
posted by Unknown 2:45 PM