Clown bootcamp 'n stuff

This is one of my favorite clowns....  :)

This month I've been doing clown bootcamp AND level 2 broadsword.  Yeowsers!  ...I'm getting buff.  :) 

Raised vs Revenge

In the last week, I attended Born and Raised and The Lily's Revenge - two productions by local Bay Area artists exploring the themes of love, marriage, and gay rights.

Born and Raised was a powerful and important production - while still managing to be magically entertaining. I thought it got to the core of what people don't seem to understand about gay couples, and exposed some of the cruel realities of what discrimination and misunderstanding can do. The performances were heartfelt and lovely, the costumes simple - and the writing and direction delivered through hard moments with charming segues keeping the audience and performers connected from beginning to end. I left the theatre feeling deeply moved by this intelligent and entertaining show.

The Lily's Revenge was an interactive and invigorating experience. Its message felt a bit scattered to me, and the story didn't seem to fully deliver what I felt it promised in the beginning... but, the performers were commanding and captivating throughout the show - and the intermissions! I loved the first and second acts, and the flowers fighting back in the 5th act - and the costumes and make up in this show were absolutely gorgeous. After the wild ride, the show ended with a question... which felt strangely in place of the fairytale-with-a-twist-surprising-yet-powerful-ending I was hoping for but, regardless, Revenge broke the boundaries of how we experience theatre and provided a night that will be remembered.

Little gifts

Despite my nasty cold - this week was full of little gifts.

David gave me some of the best cold medicine ever.
Michelle told me my feelings of frustration about a situation at work
were justified, but to let them go... because they weren't worth
hanging on to.
I got to take a day off to rest and take care of my cold.
TBA gave me tickets to see Hugh Jackman, and Michael was able to go with me.
Pam stopped by my desk to tell me a story about her giving old oil
paints to a homeless man.
Mel gave me a little pink ninja she found because I was the first
person she thought of when she saw it.
Angela signed up and started taking improv classes after a
conversation we had about being in the moment.
Lili sent me cute cat pictures when I happened to be in the middle of
a travel crisis at work.
Devin completely indulged me in a moment of paranoid insecurity.
Sean helped me prepare a lunch for Susana and team with the most
generous spirit.
Kasmira told me stories about her charming clumsy moments.
I had a happy hour evening with a bunch of new friends.
Rob fixed the computer connection to my phone, and then told me he had
no idea how he did it, which was just so honest that it made me smile.
Liz told me that she was going to sneeze, and then I sneezed, and then
she sneezed - and then we giggled uncontrollably disrupting everyone
around us.
Gabriella sent me email hugs all week.
I got to attend Amber's CD release party.
Isabel invited me to watch a movie with her and her friend, and it was
the most fun I think I've ever had watching a depressing movie.
Dave let me lead Broadsword class in a completely ridiculous salute.

My heart is smiling.

Hugh Jackman

I managed to score tickets to opening night of Hugh Jackman's show at the Curran Theatre tonight.  DELIGHTFUL!!!  My friend Michael joined me and it was so much fun!!  

I'm not sure if my favorite part was watching Hugh change his pants on stage after he split them doing weird karate kicks in one of his opening songs, his dialog with the 7 year old girl in the front row, watching him shake his ass with the older gentleman who said he was a Broadway fan, or the revival of his first audition piece... his singing, dancing, stories, full orchestra (!), silly mishaps... the whole show was amazing!!!  Richard Marx joined him on stage at the end of the night and they sang a duet to Right Here Waiting... *sigh* 

As we drove across the Bay, Michael and I agreed that part of Hugh's allure is his ability to be campy... but, after giving it more thought, I think it's more of a true authenticity that brings out his charm.  He sang the Lion King song with just as much heart and enthusiasm as when he sang As Time Goes By, and then he danced around the stage in a beaded shirt tied at the waist! 

Wow, what a handsome and enchanting man...

May day

The table to my left is talking about Trump running for president - the one to my right about Osama's death. 

I'm sitting with my favorite pasta dish after a beautiful weekend - looking across the estuary thinking of nuclear war, the celebration of death, the joke of politics... 

Linguine con funghi - exactly what I wanted.  The bread with oil and vinegar, shredded garlic and parmesan, truly couldn't be more tasty. The view here is one of my favorites... 

"Ya know, Circus o'ley is Canadian. (!)"  A woman from the left says. The conversation continues accompanied by the hallow sound of a trumpet trickling through the PA. 

I feel like I could cry...

The garage

I put this giant picture in the garage by the recycling... I had intended to put it up in my apartment, but it turned out to be a little too pink.  Imagine it taking over an entire room in a very obnoxious 'no escaping' kind of way.  So, I got rid of it.  ...and hours later found it placed against the back wall of my building's dreary parking garage looking quite amazingly charming.  :)

~~~
(a garage vignette.)

I was getting out of my car and was met by a neighbor getting out of his car. 

"Well, good evening..." he said. 

"Hi" I replied. 

He asked how I was doing, and then started telling me that he was thinking that he should charge my parents for his mirror because he wouldn't have hit the pillar if he hadn't been looking at me.

o_O ... I must've been giving him a blank stare, so he elaborated. 

"Remember that day, you were pulling out and I was pulling in [to the garage] and I hit that pillar shattering my side mirror?  I was thinking I should charge your parents for my mirror because I wouldn't have hit the pillar if I hadn't been staring at you."  He followed this with a little chuckle. 

I didn't know how to respond so, again, I probably looked kind of blank. 

I think he actually gave me another iteration as I was searching my memory for this incident.  It did seem familiar... but then, I immediately got caught up in the fact that my parents aren't biological, so they have nothing to do with how I look and shouldn't be charged for this... and then, I thought, maybe it had something to do with what I was wearing at the time (yes, my mind does this)...which started me imaging all of my outfits, and which one might've been capable of making someone run into a pillar...  it must've been a red dress, which made me feel like I did remember this happening and the thought that passed through my mind at the time was, "Dude - that SUCKS... "  ha!

I told him I did think I remembered it. 

There was an awkward silence.

How the hell are you supposed to respond to passive aggressive flirting... ?! 

Me... and then Dave Chappelle. Yup.

I went to an art opening at Project One - this spot located in the "Design District" of San Francisco. Great art. Cool space. And Dave Chappelle was there - RIGHT NEXT TO ME - TWICE!!! I thought it was only once until I saw this picture. Who knows, maybe he was following me around all night!!! ... I mean, I know he wasn't following me around - at all - but I easily (obviously) could've brushed by him a couple of times without even knowing it.

When I actually did see him, he was standing outside getting a picture taken. I wanted to talk to him or take his picture or shake his hand or...something(!), but he walked away before I could make up my mind and approach him. Now all I have is this candid shot that happened to capture both of us in the same place at the same time. (I'm in the red in the lower left corner. He's straight across on the right.)

...Hm, in a way, I guess I did get a picture...

Shake gently

I do my best to get out and ... well, live.  Experience, see, absorb...but, I think sometimes I over do it.  Well, I know sometimes I over do it. 

This week, I tried to not overbook myself - but then had a couple impromptu dinners, had to work on closing out the show, saw Beardo, went to comedy, and went to an art show where I ran into Dave Chappelle.  (I know, right?!)

I do my best to keep things fresh, but I think the key word here is "gently"...  cause I'm exhausted.

Eight

We challenged 8 performers to fill 8 minutes...

Co-produced with my friend Joan, this show was no easy feat... but the end result was pretty freaking amazing.

I was asked if I found any of the acts surprising, and I actually found a bit of surprise in each one of them. 

Here are two words highlighting what made each piece exceptional.

Nikolas - powerful, humorous.
Gabriella - complete style.
Sky - visceral imagery.
Texas - comedic brilliance.
Andrea - creative message.
Audrey - sentimental beauty.
Rebecca - polished, amazing.
Skorpio - skilled, charming.

Rob did a perfect job running tech, Natty was a great stage manager, Dave rocked the bar, we had chairs ;), and our audience was lovely. 

A reunion of sorts

Andy's birthday party.  :)

...

The Mass and Lower Forty Eight.

I still have the playlist from the first Mass show ever played in San Francisco...  It was the one thing I couldn't part with the year I gave Matt a collection of reviews and other Mass related things I had accumulated over the years.  The show was at the Attic with Good for Cows - March of 2001.  It was a Sunday. The guys had a jar full of ear plugs for the audience that night, and were tame in the photos I took of them.    

The first time the Mass played with Lower Forty Eight was for an LFE CD release show in an upstairs...gallery?  Phil had seen them play and invited them to open.  Andy and Ian were in suits that night, and Andy's guitar playing was aMAZing!  After the show, I told Matt that I really liked the Forty Eight Feet people.  Matt had a knack for translating my butchering of band names.  "You mean Lower Forty Eight?" 

My favorite shows were: the night they played 12 Galaxies after their tour, the BoTH CD release show, the Halloween show at Matthew's warehouse, Toxic Beach, and the Golden Bull show after their last tour.

I miss going to see these bands - late nights, smack talk, cigarettes, venues covered in stickers and sweat... 

Up until their first tour, I could count the Mass shows that I had missed on one hand.

The biz

There's something about being backstage that I love... wait, change that to being anywhere near a stage....  :)

I just love being in the theater.

Last week I shadowed my favorite lighting designer friend for the Destiny Arts show, this week I'm volunteering with the stage manager and the prop master at a Z Space show, and next weekend I'll be putting up a show I am co-producing in an underground warehouse space.  I'm working on what I want my focus to be in this industry, and doing anything anyone will let me until I figure it out.  :)

In the meantime, I'm meeting talented people, learning a ton, and seeing some incredible shows!  These last two shows have been remarkably powerful.  The Destiny show gives inner city kids a voice and a place to express themselves and impact their communities for positive change, and Sins Invalid is an amazing look at people with disabilities and their unsurpassing beauty. 

I have a name

I saw this on an empty newspaper dispencer on a walk in Oakland.  My friend, Kelvin, said it reads, "I have a name..." 

Bloodline

The whole nature versus nurture thing has been creeping up on me lately - how maybe my history is right in front of me all of the time...I just have to look in the mirror and pay attention.  

I don't want to find my biological parents (which is the answer to the question you're about to ask).  I have a great family and, as I said to a friend the other night - I don't think I want to know the tragic story, or the glamorous life I'm maybe missing out on, or the parents who just didn't want me.  ...but I do think about what about them I carry around with me everyday... 

I watched The Kids Are All Right - a film about a lesbian couple who both have a child from the same sperm donor.  In the film, when one of the kids turns 18 they decide to connect with their biological father.  The "bank" makes the connection...and on the story goes...  Eventually, the moms meet the donor as well.  I don't want to give it away - but, there is a moment in the film where one of the moms says to the donor, "I just keep seeing my kid's expressions in your face."

...  could that be real ... ? 

Julia Morgan

Tonight I got comps to see Narnia.  What a wonderfully charming little show!  Loved the costumes, the set, the staging, the lighting - the characters were great and the fights were AWESOME... :) 

....

I took my first Bay Area acting class in one of the Julia Morgan Center studios -- a room with a soft wood floor and windows full of natural light looking out into the redwoods....

I love re-discovering a beautiful place.