Well, that was an eventful first week of blogging!
Train rides, last-second work calls, auditions, callbacks, Oscars, late-night movies, and near head trauma. Plus plenty of exciting toilet training details I will spare you.
I'm telling you, when the rodeo comes to town, this whole city just gets crazy.
I really wish I could get to the rodeo this year. Not going to have the cash for it, which is unfortunate because I was actually pretty set on finally making it out there now that Robbie is old enough to stay out for a little while. It seems a shame that you can live five years in the city with the world's largest rodeo/livestock show and yet never actually go out to visit it. (Just watch, the first spring I'll actually make it to the rodeo will be after I've moved away when I come back to visit some friends)
Watched some of the Academy Awards tonight. It was as I'd feared: Oscars by yourself is kinda lame. I enjoy awards shows more for the social aspect than for the awards themselves. I'm really not a huge fan of many celebrities, I don't go out to see as many movies as I'd like, and I don't care at all who designed what guy's suit or that lady's dress. Honestly, I'm not big on formal events in general (have I blogged on that before? I'm sure I'll bring it up again around Spotlighter time). However, I do enjoy hearing friends and colleagues exchange opinions on what films and stars they did or did not like, and it helps keep me informed. Which is good, since performance art is kinda my thing, and film and theatre are kinda like second cousins.
Anyway, watched some ceremony, and it wasn't bad. I do like breakdancing, but I'm not sure it's always appropriate, by the way. During music from "Up", for example.
After awhile, I got the brilliant idea that it would be fun to actually watch a movie rather than just watch a show about movies, so I popped The Dark Knight into the old DVD player. This is actually only the second time I've seen that movie (the first being the day it came out at a movie theater just outside Disneyland. You definitely need The Happiest Place on Earth after your first trip through TDK), and it's really pretty good. It's also pretty easy to find minor quibbles with, and you always find those the second or third time through the flick. (When you can find a dozen or so in the first viewing, that's when you know you've got problems) But it was good fun. Movies are good. Gave me the idea that I need to go through and watch all the movies that I own, because most of them have been sitting in their case for over a year.
Don't know if I'll actually do that. But it's kind of a cool idea. We'll see how dry I get for blog topics later in the year ;-)
Okay, still more movie stuff: new Iron Man 2 trailer is up at IronManMovie.com
Also, I know most of you probably know that Sandra Bullock won a Best Actress Oscar for The Blind Side; did you know that the day before she won a Worst Actress Razzie for All About Steve? She did, and she actually showed up to "accept" the award. (Note: one of the presenters is a friend of mine from my Horsefeathers days)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
v2, d6: On Call
Today was really, really wonderful.
My wife and child went grocery shopping this morning, leaving me to sleep in until 11:30 a.m. Those of you who know me know how little I sleep during the week and how rarely an opportunity comes up where I can get a chance to catch up somewhat, so this was a great way to open the day. When they got home, I helped bring in the groceries and then went outside to play with Robbie with his dump truck in the gravelly area in our apartment complex's courtyard (his favorite place to play). Afterward, we all sat down to lunch together, and Kim had baked a tasty yellow cake to reward Robbie for a successful day of toilet training (you're welcome for sparing the details). Next, we all settled down for a nice afternoon nap. At around four in the afternoon, Robbie and I went back outside for more rocks and diggers while Kim got some housework done. Nearly an hour later, we came in and I got a quick break while Robbie watched Bob the Builder, so I put away some of the clean laundry. As the movie finished up, Kim went to prepare dinner, and Robbie asked if I would read a book with him.
I am not exaggerating when I say that this is the sort of day you're dreaming of when you say you want to be a father.
Of course, there's no such thing as the perfect day, so I should have been expecting it when my phone rang halfway through "My First Truck Board Book." You see, I had signed up as the "On Call" house manager for the show at work tonight, called in to duty only on the rarest of chances that something happens to the scheduled house manager OR that person simply doesn't show up and shuts off their phone. The former of those scenarios happens occasionally, the latter is really pretty rare.
But it sure did happen tonight, and suddenly I was already fifteen minutes late for work.
Suddenly, I had to change clothes and jet out the door and to the theater, and I'd be working until after both wife and child had gone to bed. Sorry, dinner-with-the-fam. Sorry, family-night-at-home. There's just no time.
I did, however, finish My First Truck Board Book before throwing on my work clothes as quickly as possible.
But man, eying your home-cooked dinner plate going back into the fridge on your way out the door borders on the heartbreaking ;-)
Really, all things told, I wasn't upset. There's always the possibility of something like this when you're on call, and I really had had a fantastic day with the family at home. Everything went smoothly at work, and a couple people pitched in to make sure I wasn't a half hour behind before I'd even walked into the theater.
Interesting, though, that in six days of blogging, this is the second instance in which an unexpected phone call radically altered my plans for the rest of the day. On Monday, it was family interrupting work. Tonight, it was work interrupting family time.
I guess it all evens out.
My wife and child went grocery shopping this morning, leaving me to sleep in until 11:30 a.m. Those of you who know me know how little I sleep during the week and how rarely an opportunity comes up where I can get a chance to catch up somewhat, so this was a great way to open the day. When they got home, I helped bring in the groceries and then went outside to play with Robbie with his dump truck in the gravelly area in our apartment complex's courtyard (his favorite place to play). Afterward, we all sat down to lunch together, and Kim had baked a tasty yellow cake to reward Robbie for a successful day of toilet training (you're welcome for sparing the details). Next, we all settled down for a nice afternoon nap. At around four in the afternoon, Robbie and I went back outside for more rocks and diggers while Kim got some housework done. Nearly an hour later, we came in and I got a quick break while Robbie watched Bob the Builder, so I put away some of the clean laundry. As the movie finished up, Kim went to prepare dinner, and Robbie asked if I would read a book with him.
I am not exaggerating when I say that this is the sort of day you're dreaming of when you say you want to be a father.
Of course, there's no such thing as the perfect day, so I should have been expecting it when my phone rang halfway through "My First Truck Board Book." You see, I had signed up as the "On Call" house manager for the show at work tonight, called in to duty only on the rarest of chances that something happens to the scheduled house manager OR that person simply doesn't show up and shuts off their phone. The former of those scenarios happens occasionally, the latter is really pretty rare.
But it sure did happen tonight, and suddenly I was already fifteen minutes late for work.
Suddenly, I had to change clothes and jet out the door and to the theater, and I'd be working until after both wife and child had gone to bed. Sorry, dinner-with-the-fam. Sorry, family-night-at-home. There's just no time.
I did, however, finish My First Truck Board Book before throwing on my work clothes as quickly as possible.
But man, eying your home-cooked dinner plate going back into the fridge on your way out the door borders on the heartbreaking ;-)
Really, all things told, I wasn't upset. There's always the possibility of something like this when you're on call, and I really had had a fantastic day with the family at home. Everything went smoothly at work, and a couple people pitched in to make sure I wasn't a half hour behind before I'd even walked into the theater.
Interesting, though, that in six days of blogging, this is the second instance in which an unexpected phone call radically altered my plans for the rest of the day. On Monday, it was family interrupting work. Tonight, it was work interrupting family time.
I guess it all evens out.
Friday, March 5, 2010
v2, d5: Movies
I'm bummed that there's no Oscars party on Sunday. Or, if there is one, that I don't know about it.
Or that possibly, it was intentional that I not know about it.
*Looks around with SUSPICIOUS EYES!*
Ahem. Anyway.
Saw the new Alice in Wonderland tonite. Visuals were very good. Costumes were fantastic. Scenic design was very good, too. Everything else was pretty meh. Story wasn't very good, the dialogue lacked imagination. Performances, pretty much across the board, were pretty blah. Story-wise, a similar take on the Wonderland mythos has been done before, and done better, albeit quite a bit creepier. (I really hope THAT movie never actually gets made)
On the whole, however, it didn't seem like there was any reason this story needed to be an Alice in Wonderland story. Yes, the characters were all characters from the two most famous Alice books, but they really didn't need to be in order for the story to work. It could have happened in any fantasy world with any other generic characters, and the story itself really wouldn't have been impacted much. (Part of this is because the story wasn't too strong, but still) It felt like they wanted to make a weird creature-feature type movie, and rather than make up their own mythos and characters, they just used Lewis Carroll's.
That said, it isn't a bad movie. I'm glad I didn't spend a full nine dollars on it (thank you, AMC gift cards!), but if movies were $4.50 like back in the old days, it wouldn't have been a bad deal.
Or that possibly, it was intentional that I not know about it.
*Looks around with SUSPICIOUS EYES!*
Ahem. Anyway.
Saw the new Alice in Wonderland tonite. Visuals were very good. Costumes were fantastic. Scenic design was very good, too. Everything else was pretty meh. Story wasn't very good, the dialogue lacked imagination. Performances, pretty much across the board, were pretty blah. Story-wise, a similar take on the Wonderland mythos has been done before, and done better, albeit quite a bit creepier. (I really hope THAT movie never actually gets made)
On the whole, however, it didn't seem like there was any reason this story needed to be an Alice in Wonderland story. Yes, the characters were all characters from the two most famous Alice books, but they really didn't need to be in order for the story to work. It could have happened in any fantasy world with any other generic characters, and the story itself really wouldn't have been impacted much. (Part of this is because the story wasn't too strong, but still) It felt like they wanted to make a weird creature-feature type movie, and rather than make up their own mythos and characters, they just used Lewis Carroll's.
That said, it isn't a bad movie. I'm glad I didn't spend a full nine dollars on it (thank you, AMC gift cards!), but if movies were $4.50 like back in the old days, it wouldn't have been a bad deal.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
v2, d4: A beautiful three-bedroom post
First, new stuff over at the secret blog tonight. Really, something different and intimidating for me, so I don't know if it's going to turn out or not. Also posted to my reading blog this morning. I think this may be the first day I've posted to all three blogs in the same day.
Second, I want to thank everybody that reads this who's been in for Little Foxes auditions this past week (and that includes a good number of my reading audience). I know they've been unusual, and I know there's been some frustration and some complaining, but they've actually been really, really productive. I've had a lot of fun watching the readings and having casting discussions with JCG. I think this has potential to be one of the most dynamic shows we've done since I've been with the company. I am really excited about getting into rehearsals for it, even though I know they'll move slower than any of us are comfortable with and may get frustrating from time to time.
Finally, I'm pretty sure I met a direct descendant of the Godfather tonight. After the performance of Ret., a tall bald man in a heavy overcoat was talking to our house manager, asking questions about our upcoming Easter programming. The HM didn't really know anything about the show, but I'd just recently read the script, so he directed the man to me. The man speaks in a fairly high-pitched, awfully scratchy voice with a heavy New Jersey accent. Says he's got some friends coming in from Cleveland, and he was wonderin' if maybe this was the sorta thing his associates might enjoy. (Okay, he didn't use the word associates. But still) So I told him what I knew of the plot (his hands never left his pockets the entire time), and when I was finished, the tall man nodded his bald head casually and said "Sounds like it might be interestin'," then he turned to his lady friend and thanked me as he walked off.
There's a good chance the guy just pretends to be a stereotypical mobster when he goes out in public to see how people react to him. Or maybe he just knows where Jimmy Hoffa is.
Guess I'll let you know if he shows up with a few of his friends from Cleveland at the Easter show.
Second, I want to thank everybody that reads this who's been in for Little Foxes auditions this past week (and that includes a good number of my reading audience). I know they've been unusual, and I know there's been some frustration and some complaining, but they've actually been really, really productive. I've had a lot of fun watching the readings and having casting discussions with JCG. I think this has potential to be one of the most dynamic shows we've done since I've been with the company. I am really excited about getting into rehearsals for it, even though I know they'll move slower than any of us are comfortable with and may get frustrating from time to time.
Finally, I'm pretty sure I met a direct descendant of the Godfather tonight. After the performance of Ret., a tall bald man in a heavy overcoat was talking to our house manager, asking questions about our upcoming Easter programming. The HM didn't really know anything about the show, but I'd just recently read the script, so he directed the man to me. The man speaks in a fairly high-pitched, awfully scratchy voice with a heavy New Jersey accent. Says he's got some friends coming in from Cleveland, and he was wonderin' if maybe this was the sorta thing his associates might enjoy. (Okay, he didn't use the word associates. But still) So I told him what I knew of the plot (his hands never left his pockets the entire time), and when I was finished, the tall man nodded his bald head casually and said "Sounds like it might be interestin'," then he turned to his lady friend and thanked me as he walked off.
There's a good chance the guy just pretends to be a stereotypical mobster when he goes out in public to see how people react to him. Or maybe he just knows where Jimmy Hoffa is.
Guess I'll let you know if he shows up with a few of his friends from Cleveland at the Easter show.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
v2, d3: Space Adventure: A True Story of What Really Happens in Space
Okay. Not feeling particularly well this evening, so I'm just going to post this script I was talking about in yesterday's post and call it good.
Because clearly, it is good. When you hear people talking about what an awesome playwright I am? This right here is the stuff they're talking about.
Clearly.
In all sincerity, though, (HA!) I have to say that it was written specifically to be amusing for some 2nd and 3rd grade kids, and to that end it was highly, highly successful. Any incorrect information that may have been insinuated about space travel or the use(s) of plutonium are strictly not really that big a deal.
*****
SPACE ADVENTURE
Characters
Glorpy
Wizzbit
Narthax
Jenny
Allison
Kate
SCENE 1
Two astronauts, JENNY and ALLISON, sitting at a computer. Enter CAPTAIN KATE.
KATE: All right, astronauts, on your feet!
JENNY: What's up, Captain Kate?
KATE: What's up? I'll tell you what's up! They've just discovered a brand new planet on the very edge of the solar system!
ALLISON: Uh-oh. Sounds like she's going to make us work!
KATE: You can say that again, cadet!
ALLISON: Uh-oh. Sounds like she's going to make us work!
JENNY: That's exciting news, Captain, but what does it have to do with us?
KATE: NASA has decided that the first astronauts to explore this new planet will get to name the planet anything they like!
ALLISON: Cool! What are we going to name it?
KATE: Planet Kate, of course!
JENNY: Planet Kate? You want to name the planet after yourself?
KATE: Why not?
JENNY: What about the two of us?
KATE: We can name a moon or something after you.
ALLISON: I guess that sounds fair. When do we leave?
KATE: Now! Soon! As soon as we can get the space ship loaded!
ALLISON: Right! I'll pack the food!
JENNY: That figures.
KATE: Jenny, you pack the rest of the equipment. And I will call the orders. All right girls, let's move!
Scene 2
On a faraway planet, GLORPY and WIZZBIT are carrying a heavy box. In rushes CAPTAIN NARTHAX.
NARTHAX: Glorpy! Wizzbit!
GLORPY AND WIZZBIT: Yes, sir!
NARTHAX: You be careful with that box! That's our entire supply of plutonium! If you drop it, it'll explode, and then we won't have anything to eat for the entire trip!
WIZZBIT: Yeah. Where are we going, again?
NARTHAX: I told you, our scientists just discovered a new planet, and we're going to be the very first ones to explore it!
WIZZBIT: Oh yeah....why are we doing that?
GLORPY: Can't you remember anything? It's the gibbledegorb shortage! There's no gibbledegorb left anywhere on the planet, and we have to find some more!
WIZZBIT: Oh yeah! So wait, is there gibbledegorb on this new planet?
NARTHAX: There's only one way to find out, Wizzbit!
WIZZBIT: Oh yeah...how do we find out?
GLORPY: Just come on already!
Scene 3
Both groups are in space ships headed in the same direction. WIZZBIT and ALLISON are the ones flying the ships.
KATE: Make sure you let us know when we're close to the new planet, Cadet Allison.
ALLISON: What's it look like?
JENNY: It's a planet. It's a giant planet! It should be the only big planet-looking thing in the area.
ALLISON: Ohhhhh, I got it!
GLORPY: We'd better get to this new planet soon. We're almost out of fuel!
WIZZBIT: Does the new planet look kind of like a small spaceship?
NARTHAX: What? No! Planets don't look like spaceships!
WIZZBIT: Okay. Just wondering.
KATE: Allison! Did you pack the food?
ALLISON: Yup.
KATE: Did you bring anything besides peanut butter?
ALLISON: I don't think so, why?
JENNY: You mean all we have to eat for the entire trip is peanut butter?
ALLISON: Don't you like peanut butter?
KATE: Not for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner!
ALLISON: You're weird. Hey, I think we're about to hit something.
JENNY: I'm about to hit you! Who goes on a mission to another planet and brings nothing to eat?
ALLISON: Um, I think there's something coming at us.
NARTHAX: If we don't find some more gibbeldegorb to power our ship on this new planet, we'll never get back home!
GLORPY: That would be sad. I left all my stuff at home!
WIZZBIT: I think that thing that isn't a planet is probably going to hit us.
NARTHAX AND GLORPY: WHAT?
ALLISON: I'm pretty sure we're going to crash.
KATE AND JENNY: WHAT?
They crash.
Scene 4
The two ships have crash landed on opposite sides of the stage.
KATE: Cadet Jenny! Status report!
JENNY: Um...it's complicated.
ALLISON: We crashed.
KATE: I know that! Wait..this is it! This is it! We've found Planet Kate!
JENNY: That’s great, Captain, but we lost all our plutonium in the wreck!
KATE: ALL of it??
JENNY: Yeah, there’s this big crack in the…
ALLISON: It’s all right, everybody! The peanut butter is o-kay!
NARTHAX: Glorpy, can you fix the ship?
GLORPY: Sure can. But there’s not really any point. . We’ve completely run out of gibbledegorb!
WIZZBIT: Is this the new planet? Because if it is, then I found it.
NARTHAX: What did we crash into?
WIZZBIT: Planet.
NARTHAX: No, I mean up there in space!
GLORPY: It was probably a meteor or something.
NARTHAX: Maybe. Or maybe it was that spaceship sitting right over there!
GLORPY: Huh?
Sees the other ship. The humans and aliens see each other for the first time.
EVERYBODY: AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!
KATE, JENNY, & ALLISON: Aliens!
NARTHAX, WIZZBIT, & GLORPY: Aliens!
KATE: Don’t panic.
NARTHAX: They might be friendly.
JENNY: They could be nice aliens.
GLORPY: They might know if there’s gibbeldegorb here!
KATE: We need to try to make friends.
NARTHAX: Maybe they’ll help us.
ALLISON: I’ll give them a nice sandwich. That’s a great way to make friends!
WIZZIBT: Maybe they’d like a snack! I’ll go get one!
KATE: I was thinking more like a handshake.
JENNY: Great idea, Captain Kate!
NARTHAX: Let’s extend the intergalactic sign for friendship!
GLORPY: Right!
KATE and JENNY extend their hands to shake while NARTHAX and GLORPY raise their fists, as if to fight.
JENNY: Uh-oh.
GLORPY: Well that’s a bummer.
KATE: It looks like they want to fight.
NARTHAX: They’ve given the intergalactic sign for war!
JENNY: I hate fighting.
GLORPY: This is going to get messy.
ALLISON: Here! I’ve got sandwiches for everybody!
NARTHAX & GLORPY: GIBBLEDEGORB!!
GLORPY: They’ve got gibbeldegorb!
NARTHAX: LOTS of gibbledegorb!
JENNY: What happened? Why aren’t they fighting?
NARTHAX takes a sandwich from ALLISON.
NARTHAX: We’re saved!
He and GLORPY dance.
KATE: Are they dancing?
ALLISON: I told you, everybody loves peanut butter.
KATE: Cadet Allison, you’re brilliant! Hurry! It looks like they want some more!
ALLISON: But…then there won’t be any for us…
WIZZBIT: Here, I’ve got some yummy plutonium. Maybe they’ll trade with us.
KATE: Jumping Jupiter, is that….
JENNY: Plutonium! More than enough to get us home!
ALLISON: That’s cool.
KATE: Hurry! Trade with them, trade with them!
ALLISON shoves the box of peanut butter to the aliens and takes the jar of plutonium. Everyone but ALLISON and WIZZBIT is dancing for joy.
NARTHAX: Our whole planet is saved!
KATE & JENNY: We’re going home!
KATE: And I’ll be famous!
JENNY: And I’ll get a moon or something named after me!
The aliens bow to the humans and start to load the gibbledegorb into their ship. The humans start to load the plutonium into theirs.
ALLISON: Um…hey, Captain Kate?
WIZZBIT: Narthax?
ALLISON: Do you think it would be okay if I went with the aliens?
WIZZBIT: Can I go ride on that space ship instead?
KATE: What?
NARTHAX: Why?
ALLISON: Well…I don’t know if I want to ride home on a ship that doesn’t have any peanut butter to snack on.
WIZZBIT: I’m hungry. If they have all the plutonium, then what am I supposed to eat on the way home?
KATE: You really want to live on an alien world…
NARTHAX: You really want to leave your home planet…
KATE: …for snack food?
NARTHAX: …for snack food?
WIZZBIT: Yup.
ALLISON: I like peanut butter.
KATE looks at JENNY, NARTHAX looks at GLORPY. They all shrug, and then ALLISON and WIZZBIT switch sides.
ALLISON: Yes!
WIZZBIT: Yippee!
All climb into their spaceships.
NARTHAX: All right, Glorpy!
KATE: Ready, Jenny? We’re going home!
NARTHAX: Let’s get out of here!
Spaceships blast off.
ALLSION: So, um…where are we going??
THE END
Because clearly, it is good. When you hear people talking about what an awesome playwright I am? This right here is the stuff they're talking about.
Clearly.
In all sincerity, though, (HA!) I have to say that it was written specifically to be amusing for some 2nd and 3rd grade kids, and to that end it was highly, highly successful. Any incorrect information that may have been insinuated about space travel or the use(s) of plutonium are strictly not really that big a deal.
*****
SPACE ADVENTURE
Characters
Glorpy
Wizzbit
Narthax
Jenny
Allison
Kate
SCENE 1
Two astronauts, JENNY and ALLISON, sitting at a computer. Enter CAPTAIN KATE.
KATE: All right, astronauts, on your feet!
JENNY: What's up, Captain Kate?
KATE: What's up? I'll tell you what's up! They've just discovered a brand new planet on the very edge of the solar system!
ALLISON: Uh-oh. Sounds like she's going to make us work!
KATE: You can say that again, cadet!
ALLISON: Uh-oh. Sounds like she's going to make us work!
JENNY: That's exciting news, Captain, but what does it have to do with us?
KATE: NASA has decided that the first astronauts to explore this new planet will get to name the planet anything they like!
ALLISON: Cool! What are we going to name it?
KATE: Planet Kate, of course!
JENNY: Planet Kate? You want to name the planet after yourself?
KATE: Why not?
JENNY: What about the two of us?
KATE: We can name a moon or something after you.
ALLISON: I guess that sounds fair. When do we leave?
KATE: Now! Soon! As soon as we can get the space ship loaded!
ALLISON: Right! I'll pack the food!
JENNY: That figures.
KATE: Jenny, you pack the rest of the equipment. And I will call the orders. All right girls, let's move!
Scene 2
On a faraway planet, GLORPY and WIZZBIT are carrying a heavy box. In rushes CAPTAIN NARTHAX.
NARTHAX: Glorpy! Wizzbit!
GLORPY AND WIZZBIT: Yes, sir!
NARTHAX: You be careful with that box! That's our entire supply of plutonium! If you drop it, it'll explode, and then we won't have anything to eat for the entire trip!
WIZZBIT: Yeah. Where are we going, again?
NARTHAX: I told you, our scientists just discovered a new planet, and we're going to be the very first ones to explore it!
WIZZBIT: Oh yeah....why are we doing that?
GLORPY: Can't you remember anything? It's the gibbledegorb shortage! There's no gibbledegorb left anywhere on the planet, and we have to find some more!
WIZZBIT: Oh yeah! So wait, is there gibbledegorb on this new planet?
NARTHAX: There's only one way to find out, Wizzbit!
WIZZBIT: Oh yeah...how do we find out?
GLORPY: Just come on already!
Scene 3
Both groups are in space ships headed in the same direction. WIZZBIT and ALLISON are the ones flying the ships.
KATE: Make sure you let us know when we're close to the new planet, Cadet Allison.
ALLISON: What's it look like?
JENNY: It's a planet. It's a giant planet! It should be the only big planet-looking thing in the area.
ALLISON: Ohhhhh, I got it!
GLORPY: We'd better get to this new planet soon. We're almost out of fuel!
WIZZBIT: Does the new planet look kind of like a small spaceship?
NARTHAX: What? No! Planets don't look like spaceships!
WIZZBIT: Okay. Just wondering.
KATE: Allison! Did you pack the food?
ALLISON: Yup.
KATE: Did you bring anything besides peanut butter?
ALLISON: I don't think so, why?
JENNY: You mean all we have to eat for the entire trip is peanut butter?
ALLISON: Don't you like peanut butter?
KATE: Not for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner!
ALLISON: You're weird. Hey, I think we're about to hit something.
JENNY: I'm about to hit you! Who goes on a mission to another planet and brings nothing to eat?
ALLISON: Um, I think there's something coming at us.
NARTHAX: If we don't find some more gibbeldegorb to power our ship on this new planet, we'll never get back home!
GLORPY: That would be sad. I left all my stuff at home!
WIZZBIT: I think that thing that isn't a planet is probably going to hit us.
NARTHAX AND GLORPY: WHAT?
ALLISON: I'm pretty sure we're going to crash.
KATE AND JENNY: WHAT?
They crash.
Scene 4
The two ships have crash landed on opposite sides of the stage.
KATE: Cadet Jenny! Status report!
JENNY: Um...it's complicated.
ALLISON: We crashed.
KATE: I know that! Wait..this is it! This is it! We've found Planet Kate!
JENNY: That’s great, Captain, but we lost all our plutonium in the wreck!
KATE: ALL of it??
JENNY: Yeah, there’s this big crack in the…
ALLISON: It’s all right, everybody! The peanut butter is o-kay!
NARTHAX: Glorpy, can you fix the ship?
GLORPY: Sure can. But there’s not really any point. . We’ve completely run out of gibbledegorb!
WIZZBIT: Is this the new planet? Because if it is, then I found it.
NARTHAX: What did we crash into?
WIZZBIT: Planet.
NARTHAX: No, I mean up there in space!
GLORPY: It was probably a meteor or something.
NARTHAX: Maybe. Or maybe it was that spaceship sitting right over there!
GLORPY: Huh?
Sees the other ship. The humans and aliens see each other for the first time.
EVERYBODY: AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!
KATE, JENNY, & ALLISON: Aliens!
NARTHAX, WIZZBIT, & GLORPY: Aliens!
KATE: Don’t panic.
NARTHAX: They might be friendly.
JENNY: They could be nice aliens.
GLORPY: They might know if there’s gibbeldegorb here!
KATE: We need to try to make friends.
NARTHAX: Maybe they’ll help us.
ALLISON: I’ll give them a nice sandwich. That’s a great way to make friends!
WIZZIBT: Maybe they’d like a snack! I’ll go get one!
KATE: I was thinking more like a handshake.
JENNY: Great idea, Captain Kate!
NARTHAX: Let’s extend the intergalactic sign for friendship!
GLORPY: Right!
KATE and JENNY extend their hands to shake while NARTHAX and GLORPY raise their fists, as if to fight.
JENNY: Uh-oh.
GLORPY: Well that’s a bummer.
KATE: It looks like they want to fight.
NARTHAX: They’ve given the intergalactic sign for war!
JENNY: I hate fighting.
GLORPY: This is going to get messy.
ALLISON: Here! I’ve got sandwiches for everybody!
NARTHAX & GLORPY: GIBBLEDEGORB!!
GLORPY: They’ve got gibbeldegorb!
NARTHAX: LOTS of gibbledegorb!
JENNY: What happened? Why aren’t they fighting?
NARTHAX takes a sandwich from ALLISON.
NARTHAX: We’re saved!
He and GLORPY dance.
KATE: Are they dancing?
ALLISON: I told you, everybody loves peanut butter.
KATE: Cadet Allison, you’re brilliant! Hurry! It looks like they want some more!
ALLISON: But…then there won’t be any for us…
WIZZBIT: Here, I’ve got some yummy plutonium. Maybe they’ll trade with us.
KATE: Jumping Jupiter, is that….
JENNY: Plutonium! More than enough to get us home!
ALLISON: That’s cool.
KATE: Hurry! Trade with them, trade with them!
ALLISON shoves the box of peanut butter to the aliens and takes the jar of plutonium. Everyone but ALLISON and WIZZBIT is dancing for joy.
NARTHAX: Our whole planet is saved!
KATE & JENNY: We’re going home!
KATE: And I’ll be famous!
JENNY: And I’ll get a moon or something named after me!
The aliens bow to the humans and start to load the gibbledegorb into their ship. The humans start to load the plutonium into theirs.
ALLISON: Um…hey, Captain Kate?
WIZZBIT: Narthax?
ALLISON: Do you think it would be okay if I went with the aliens?
WIZZBIT: Can I go ride on that space ship instead?
KATE: What?
NARTHAX: Why?
ALLISON: Well…I don’t know if I want to ride home on a ship that doesn’t have any peanut butter to snack on.
WIZZBIT: I’m hungry. If they have all the plutonium, then what am I supposed to eat on the way home?
KATE: You really want to live on an alien world…
NARTHAX: You really want to leave your home planet…
KATE: …for snack food?
NARTHAX: …for snack food?
WIZZBIT: Yup.
ALLISON: I like peanut butter.
KATE looks at JENNY, NARTHAX looks at GLORPY. They all shrug, and then ALLISON and WIZZBIT switch sides.
ALLISON: Yes!
WIZZBIT: Yippee!
All climb into their spaceships.
NARTHAX: All right, Glorpy!
KATE: Ready, Jenny? We’re going home!
NARTHAX: Let’s get out of here!
Spaceships blast off.
ALLSION: So, um…where are we going??
THE END
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
v2, d2: "Mr. Will! I can't do this!"
Today was showcase day for the 2nd and 3rd grade acting class I've been teaching for the past 8 weeks.
Okay, "teaching" is an overstatement and a half. I pretty much let Leah take the lead, and I serve in more of a support role. The first ever class I taught in our academy followed a "head teacher/support teacher" model, and I've just sort of stuck with it ever since. Usually, I'm the support teacher, though I took the lead in a couple of junior high classes I taught last year, and those were probably the most fun classes I've ever been involved with. But I digress. (Sur-prise, sur-prise!)
Today was our showcase, meaning parents, siblings, grandparents, and a few friends were coming to the classroom to see what we've been working so hard on for the past two months. I always enjoy showcase days. It always amazes me how ready a parent is to absolutely love anything their kid has worked on. (Heck, we've got at least four pages of scribbles up on our fridge as I type this) Plus, after the show, we get free food at the reception. And usually parents of students bring home-baked goodies. And there's always a veggie tray. So it balances out.
Our class performed a short play simply titled Space Adventure. The full title, not used in any of the press, is Space Adventure: A True Story of what Really Happens in Space. I wrote it specifically for this class. Leah and I sat and brainstormed a story for awhile, and then I sat down and wrote 'er out. I may post the script on here for tomorrow's entry; it's the best written-for-class script I've done since Not-So-Super Heroes. It's also an interesting examination of what happens when two creative minds try to write a short story on totally empty stomachs.
Good times.
Now this particular class has been pretty rowdy from start to finish. Some of it is this age group; a lot of it is these kids. A couple of them are wild on their own; the whole lot of them are insane when they're together. And today started no differently. We could get them to rehearse, but we couldn't get them to stop goofing off completely. They were pretty good, but there were still lots of giggles, and some undue wackiness from the lone boy in the class.
Then, the crowd started assembling just outside the classroom door. And the rowdy kids suddenly got very, very quiet.
"There's people!" one of them said!
"Lots of people!" cried another.
A wave of panic struck every single kid in the class. I've never had a group united in their terror like this before. Usually one or two or three kids will get really shy and nervous, yeah, but all six?
They forgot to goof off. All their excess energy was channeled into fear and trembling and some nervous giggles. Leah and I explained that they were going to be fine, they would be great, and if they got really stuck, one of us would feed them a line. But they weren't going to get stuck. They were going to be awesome.
The kids cowered backstage as the parents milled in, and the I stepped out in front of the curtain to give my hokey curtain speech about translating the alien dialect into English so that our audiences could understand it (went over really well, thank heavens!). Then, I turned it over to the kids. In the first scene, our three human astronauts come onstage and talk for awhile, and I'm backstage keeping the aliens quiet.
Suddenly, one little girl, the most rambunctious and distractable of them all, the child who's never had trouble being the center of attention, whispers to get my attention. I look over, and the girl is ghost-white.
"Mr. Will!" she hisses. "Mr. Will! I don't think I can do this!"
I told her she was going to be fine, she knew the lines, she knew the show, and she kept protesting. For the first time in two months, I felt sorry for the girl. She was really freaked out.
"Remember," I whispered to her as she's standing just behind the corner, 15 seconds from making an entrance, "most of your lines start with 'Oh, yeah!' and your teammates will help you out if you get stuck." No more time for encouragement, it was time for the aliens to take the stage.
She was great. Actually, they ALL were. From a memorization standpoint, it was the best ANY of them had ever done. Their focus was superb. For them, anyway. I honestly had wondered if things were going to fall apart all over scene four. They didn't. For once, they got it all right.
And, in this instance, once is all you need.
Afterward, it was a joy to meet the parents. At least four of them said they were bringing their kids back. I think two of them signed up for the next session right there on the spot. Their girls were all chatting about how they couldn't wait to start again, and the parents conversed as if they were finding new friends. It was really, really nice. I think everybody had a good time.
Teaching is always hard and usually uncomfortable for me. It's not something that comes naturally, and it's not really something I think I do very well. And there have been some sessions that have been nothing but a drain. But I always enjoy showcase days. Regardless of the journey, there's always a reward to be found at the end.
Okay, "teaching" is an overstatement and a half. I pretty much let Leah take the lead, and I serve in more of a support role. The first ever class I taught in our academy followed a "head teacher/support teacher" model, and I've just sort of stuck with it ever since. Usually, I'm the support teacher, though I took the lead in a couple of junior high classes I taught last year, and those were probably the most fun classes I've ever been involved with. But I digress. (Sur-prise, sur-prise!)
Today was our showcase, meaning parents, siblings, grandparents, and a few friends were coming to the classroom to see what we've been working so hard on for the past two months. I always enjoy showcase days. It always amazes me how ready a parent is to absolutely love anything their kid has worked on. (Heck, we've got at least four pages of scribbles up on our fridge as I type this) Plus, after the show, we get free food at the reception. And usually parents of students bring home-baked goodies. And there's always a veggie tray. So it balances out.
Our class performed a short play simply titled Space Adventure. The full title, not used in any of the press, is Space Adventure: A True Story of what Really Happens in Space. I wrote it specifically for this class. Leah and I sat and brainstormed a story for awhile, and then I sat down and wrote 'er out. I may post the script on here for tomorrow's entry; it's the best written-for-class script I've done since Not-So-Super Heroes. It's also an interesting examination of what happens when two creative minds try to write a short story on totally empty stomachs.
Good times.
Now this particular class has been pretty rowdy from start to finish. Some of it is this age group; a lot of it is these kids. A couple of them are wild on their own; the whole lot of them are insane when they're together. And today started no differently. We could get them to rehearse, but we couldn't get them to stop goofing off completely. They were pretty good, but there were still lots of giggles, and some undue wackiness from the lone boy in the class.
Then, the crowd started assembling just outside the classroom door. And the rowdy kids suddenly got very, very quiet.
"There's people!" one of them said!
"Lots of people!" cried another.
A wave of panic struck every single kid in the class. I've never had a group united in their terror like this before. Usually one or two or three kids will get really shy and nervous, yeah, but all six?
They forgot to goof off. All their excess energy was channeled into fear and trembling and some nervous giggles. Leah and I explained that they were going to be fine, they would be great, and if they got really stuck, one of us would feed them a line. But they weren't going to get stuck. They were going to be awesome.
The kids cowered backstage as the parents milled in, and the I stepped out in front of the curtain to give my hokey curtain speech about translating the alien dialect into English so that our audiences could understand it (went over really well, thank heavens!). Then, I turned it over to the kids. In the first scene, our three human astronauts come onstage and talk for awhile, and I'm backstage keeping the aliens quiet.
Suddenly, one little girl, the most rambunctious and distractable of them all, the child who's never had trouble being the center of attention, whispers to get my attention. I look over, and the girl is ghost-white.
"Mr. Will!" she hisses. "Mr. Will! I don't think I can do this!"
I told her she was going to be fine, she knew the lines, she knew the show, and she kept protesting. For the first time in two months, I felt sorry for the girl. She was really freaked out.
"Remember," I whispered to her as she's standing just behind the corner, 15 seconds from making an entrance, "most of your lines start with 'Oh, yeah!' and your teammates will help you out if you get stuck." No more time for encouragement, it was time for the aliens to take the stage.
She was great. Actually, they ALL were. From a memorization standpoint, it was the best ANY of them had ever done. Their focus was superb. For them, anyway. I honestly had wondered if things were going to fall apart all over scene four. They didn't. For once, they got it all right.
And, in this instance, once is all you need.
Afterward, it was a joy to meet the parents. At least four of them said they were bringing their kids back. I think two of them signed up for the next session right there on the spot. Their girls were all chatting about how they couldn't wait to start again, and the parents conversed as if they were finding new friends. It was really, really nice. I think everybody had a good time.
Teaching is always hard and usually uncomfortable for me. It's not something that comes naturally, and it's not really something I think I do very well. And there have been some sessions that have been nothing but a drain. But I always enjoy showcase days. Regardless of the journey, there's always a reward to be found at the end.
Monday, March 1, 2010
v2, d1: False Start
And, we're off again!
Finally.
Today was unusual. I realized about three days ago that today was my self-imposed start-up date for my second blog-a-day project, and I stared to think about what I wanted to say as we set out on this journey again. I thought about making changes to the layout, signifying that I am not the same writer or person that I was when I kicked off this blog over a year ago. Then I decided I wanted to change the title, then the way I numbered my days, and then I started to wonder whether subject matter or overall tone would be significantly different now that I had a year of consistent blogging under my belt.
And then I was like, "You know what? Just screw it. I'm just gonna do what I do." Which is good, cuz that was pretty much the point to begin with. But I liked the idea of changing the name and layout, so I did that anyway. I actually spent about an hour playing around with different ideas before I settled on the current state of WBW. If you get all the references, bully for you. If you don't, meh. Sorry. I like the way it looks and reads. And if I change my mind later, I'll just tweak. It'll be okay, we're going to make it through this.
Anyway, spent about an hour tweaking the blog itself, settling on the new look for the next three-hundred sixty-five days, and I opened the "New Post" tab on this blog for the first time in a month and a half, prepared to type out a fairly well-prepared first post. Naturally, it was then, at that time, at that precise moment in WBW histroy, that my phone rang. Awesome. Just like in a book. And just like in a book, my entire day's plans were suddenly changed by that one fateful phone call.
You see, the call had come from Robbie's day care. Apparently the boy had been rocking out all by himself on the tiled floor, dancing like no one was watching, when he suddenly lost his balance and slammed--hard--face first on the floor. The entire left side of his face had started bruising instantly, and the day care workers weren't going to put him down for his nap for fear that he might have a concussion.
Adding to the complications of the day: Kim and I are, for the most part, down to one vehicle. And she had the debit card. So I had to pick up her so that we could pay the doctor, and since she'd had a slow day of work ahead of her that afternoon anyway, the three of us just made it an afternoon.
The earliest appointment we were able to get at Robbie's pediatrician's office was at 3 p.m., so we spent the afternoon in the medical district keeping him from taking a nap. This, ultimately, was how Robbie got his first ride in a train. (The kid ADORES trains, so we parked our car at the park-and-ride and rode the train to his doctor's doorstep) The afternoon was a success, and the pediatrician said no signs of concussion, and as long as he was being his "normal, ornery self," everything was okay.
And trust me, he's been his normal, ornery self all night.
Train ride, playground, elevator trip, Taco Bell, this became the kid's best school day pretty much ever. And truth be told, it became a very nice all-family event as well.
So, poignant blogging interrupted, but a nice time with the family. I'll make that trade any day.
Lesson of the day: Life always interrupts. Adapt. Find the opportunities to make it work for you.
In other news: I missed you, blog. It's funny, because I didn't expect to, but I've come to realize what an outlet writing has really become for me over the past few years. Heck, look at the length of my early posts last year with my later posts. Look at the fact that I never blogged until a year ago, and now I've got three. I look at things, and I need to write them out. I need to see them on paper. And I think I need somebody to read them. Words on a page are dead in and of themselves. They're empty characters, dotted and dashed squiggles jotted on pages that can blow through the wind as easily as a dead leaf or an old McDonald's bag. (Or typed on a computer screen that can absolutely murder a beautiful simile)
Anyway, the time off has been good for me, because I needed to recharge, and I also needed to realize how big a part of my life blogging/journaling/whatever you want to call this particular exercise has become. Also, my time off was probably good for all of you readers as well, because you would have gotten really, really sick of daily Olympic hockey posts. But wow. The Olympic hockey tournament was awesome. Awesome, awesome, awesome. (Come on, admit it, many of you probably thought that's what you were going to read about today. Nope. I'll save it for later this week ;-)
Speaking of the Olympics: Did this actually happen last night? I mean, I have fairly vivid memories of it, but there's a rational part of my mind that says, "No...no, surely they didn't...I mean, that's just silly!"
Where was I?
Ah, yes. Thank you, readers, for sticking around. (Stephen King calls his loyal followers "Constant Reader." I've always thought it would be funny to refer to mine as "Bored Readers," but that's not really a flattering term for anybody, and it's really more of my old self-deprecating style coming out to play, so I'm probably going to scrap that idea. Just know that it was there, and that it made me chuckle)
Interesting note: I gathered more "followers" during my hiatus than I had when I was actively blogging. Bad sign?
Finally.
Today was unusual. I realized about three days ago that today was my self-imposed start-up date for my second blog-a-day project, and I stared to think about what I wanted to say as we set out on this journey again. I thought about making changes to the layout, signifying that I am not the same writer or person that I was when I kicked off this blog over a year ago. Then I decided I wanted to change the title, then the way I numbered my days, and then I started to wonder whether subject matter or overall tone would be significantly different now that I had a year of consistent blogging under my belt.
And then I was like, "You know what? Just screw it. I'm just gonna do what I do." Which is good, cuz that was pretty much the point to begin with. But I liked the idea of changing the name and layout, so I did that anyway. I actually spent about an hour playing around with different ideas before I settled on the current state of WBW. If you get all the references, bully for you. If you don't, meh. Sorry. I like the way it looks and reads. And if I change my mind later, I'll just tweak. It'll be okay, we're going to make it through this.
Anyway, spent about an hour tweaking the blog itself, settling on the new look for the next three-hundred sixty-five days, and I opened the "New Post" tab on this blog for the first time in a month and a half, prepared to type out a fairly well-prepared first post. Naturally, it was then, at that time, at that precise moment in WBW histroy, that my phone rang. Awesome. Just like in a book. And just like in a book, my entire day's plans were suddenly changed by that one fateful phone call.
You see, the call had come from Robbie's day care. Apparently the boy had been rocking out all by himself on the tiled floor, dancing like no one was watching, when he suddenly lost his balance and slammed--hard--face first on the floor. The entire left side of his face had started bruising instantly, and the day care workers weren't going to put him down for his nap for fear that he might have a concussion.
Adding to the complications of the day: Kim and I are, for the most part, down to one vehicle. And she had the debit card. So I had to pick up her so that we could pay the doctor, and since she'd had a slow day of work ahead of her that afternoon anyway, the three of us just made it an afternoon.
The earliest appointment we were able to get at Robbie's pediatrician's office was at 3 p.m., so we spent the afternoon in the medical district keeping him from taking a nap. This, ultimately, was how Robbie got his first ride in a train. (The kid ADORES trains, so we parked our car at the park-and-ride and rode the train to his doctor's doorstep) The afternoon was a success, and the pediatrician said no signs of concussion, and as long as he was being his "normal, ornery self," everything was okay.
And trust me, he's been his normal, ornery self all night.
Train ride, playground, elevator trip, Taco Bell, this became the kid's best school day pretty much ever. And truth be told, it became a very nice all-family event as well.
So, poignant blogging interrupted, but a nice time with the family. I'll make that trade any day.
Lesson of the day: Life always interrupts. Adapt. Find the opportunities to make it work for you.
In other news: I missed you, blog. It's funny, because I didn't expect to, but I've come to realize what an outlet writing has really become for me over the past few years. Heck, look at the length of my early posts last year with my later posts. Look at the fact that I never blogged until a year ago, and now I've got three. I look at things, and I need to write them out. I need to see them on paper. And I think I need somebody to read them. Words on a page are dead in and of themselves. They're empty characters, dotted and dashed squiggles jotted on pages that can blow through the wind as easily as a dead leaf or an old McDonald's bag. (Or typed on a computer screen that can absolutely murder a beautiful simile)
Anyway, the time off has been good for me, because I needed to recharge, and I also needed to realize how big a part of my life blogging/journaling/whatever you want to call this particular exercise has become. Also, my time off was probably good for all of you readers as well, because you would have gotten really, really sick of daily Olympic hockey posts. But wow. The Olympic hockey tournament was awesome. Awesome, awesome, awesome. (Come on, admit it, many of you probably thought that's what you were going to read about today. Nope. I'll save it for later this week ;-)
Speaking of the Olympics: Did this actually happen last night? I mean, I have fairly vivid memories of it, but there's a rational part of my mind that says, "No...no, surely they didn't...I mean, that's just silly!"
Where was I?
Ah, yes. Thank you, readers, for sticking around. (Stephen King calls his loyal followers "Constant Reader." I've always thought it would be funny to refer to mine as "Bored Readers," but that's not really a flattering term for anybody, and it's really more of my old self-deprecating style coming out to play, so I'm probably going to scrap that idea. Just know that it was there, and that it made me chuckle)
Interesting note: I gathered more "followers" during my hiatus than I had when I was actively blogging. Bad sign?
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