Garage Band Theatre

Hanging out with Christians...

2012-01-26T23:23:00.000-06:00

This post is 50 percent tongue-in-cheek. If you have a problem with tongue or with cheek. You can just skip it.

Many people have friends that don’t share their same beliefs. If you are not a Christian, but have a Christian friend, you both have religious freedom, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t experience religious awkwardness. So I’ve come up with a few tips for non-believers on hanging out with Christians.

For the purposes of this tip-list, I’m considering a Christian to be an active church participant. Sure. You can be a Christian and not participate in church. But if I called myself a wrestler all the time and you found out I last wrestled in the 5th grade, you’d look at me funny.

Also, I’m considering a “non-believer” to be, not only members of other religions (including atheists) but “Christians” who are Christians just like I’m a wrestler.

So, here we go. Five tips to help you ease religious awkwardness when hanging around with Christians...

1- Stop being offended at being called a sinner. It's basically like being called a pooper. It might be uncomfortable to talk about, but everyone does it.

If your Christian friend is not a jerk, he or she won’t be calling you a sinner to your face anyway. I mean, come on. Your friends believe that everyone sins. You. Them. Their pastor. Everyone. So being called a sinner doesn’t make you special, or picked on, or hated. At all. It doesn’t. Everyone poops. And everyone sins.

2- Ask them about their church. It’s only polite. Plus, it will freak them out!

Your friends probably like their church. If they didn’t, they’d probably not go. It’s just nice to ask your friends about things that they like and why they like them.
Also, as a bonus, it will freak your friends out. They won’t expect you to ask about church. They are probably careful talking about it around you for fear of you being offended that they are too “churchy.” Asking them about it up front, puts them at their ease and takes the discomfort out of it.
*Bonus points if all their Christian friends are asked to pray for you because you are asking questions about church.*

3- Go to their church if they invite you.

Again, this is just pure politeness. If you ask questions about their church, they will probably be emboldened to ask you to come. Don’t worry, no one is going to force you to convert. You know that you appreciate it when people come to events that you care about. Especially you theatre people. Seriously. Think back and remember. You know that there was a show you were a part of, that you knew your friends hated. (Either because they hate Sondheim or because they hate shows that aren’t Sondheim) But they came to see it anyway because they are your friends. So, even if you hate church and all it stands for, if they ask you to come, do your best to attend. And pretend you like Sondheim while you are there.

4- Stop sharp-sticking your friends about stuff they can’t control. Don’t be a jerk on the Internet.

Bear-baiting is illegal. It’s a crime to tie a bear to a stake and stab him with sharp sticks until he dies. Unless that bear is a person on the Internet and the sharp sticks are cheap one-liner insults. Having honest questions and discussing them on social media is one thing. Gloating over, or fuming over the latest news about some church or some “celebrity” Christian is another. Of course there will be scandals in churches. There will be leaders who are found out to be false teachers or criminals. How ever much you hate those people, they aren’t the majority of Christians, they aren’t your friends, and your friends are angrier about it and more offended about it than you could possibly understand.
Imagine how angry you would be at your favorite political leader if he or she was revealed to be doing exactly the opposite of what he or she stood for. Now imagine your Christian friends piling on and griping at you about it on the Internet. It’s not a pretty picture. Don’t do it. Don’t condone it. And step in to stop your other friends from doing it.

5- Consider proselytizing a compliment. They are saying that they care about you so much, they want you around for eternity.

Many people have something that they constantly share with others. Whether it is how great Apple products are, or the best place to get an authentic taco, people are evangelists for what they think is best. Why should it be any different with religion? No one who honestly believes something can be expected to NOT try to convince others about it. If you knew it was going to rain, you would advise your friends to take an umbrella. What are your friends supposed to do when they believe that an eternity without God is something so miserable that no one should have to experience it?

So, there you go. A little bit funny and a lot serious.

By the way, if you just flip the concepts here, you have a pretty good guide for how Christians should hang out with their non-Christian friends.

1- Don’t freak out when they act in “non-Christian” ways. After all, they aren’t Christians.

Just because you live by a different standard, doesn’t mean you have to try to point out the sins of people around you. That is like being the guy who always points out to the group, in public, that someone farted and won’t shut up until someone admits it. That guy is a jerk. Don’t be that guy! Besides, theologically, pointing your your friend’s sins isn’t your job anyway. It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to convict people of their sins. He doesn’t need your help.

2- Ask them about what they believe. They won’t expect it.

In the back of their minds most non-Christians have an illogical fear that Christians are brainwashed brainwashers who want to brainwash them. Counter that by keeping them talking about their beliefs instead. If they become interested in what you believe, they will ask.

3- Be a part of their lives before you invite them to church.

This is just polite. For many reasons, people are weirded out by church. The better they know you, the less weird it will seem.

4- Stop sharp sticking your friends! Don’t be jerk on the Internet.

Seriously. The Internet, and the world in general, could use a lot less of, “Ahh Hah! Someone on YOUR side cheated/lied/said something stupid, therefore ALL of you are cheating-lying-stupid people!!!” This sums up half of the religious and political posts on all social media. Ever. Stop it. It’s wrong when “they” do it about Christians and it’s even more wrong when we use the same tactic.

5- Don’t be surprised when they try to convince you that you are wrong.

Your friends don’t believe the Bible. If they didn’t have doubts, they would already be Christians. Don’t expect them to take at face value anything you say and don’t be surprised when they don’t want to believe what the Bible says. You don’t have to give up using the Bible, though. It doesn’t matter if they believe it. It’s important because you believe it. Don’t argue about how sharp your sword is. Just stick them with it. (But don’t “sharp-stick” them. Re-read number four. You know you need to anyway.)

Black Hole Issues...

2011-11-05T11:20:00.001-05:00

When was the last time you inadvertently steered a conversation too close to someone's personal political/theological/religious black hole?

A black hole pulls in everything around it, including light. A black hole issue pulls in a person. These black hole issues start to take over people’s entire lives. You can’t talk about anything without the conversation getting sucked toward it. Thirty minutes later, you wish you had that time back. Even if you agree with him or her. Sometimes, especially if you agree, you wish you had the time back.

Too many people allow their entire lives to revolve around one issue.
Christians do this and so do non-believers.

Abortion.
Gay rights.
Predestination.
Obama.
Worship style.
Bush “era.”
Money.
The Environment.
Tithing.
Iraq.
End times.

I’m not saying that these issues aren’t important. Of course they are.
I’m not saying that people shouldn’t be passionate about things. Passion makes life exciting.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t stand up for what you believe. I’m saying the opposite.

Standing up for what you believe doesn’t mean fighting every fight any more than winning a war means killing all the enemy. Killing all of the enemy is genocide. Winning a war means winning strategic points, and persuading your enemy to make peace.

But single-issue people aren’t interested in peace. They let their whole lives become dominated by fighting for one single issue. They seek out fights about it. Fighting over that issue makes them feel powerful and important. And don’t you dare try to take that away from them.

If you work, eat, sleep, and live only for one issue, I guarantee you that you are missing something that you shouldn’t be missing. God has more for you in life than that. If you can’t be friends with someone because they disagree with you on an issue, (like gun control, taxes, or the proper way to administer the ordinance of baptism) you have a problem. Especially if you are a believer. I guarantee you that Jesus didn’t agree on all the issues with all the people he partied with. He didn’t even agree with the disciples!

If you have given up on someone or something, (including friends, family, God, the church, the government), because of one single issue, wake up. God has a bigger picture for your life than any one single thing. God is bigger than your particular pet peeve or hang up. There ARE more important things, than your one thing.

Godspell Heroes Part 3

2011-08-27T13:09:00.002-05:00

This is the third and final post of some of the table work we did for our actors in Godspell. My theme/interpretation of Godspell uses heroes as a central focus and I asked the actors to describe to me a hero of theirs as a part of developing their characters. These are their responses.

By Rebecca Lodge: Gilmer/Lady Ace

My Parents are my heroes…they have taught me the true meaning of unconditional LOVE! No matter

what is going on in my life they have always been there for me, as well as my sister! It’s like wedding vows that my parents took on the day that I was born! Through sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, as well as through the good times and the bad! They had no idea what a roller coaster ride I would be! But, they promised to love me without reservation, comfort me in times of distress, encourage me to achieve my goals, laugh with me and cry with me, grow with me in mind and spirit, always be open and honest with me, and cherish me for as long as I shall live. I know there were/are times when they should have ‘divorced’ me…given up on me, but they never have and I am truly grateful! I am very blessed with the parent’s that God has given me…they are my HEROES! I love you Mom and Dad…unconditionally!

By Brooke Sailer: Angelica

As I've gotten older, I've come to admire a very un-orthodox, but none-the-less HEROIC noble quality; let's just call him the "turn the other cheek" hero. There's something amazing about a person who has nothing to prove...someone who can stand in the face of an accuser and not have to fight back...but walk away confidently. It's a deep, deep courage that is so incredibly unassuming. My grandfather was a very predominant, "successful" Senior Pastor of a church in the 1970's when his world was rocked by a public scandal. His administrator had been stealing money from the church. The local authorities got involved and when their case went to trial, the public quickly accussed him- my grandfather, the pastor...that he should have "noticed it" or "caught it sooner". He was held ultimately responsible. He maintained incredible composure as he both stood up for truth and remained humble and courageous when facing accusers. He didn't save anybody as we might think heroes do. But, he saved himself from saying unkind words he would have regretted later or actions that would have misrepresented his faith. He's my hero...a man of noble qualities.

By Laura Jones: Peggy/Morning Star

Well, this may sound cliche, but my mom is one of my heroes. She's my hero for many of the obvious reasons, but I want to share a story I've heard her tell about when I was a baby.... When I was an infant my dad was in Vietnam and my mom was in college. One night in her apartment she was hanging out with some girlfriends listening to music when a man tried to break in. They saw this big, hairy arm pushing through the door trying to get the chain off. I was in the living room with them in a playpen. My mother ran for the bedroom and all the girls followed her and shut themselves in the room. My mom had gone in there to get her gun. She turned around and told her friends to let her out of the room, that her baby was out there. She went back in the living room, pointed the gun at the door, and told the guy, "I have a gun. If you come through that door, I'm gonna pump every one of these f*****g bullets into you!" The arm came out of the door and she could hear him running down the hallway. My mom is my hero.

By Chelsea Duncan: Robin/Aquamarine

I've heard about and known personally families who have hit hard times, and because of the difficulties the father has left them. Sometimes the leaving isn't physical, but mental and emotional. But abandonment is painful in any form. So I think when difficult times come to a family, and the husband/father stays physically and emotionally present and fights for his family- this is very heroic. It will affect his children for the rest of their lives and teach them how to face inevitable hardships that come to everyone.

I've been delaying this post because I could not find the hero paragraphs for my last three heroes. (Bad Director! Bad!)
But all of my cast were amazing heroes to me and I wanted anyone who is reading this to see the fantastic photos that were taken by one of the cast members, G. Marshelle Phillips.

Richard S. Blake: John the Baptist/Judas/Eclipse

Brian Cook: Jeffrey/Shellshock

Jennifer Fortson: Pharisee/Greyscale (on the left)

This show was amazing. The cast showed fantastic flexibility and creativity in creating characters for Godspell like no one has seen before. It was a smash-sell-out for the theater and a dream come true for me to direct. It is not often that I would be willing to direct a show a second time, but I love this concept of Godspell so much that I would come back and direct it again in a heartbeat. Any theater willing to take me up on it, give me call.

Godspell Heroes Part 2

2011-08-12T09:56:00.000-05:00

This is the second in a few posts of some of the table work we did for our actors in Godspell. My theme/interpretation of Godspell uses heroes as a central focus and I asked the actors to describe to me a hero of theirs as a part of developing their characters. These are their responses.

By Dean Phillips: Herb/Awesome Man
A hero of mine, who I admire for their success and their contribution to history, is Jim Henson. Henson started his career of puppetry as a freshman in college. Jim created a cascade of unforgettable characters, including Kermit the Frog and with those characters he made a great legacy. Sesame Street and The Muppet Show on TV and the Muppet movies developed some what if a bar of quality for child entertainment. His movies The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth both had a new world inside them without the Muppet characters. However, neither did well when they first came out but later became great family films. Jim Henson is my hero because he started real humbly with small spots on variety shows then made an entire world with friends that we make as children, but keep for a lifetime. He made puppetry an actual form of art both in creation and performance. His product reinforced my morals and taught me to put value in my work.

By Ryan Amador: Jesus/Son Of Man
My hero would certainly have to be my mother, Tracy. She basically raised two kids by herself and ever since I can remember she has taught me to work hard for want you want, harder for what you need, always be respectful, never give up, and above all else, always trust in God's will. She has been my rock, she never gave up on me and my sister and has made tremendous sacrifices to give us a better life, and told me to never give up on my dreams. As I have grown and matured I realize how blessed I am to have such an unselfish, inspirational, and motivating mentor and role model so close to me.

By London Sharay: Disciple/Scarlet Dragonfly
My parents are DEFINITELY my heroes. They have given up SO much for me and my family, and yet they continue to give up more. My Mom and my Dad are two of the most godly people that I know, and they love me and my brothers will all their hearts. They are never afraid to admit when they are at fault, and they always encourage me to strive for greatness in the Lord's presence and here on earth. They are super encouraging, and never give up - even in hard times. My family has been going through difficult situations for the past few years, and my parents have continued to trust in God, walk in His steps, and comfort and encourage us kids. I am SO blessed to call them my parents. They are my heroes.

By Katreeva Phillips: Joanne/The Blue Rider
Definitely my only true hero is Jesus Christ...but if I had to choose an earthly hero, it would have to be Bernadette Peters. She has an amazing talent, and has been going strong for years despite battles and hardships. Despite belief of talent bringing ego, she has maintained a humility that is unmatched when compared to her skill. And Batman is my superhero :)

By Larry Launders: Pharisee/Longarm

Often when asked "who is my hero?" there is one name that leaps to mind. Stevie Ray Vaughan. I could write pages. Not simply just a guitar hero, no. Nor just a celebrity hero. Given his background, his dedication to his craft, his rise to fame and the obstacles and temptations that came with it, also came an honesty in every note he played, every word he sang, and he went to lengths to give musical nods to those who influenced him. As critics (if you watch the Live From Montreaux DVD) the guy from Rolling Stone put it best: "He always cited his sources." In recorded footage he also made tremendous efforts to bring others up with him. All tremendously generous acts from someone who didn't have to be, and admirable qualities. But for me, that's not what made him a true hero. In 1986, after repeated mild intervention attempts, he almost died due to his excessive alcohol and cocaine use. He entered rehab and thankfully survived, and from that point Stevie had a message. If you get your hands on the live recording of a song titled "Life Without You" (originally written as an epitaph for the owner of Charlie's Guitars in Dallas), he had a little speech toward the end of that song (about 3 minutes into that link). Rather than butcher it, I'll just copy it!

"You know, right now, the most important thing in my life is to make sure you understand that first of all, I thank God I'm alive today. And I mean that. You see, I spent too many years of my life thinking that the big party was the whole thing. It took me quite a while to realize that the real deal is to be able to be enough of a person on your own to know when somebody loves you and cares about you. You see, we are here, as far as I can tell, to help each other. Our brothers, our sisters, our friends, our enemies. That's to help each other, not hurt each other...and sometimes, to help them, we have to help ourself...so that we'll know that they're around in the first place.

You see, it's a big world out there...there's enough pain and misery in it without me going around and helpin' it out by hurting myself, and consequently, those that care about me. What I'm trying to get across to you is: Please take care of yourself and those that you love...because that's what we are here for, that's all we've got, and that is what we can take with us."

Godspell Heroes Part 1

2011-08-10T00:26:00.000-05:00

I'm going to share in a few posts some of the table work we did for our actors in Godspell. My theme/interpretation of Godspell uses heroes as a central focus and I asked the actors to describe to me a hero of theirs as a part of developing their characters. These are their responses.

By G Marshelle Phillips: Sonia/The Red Ignitor
I've never really thought about who my hero is. And honestly, I don't know who that is. In order to completely understand my choice, I looked up in the dictionary what Hero really meant. I found 'a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his/her brave deeds and noble qualities.' I still don't know who that one person would be for me. I've had friends who have saved me out of scary situations, both physically and emotionally. I've had family members who have held me when I've scraped my knee. And I've been inspired by the confidence in some celebrities. But I still don't know who my hero is. I don't know. I just don't know. Is that wrong?

By Melanie Swenson: Pharisee/The Black Widow
True Heroes are people who make their world a better place. People whose work, character, and spirit inspire those around them to work a little harder, be a little kinder, give a little more. My aunt Kathy was such a person. She spent her career caring for the town’s library, creating an anchor for her community. She spent her free time supporting area artists, regularly attending the symphony, ballet, art galleries, and the theatre. She spent her life as a role model to others -- a cherished friend, a pillar of her community, a hard-working fund raiser and advocate for literature and the arts, strong in her faith, and devoted to making her corner of the world a better place to live. She is my hero.

By Deena Crawford: Disciple/Queen Green
Heroes are always characterized as beings who are willing to sacrifice their wants, needs, and if necessary, their lives for the benefit of others. The ability to have the care and discerning perception to know that the immediate is not nearly as important as the long term, or even, eternal often motivates these individuals to take action. Superman and Batman sacrificed their personal happiness for the greater good; V from V for Vendetta and Dr. Neville from I Am Legend give their lives for the benefit of humanity; the extreme examples are endless. On a less glorious scale, however, parents chose this sacrifice every day. I admire the parents who chose to make hard decisions for the welfare of their children. Heroes are the parents who provide comfort during a storm; who teach their children the importance of tenacity; who encourage compassion towards those less fortunate; who appreciate the value of a good sense of humor….who put their child’s long term, life needs ahead of their own. Someday, I hope examples of these everyday heroes will also be endless…and we can start the list with mine, who have always been my heroes.

By Timothy Jordan: Lamar/Grenadier
Riddle Me This!
The idea of a hero for most people is someone who saves the day or a person who stands up for what is right. The Riddler does not fit into either one of these catagories.
So “why is he my hero” you ask? The Riddler is my hero because he causes Batman or anyone else for that reason to think beyond the surface. It seems as if sometimes when he thinks up his fiendish riddles he is not doing it because he wants to cause havoc to Gotham or The Batman but because he wants all of Gotham to expand their minds. To many people in today’s society take the easy way out of doing things because our society is getting lazier by the day. If we just took a day to think like the Riddler (not the genius criminal part of him but the genius part) imagine how much it would open up our mind and how much more interesting life would be. In conclusion the Riddler although his motives are messed up has a great mind that we could all learn a lesson or two to use throughout our daily lives.

Question for Church leaders...

2011-07-15T17:59:00.000-05:00

In the time it took these kids...

...to become these kids...

...what resources have you invested in the next generation?

OnStage post about Godspell!

2011-07-14T21:40:00.000-05:00

Check out this email from OnStage at Bedford about Godspell!

We are very excited to announce tickets are also on sale for our next ONSTAGE musical production - "GODSPELL" running three weekends August 5 - August 21st! This show is going to be fantastic!

Directed by one of our favorite directors, John Tillman, we know you won't be disappointed! And let’s not forget - Musical direction by Kevin Keil!

Written by John Michael Tebelak

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Come and see lots of talented actors and hear wonderful musicians in this joyful musical!

Godspell was conceived and originally directed by John Michael Tebelak, and offers music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. One of the biggest off-Broadway and Broadway successes of all time, Godspell is based primarily on the Gospel According to St. Matthew. Featuring a sparkling, seminal score by Stephen Schwartz, Godspell boasts a string of recognizable songs, led by the international hit, "Day By Day." The show opened 5/17/71 Off-Broadway and transferred to Broadway in 1976. It ran for 2,124 performance off-Broadway and 527 on Broadway.

Regular Priced tickets are $15 each. Seniors, Students and Bedford Residents are $12 each. Groups of ten or more are $10 each. Press Pass is valid on the opening Friday night and Sunday matinees at half price of a regular priced $15 ticket (limit 4 per press pass). This show is also regular season ticket show.

Showtimes are 8:00 pm Fridays and Saturdays, and 3:00 pm Sundays. For reservations visit www.onstageinbedford.com or call 817-354-6444.

Join us on facebook or visit www.onstageinbedford.com to keep up to date on exciting events coming up!

We appreciate your patronage and support!

Your Friends at ONSTAGE in Bedford

Tony Stark's Garage! Godspell Note #3

2011-07-14T00:31:00.000-05:00

I didn’t realize that my blog name related to the theme I chose for Godspell until watching an Ironman motion comic recently. Somewhere in my brain, I knew that Tony Stark called his experimental laboratory “The Garage” and that it was in that place that he locked himself away in “creative mode” working on breakthrough technology. And I knew that I titled my (somewhat lame) efforts at a blog “Garage Band Theater.” But my brain never connected the two until watching Extremis. Yep. Most heroes have a retreat, a place of solitude, a place for training, a place for creative problem solving. Superman has the Fortress of Solitude, Batman has the Batcave, The X-men have the Danger Room, and Tony Stark has The Garage. This blog is my garage for theater, faith, church, and just life. And what greater creative outlet for all of those things, than Godspell? I really can’t wait until people see all the things that we have been working on for this show. It is super exciting. Tony always came out of the garage with some amazing breakthrough for Stark technologies, or for the Ironman suit itself. I’m no Tony Stark, but this production of Godspell is something I have never seen before outside of my head. It does amaze me, and that is the only barometer I have to judge by. I hope that it will amaze everyone who sees or even hears about it afterwards. That being said, don’t be amazed by hearing about it. See it.

August 5th-21st. Fridays 8PM, Saturdays 8PM, Sundays 3PM.

Beware Our Power! Godspell Note #2

2011-07-06T08:15:00.001-05:00

Godspell is based on the Gospel of Matthew. Sort of. My production of Godspell adds some bonus “sort of” to the mix. Like what might have happened if Jesus came to a Stephen King-like alternate universe version of Gotham City, and Stan Lee wrote it all down. Yes, true believers! What if Jesus was a superhero? What if the disciples were His superhero team? In some ways this production of Godspell is more true to the scriptural source material than most. But like any Godspell, the script doesn’t follow the narrative of the scriptures at all. You won’t find the familiar faces of the apostles here. But you will find oppression, blood, sacrifice, love, freedom, and a conquering hero. But not just one hero. A superhero team bound by a sacred creed to bring light to the world and scatter the darkness.

Let those who worship evil’s might beware OUR power!

Team! Godspell Note #1

2011-07-04T00:49:00.000-05:00

Stephen Schwartz tells us in the author’s notes that Godspell is chiefly about the formation of a community capable of carrying on the motives, teachings, and maybe even miracles of its founder. In this, he is very close to the narratives of the original Gospels. Jesus said he would build his church, on, through, and for people. And that is what the show demonstrates. Each character learns and chooses to join the superhero squad of faith or not. As we watch this, I think we can all relate to the struggle of trying to be independent, without ignoring our deeper need for community. You might think you can make it all on your own, but even Superman needs help from time to time. Super heroes work better in groups. Each member’s strength protects the next member’s weakness.

Kryptonite? Don't worry, Superman, Batman has your back.

The color yellow? No sweat, Green Lantern, Superman is on it.

To truly understand God, or even to understand yourself, you need a community, a team. Who is on your team?

Godspell is cast!

2011-06-02T23:38:00.002-05:00

I have been very excited as I have been working on Godspell for a while now. I'm very excited because I will be doing Godspell in a very different way than I think it has been done before. But it is difficult trying to imagine a show when you don't know who will be playing the parts. I haven't until tonight known who the cast would be for this show. But now I do.

The show runs August 5-7, 12-14, and 19-21 at OnStage in Bedford.
Here is OnStage's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ONSTAGE-in-Bedford/177273253298?sk=info
You can also follow OnStage on twitter, @ONSTAGEBedford

And ladies and gentlemen, here is the cast.

Jesus- Ryan Keating
John the Baptist/Judas- Richard Blake
Lamar- Timothy Jordan
Jeffery- Brian Cook
Herb- Dean Phillips
Robin- Chelsea Duncan
Sonia- Marshelle Phillips
Gilmer- Rebecca Lodge
Joanna- Katreeva Phillips
Peggy- Laura Jones
Disciple/Chorus- Deena Crawford
Disciple/Chorus- London Sharay
Disciple/Chorus- Brooke Sailer
Pharisee/Chorus- Larry Launders
Pharisee/Chorus- Melanie Swensen
Pharisee/Chorus- Karen Cross

Looking forward to a great show!

He's dead

2011-05-02T22:32:00.000-05:00

He's dead.

So you think the Bible teaches that God is pleased when justice is measured out and a man dedicated to evil is destroyed?

So you think the Bible teaches that Christians should weep over every sinner who enters eternity without Christ? Even mass murderers?

Guess what! You are both right. What you are wrong about is trying to proof text each other to death on the Internet.

The Bible shows us that God and God's people do celebrate the triumph of good over evil including the death of evil men.

The Bible also shows us that God's heart breaks for every person choosing to walk away from grace and toward judgement.

God's heart breaks even more when violent choices bring such terrible harm to others.

God does not drag, hurl, or send people to Hell. People break their way in, crashing through Hell's gates with selfishness, pride, and hate as their battering rams. Osama fought hard to get into Hell.

Two questions.
Are you fighting your way into Hell by resisting Christ?
Are you fighting hard enough to keep people out?

Going with us...

2011-04-11T22:59:00.000-05:00

We closed on our first home about a year ago. But over a year ago , as we were shopping for our first home, we were kicked out of our apartment before we had a place to live. We made the decision not to lease a new apartment and to place most of our things in storage as we searched. (We highly recommend PODS) We made a list of the items NOT going in the POD. These items would go with us as we became nomadic, homeless, home shoppers.

Here is the list: (with more details in parentheses)
Suitcases (clothes)
Microwave
Purple tub (with some cooking items)
Folding wooden chairs
Coffee tub
Coffee maker
DVD player
TV
DVD speakers
Blue ottoman (with A/V cables in it)
Purple door hanger from bathroom (medicine & toiletries)
Bathroom box (toiletries)
Tape cassette box (for receipts and keys)
Stuff from blue tray

There was one thing that went with us even though He wasn't on the list. God went with us. How could He not? Jesus knew what it was to be without somewhere to lay his head. We were never more like Christ than when sleeping in friends' or relatives' houses and on the floors of their empty apartments. But it didn't feel like God was with us all the time...especially as the house search dragged on and we experienced dishonesty and shady listing agents. Most days, we felt abandoned, not abundant. It didn't feel like God was with us. It felt like He was against us. But feelings are not the same as the truth. And looking back, His presence was the only thing that kept us getting up off the floor every morning. That, and the air mattress barely held air for six hours. As Christmas approached we lit the candles on our little advent wreath that traveled in a cookie tin, and we felt like we were on the road and on the run with the Holy family.

I am sometimes still amazed that we survived the next six months. But I am more amazed at the blessings that we have in our life now. And sometimes I like to look back at that list of lonely items we carried with us and thank God for them. Many of these items can still be found around our house. And it is good to remember, "At one time this was all I had." I was thankful even then. How can I not be thankful now? Everything we have is a gift. But what is more valuable, the gift or the giver?

Be generous with and thankful for what you have, now. Don't wait until you have "more." If you can't give when times are hard, you aren't really giving when times are good.

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Adventures In Sherwood Forest...

2011-03-16T17:36:00.000-05:00

“...The way is clear/ The light is good/ I have no fear, nor no one should...”

Melissa and I were in the opening reel of a slasher/horror movie on a recent vacation. Luckily nothing ever did spring out of the dark to eat/slash/kill us.

Picture if you will...

Two travelers in love attend a Renaissance Fair in the woods in central Texas.

The first-time attenders are camping in the patron (that's “customer”) campsite.

Just after sunset the Fair puts on a fire show outside the front gates. The exit to the patron campsite is through the back gate, but the couple are assured that they can re-enter the fair and walk through to the back gate without any trouble. However there is trouble.

Dun-Dun-DUNNNN...

After walking through the darkened, empty fairgrounds, the hapless lovers arrive at the only exit to the patron camp to find it locked tight.

The employees of the camp are having a raucous meeting in the pub with drinks and long winded announcements for all. In the dark the couple question many still costumed employees of the fair, asking who can open the gate. None can until the meeting is over. Not wanting to wait over an hour to return to their warm, quiet tent they entreat the costumed characters for another way around to the camp. Even a long walk would be better than sitting in the night and waiting.

One shadowy figure says, “Well, you didn't hear it from me, but there is a long way around.”

Dun-Dun-DUNNNN...

The travelers are taken under the wing of several young performers from the fair, still in their faerie makeup and calling themselves by their characters' names. They are young and rebellious enough to skip the meeting and take the forbidden road to the patron camp. (Employee's aren't allowed in the patron camp, but they are going to see some friends in a camp called “Valhalla.”) Some are very drunk and all will walk together along the dark road through the woods.

The moon is not full, but is abnormally bright. The dirt road shines like a path made of moon rocks, reflecting back what the moon has already reflected of the sun. The woods look darker and more foreboding against the bright, white stripe of road.

The couple befriend the soberest of their companions and are told that they are all college students, studying theater, and enjoy going to all the fairs around the state. As the group walks the inebriated ones lag behind and even have to stop to urinate. Near a bend in the road a truck rolls by and tells the band that they have missed the dirt road turn-off that leads to the camp. Confusion sets in. The group doubles back. But the path is not there. There is no road to miss along the stretch that they have walked. It is only then they realize that two of their number are missing.

Dun-Dun-DUN...

Where could they be? Did they keep walking? Did they turn drunkenly into the pathless woods? Did something horrible happen to them in the nigh... Nope. Here they are. They are just slow and walking in the shadows.

Then we walked back around the corner and found the path, and found the camp, and to my knowledge all survived the night unscathed. (Including the drunk ones looking for “Valhalla”)

By the way, if you have never waited in the dark for a drunk guy to re-lace his knee-high boot, you have never waited in the dark at all.

Also, by the way...since we were sober and married, it is entirely possible that after we parted company from the young revelers, something horrible did come upon them. Horror films are very moralistic. The chaste and the sober usually don't die. At least not in the opening bit...

It's good to be good.

Thoughts on bullying...

2010-12-30T11:30:00.000-06:00

The #MayTheForceBeWithKatie campaign got me thinking some more about bullying. It's a subject I have a lot of experience with.

(If you don't know about #MayTheForceBeWithKatie you should Google it.)

I'm anti-bullying. I am pro-anti-bullying awareness. But I'm also anti-anti-bullying rules.

I'm not saying that drawing attention to bullying and encouraging teachers to watch for it is bad, but the new rules are silly. A local headline (on TV, channel 11, I think) actually noted that schools now have a list of "who you are not allowed to bully." Shouldn't EVERYONE be on that list?!

"I know all they is to know about..." bullying....

I have been bullied. I was bullied for being new. (I moved a lot) I was bullied for being small. (I grew out of that one) I was bullied for being the only white kid. (When I lived in Hawaii) I was bullied for being friends with the Iranian kid. (During Iranian hostage crisis) And, yes, I was bullied for being gay. (I wasn't)
Being bullied made me unsure of who I was and why. It was verbal, emotional, physical, and violent. It was very hard and very real.

(I've also been a bully. I was part of a crowd who bullied the one kid in our school who was cheering for the Royals to beat the Cardinals in the World Series. I think God made the Cards lose the series to punish us.)

So how did I ever survive being bullied? Shouldn't I be a shriveling pile of uncertainty and repressed hostility?

The biggest reason is simple. My parents.
My parents found out what was happening.
My parents got involved.
My parents said, "Don't listen."
My parents said, "Fight back."
My parents fought for me with teachers and administrators.
My parents said, "Get over it."
My parents were parents.

Also, my parents didn't stand up for me if they found out I was in the wrong. That's a biggie.

If I had grown up in today's climate, there are a lot of things I might never have figured out:
Standing up for others is as important as standing up for yourself.
When standing on a bus seat, a 4th grader can bust an 8th grader's lip.
Just like in the movies, it usually only takes one good punch to silence a bully.
In the schoolyard, the wrestler always beats the boxer.
After you beat up a bully, he might join the wrestling team and become your friend.
Sometimes walking away hurts a bully more than fighting them ever could.
Being beaten up doesn't feel as bad as being right feels good.
I also might never have figured out that I'm not gay. (People who supported me would assume that the bullies were right!)

It is even more important for parents to pay attention and stay involved today, because kids don't have the same options to deal with bullies that I did. If a punch is thrown, they probably will deal with the police instead of the principal.

Encouraging teachers to watch for bullying is good, but most bullying happens when teachers aren't paying attention. (Knowing when the teacher is not paying attention is an important technique in the Bullying For Dummies handbook.) But special new rules are not the answer. Just enforce the rules you have.

Motives don't matter. Actions do.

Using racial slurs or slurs regarding sexual orientation should be wrong because it is wrong. Not because it's bullying.

Physical violence or intimidation should be punished because of WHAT happens, not WHY it happens.

Bullying usually doesn't spring from hatred, but boredom, and what happens at school will never stop bullying. (or boredom, either) It is what happens at home that will help kids deal with bullying. If they don't learn to deal with it in school, they'll just have to learn to deal with it later. It's not like bullies disappear when you turn eighteen, or twenty-four, or thirty-eight, or sixty-eight.
For every McFly there will always be a Biff. A time machine or a special rule won't help you escape bullying. You can't deal with bullying like I did or like your parents did. You have to deal with it where and when you are.

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Elevate Teacher Devotional...

2010-12-20T14:01:00.000-06:00

I've been working on getting our Allaso Ranch Elevate series out the door and I thought those of you who might be driving for the holidays would appreciate this teacher devotional from Lesson 4.

For those of you who don't know, I work at Fellowship Church helping to produce our Elevate children's curriculum. As a part of the curriculum, we write devotionals intended for the volunteers who will be teaching the children the lessons each week.

This lesson is about God providing manna for the Israelites in the wilderness.

*****

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

Imagine driving a lonely road. It is miles and miles since there has been even the hint of a town. You are thirsty. You are hungry. And, most urgent of all, you need a restroom. But, just when you think you won’t make it, a rest stop appears over the horizon. What a relief! A clean bathroom, available snacks and drinks, and a beautiful spot to stretch your legs from being cramped in the car. You leave refreshed and reinvigorated for the rest of the trip.

Rest stops aren’t like normal exits with lots of businesses, gas stations, and restaurants. Rest stops are planned for the “in-between” places. The people who planned the road anticipated that this would be a spot where you would need to stop, rest, and get refreshed. God is like that. When we are following His path for us, He will always provide for us what we need, when we need it. Often, God’s provision will come just as our need for it arises.

As the Israelites followed God through a barren landscape, God provided for them one day at a time. He always provided exactly what they needed and their response should have been one of thankfulness. If the Israelites looked in the rear view mirror, they could still see where they had come from. They could see the slavery God freed them from and the certain death God had saved them from. And ahead of them was a land of promise and blessing. The journey itself should have inspired thankfulness! But instead, they grumbled and complained.

Whatever road you find yourself travelling, remember that God made that road. Behind you are the things God has brought you through and ahead of you are the blessings He has for you. Be thankful and follow His route. If you do, you will find His constant provision for your journey. Be thankful for the road, and the provision of God that lets you keep travelling on it.

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

“But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23 NLT

"We get to" or "We have to"

2010-12-15T22:25:00.002-06:00

When dancers are in a show you usually hear one of two reactions to the choreography. The excitement of, "We get to do that?" Or the whining of, "We have to do that?"

If I had a choice, as a director, I would fire the Have-To's the instant I heard them whining. I want a cast full of Get-To's.

Get-To's are great to work with. They are humble. They are excited. They want to get it right. They want you to give them something challenging. They want to be better dancers when they leave the show. They want to do something they haven't done before. They want to learn. Their biggest joy is nailing something that looked impossible when they tried it the first time.

Have-To's are a pain to work with. They don't want a challenge. They want steps they have done before. They complain about unfamiliar styles and moves. They don't want to learn. They are selfishly concerned with how they look when learning a move. They don't trust their choreographers or their dance partners. Their idea of looking good is doing what they already know.

Some times "We have to" is disguised as "I can't." I-Can't people can be just as bad as Have-To's.
Now, some choreographers are actually crazy or delusional about the talent level of the cast. They can't accept that some in the cast have had little training and don't know a tour jeté from the Tour de France. But even when the choreographer is crazy, I don't like hearing "I can't do that." Unless it is "I can't do that yet. I'll keep trying,"

Remember all those other people who were at auditions? They are just a few of the people out there who would love to have the chance to do what you are doing. Quit whining and be thankful.

Of course this doesn't just apply to dancing or to theater. It should apply to what you do for your spouse, family, company, or church. Since I work at a church, my get-tos, want-tos, and have-tos can get pretty mixed up and complicated. But even when I'm saddled with some task that I don't want to do, I do my best to summon up a get-to attitude. Things always go better when I do.

If you aren't a Get-to-kind of person in all areas of your life, you just don't get it. When you are a Have-To person, people just might groan when they "have to" be around you. Being a Get-To person means people will be excited to "get to" work with you and spend time with you. Be a Get-To. Be thankful for your opportunities and humble about your abilities.

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Arguing about religion...

2010-11-23T23:16:00.000-06:00

Arguing about religion on the internet is less productive, more useless, and dumber than arguing about sports in a bar.
No knowledge is gained.
No point ever gets made.
The loudest voices always drown the wisest.
And if it goes on long enough it will become a brawl.
So, should I get involved in that meaty theological thread on Facebook? Should I verbally slap some sense into bloggers and blog commenters?

Solomon said in Proverbs 26:4, "Don't answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are."
But he also said, in the very next verse, Proverbs 26:5, "Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools, or they will become wise in their own estimation."

So if the wisest-man-on-earth-ever couldn't make up his mind, what makes me or you think we have it figured out?
Well, I know I don't have it figured out. I struggle with this all the time.
Every time I see some fool spouting foolishness, I wonder if it is worth it to point out the error. When I think others may be influenced by what is said, I wonder if I can afford NOT to jump in.

The bottom line is this. You won't often see me jumping in on hot topics on Facebook or twitter or blogs.

I know what I believe and I'm not ashamed of it. I know many of you might not agree with my beliefs. But I'm not ashamed of your beliefs either. You don't have to agree with me to be my friend and I hope I don't have to agree with you to be yours.

But let me ask you this. If your beliefs were wrong, would you want to know?

When your plumbing is messed up, why would you ask an eye doctor what to do? Or a fireman? Or a dentist? Ask a plumber!

My pastor often says you have to ask the right people the right questions to get the right answers.

Have doubts about church? About Christianity? Me, too.
Doubt is the opposite side of the coin from faith. They are connected.
You don't need faith AND certainty. If you have one you don't need the other. If you have doubt, that just means your brain is working properly.

If you have questions or doubts about Christianity, take your doubts somewhere they can find answers. The local church. Not the Internet.
If you don't have a church you feel comfortable in, mine is made for you. Ask me questions if you want, but better yet, go to church. Not just once. But regularly.

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It don't look like much...

2010-08-16T18:58:00.001-05:00

I kind of sneer when I hear the word "environmentalist." Not because I don't believe in taking care of the environment, but because, lately, that word also means "elitist."

So, even though I will be thrilled to have my work drive shortened by highway widening/improvements I will be sad every time I pass this spot in the median on 121 in Grapevine.

Soon I'll probably be driving over this muddy spot at 70+ MPH. But I'll remember when it used to look like this.

It doesn't look like much. You probably can't see the cattails and red-winged black birds that made us call this area "the wetlands." I'm sure it's not actually officially Wetlands with a capital W. But it made us smile every time we passed it.

I don't think the new construction is a mistake and I wouldn't have tied myself to a cattail to stop it. I believe in caring for the earth, not leaving it "as is." I will miss my little nature stop on the way to work, but I will not miss the stoppage of traffic that allowed/forced me to notice the spot in the first place.

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Psalm 56:8 Praying for the Brooks Family

2010-07-15T13:47:00.001-05:00

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

Roanoke Jones PTSD

2010-07-15T08:03:00.001-05:00

After weeks of being at work before sunup and home after sundown, (Roanoke Jones production) my body is still freaking out. I jerk awake when the sun comes up stressed that I'm late. "Wake up! What's going on! I'm supposed to be somewhere!"

I need a reset button for my brain.

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More than just "happy"

2010-05-29T11:41:00.000-05:00

"There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends." http://read.ly/John15.13.NLT

We remember, this weekend, the many who have laid down their lives for our freedom.
"Happy Memorial Day" doesn't quite cut it.

Celebrate this weekend with those you love, remember the ones who have given their lives for political freedom, and remember Jesus, who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our ultimate freedom.

The section below is copied from a Dallas Morning News article:

In December 2000, Congress passed and the president signed into law the National Moment of Remembrance Act.

It encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.U.S. military deaths by armed conflict:

LOST AT WAR

116,516 World War I, 1917-18

405,399 World War II, 1941-45

36,574 Korea, 1950-53

58,220 Vietnam, 1957-75

8 Iran hostage rescue, 1980

265 Lebanon peacekeeping, 1982-84

19 Grenada, 1983

23 Panama, 1989

383 Gulf War, 1990-91

43 Somalia, 1992-94

1,000 Afghanistan, 2001-present

4,400 Iraq, 2003-present

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Vision, Mustaches, Pogo Sticks, Kissing, Smoking, and Selflessness

2010-05-14T13:05:00.007-05:00

I love growing a mustache or growing a goatee or changing my hair for a part. A lot of people would hate that because they think that it is changing them. They worry about being seen in public, or going to their jobs looking “weird.” They are giving up the freedom of looking the way the want to look, giving up their personal preferences. They are giving up control of themselves and they don't like it. But that is why I love it. It forces me to remember and act on the fact that my body does not belong to me. The body is the actor's tool, and when in a show, all the tools belong to the show.

To complete, to the best of my ability, the vision of the director, I must give up what I appear to be, so that I can appear to be something else.

Your body is a part of the instrument of showing and portraying the character. It does not belong to you, the actor, anymore. I surrender what people see when they see me, so that when people see me, they can see something else. Something in line with the vision of the show.

The same goes for an actor's actions. Melissa did plays and musicals almost since she could walk with a famous theater company in Shreveport/Bossier, The Peter Pan Players. They always had a show up right after Christmas time and the kids would almost always have final rehearsals on Christmas day and the day after. The entire cast was given dire warnings by the director not to play with any “dangerous” toy that might cause an injury that could keep them out of the show. If they got a new pair of stilts, skates, a skateboard, scooter, bike, pogo stick, or trampoline, they could NOT play with them. They had to wait until the show was over. This is because an injury could endanger the entire show.

The actors had to abstain from actions that could endanger the vision of the show! Recently I was in a role with several kissing scenes. As we got closer to the end of rehearsals, we had a conversation about when to start kissing so that it would not be awkward on tech week or opening weekend. The actress told me she would stop smoking once we started kissing. Smoke breath or bad breath would not have stopped me from kissing her as the part required, but it surely made it easier. One less thing to be a distraction and one less thing to interfere with the performance. I told her later that if I had known that kissing would stop her from smoking, I would have suggested we kiss from the first rehearsal, since I was saving her life!

Responsible actors instinctively know and accept that their actions in everyday life affect the show. Actors don't just magically change into the character on stage. Acting affects your whole life.

Actors give up control of their own identity to better carry out the vision of the show.

Actors give up actions from their lives that might detract from the vision of the show.

It is all about the vision.

With church it is the same way. We are called together for a higher purpose. To fulfill a vision. But many times actors, those same people who will give up so much for the vision of a show, can't be cajoled into giving up anything for the vision of the church. (Yeah, I'm picking on actors, but “normal” people are the same way.)

How could you possibly expect that participating in something as visionary as the church would not demand change in your day to day life? Would not demand action? Would not demand sacrifice? Would not demand work?

To do a play, you give up your time, you put up with directors and actors that you might not like, you work your butt off, you give up your appearance, you give up outside actions that interfere with the show. And the pay-off is pretty great. You gotta love the applause, the congrats, the feeling of achievement or pulling off a great performance. When you do a play, you aren't thinking about the freedom you have given up, you are thrilled to be a part of something greater than yourself!

When you do your part as a member of the local church, you should expect a similar investment and commitment. Submit to and work with leaders and people you may not like. Work your butt off. Give up your personal preferences. Give up actions that interfere with the vision of Christ. If you do, I guarantee you the pay-off is greater that any earthly ovation you could receive.

Grammar Haiku...

2010-04-09T16:39:00.000-05:00

Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogherty, (http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/) asked for submissions of haikus about language. This is the one I submitted.

I love the comma
Tiny misunderstood mark
Serial is best

If you don't know, the serial comma is a hotly debated grammar-traversy.

A sure way to get my vote on any issue is to play to my affection for the serial comma.

If I had one question for a politician it would be, "What is your administration's stance on the serial comma?"

You don't use the serial comma? You can't be serious!

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Black Sheep

2010-03-27T19:34:00.001-05:00

These phrases were inspired by the current sermon series at our church.

Black Sheep

The kicked out won't be left out.
The cast off won't be run off.
The written off won't be erased.
The rejected will be accepted.
The scorned will be welcomed home.
The ugly will be treated beautifully.
The relegated will be celebrated.
The ignored will be sought after.
The left over won't be passed over.
The left out will be welcomed right in.

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Haters hate for fun and profit...

2010-03-14T11:54:00.002-05:00

It's profitable and popular to be a hater. People will flock to pile on with you and you just might damage the object of your hate-attack. Just skim through the blogosphere or google search anyone who is doing anything significant or interesting. Where there is action, there will be haters!

Anyone who does anything will be attacked by haters. The only way not to, is to not do anything. Working in several different theaters and in the church, I hear haters all the time.

Haters sometimes attack an entity, like a show, a theater, or a church; and sometimes they attack a person, like me, people I like, or even people I don't like.

When I say "haters," I am not talking about people who give me honest criticism, people who I argue with, or even people I have a fight with. That is different and necessary. Criticism, and conflict bring change and growth. A fight can be great for a relationship. You don't really have a close relationship with someone until you have a fight.

Haters don't have a real relationship with you. Haters are people who don't really know the object of their hatred. They aren't familiar with the facts. They don't have first-hand information. But they think they know everything. If you try to explain, they say they can "see through your lies." No matter what you share with them, or what you tell them, it won't be enough.

The problem with dealing with a hater is that you almost never will change their opinion. They are hating because it feels good, not because they have a well thought out reason. A reasonable person in an argument can be persuaded and even calmed by facts. Not a hater. Facts mean nothing to the hater if the facts don't support the hatred.

Stopping what you are doing to deal with a hater is a huge mistake. That is exactly what they want. Attention. Power. Influence. Control. Ignoring them is often the best response.

What to do about haters? I don't have all the answers, but here is what I try to do in my life.

First, don't become one yourself! Everyone gets angry. The Bible tells us that we should be angry without sinning. So anger is a given. Be angry. It's okay. But don't respond in anger. Stop and think. Inquire and verify the facts. Don't make major decisions while you are angry. Don't quit a show, fire someone, walk out on a friend, or even break off a relationship in the heat of anger. Get away, let it cool, think it through, get wise advice from others, and then act decisively.

Second, don't join in and pile on. Avoid being drawn in to gossip and negative talk about anyone, especially if you don't like them! Change the subject, say you don't want to talk about it, or just walk away. If you can't avoid it, be sure not to make it worse. Only talk about things that you know are verifiable fact. Not what someone heard, or what someone was told. And don't spread it. If you wouldn't say something about someone with the person face to face in front of you, you shouldn't say it at all. This is a hard lesson to learn and I'm not perfect. I've been the victim of haters, but I've also slurped out of other people's bottles of Haterade when they passed it around.

Third, point it out and don't encourage it in people around you. When people around you are angry, it is fine to let them vent frustration about a specific thing that happened to them. But stop the train when second-hand stories, or rumors become a part of the rant. If they can't stick to the facts, walk away. Walk away literally and tell them why. If the behavior is a pattern, keep that person at arms length. Don't let habitual haters into your inner circle.

Creativity brings conflict many times. So we should not act surprised when people get offended, hurt, or angry working in a creative environment. We should also not be surprised when people get angry at the church for doing what it is designed to do. We should all be open to honest, up-front critique, but haters should not be placated or attended to.

Don't be like 'em. Avoid 'em. Point 'em out! Brush 'em off!

Theatre/Worship: Laughing and Church

2010-01-20T08:44:00.004-06:00

I love it when certain friends come to see my shows. I love it when anyone comes, but there are some friends who can make a performance better just by being in the audience. What makes them so special? They laugh. Loudly and often. So why are laughing people in the audience so great? Because having responsive and involved people in the audience helps the entire audience enjoy the show more. (Even if it is not a "comedy" there still should be laughter! Whole other topic for later: All shows have humor...) Because I know that a responsive audience helps a show, when I go to see a show, I make an effort to step out of my introvert comfort zone and be a responsive audience member. I don't fake laughter, but I remind myself to laugh out loud when I might tend to laugh quietly to myself.

What does this have to do with church? In church I tend to be more of a reserved and observant participator. I enjoy singing corporately, but spontaneously standing up and raising my hands doesn't come naturally to me. I remain intensely involved, but outwardly I may not show it. Because I know that worship and theatre are so alike, and I have been on stage leading in worship myself, I know that a responsive audience helps the people on stage and helps the whole service. So what do I do? I do the same thing that I do at the theatre. I make an effort to step out of my introvert comfort zone and be a responsive audience member. I don't fake it, but I remind myself to visibly participate. It helps me to better worship, because I am putting others before myself, and it helps others around me. This is what it means to worship together, when it stops being about "me."

Theatre as Worship/Worship as Theater...

2010-01-03T22:33:00.005-06:00

I recently directed Duck Hunter Shoots Angel by Mitch Albom. It was produced at OnStage in Bedford. It was one of the great theater experiences in my life so far.

As the brilliant set was being ripped up and tossed in the trash, I put up a pic on FB with a comment about the ephemeral nature of theater. The sound designer, Jeff Mizener, left this comment:

"I look at theatre as a kind of 3-dimensional, time-bound Mandala -- an artwork that is created as a collaborative effort, that exists for a short period of time and then disappears, never to be seen again in the same form. It applies to the set, the actions of the actors on stage, the sound and the lighting. It all comes together for a brief moment in time and space and then *poof*, it's gone -- and all involved move on to the next project.
Wikipedia has this description of Mandala: "In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of aspirants and adepts, as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction. According to David Fontana, its symbolic nature can help one "to access progressively deeper levels of the unconscious, ultimately assisting the meditator to experience a mystical sense of oneness with the ultimate unity from which the cosmos in all its manifold forms arises." " This is a pretty good description of Theatre, with the audience playing the role of the aspirants.
The transitory nature of Theatre is why I take so many pictures -- I try to capture some of the moments that will never exist again."

I have written before about the connections between theatre and worship, so this made a lot of sense to me. You can read my previous blog here: http://garagebandtheatre.blogspot.com/2006/04/theatre-worship-worship-theatre.html

Theater is one of those art forms that leaves little tangible evidence of its passing. In a few weeks or years I can look back at my scribbles in the script, at my GoogleDocs of notes and corrections that were given during rehearsals. I can re-read the script. I can look back at sketches and plans for the set, and listen to the songs and sound effects that were created for the show. I can look at pictures. I can even look at an archival video if one was allowed to be made. But the show is gone. It can't be retrieved. Even if there is a video, it can't capture the feeling, the emotion, the greatness of the show. If you are not there, you miss out.

(This is one reason why I think it is stupid of play publishers to be so restrictive about making a video of a show.)

Worship is also a group effort. It takes a group to bring all of the different elements together. My church is a great example. We have a lot of services each weekend. We have the same songs and arrangements, the same videos and artistic elements, the same speaker and messages for every service each weekend. But each one is unique. And if you miss it, the experience can't be replicated, even with the latest and greatest video technology. It's simple. If you are not there, you miss out.

I missed out on worship for years because I was angry at church leaders. Angry at denominational leaders. I thought their hypocrisy and corruption actually got me off the hook with God. It doesn't, by the way.

So here is what I have to say. Don't miss out on worship because someone in the past screwed up. What if you never went to a show again, because you saw some shows that were train wrecks, a theater treated you badly, or a director was a psychopath?

Worship is intended to be more than just a private act. If you go to church, great. Keep going and get involved in helping out. But if you don't go to church, (or don't even believe in going to church) give mine a try. It's not for everyone, but it might just be for you. And it won't be the same without you.

More Pics...

2009-12-19T19:10:00.000-06:00

More Duck Hunter Pics...

2009-12-19T19:07:00.000-06:00

Some Photos from Duck Hunter Shoots Angel by Mitch Albom

2009-12-19T19:04:00.000-06:00

Last Weekend Duck Hunter Shoots Angel

2009-12-18T20:11:00.001-06:00

It is usually a bag of mixed emotions at the end of a great show's run. In the case of Duck Hunter Shoots Angel, I would love for it to keep going for another three weeks. What a great show! Thank you, Mitch Albom, for writing it. Thank You OnStage for putting it on your season. Thank you to my actors and crew for making it come to life. Wish it could keep going, but if you want to see it you will only have two more chances. Tomorrow at 2 PM & 8 PM.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Duck Hunter Shoots Angel - "live" commentary Act Two...

2009-12-11T21:09:00.002-06:00

I'll try to avoid spoilers in these comments.

Act two starts with a woman dancing with a man with a gator head. I love this show.

Act two also starts with a major change of the set, that people might not notice. But I am glad that one of the reviewers did! Thanks, Ellen!

The "two wise men" line, is one of the few things in this show that have anything to do with Christmas.

Duane's character in this show has some really great malapropisms. Worthy of Dogberry from Much Ado. And they are delivered by Larry Launders with the perfect amount of confidence in his vocabulary .

"A double-wide? What's that a fat chick?"

Jen, practice your fastball. :)

Great timing with the wings!

I love Douglas Cunningham's performance in the whole show, but my favorite moments from him are both in the second act. The first is Lenny's long story about his grade school principal. The second is his almost silent performance in Sandy's re-telling of the Gatorman story a few pages later.

One of the great things about this show is the meaningful, thoughtful moments juxtaposed with riotous comedy. It works great. I often think that people learn best when they are laughing.

Fog is so stupidly uncontrollable, but when it gives you a great moment, it is really fantastic.

I love hearing the audience repeating the jokes to themselves.

I'd also like to take a moment to praise my cast for the addition of the malapropism, "popa-nazis" for "paparazzi." The script has a joke about Diana being married to the guy with big ears. A joke on prince Charles. To move the story closer to our time period I suggested we change that reference. I don't remember who first said it, but "papa-nazi" came out of that discussion.

Nice catch, Robert!!!

"Jacob. His brother, Hee-haw. Sold his birthright for a bowl of grits..."

Not quite sure why people always laugh when the lights come up on Duwell in the tree.

"I have to tell you something." This line gets a lot of repetition. I believe that it is because the play does indeed have something to tell us.

Fantastic performances by Jill and Jen bring the emotional moments of the play to life.

Suprise!!!!

I love this show and my cast and crew who bring it to life!

Don't miss it!

Duck Hunter Shoots Angel - "live" commentary Act One...

2009-12-11T20:09:00.003-06:00

I love this show, and even though I directed it, I still laugh when I watch it. That is what happens with great writing, and great performances matched together with all the other things that make a show work.

So here are some of my thoughts as I watch the show tonight.

First of all is Ellen's astounding work on the set. Combined with the lights and the sound design it sets the stage perfectly before any actor even enters the stage.

I LOVE the malapropisms scattered throughout the dialogue. One of the great things about the script.

One of my other favorite things is that Mitch Albom's script has built in scene changes with the almost overlapping. The last word of one scene leading in to the first line of the next scene. Of course this is part of why my set changes had to so simple. No time to bring on a whole wall, door, and office set. You only have two lines to do it.

That and I hate sitting in the dark waiting for set changes. Hate it.

I love teh way things come up out of the dark in this show. Especially with Sandy and Lenny in the car. You see and actor or something moving in the dark, outside the cone of light indicating the car. What is it? Then the lights change and there it is. Just as if the scene was waiting there on the side of the road and was revealed by the headlights of the car. Then the lights dim and we are back in the car speeding toward the rest of the story.

Chemistry is so important and so difficult to cast and produce. I am thrilled with my entire cast, but especially with the chemistry between Duane and Duwell, my two duck hunting brothers.

I love the change in Robert's whole demeanor when he switches to play another character during a flashback.

Jeff's sounds for the whole show are an entire additional character.

The head for the Gatorman is so much better than anything we could have written. It was definitely a challenge to build. One of those projects that you aren't sure is going to make it in time, but the outcome is perfect for the show. Charles Poynter's excellent work wearing the head brings the piece to life and communicates to the audience without ever saying a word.

One of my favorite moments in the show is the frank and hilarious, in-Sandy's-face discussion of race that Sandy and Lenny have in the car.

The female parts in this show are so small, but SOOOO important. I am absolutely thrilled with the talent of Jill Etheridge as Kansas, and Jen Fortson as Woman.

I love that Duwell carrying the payphone off when he is done with it gets a laugh.

Lenny gets to eat donuts on stage. You gotta love acting.

Lester gets a massage.

I love the gator rolling Lester off on the desk/massage table.

Larry is having problems with his hat. It is always interesting to see how actors solve problems when they are on stage.

Double entendre scenes are always fun. It is really challenging to write a long scene where people keep talking to each other without realizing they are not talking about the same things.

The Maynard story is a great moment in the show.

"... you got morons, you got idiots, and then you got your intellectual types like myself."

Great payoff moment at the end of the first act in this show.

Act two coming up in fifteen minutes....

More Duck Hunter Reviews!

2009-12-09T14:09:00.006-06:00

See Full Review and photos at http://www.theaterjones.com

This Duck Has Wings
Mitch Albom's Christmas comedy hits the target at Onstage in Bedford.

by Cathy O'Neal

Published Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Seen enough fake snow already? Not in the mood for another evening with Scrooge? Couldn’t care less about Magi gifts or whether Ralphie gets a BB gun? Onstage in Bedford offers something completely different this holiday season with the regional premiere of Duck Hunter Shoots Angel.

If that title sounds like a tabloid headline, you’re right on target.

Sandy was once a prize-winning investigative journalist in Alabama whose success leads him to the Big Apple. But Sandy’s success is short lived after he gambles away his new salary and resorts to working for twice the pay at the Weekly World & Globe, where time isn’t wasted on trivial matters like facts. When asked what he writes, Sandy is quick to reply, "I write crap."

The WW&G’s bread-and-butter are stories like Gator Man, UFOs and Bigfoot. When Sandy’s editor, Lester, gets a tip about two duck hunters who think they have shot an angel by mistake, he dispatches Sandy to the Alabama swamps to get the story despite Sandy’s protests that whenever he returns to the south, he breaks out in righteousness. When Sandy and photographer, Lenny, get there, they find out that CNN and People magazine are among the other media hot on the trail of their angel story. If the threat of competition wasn’t enough, Sandy also has to deal with difficult memories of what he left behind when he followed his ambition out of Alabama.

Duck Hunter Shoots Angel was written by Mitch Albom, an award-winning former journalist-turned-author. Albom is best-known for his book, Tuesdays with Morrie, which also became a play and a TV movie starring the late Jack Lemmon in one of his last movie roles. Another Albom book, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, also became a TV movie. His only play, Duck Hunter Shoots Angel, got its debut in 2004 in the Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea, Mich., which is run by actor Jeff Daniels.

For those who have read Tuesdays with Morrie or Albom’s other books, the writing, themes and characters in Duck Hunter will be familiar. Albom has a fascination with the existence of a hereafter, and he is able to address the possibility of a higher power without being preachy. He also understands the world of the press; the good, the bad and the ugly.

As the beaten-down Sandy with a life lesson to learn, Robert Malone wears Sandy’s baggage and his khakis and blue blazer well. He’s likeable, even as a perpetual cynic who believes that everyone has a price.

The stars of the show are Duwell and Duane, the out-of-work duck-hunting brothers at the center of the media circus. As Duwell, Carter Frost is the slower of the two brothers and a big, lovable doofus. He’s also a huge WW&G fan, even though he thinks "tabloid" means you can swallow it. Duane tries to be the more businesslike of the two, vying for the best deal for telling their story so they can afford a doublewide.

Directed by John Tillman, the story unfolds on a set with a giant tree trunk at center stage with smaller tree stumps scattered about. More trees, great lighting effects by Robert Dennard and sounds of crickets and frogs bring the Alabama swamp to life. Tillman keeps the action moving back and forth between the swamp and New York City, aided by Albom’s script that cleverly overlaps the lines from one scene to the next.

The addition of the character of Gator Man, which apparently was the story that put WW&G on the tabloid map, gets a little silly. The smarmy WW&G editor keeps him busy as his personal assistant, tailor and masseuse.

Duck Hunter Shoots Angel is a welcome distraction from the season’s holiday traffic and shopping stress. It is also a story that’s funny, absurd, human, and in the end, profound. In a world where a constant parade of people seek their 15 minutes of fame, it is also totally believable.

A note to the Onstage volunteers: The audience can hear every word you say in the lobby, and it is distracting, especially in the quiet beginning of this show. And please don’t run the vacuum after intermission. That was really loud! Thanks.

The Column Review of Duck Hunter Shoots Angel!

2009-12-09T11:26:00.002-06:00

My review of the review:
She gets bonus points for using big words like "malapropisms."
She loses points for replacing the "x" in "homosexuals" with an asterisk. Who decided that was a good idea?

DUCK HUNTER SHOOTS ANGEL by Mitch Albom
ONSTAGE in Bedford

Directed by John Tillman
Scenic Design - Ellen Mizner
Costume and Prop Design - Dan Nolen, Jr.
Lighting Design - Robert Dennard
Sound Design - Jeff Mizner

CAST:

Robert Malone
Charles Poynter
Douglas Cunningham
Michael Speck
Larry Launders
Carter Frost
Jennifer Fortson
Jill Etheridge
Dan Nolen, Jr.

*REVIEWED 12-05-09 PERFORMANCE.

Reviewed by Mary L Clark, Associate Theatre Critic for
John Garcia's THE COLUMN

___________________DUCK HUNTER SHOOTS ANGEL____________________

"Oh, the weather outside (was) frightful . . . . " and I just did not want to
be out in it, heading to my assigned review. However, I very much wanted to see
a play written by Mitch Albom as I thoroughly enjoyed two of his novels,
Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Pulling on my
thermals, I bundled up in my coat, scarf and gloves and headed over to ONSTAGE
in Bedford. The play's title also intrigued me – Duck Hunter Shoots Angel.

ONSTAGE in Bedford resides in a small but cozy building in the middle of the
lovely Boys Ranch Park. They were selling popcorn, candy and sodas in the
lobby, just like at the movies (still cannot get used to refreshments in a live
theatre).

The theatre proper was a small proscenium with a very low ceiling. One is rather
close to the stage lighting hence the installed ceiling fans. We did not need
them, though, on that blustery night. The stage was level to the first row of
seats so we found ourselves smack in the middle of a foggy, moss-laden swamp
clearing. One big `ole gnarly tree rose up from the mud and out of our sight. A
backdrop of trees, ferns, grasses led further into the swamp and one large white
object was perched on a ledge – more on that later. The set reminded me of
Caddo Lake at the border of Texas and Louisiana but was actually representing a
part of Alabama.

Duck Hunter Shoots Angel was the headline from an east coast sensationalistic
rag called The Weekly World and Globe (though it comes out twice a week). One
of its reporters, Sandy, and photographer, Lenny, had been sent there to check
out claims that two hunters actually shot an angel. Seeking out a few facts for
yet another paper-selling yarn, the two found themselves knee deep in local
yokels and, surprisingly, in to the lives of these simple and loving people.

The two hunters were appropriately named Duane, as in "doo-wane" and his brother
Duwell. Because they feared eternal damnation for killing one of God's
messengers, they kept searching throughout the swamp in hopes of the angel's
survival. Adding a newspaper editor, a former girlfriend, a grocery store
clerk, and a half man/half beast and you had a recipe for comedy farce.

Reporter Sandy was being hounded by his editor back in New York to pay off the
hunters for exclusive rights. The search for an angel continued, media
helicopters hovered overhead like vultures and the race was on to find the
"truth" no matter the cost, monetarily or otherwise.

Duck Hunter Shoots Angel moved rapidly back and forth in time and between
locations in Alabama and New York. It could have become confusing if not for
Albom's clever use of taking the last word or phrase of a scene and repeating it
as the first line of the next scene thereby seamlessly making the transition.

This was an intelligent play of words and though it was a comedy with true laugh
out loud moments, suddenly the conversations moved into racial and cultural
issues, the state of today's media, man's redemption and you never saw it all
coming through the hilarity.

It was also a story of family and of love and loss. That's what makes Duck
Hunter Shoots Angel so brilliant. Albom had some verbal zingers with references
to Malcolm X and Black Power and the line ". . . newspapers who sound like the
government (sound familiar?) or "over thinking is the death of belief". There
were digs at rednecks and urbanites, conservatives and Democrats alike and no
one was safe. Still we laughed.

Director John Tillman staged his production simply. After all, it's hard to move
a large cypress tree on and offstage! A rolling desk and chair from one side
and a rolling convenience store counter from the other side was all that was
needed to quickly travel in and out of scenes.

One note to the actors: Come out more onstage so as not to be hidden within the
side blacks. Lighting Designer Robert Dennard produced effective lightening both
onstage and in the audience, surprising a few members.

Dan Nolen, Jr. had triple duty doing the voiceover, costume and prop design. He
dressed our hunters in the typical garb of overalls, camouflage or ear flap caps
and red long johns.

Scenic Designer Ellen Mizner designed a darn good swamp complete with decaying
tree roots and stumps around the main tree, rolling fog and long, hanging moss.

Jeff Mizner's sound design with croaking frogs and clicking bugs further
heightened the icky swamp feel. Then there was that white object mentioned
earlier. I won't say what it was, but for Doctor Who fans, it was like the
episode "Blink" where you look away and the statue changes. The white object
kept changing and I don't know when it happened but it left me mesmerized.

What a fabulous comedic duo Larry Launders and Carter Frost made playing Duane
and Duwell respectively. Bumble-headed and simple-minded as the characters were,
the actors did not totally succumb to stereotypical characterizations of people
from the Deep South. Both Launders and Frost had such great material from which
to work with.
At one point Duane and Duwell got into a conversation about homose*uals and,
completely out of normal redneck character, spoke of gay rights as a matter of
fact. Their misspoken words or
"Malapropisms" such as "papa Nazis" for paparazzi or "Armagetcha" for Armageddon
were priceless. Again, it was brilliant writing. I must highlight Carter Frost
as a superb comedic and dramatic actor. His vocal inflections, both broad and oh
so subtle with a soft lisping overtone was masterful.

Robert Malone played the many emotional layers of Sandy with skill. His bio said
he went to school in New York and the east coast accent may be real but I
thought it fell away occasionally.

Michael Speck was wonderfully slimy portraying Lester, the rag's conniving
editor.

Douglas Cunningham had some humorous moments as urban photographer Lenny, stuck
in a bigoted land. Jennifer Fortson as the girlfriend and Jill Etheridge as
Kansas, the store clerk, had smaller roles and played them with a quiet
simplicity perfectly suited to each character. And while I won't give it away,
Charles Poynter was amazingly funny and poignant as the man/beast considering he
was silent and you could not see his face. Question: why was he not part of the
cast list in the playbill?

Duck Hunter Shoots Angel is a beautiful play, lightly blending laughter with
heart. You leave smiling yet asking yourself what you really see and what you
really believe. For Mitch Albom's words and his simply wonderful, thought-filled
comedy, you must bundle up warm and make the trek to ONSTAGE in Bedford (it's
really not that far) and see Duck Hunter Shoots Angel!

And you won't believe this, but as I was finishing writing up this review, I
looked up and Mitch Albom was on The Late Show with Craig Ferguson (Twilight
Zone do-do-do-do). Don't you love when that happens!

Reviewed by Mary L Clark, Associate Theatre Critic for
John Garcia's THE COLUMN

__________________________

_____________________________________

DUCK HUNTER SHOOTS ANGEL
ONSTAGE in Bedford
2819 Forest Ridge Dr.
Bedford, TX 76021
Through December 19, 2009

Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm and Saturday matinees
at 2:00 pm.

Tickets are $15 and $12 for seniors, students and Bedford residents. Those with
a Fort Worth Telegram Press Pass may purchase tickets at half price for matinee
performances only, limit two per Press Pass. This play is rated PG. For
information and reservations call 1-817-354-6444 or go to
www.onstageinbedford.com.

Duck Hunter Opening Weekend A Blast!

2009-12-08T19:53:00.004-06:00

Really enjoyed the weekend with my super-talented cast! I am putting a few of the pics from Facebook up here for those that don't have it.

Looking forward to this weekend and the crowds growing as the word spreads about this great show! Come and see it!

Purchase tickets at the link below:
http://onstageinbedford.com/tickets.html

Early Duck Hunter Reviews!

2009-12-05T14:01:00.002-06:00

Here are a few comments that have been left on my Facebook profile and our event's Facebook event page. If you haven't make your reservations, what are you waiting for?

"I saw the show last night (Friday, Dec 4) ~ it was FANTASTIC! I didn't stop laughing the whole time, and still got the deeper meaning. The cast was superb, very well done, all of you! I can't wait until your next pick..." - Michelle Whiteside Spears

"The show is fantastic!!!! Congrats on a job well done." - Michael Winters

"The play was HYSTERICAL! I've known one of the actors for decades; he's rather a sophisticated fellow, and he had me convinced he was a a redneck in seconds!" - Gordon Sandlin

"Good show, great cast, astounding set!" - Vince Connor

Come see the show and send me your review!

Mitch Albom on WFAA

2009-10-14T16:10:00.002-05:00

Bestselling author Mitch Albom will be on WFAA's morning show tomorrow morning. Why am I so excited? He is the author of the show that I am directing and that auditions this coming Monday and Tuesday!

DUCK HUNTER SHOOTS ANGEL By Mitch Albom (Regional Premiere)
Onstage in Bedford
WFAA Channel 8 A-LIST Best Theater Group in North Texas 2009

Since OnStage is WFAA's Best Theater Group for 2009, I would hope they would mention the show, or better yet, ask him about it.

I'll be at work, so somebody watch channel 8 tomorrow morning and tell me if they ask him about the show.

Duck Hunter Auditions!

2009-10-08T07:57:00.001-05:00

DUCK HUNTER SHOOTS ANGEL By Mitch Albom (Regional Premiere)
Onstage in Bedford
WFAA Channel 8 A-LIST Best Theater Group in North Texas 2009

RATED PG. Directed by John Tillman (COLUMN subscriber)

A comedy about a tabloid journalist from New York City
searching for two Alabama duck hunting brothers who believe
they shot a celestial being. The show is full of zany
characters. Two guilt-ridden duck hunters, a depressed
tabloid journalist, a reluctant donut-eating photographer,
their crazed boss, a shop girl at the local gas-mart, a
half man-half alligator and a ghost. An out-of this world
tale full of magical moments and unexpected second chances.

Roles available for 7 males and 2 females

Sandy - male, tabloid journalist

Lenny - male, african-american photographer

Lester - male, publisher of tabloid

Duane Early - male, southern duck hunter

Duwell Early – male, Duane's brother, southern duck hunter

Voice/Bank Loan Officer – male, mature

The Gator Man – male

Kansas – female, teenage shop girl

Woman - southern

Auditions will be held October 19 and 20 from 7pm to 10pm.
at ONSTAGE in Bedford Trinity Arts Theater located at The
Boys Ranch, 2819 Forest Ridge Dr., Bedford 76021

No appointment necessary. Please bring resume and headshot
if available. Otherwise, come anyway!

For more info: www.onstageinbedford.com

Missa's Pluto

2009-09-25T14:54:00.001-05:00

John's Pluto

2009-09-25T14:53:00.000-05:00

Notes from Disney trip

2009-09-25T14:31:00.001-05:00

Used the notes feature to take notes of all the stuff we did each day
at Disney last week. It was cool for us to look back at. There a lot
of little moments here that we might not have remembered if we didn't
write them down. Modern technology brings back the journal!

Sent from my iPhone

DISNEY!

2009-09-25T14:24:00.001-05:00

DISNEY!
Thursday
Magic Kingdom Ate at Cosmic Rays. Had Missas pic taken with the white
rabbit. Watched the parade. Missa got Teary. Went and got buttons.
Looked in barbers shop. Rode Dumbo. Philharmagic. Small World. Haunted
Mansion. Tom Sawyers Island. Big Thunder Mtn. Twice. Had a caffeine
break. Rode Pirates. Peter Pan. Tea Cups, almost made Missa puke.
Bumped into taking pics with M&M! John maxed out the Space Ranger Spin
at 999999 points about 2/3s of way through. Watched fireworks from
great spot.

FRIDAY
Hollywood Studios
Rode Rockin Roller Coaster twice. Tower of Terror. Watched street
performance- Phooey the director doing camera tests/auditions for his
movie. Toy Story - Toy Story App FAIL! Lunch at Starring Rolls. Disney
one mans vision. Took pics with Frozone. Animtion class-drew Chip in
Rescue Rangers hat. Movie ride. Pixar Block Party-Missa picked to
dance in street. John stood next to a Disney employee taking notes and
critiquing the parade/block party performers. Muppet Vision. Went back
into theater during next show to get the Chip pictures. Stopped at
Writers Stop. Bought stuff. Wandered aimlessly. Pics with Lightning
and Tow Mater. Tower of Terror never gets old. Toy Story Mania App WIN-
Toy Story Images unlocked on phones Super fast fast pass to Toy Story
Mania. Star Tours-played with lightsabers in line. Shopped. Dinner at
Hollywood And Vine. Fantasmic-discovered a short cut out! Took boat to
EPCOT for Extra Magic Hours. Mission to Mars. Nemo. Imagination. Whew.

Saturday
EPCOT
Took long way to EPCOT-bus to Magic Kingdom then Monorail.
Innoventions-testing lab. Missa made paper. Rode Test Track. Saved
Norway with Kim Possible. Missa shopped Italy. American Adventure.
Lunch at Tutto Italia. Watched the end of Romeo and Emma. Listened to
the drummers in Japan. Pics with Aurora in France. Watched the British
Invasion do Beatles and other Brit rock in England. Circle of Life
Propaganda film. Turtle Talk. Walked around the seas. Journey Into
Imagination. Soarin' -long time in fast pass line. John got fish and
chips and Missa got hummus and other stuff. Watched Illuminations.
Went home tired puppies. Live to fight another day.

Sunday
Hollywood Studios
Watched Jedi trainees fight Darth Vader. Watched Mushu. Drew Pluto.
Watched the people in the street. Tower of Terror. Hopped on a boat to
EPCOT-narrowly avoiding a duck feeding frenzy. Had a crepe in France.
Watched the Voices of Liberty. Watched the Juggler in Italy. Lunch at
Marrekesh. Pics with Aladdin and Jasmine. Pics with Snow White.
Watched draw bridge and fireworks floats getting in place. Missa
bought a parasol when I told her it looked Firefly. Missa finished her
KIDCOT project. Spaceship Earth. Universe of Energy. Buses to Downtown
Disney. Shopped! Characters In Flight! Wolfgang Puck Express Cafe.
Hopped to Magic Kingdom via The Contemporary. Carosel. Snow White.
Pooh. Space Ranger Spin. Thunder Mountain twice. Bought an oven mitt.

Monday
Animal Kingdom
Extra Missa hours. Girl on bus enamored of Missas pink-and-purple-
plastic-princess-purse. Pangani Trail. Kilimajaro Safari. Snack.
Everest. Twice. Drummed with the drummer dude Kali River Rapids-got
soaked. Rafiki Planet Watch. Pic with Jiminy Cricket. Pic with Rafiki.
Petted critters at Affection Section. Listened to the Song of the
Rainforest. Tough To Be A Bug. Bug eye pics. Lunch at Yak and Yeti
counter. Maharaja Trek in the rain-saw the trainers opening and
closing gates for the tigers using a drill. Primeval Whirl. Dinosaur.
Finished Missas Discovery Club Card. Went on the last Safari of the
day. Bought a drum. Hopped to Magic Kingdom via Grand Floridian. Ice
Cream. Laugh Floor. Tomorrowland Transit Tram. Train from Toon Town to
Main Street. Watched Parade from second floor of train platform. Rode
crazy bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge-driver wearing pirate headgear and
playing "Cash Bus" for no cash. Ate at Boma-Missa got Tiny Glowing
Tink with her drink.

Tuesday
Magic Kingdom.
Checked our bags. Checked our carry on bags. Dole Whip Float and Coke
float. Watched the Dream Along With Mickey show. Jungle Cruise. Magic
Carpets-got spit on by camel. Got told how cute we were. Lunch at
Liberty Tree. Celebrated Missas Un-birthday. Danced in the street.
Silhouettes. Pick free pic. Pic with Pinochio. Rode Tea Cups-saw Red
Queen and White Rabbit. Shopping for presents. Walk Alice walk. Talk
to man with crazy San Francisco lion story. Pics in Monkey Cage.
Philharmagic. Shopping for more presents. Rode Pirates during the
Parade. Bought roasted-candied-called-Missa-out-of-the-street-savory
almonds. Had another Dole Whip Float. Shopped our way out and back
and back out. John got the "what counts as a snack?" tour of the Candy
Store. John got an ice cream. Missa danced with her parasol to the
Main Street Philharmonic. Took our pic in front of Train Station. Bus
back to hotel. Arcade Voucher FAIL!!! Repacked with stuff we bought.
Bus to airport.

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Nightwatch at the Dooleys!

2009-08-30T14:03:00.004-05:00

Congrats to Nightwatch Peeps who won Dooley Awards last night!

John Medaille for Featured Actor.
Valerie Armstrong for No Part Too Small
Ellen Mizener for Set Design

Our Cast choice award went to Laurie McDonald

My Director's Choice awards went to The Mizener team for Set and Sound and to Michael Winters for Lighting design.

All of you were fantastic and I look forward to working with you in the future. Thanks for making Nightwatch a frighteningly good success!

Here are a few pics from last night!

Bite sized lunch time blog...

2009-08-26T13:09:00.002-05:00

Just waiting for my ramen to cool and thinking about the great new friends we met doing KMK with Stolen Shakespeare Guild. Going to need to do a blog soon about general theater etiquette. (based on experiences over the last two years) etiquette for actors, for auditions, for theater managers, and for directors... yeah. I'll work on it.

Okay, back to work.

Kiss Me Kate...

2009-08-05T17:46:00.004-05:00

Melissa and I are in this show! It is going to be a lot of fun. Melissa is Hattie and I am Bill. The press release is below.

KISS ME KATE,

Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter, Book by Sam and Bella Spewack

Presented by the Stolen Shakespeare Guild

August 7 - 15

Taking its inspiration from Shakespeare, this hilarious romp recounts the backstage and onstage antics of two feuding romances during an out-of-town tryout for a musical adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew.

Directed by Stefanie Glenn (Column Subscriber),

Choreographed by Amy Atkins (Column Subscriber)

Musical Direction by Mary Helen Atkins

Individual tickets may be purchased at the box office one hour before show time, by calling Theatre Mania at 1-866-811-4111, or online at www.stolenshakespeareguild.com. Performances are at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center in the Sanders Theatre, 1300 Gendy Street Fort Worth, TX 76107. Shows: Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 P.M. and Saturday Matinees at 2:00 P.M. The ticket prices range from $6 to $15.

Top from Left: Kierstin Curtis, Nicole Mendez, Amy Atkins, Johnna Purchase, Laura Jones

Bottom from Left: Lauren Morgan and Daron Cockerell

From Left: John Tillman (Bill Calhoun / Lucentio), Daron Cockerell (Lois Lane / Bianca Minola), Lauren Morgan (Lilli Vanessi / Katherine Minola) and JaceSon Barrus (Fred Graham / Petruchio)

Lauren Morgan (Lilli Vanessi / Katherine Minola) and JaceSon Barrus (Fred Graham / Petruchio)

John Tillman (Bill Calhoun / Lucentio), Daron Cockerell (Lois Lane / Bianca Minola),

Video entry for At The Movies Contest...

2009-07-08T07:52:00.001-05:00

Check out this great parody some friends at work asked me to help with. Wish I could say it was my idea...
My main contribution was the wig.

Nunsense Pics from tech rehearsal...

2009-05-12T22:34:00.003-05:00

Here are some pics of Melissa as Sister Robert Anne, shaking what her Blessed Virgin Mother gave her...

Playing Second Fiddle...

2009-05-12T21:31:00.000-05:00

Nunsense and Theater Non-sense...

2009-05-09T09:35:00.005-05:00

Here are the facts: Melissa is appearing as Sister Robert Anne in Nunsense at Artisan Center Theater in Hurst. She plays preview night 5/14. Then her regular schedule is Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday evenings, starting on the 19th. (She is missing the night of the 16th for her plague monkey/dance students recital)

So you can see her on May 14th, 19th, 21st, 23rd (evening), 26th, 28th, 30th (evening). June 2nd, 4th, 6th (evening), 9th, 11th, 13th (evening), 16th, 18th, and 20th (evening).

There. So no excuses for not knowing about it. Also, you can get actor cards from me that you can use to get a discount on your ticket and Melissa gets money for you using them. So do it. I can email it to you so you can print it out and bring it to the theater.

Now for the non-sense.

A lot of people underestimate this show. But it is really fantastic. The songs are clever and catchy. The story is hilarious and touching. And if you've seen it more than once you know that it is never the same twice because of the interactive, improvisational nature of the dialogue.

But that doesn't stop some people in the "Thee-ahh-tuh" community from despising it simply because it is, well, popular.

Dumb.

Don't you want to sell tickets?

This show goes on my list of shows that I believe a new theater company must do in it's first season.

So, don't miss Melissa. By the way, she choreographed the show as well. And if you have a suggestion to add to my "first season" list, let me know.

U2 Whoo Hoo...

2009-04-28T13:07:00.002-05:00

Let Jon Polk be your DJ on blip... click play to hear Magnificent from the greatest band on the planet...

Couple more cast pics...

2009-04-05T16:32:00.004-05:00

Helga
John Wheeler
Dr. Tracey Lake

Some pics of the cast...

2009-04-05T16:21:00.001-05:00

Elaine
Sam Hoke
Blanche Cooke
Detective Vanelli
The effervescent Curtis Appleby

Last show underway...

2009-04-05T15:19:00.003-05:00

I hope this feels a bit like the "director's commentary" on a DVD.

Here it goes. Lights down and the sound design starts to take people to a dark February morning in New York in 1973.

I love that the play begins and ends in darkness. The darkness has a lot to do with it. I forces the audience to pay attention, to strain their vision to see what is right in front of their eyes. That is why this play is so fun. The truth is right there in front of your eyes the whole time. It's just cleverly concealed in the dark corners.

Information about the building is very important. First from Helga. Then from Vanelli.

Melissa hates that I have Vanelli whistle "Frere Jacques" on his first exit. She thinks it's an unfair red herring. I just wanted to weave the song into the play in more places. Sorry, babe.

Yay, Meggy! The moving lights in the window aren't automated. Meggy has to crawl through a tiny little hole under the painting of the alleyway to get into position to wave the lights around. Whoo hoo! Great effect.

Another theatrical fun note: The books on the book case are not real. Can't take credit for creating them. We borrowed them from Coppell Community Theater. Thanks, CCT! And thanks to Vince for helping them strike Shadowlands and getting permission to borrow them.

Incidentally, were made for Coppell by Connie Savard. Her daughter, Stephanie Savard, is an artist who works at the church and did the portrait of "Elaine's father" (actually the father of Jeff Mizener the sound designer)

In the script, Blanche's pin is called a "sailboat pin." Costume designer, Mary Lindberg, found a lovely seagull pin that looked good on the costume and was not too heavy, so we changed the line.

The first mentions of "Carl" and of "Kay Banning" start the audience wondering. They'll have to wait until Act 2 to find out.

The key piece of evidence that the audience, and Lt. Walker need to decode the mystery slips right out without anyone really paying attention.

Did you catch it when you saw it? The chair is there. She had to have known it was there.

First section of recorded dialouge focuses on John and on Elaine's madness. Also on Appleby's overdramatic glee at the situation.

Helga has more great looks than most of the characters have lines.

John makes his chess move to establish the game that he and Elaine are playing. The chess board is specified in the stage descriptions in the script, however, having the characters playing a game throught the play was an addition of mine.

Now Elaine has entered and make her move. The game I designed is not real. If a chess afficianado looked closely at the board, they could probably easily figure out that it is not an actual game. But I designed it for theatricality, not reality.

Elaine's pieces are all almost gone. John's position appears dominant. But Elaine has made a move with her queen that sets up her later victory in the game.

I sometimes wish everyone would see this show twice. There is so much pleasure in hearing the lines that should have given it away and you just didn't "hear" them correctly.

Double entendres about, "Larry," Elaine's boyfriend are at times glaring after mulitple shows.

Elaine freaks out over the wig.

Ahh,... Appleby scene number 2. "The case of the vanishing corpse!"

Appleby made a bad throw with the chess piece. Good catch, John!

Every time Appleby comes in he offers at least one explanation/theory of the dead man in the window.

Why does Helga come back in with the Fresias when Elaine told her to take them to the other room? We had a really hard time deciding. Melissa thinks that Helga comes back in so she can hear Elaine's conversation. I think she is not willing to "hide" the unkind things that she sees Blanche doing. Forcing a confrontation of sorts.

Meghann Bates, crawling and flashing the lights again. Great job.

14127, and real sirens and planes mixed in with the sound effects.

Elaine: I didn't hear the bell.

John: (me, not the character, jumping angrily up and down) That's because of all the blasted sirens outside!!!!

Here comes Sam Hoke! The hat is greatness. I don't think that Vince will be very sorry to never see that hat again, but it looked great!!!

Act 1 down, now to intermission!!!

Okay. Been uploading photos, cause I realized that a lot of people that haven't seen it who might like the reference to the characters names.

While I was doing that we had our only serious mishap for the whole production. One of the sections of fake books fell forward off of the shelf. Cardboard and paper falling from the top shelf to the floor. Actors were real pros and just moved right on after moving the fake books out of the way. Combination of air circulation and vibrations of the door closing dozens of times... Grrr. Oh well. The show goes on.

Anyway, more info about the building from Lt. Walker and Vanelli. And the big "Aha" moment for the audience when Walker mentions who owns the building. Too bad they are wrong.

Elaine/Helga: Helga's goodbye. Time for one of the boldest lines in the show. In this speech the author, Louise Fletcher, seems to be daring the audience to figure it out. She can't say it any clearer. In rehearsals, I was afraid that people would figure it out from this scene.

John and Elaine explore the truth. People who are betrayed want a confession. People who are pressed for a confession often push back with anger.

John confirms the false theories of some audience members. But the whole truth isn't out yet.

Here comes the darkness again. In the darkness is where the truth is actually revealed.

Elaine demands proof!

The cat always relaxes the audience a bit. Right before the gunshots. We almost always get a jump or a gasp when the shots go off.

Elaine is coming back. She has a gun. Has she survived? Has she conquered? You'll have to see the show to know for sure.

Next to the last night...

2009-04-04T21:24:00.006-05:00

I have not really been blogging about the show much. As I said earlier, I am/was a little afraid of giving away too much. But I will try to do a "live" blog, similar to what I did when I was directing Perfect Wedding. I am watching Act 2 right now and Val and Laurie are doing the psychiatric interview scene.

Pretty good house. About 70ish by my count. They are on the quiet side. Last night's crowd drank a lot and were big laughers!

The audience gets very familiar with the chiming of the Wheeler's clock. Even though they never see it. I like that even in the dark between scenes, the audience is still getting information. The time.

Lots of quiet in this play. Great acting from Suzy in her solo, line-less scene.

Blanche and John like their privacy when they make a phone call.

Blanche's formal dress is an awesome find! Thanks Mary for scraping the bottoms and corners of closets and 2nd hand stores to find some real treasures.

Ahh, the kiss scene. I won't tell you who, but it never fails to get a big "Ahhhh..." from the crowd. Melissa says I should make sure to say that is not an "Awww" as in "cute." :)

I love the darkness and quiet on the stage. It makes the audience squint their eyes, and lean forward in their seats. Michael did a fantastic job!

Ande dropped her script in the booth! No harm done. And no missed cues. And Hero didn't wake up. By this point Ande could probably do the show without the script. Yay Ande!!!

Everybody loves Appleby! Except John and Blanche!

"Switzerland? That's such a milk chocolate country."

Appleby 2nd best exit in the show. "Fairy tales."

Vanelli and Walker. Two great cops that work well together.

Walker has chops. And I'm not just talking about his great acting!

"Switzerland? Very nice country. Very low crime rate!"

"Who owns that building?" "Dipco" 2nd biggest "Ahhh" from the audience.

Helga has the best exit in the show. Again with no lines.

Seagull pins, Fresias, and Wigs, Oh My! Seagull pins, Fresias, and Wigs, Oh My! Seagull pins, Fresias, and Wigs, Oh My!

Kit Hussey has a way of getting laughs where other actors don't. Fantastic!

The audience gets so tense as the end of the show approaches that sometimes they laugh and sometimes they sit there frozen.

Freaking out a little whenever someone sits in the chair that broke last night right after call at seven. It didn't break. Only one more show.

Here comes the darkness again. And long uncomfortable moments for the audience to sit through with nothing but sound to guide them. Great work by Jeff on the underscore and sound effects. Also thanks to Walter for supplying some of the sounds.

Just a couple of seconds from the end now.

Signing off and getting ready to go out after bows.

Thanks to all who came tonight! If you didn't, you have one more chance!

Preview night

2009-03-19T21:18:00.004-05:00

Watching the audience watch the show is kinda fun. Although it really cheeses me off when audience members walk on the stage at intermission. What makes you think you should get to walk on stage and touch stuff and look out windows?! I guess it is a good sign that the audience is so curious about the window that they want to see for themselves.

Here's a shot of the opening scene of Act two!

Night Watch Program Preview...

2009-03-06T12:26:00.003-06:00

As a little preview for those of you in blog-world and FB world, here is a look inside the program for the show. My director's notes, which were really hard to write because I didn't want to give away anything about how the show ends. And the "Special Warnings" section of the program.

Special warnings for audiences viewing Night Watch: Viewing this play may cause you to embarrass yourself by crying out "Aha!" or "Oh no!" Also there will be some distant gunfire. And sirens. So if you have a warrant for your arrest, relax. The sirens are in the show.

Director's Notes for Night Watch

I want to thank Runway and my wonderful cast, crew, and design team for making this show a heart-stopper! (in a good way) You have done more with less time than any show that I have ever directed or worked on. I love all of you! Here is the part where normally I would write something meaningful and maybe even inspirational about the show. I could try to convince you that it conceals a message about the thin-but-at-times-uncrossable veil between the rich and the poor in this country. But that would be reading more into the script than is really there. I could talk about madness, depression, betrayal, marriage, friendship. They are touched on as well. But I find it hard to write a lot about the show here without feeling like I might possibly spoil the ending. And I don't want to do that. It's a doozy. I won't promise you that you can't possibly figure it out. This is not some cheesy murder mystery with a detective who conceals evidence from you and then chastises you at the end when he or she has it figured and you are flummoxed. All the clues are there for you to pick up. If you think you got it figured, you just might. Here's an idea to help the economy and put your wallets where your wits are: at intermission, write down what you think Elaine saw in the window, how it happened, who was involved, and how the show will end. After the show, compare notes with your friends and argue over who was closest to the truth and who was farthest from it. Once that is settled (please take any physical altercations into the parking lot) go out to eat/have dessert/have a coffee/have drinks/buy a car/buy me a car, and the person who was the farthest from the truth, pays for whatever the person who was the closest to the truth gets. Just one more level of enjoyment for you, if you dare.

After that, if you are still daring enough to try to get something meaningful out of a script designed to shock and amaze you, start your conversation after the show with this question: If you have everything you want, how come you don't have everything you need?

More Set and Rehearsal Pics...

2009-03-03T17:50:00.000-06:00

Rehearsal with the set almost complete...

Of course I said almost... the chop saw won't be appearing in this play...

Green Army Men Props...

2009-02-27T15:53:00.005-06:00

This is not my new mobile phone. This is an example of how cool/weird my job is. Melissa and Sam helped build these props for our Green Army Men shoot that we did a couple of weeks ago. It will be a part of the Ten Hut Jr. curriculum.

Night Watch Set Progress 2...

2009-02-23T22:27:00.003-06:00

More Photos...

Me blocking the show with plastic army men...

latest shot of the set on Saturday...

Night Watch Set Progress...

2009-02-21T13:17:00.005-06:00

Here is a little peek behind the scenes at the show as it progresses. I hope to do this regularly until the show opens, but my internet access is very spotty, so it makes it hard to blog regularly.

The first pic is of the bare stage with flats from the previous show, Crossing Delancey...

The first walls going up...

Night Watch

2009-01-28T15:35:00.003-06:00

Here is some info on the next play I am directing. The poster above is from the movie version with the great Elizabeth Taylor. I don't think I am going to watch it. It looks like they added a lot of characters and changed some names and things. You shouldn't watch it either if you are coming to see it. It will spoil the ending!

From the back of the script:

"THE STORY: Unable to sleep, Elaine Wheeler paces the living room of her Manhattan townhouse, troubled by unsettling memories and vague fears. Her husband tries to comfort her, but when he steps away for a moment Elaine screams as she sees (or believes she sees) the body of a dead man in the window across the way. The police are called, but find nothing except an empty chair. Elaine's terror grows as shortly thereafter she sees still another body—this time a woman's—but by now the police are skeptical and pay no heed to her frantic pleas. Her husband, claiming that Elaine may be on the verge of a breakdown, calls in a lady psychiatrist, who agrees with his suggestion that Elaine should commit herself to a sanitarium for treatment. From this point on, the plot moves quickly and grippingly as those involved—Elaine's old friend and house guest Blanche; the inquisitive and rather sinister man who lives next door; and the nosy German maid Helga—all contribute to the deepening suspense and mystery of the play as it draws towards its riveting and chilling climax."

Character Descriptions for Auditions:

ELAINE WHEELER: 30's to 40's. (Maybe a little older) “She is slender, patrician, with big eyes, an eager smile, an air of insecurity” Elaine is an heiress with a history of mental illness related to the death of her first husband.

JOHN WHEELER: 30's to 40's. A little older than Elaine. “...handsome, rugged...” Elaine's second husband.

HELGA: 50 +. “...the German maid...” Suspicious, snooping.

VANELLI: 20's. “He is a nice, young, Italian cop... Brooklyn accent.”

CURTIS APPLEBY: 50+. “... a rather odd-looking older man...” Eccentric, nosy neighborhood snoop.

BLANCHE COOKE: 30's to 40's. Younger than Elaine, but not by much. “She is a pleasant-looking efficient woman of about Elaine's age...” Elaine's live-in nurse and confidante.

LIEUTENANT WALKER: No specific age. Homicide detective. Agitated and over-worked.

DR. TRACEY LAKE: 40's to 50's. “... is a middle-aged woman, nicely dressed, ...” A therapist that John arranges to bring to speak with Elaine.

HOKE: “... a large shabby man, middle-aged, with gray hair … a Bronx accent.” Hoke is the owner of a deli on the backside of Elaine's block.

Care Credit and GE suck!

2009-01-24T22:03:00.002-06:00

Really horrible experience yesterday with Care Credit! They are a credit line for medical expenses. Mostly people use it for dental, vision, and veterinary care.

We started an account with them years ago and once we had paid it off, we never used it again. In September we knew that Melissa would need some expensive dental work, so we called and asked about the account. The account was still there, but we had lost the physical card. We told them that we would need to use the account soon and we had them send us a new card. We got the new card in the mail in late September. The envelope was postmarked September 12. The day before the procedure, I checked their website and registered our account number online. The online account showed our account as active with a $1500 limit. The next day when we showed up to pay for some of Melissa's dental work, the brand new shiny card that they sent us in the mail did not work! When we called they said that the account was "inactive" and was canceled on September 30.

Apparently requesting a new card does not count as active! They canceled the account eighteen days after they mailed us a new card! Unbelievable!

I tried to check our online account today, (the online accounts are from GE Money) and they have deleted it! Someone is covering their tracks!

Basically if you have or use Care Credit, be careful! Their website information is unreliable, and if you have a problem they will hang up on you.

Care Credit sucks!
We were so angry! The inconvenience, the embarrassment, and the plain out and out lie!

Have a Darth Blue Christmas...

2008-12-18T17:10:00.000-06:00

More Doctor Horrible, Joss!

2008-11-26T11:58:00.003-06:00

If you haven't discovered this already, you should really take a look at what Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion and Neil Patrick Harris did during the writer's strike. Especially since the idiots at ABC are canceling two of the best written shows on TV: Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone.

Since there will soon be nothing really good on TV anymore, we might as well comfort ourselves with the promise of what good writing and some creativity can do.

I give you Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog!

Garage Band Shakespeare

2008-10-01T00:03:00.002-05:00

Melissa and I are in Much Ado About Nothing with Fort Worth Theater. The show opens Friday October 10th, at 8 PM. It runs the 10th - 12th and the 16th - 18th. Melissa is Ursula and I am Leonato. It is being presented on an outdoor stage at Arts 5th Avenue. It is being billed as "Shakespeare in the Parking Lot." Here are directions to the show. Bring bug spray just in case, but it should be cool enough by then that you won't need it. :)
I think that they will accept any donation for admittance. (recommended donation of $10)

Here is a scene from the movie with a bit by my character, Leonato, and Melissa's, Ursula.

When Bad Shows Happen...

2008-09-27T22:05:00.003-05:00

I’ve seen a lot of bad shows this year. Some have been outright lousy, some crippled or wounded, and some just not as good as they could have been. (Especially when I know how great the actors in some of these shows are.) Before I go on, let me say that I’m not out to “get” anyone. And I’m not going to bash any show or person by name. I go to the theater to enjoy what I see, not to nitpick someone else’s work or efforts. So what makes me call a show a “bad show”? Every show has strengths and weaknesses, but if the weaknesses of a show are weak enough or numerous enough that I stop thinking about the story when I notice them, it is a bad show. Here are a few things I have seen this year that knocked me out of the story and back into my theater seat.

Bad dialect.

Mispronounced names of historic place or person.

Unfinished costumes.

Period/Age inappropriate costumes.

Inexplicable casting.

Children cast as adults. (Totally unacceptable outside of an educational setting. Makes me want my money back.)

Inappropriate ad-libs or script updates.

Illegal script changes.

Actors mugging to the audience. “I know the show sucks, but look at me I’m funny.”

Not-so-special effects.

Sloppy singing.

Sloppy dancing.

Uninteresting choreography.

Lighting that barely lights the stage, much less “illuminates” the play.

Lack of any attention to sound.

Set decorations or props that indicate an ignorance of the play’s setting.

Other choices that indicate ignorance of the play.

All this stuff is ultimately the director’s fault. The music directors, sound and light designers, costume designers, choreographers, and actors may bear some blame, but it all comes back to the directors. So why, you ask, is it the fault of the directors? Because they have to approve everything. They signed off on it. Their names are on the program. Take for example the costumes. When directing a show that is set in a given time period the director is on the hook to learn enough about what the costumes should look like to be able to veto wrong or inappropriate choices by the costume designer. This happened to me on a show I directed. I didn’t supervise the costumes closely enough until it was too late to fix everything that was wrong. I vetoed and changed as much as I could, but we couldn’t fix everything. Costume designer’s mistake, but still my fault.

So even as sympathetic to the problems that can come up as I am, I have sat in many theater seats this year wanting to ask the director, “How could you let this happen?”

I love my friends in the theater, and I love the theaters that I frequent. And even though I’ve been very disappointed with many shows this year, I will keep coming back. When theater is bad, it still beats most of what’s on TV. But when it is great (and I have seen some great shows this year too) there is nothing better.

Ride This Train!

2008-08-06T23:59:00.002-05:00

If you are in the DFW area and on my Facebook, you already know about this. This is a concert that I got involved in soon after Bill's death. If you don't know who Bill is, read this. Anyway, it was a chance to do something that I had never done (sing in a band) to help do something about losing someone who always seemed invincible. And this is my third year. This time around I will be singing lead on a lot more songs. I am singing Twist and Shout - Beatles, Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry, Til Kingdom Come - Coldplay, and Suspicious Minds - Elvis. I'll also sing lead on parts of some other songs that several of us are splitting up as well as singing backup. It is a very eclectic and fun set, with some very moving numbers as well.

Here is the description of the event from the website:

Train in the Distance is coming to Plano for two fun-filled nights of music on Friday, August 15th and Saturday, August 16th at 8pm at the ArtCentre Theatre, home of Teatro delle Muse.

“Everybody I know has someone in their life that is either battling or has lost their battle to some form of cancer or, worse, is fighting it themselves, “ says Ande Bewley, director of this summer’s events. “The family members are battling along with them. This show and the songs we sing are a display of support and unity to let them know they are not alone. We are, ultimately, all in this together.”

The show is a family-friendly event that appeals to all ages. Music will include songs by Billy Joel, Dan Fogelberg, U2, Coldplay and The Beatles, among others.

The OneNightOnly Band features both amateur and professional musicians from across the Metroplex who volunteer their time and efforts to this event.

Tickets are on sale starting July 14th and can be purchased for $15 each through TicketstotheCity.com. All net proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society.

If you can't make it to the show, you can donate to the event online.

Holy Typos, Batman!!!

2008-06-29T00:31:00.003-05:00

Going through the review process for each series of Elevate that we put out is always arduous. It is amazing how many people can look at a document over and over, and still an error will slip through to the final stages. Whenever I find one of those errors right before the product goes out the door, I have a near panic attack and want to start the whole process over. I'm thinking, "If we missed capitalizing that 'He' that refers to God, what else might we have missed?!"

However, while we were going through the proofing process I found something in scripture that comforted me greatly and allowed me to laugh at myself and take a step back. A typo. In my Bible.

Yep.

I remember in seminary classes people talking about the inerrancy of "The Word." Professors would always point out that it is the original documents that we believe to be divinely inspired. We don't believe that typesetters (or their modern equivalents) are inerrant.

My Bible that I read at home is a "Student's Life Application Study Bible - personal size edition." It is the New Living Translation Second Edition copyright 2004. I've been reading through Isaiah. In my Bible, the second half of Isaiah 33:20 says, "...It will be like a tent whose ropes are taught and whose stakes are firmly fixed."

Now, it was early in the morning, and I hadn't had any coffee, so I sat there for a minute wondering why the verse didn't make sense. "What can those ropes possibly be learning? And who is teaching them?" (If you have never read a verse that didn't make sense, then you don't read much of the Bible.) Then I realized that "taught" should be "taut." I checked the Bible Gateway website, my Metal Bible (an NLT that I carry in my bag), and my other NLT at work and and they were correct; they said "taut." Sharla, a friend at work, has the same Bible I do at home. (Except hers is pink.) I checked hers and it had the same error.

"Taught" instead of "Taut."

Even though this is obviously an error, I am thankful to God for making me feel better about the little typos that sometimes slip out in my writing. Hmm. Maybe God put it there just for me.

Anyway, as a bonus I am posting some of the links I found when I was researching this a little...

According to this article, almost every Bible published in English gets checked by the folks at Peachtree Editorial and Proofreading.

Also the above article has a discussion of one of the most famous Bible typos. In 1631 a King James edition omitted the word "not" from the commandment "thou shalt not commit adultery."

Here is a Wikipedia page with more info about historical Bible misprints.

This page has a list of supposedly infamous Bible typos.

And finally, the two million dollar comma. This has nothing to do with scripture, I just thought it was funny.

Music Man!

2008-06-13T15:04:00.004-05:00

This is a shot of Missa as Ethel Toffelmier (Marcellus's girlfriend and a Pic-A-Little Lady) in what should have been our last rehearsal before Music Man was scheduled to open on May 30th.
(A long story, not for internet publication, although Artisan's website probably has something about it.) Music Man is finally open and I take my first crack at Professor Harold Hill tonight!

Here are the dates that Melissa AND I will be in the show: June 13th at 7:30 PM, 14th at 3:00 PM, 18th at 7:30 PM, 20th at 7:30 PM, 21st at 3:00 PM, 27th at 7:30 PM, 28th at 3:00 PM.
July 2nd at 7:30 PM, 4th at 6:00 PM, 5th at 3:00 PM, 7th at 7:30 PM, and the 8th at 7:30 PM.

I hereby repent of my unrelenting failure to blog.

Yes Sir, That's My Baby...

2007-12-05T19:47:00.000-06:00

Here is Melissa pretending to be surprised by the hat that she knew she was getting for her birthday... I even matched the bag to the colors of the hat... Ain't I clever.

Tink on the outside, Pink on the inside... Perfect....
Isn't she cute?

By the way... she is in Oliver! at OnStage in Bedford. It opens this Friday so you should come see it!

How It Should Have Ended...

2007-09-10T22:13:00.000-05:00

This guy's name is Daniel Baxter. I work with him at Fellowship Church. Actually we spend a lot of time shooting nerf darts at each other... And I'm not sure how he has time to do other cool stuff like this. I guess the same way I have time to keep doing theatre stuff. Very little sleep or other social life. Anyway, I am glad he finds the time because it's awesome! You rock SimpleCap! Check out his other How It Should Have Ended stuff here. My fave's are "Dead Man's Chest", "Blair Witch", and "Superman".

Oh yeah, you might watch the Superman one first... since it makes a cameo in the Spidey one...too late, oh well...

Don't you?...

2007-09-08T02:34:00.000-05:00

Train In The Distance...

2007-06-16T11:58:00.000-05:00

Well I have been so busy lately I haven't had time to put up any updates. Train In The Distance was a big success. Our first night's crowd in Denton was a little light, but the big total for all three nights came to $11,400 for the American Cancer Society. Pretty great. Big thanks to everyone who came, especially my family, who came twice, and Jon who came to Southlake from Waco! Here is a pic from one of the rehearsals. It was taken by Amanda, our drummer's wife. If you were at the concert you would recognize her as the very pregnant photographer. Hope you have delivered by now, Amanda! Congratulations!

What I Do...

2007-06-16T11:47:00.000-05:00

A lot of people ask me what I do... Well here is the latest sample. This is one of the large group skits and Bible stories for Berry Blast Theme Park, our latest series of Elevate. Each series is eight weeks long. I am a part of brainstorming, planning, and shooting the videos. The rest of what I do you can't see on video. After the kids see the skit and Bible story they go out in small groups of about ten with a teacher and do object lessons and games and activities to reinforce and support what they learn in the large group time. We really have a blast. Get it... Blast?... oh well.

Part One...

Part Two

Ride This Train...

2007-05-08T21:39:00.000-05:00

I am pleased to be a part of the increasingly inappropriately named "One Night Only Band" again this year. We are putting on a concert to benefit the American Cancer Society. Scott Wood is the visionary (and cancer survivor) behind the concert, and this year he has spread the lead vocals around to a few more folks than last year and asked me to sing lead on "She Talks To Angels" by the Black Crowes.

Wow! Thanks for the honor, Scott!

All of us have known people, family and friends, who have been affected by cancer in one way or another. You can read about Bill Reese, a close friend of mine who died May 29, 2006, by following the link in my side bar. I could also list aunts and uncles, many other friends and my sister-in-law among those who have fought cancer, are fighting it, or have died as a result of it.

Here is some info I copied off of the website. Buy tickets. Make contributions. Make a difference.

"The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains."

Though the Paul Simon song, Train in the Distance, primarily speaks about the problem of us seeing the grass as being greener on the other side, the truth stands that we all think life can be better than it is today...that the 'train in the distance' represents something greater. The purpose of this concert is to give many of us a chance to do something that can make life better. Cancer affects us all. Our friends. Our family. Our neighbors.

Ourselves. And while great strides have been made in recent years in treating many forms of cancer - there is still a long way to go. Net proceeds from this concert will be donated to the American Cancer Society for the purpose of research. "Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance." June 1 & 2, 2007 will give us the opportunity to create that sound... and help give hope to those suffering from all forms of cancer.

This year’s event will again take place at the 299-seat Campus Theatre in Denton, Texas.

Even if you cannot make it, there will be opportunities to donate – including the opportunity to have the name of a loved one you have lost to cancer included in the ShowBill.

With more time to plan, a larger production staff, and as an official event sponsored by the American Cancer Society, this year's concert promises to be a treat for entire family.

Train in the Distance II will have an upgrade in sound equipment; additional time for lighting and set design; and a band with a year of experience under their belts as a group. There have also been a few new additions of local talent to the OneNightOnly Band. There will be more hits from the likes of Paul Simon; the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, and many others.

Donations are accepted at any time to help support this event. Checks can be made out directly to the American Cancer Society. Please send to:

American Cancer Society
c/o Train in the Distance Cancer Benefit
5050 Pear Ridge 4102
Dallas, TX 75287

If you would like to honor a loved one who is suffering from cancer, has overcome cancer, or may have succumbed to the disease, there are opportunities to have your loved ones named in this year’s program, and on the Train website.

Please email your loved one’s name and cancer status to Scott Wood at scott@traininthedistance.com. Donations of any size are accepted to honor your loved one at this year’s event.

Also, if you have lost a loved one since the last Train event (July 2006) and would like to have their memory honored as part of a mid-show tribute montage, please send an electronic photo to scott@traininthedistance.com.

Frightening...

2007-04-30T18:57:00.000-05:00

This non-fiction legal tragedy by John Grisham is the most frightening book I have read in a long time. I read a lot of Steven King, but what is scary in this book is more real and uncontrollable than vampires, gunslingers, aliens or ghosts. The System...

If you read the book from a strong conservative standpoint, I suppose you could ultimately say that the system worked, eventually. To quote the judge who finally caught the mistakes and turned the story around, "God help us, if ever in this great country we turn our heads while those who have not had fair trials are executed. That almost happened in this case."

But by the time The System finally did work, and the real truth came out, what was the point?

It's like what Red (played by Morgan Freeman) says in Shawshank Redemption, (written by Steven King, in case you didn't know...) "They sentence you to life, and that's exactly what they take..." I may be paraphrasing a little. It's been a while since I read the novella or saw the movie.

Anyway a fascinating, thoughtful story. Read it.

Noises Off Reminiscence...

2007-04-17T23:31:00.000-05:00

I have to tell this great story that happened during the run of Noises Off. It was told to me by Dan Duncan, who played Selsdon in the play.

But first for those of you unfamiliar with the play... a synopsis/description:

Noises Off is a play about a company of actors attempting to produce a play called Nothing On. In the first act of Noises Off the audience watches a disastrous rehearsal of Nothing On. The actors, backstage crew, and director can barely get through the act. During the first intermission the set crew turns the set backwards. In the second act of Noises Off the audience watches the first act of Nothing On again, this time from backstage during a crazed and incredibly messed up performance. Then the set is turned back to normal for the third act, in which the audience sees the actors nearly killing each other as they try again to perform the first act of Nothing On. (I have often wondered, if it was a real play, what would happen in the second act of Nothing On.)

Anyway, it is a hilarious play about theatre. I think because of the many challenges of blocking, combined with the set changes, and the complexity of props, and technical elements, that it is the most difficult play to produce that has ever been written. (There is a wonderful movie version of the play for those of you who haven't seen it starring: Michael Caine, Carol Burnette, John Ritter, Nicolette Sheridan, Christopher Reeve, Marilu Henner, Julie Hagerty, Mark Linn-Baker, and Denholm Elliot. Movie poster below...)

Second, some thanks:

Every single cast member did a fantastic job. There were no egos, no divas, no whiners, no back biting, and no slack to take up for anyone! Not a single weak link in the entire show! I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

And the tech/stage crew were absolutely fantastic. Turning that stage was amazing! (They turned it in seven minutes. 7 Minutes!!!) I have a friend (Ryan Carpenter) who is a magician. When he swallows fire, part of his patter goes something like this: "This is not a magic trick, and it is not an illusion. It is a stunt. There is not a trick to this, and yes it does hurt." You guys on the tech crew performed an amazing stunt that seemed like a magic trick to those who watched it happen. There was no trick to it, just your hard work and planning. Great job!

And finally, on to the story...

A woman brought her six year old daughter (I can't remember now if it was her daughter or her grand-daughter) to see the show. The show is a little much for a six year old, (some language and sexual innuendo) but has a ton of physical comedy and funny lines that she could understand. Afterward the woman asked her daughter what she thought of the show.

"Why did we come today?" The child asked.
"What do you mean, did you not like it?" Asked Mom.
"Yes, I liked it." She answered, "it was funny, but why did we come today?"
"I don't understand what you are asking." Mom said.
"Well, because they weren't ready!" Said the girl. "Can we come back next week?"

We all laughed so hard when we heard that story! That little girl understood the show perfectly! I bet she wonders what happens in the second act of Nothing On just like I do! I really wish we were still doing it next week! I have very rarely been this sad that a show was over.

Another dream role checked off the list...

Thanks, Travis, for the fabulous caricatures of us! I like your versions of us better than Hirshfield's verisons of the film cast! You are Awesome!

I wish I could do this to some people...

2007-04-10T01:10:00.001-05:00

New Look... Not really...

2007-04-10T01:03:00.000-05:00

I've gotten around to updating to the latest version of Blogger. That means some of the sidebar info got scrambled and lost. But that is okay, it was past time to update all of that anyway. So a little bit of a new look, but not really. Starting over with shows and books and all of that. Thanks to Melissa for helping me remember all the shows I've seen so far this year. (I don't think we missed any...) Now if only I could remember all the books I have read since January... sheesh.

Eleven...

2007-03-16T13:08:00.000-05:00

Eleven…

Eleven years is a long time to know someone. I can count very few people who have known me that long. (people who still keep in touch, mostly people who read this blog...) But today I have been married to the best friend I have ever had for eleven years. She is the only one on earth who really knows me. When other people gush about how kind, funny, brilliant I am; she knows I’m faking it. And loves me anyway. When other people misunderstand me, take advantage of me, and treat me badly; she takes my side and my hand and won’t let go.

When we first got engaged a friend of my mother gave us a set of dishes. With these instructions: “These are cheap, ugly, Wal-Mart dishes. And they are not for eating on. Someday you are going to fight. You are going to be so mad you can spit, and you are going to want to throw dishes at each other. Don’t use the pretty china you registered for. Use these cheap ugly Wal-Mart dishes.”

I’ve always remembered that. Eleven years doesn’t happen because we don’t fight. Eleven years happen because we never threw the good china. We fight like champions when we fight, but we leave the outcome in the ring. And we always come out together.

I’m not sure why I included that.

I started writing this simply to say how much I love her… But somehow I felt that needed to be said.

I love loving you. I love fighting, and laughing, and living, and dying with you. I’m glad we have our own language. Our special words.

Is Stevie writing about us???

(I just finished Lisey's Story, by Steven King. It is now near the top of my fave King books. It is about the long marriage of writer Scott Landon and his wife Lisey... beautiful)

The Real 24…

2007-03-02T13:17:00.000-06:00

Melissa and I recently had the opportunity to participate in an amazing little play festival by a theater company called Rover Dramawerks. I say little play festival because the plays are small… ten to twenty minutes. The real uniqueness of it is that they are conceived, written, cast, rehearsed, propped, costumed, teched, (is that a word?) and performed in twenty four hours. Yep. It is a great challenge for everyone involved. Melissa and I participated as actors, but if we do this again, I would definitely like to try it as a writer…

Here is how it works. We signed up ahead of time as what we wanted to do. There are seven plays, so there are seven writer slots, seven director slots, and thirty to forty actor slots and a list of standbys. Everyone showed up at nine on Friday evening. We checked in, had a mug shot style photo taken, and filled out an information form where we wrote our one-sentence bios.

Mine was “John is happy to have this opportunity to share the secret of life in the second sentence of this bio…oops.”

There was also a place on the form that asked if there was anything else you wanted to tell them. Melissa wrote, "Wanna see me juggle tomahawks?"

In case you are wondering, yes. Yes she can.

On a separate form we put in our ideas for plays. We couldn’t put in synopsis or character descriptions, just a word or phrase. Since I couldn’t think of anything else good to put down, I wrote “Tomahawk Juggling” as my play suggestion. After everyone was checked in, we all played a little improv type game that rotated everyone around so the directors got to see almost everybody doing something. Then the writers had to draw an idea out of a hat.

I don’t remember all the ideas that were drawn. One was “Addiction,” one was “7 up yours,” and, you guessed it, one was “Tomahawk Juggling.” The artistic director of Rover drew it. I apologized to her later…

Then we were given some suggestions as to what to bring with us when we came back. Something casual, something dressy, something black, and any random costume or prop that we thought might be needed. Then everyone went home except the writers. They stayed at the theater and wrote all night. At 6:30 AM (yeah) directors show up and read the scripts. Somehow they decide who directs each show. Then they cast the show from the mug shots taken the night before. At 8:00 AM the actors show up and find out what show they are doing and rehearsals begin.

Melissa and I ended up in the same script. It was the one that started with the suggestion of “Addiction.” I think it was very well written. More on that later.

We rehearse all morning then at lunch announcements are made about things that different directors need for the scripts they are working on. One show needed angel wings, One show needed a pistol and police hat, and of course one show needed Tomahawks. (Which we provided) After lunch we continue working. We got one chance to rehearse on stage. And two short tech runs before the house opened.

Luckily our group’s on stage rehearsal was late in the day after we had already planned our blocking. It would be tough to be on stage first with no idea about props/blocking yet…

Then at 7:30 PM the audience started showing up. People actually buy tickets for this. In fact, they sell observer tickets to those who just want to observe the insanity of the process. Those people were with us the whole time. The house held 325 seats. They weren’t sold out, but it was a very full house. I didn’t get to see most of the plays because of my make-up, and I needed to stay back-stage and work on my physical movements in a mirror.

Oh yeah, about the script we were in. I played a Zombie. A Zombie in love. Engaged in fact to Sammie, played by Melissa. The play started with four women all discussing Sammie’s “addiction” to dating “bad-boys”. One was a werewolf, and one a vampire… Each of these women are addicts themselves. Penny the socialite cares only for money and status. Lucy the lush is a smoking, drinking wreck. Kandie is… well let’s just say she makes Samantha from Sex in the City look celibate. And Faith is hopping from Buddhism to palm reading to the next thing.

Enter the Zombie, Bodie, played by me. Bodie is addicted to eating the flesh of the living. But he thinks Sammie and he have as good a chance as anyone because, “love conquers all, even our most primitive urges.” Both of us had a great time, and met some great people. Like Sloan who played Penny for us, and also happened to have the know-how and supplies to do my Zombie make-up.

If you are local and brave of heart, you should absolutely do this the next time it comes around. Rover has done this nine times! If you are not around here, maybe you could do something like it where you are? Rover imported the idea from somewhere else and it has been a huge success. As Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

Worship Thoughts...

2007-01-29T18:25:00.000-06:00

I wrote this poem a long, long time ago. It was during the time that I spent "out" of church. I found great moments of personal worship in varied moments of almost every day. (still do) I didn't find services I attended, or "Christian" music on the radio, "worship-full."
I was burned out and tired of everything.
(some days I still am)

Worship should be change,

Not clapping.

Worship should be sacrifice,

Not selfishness

Worship should be forsaking,

Not favorites.

Worship should be about someone,

Not some thing that you are “all about.”

Worship should be revealing,

Not repeating.

Worship should be resounding,

Not just loud.

Worship should be personal,

Not parroting.

Worship should be spirit led,

Not spiritualized.

I still feel every line of this is true.

But I gave up finding a church that didn't bug me. I realized I wouldn't find one. And what's more, I didn't need one. What I needed was to do what I knew was right whether it was irritating or painful or not.

How ludicrous is it that if I had a gun to my head to force me to deny Christ I would with barely a thought say, "go on and shoot me", (right before trying to grab the gun) but I don't want to go to a worship service that bugs me?

Bein Jesus 2...

2007-01-27T03:11:00.000-06:00

...This Pic (thanks Darius!) is from a dress/tech rehearsal. We ended up trading the sequined top hat for a yellow hard hat that better matched our Construction Zone surroundings...

I have been wanting to write more about playing Jesus in Godspell. It has taken a lot out of me physically. It is a demanding role. Once I come onstage after the second song, I am onstage every minute. Teaching, Laughing, Dancing, Fighting with the Pharisees, restraining Judas, not to mention getting hung on a fence… To complicate that, our church has been going through a fast. (Veggies and Fruit. No meat, no dairy, no bread, no caffeine) The show is over tomorrow and the fast concludes Sunday. (Look out pizza, here I come!) Every night of the show since the fast began I have felt weak and not up to the task, vocally or physically. But I made it a part of my prayers before the show: “Fill me up and overflow me, where I am weak give me your strength – Make me a puppet on your strings.” (The last portion of that is taken from Bruce Marchiano’s book that I am still reading.)

There are a few things in the show that I feel I did particularly well, and a few that I think I could have improved. (I’m almost sure it is a mistake to list these, my failures will always be bigger than I see them, and successes, twice the size in my own eyes…)

“Good Things, good things, good things, yeah!”

It is a point of pride for me that our cast ran consistently ten to twenty minutes shorter than the other cast… (I kept a mantra beating in my head – Pace, Energy, Volume…anyone who has been in a show that I have directed knows that I always tell my actors to talk faster, pick up the pace...)

I felt that my relationship with Judas reflected well my personal convictions about him. I tried to show him extravagant love through every scene, and to never give away to the rest of the disciples what I knew would happen. (The way I view Judas is the exact same way I view Peter. They both betrayed Christ. The difference is that Peter came back and Judas did not.)

I think that to the best of my ability, I captured the joyfulness and abundant love Jesus had not just for the disciples, but for his enemies as well.

I had a long head start in portraying Jesus’ anguish before the betrayal. We have a script (Isaac and Jesus by Matt Tullos) with those lines in them that I have been doing for years. (six years maybe…) At times the level of intensity with which I have shouted out “Let this cup pass away from me” has been questioned. “Jesus wasn’t really asking for a way out, was He?” “Are you sure that you should get that emotional?” To those questions I say, minimizing the suffering of Jesus (psychological, spiritual, or physical) is only a way for us to say to ourselves that our sins are not that bad. “It didn’t take that much to save us. We’re nice people.” Trust me. However uncomfortable seeing a price tag on your sin might make you, it’s not enough. The very next phrase: “Not my will, but yours be done.” Is all the comfort you need.

“We seek thy mercy sure.”

I was disappointed in how difficult it was for me to pick up the dances in the show. I guess the style of dance is so different from Singin’ In the Rain that I just had a hard time adjusting. I've always said that I am not a dancer, ("but I play one on TV") I am just an actor acting like a dancer.

I still flub and stutter through a line here and there. This doesn’t happen every show, but often enough that I get irritated with myself while I am on stage when it happens. Never Good! I think the root of it is that I was never completely able to rid myself of the confusion of the different translations I have studied and half-memorized in my head. The Script kept rattling around in my head along with the New Living Translation, the Holman Christian Standard, the New International Version, and the New King James.

I also had a terrible time making the props work. In the first act I had a magic trick of one sort or another in every pocket of my cargo pants. It was a rare night that all of them went off without a slight glitch. And sometimes a major glitch. (That blankety-blank CANE!) In the second act I had to strip the external glitter and bling off of the Pharisees and several times as I was throwing it down I hit audience members with it. Oops!

Hopefully my prayer was answered and the audience was able to see me hide myself in Christ each night.

It may take me a while to unpack everything I learned in this show. I'm sure I'll have more to blog after we close Saturday... that would be today. Good night.

Got a good review from a friend who came to see the show. Check it out.

Nature?

2007-01-17T13:11:00.000-06:00

Why is it Joggers leave weirder tracks than birds??????

Snowy day!

2007-01-17T12:41:00.000-06:00

Had some Texas snow today. I'm lucky to be able to work from home. One of the weird things about working in a creative area is I never really turn off my brain from whatever project I am trying to work on. So what am I thinking about today? Adventure Week! Happening in August!
Happy snow day!!!

Will It Blend????

2006-12-30T13:24:00.000-06:00

This is the coolest thing I have discovered on the internet since I found the OK GO video with the treadmills.....

Check out the website, or just YouTube it for more blending madness. (including blending an I-Pod.)

Movie Lovers Enjoy!

Official Godspell Notice!!!

2006-12-28T01:48:00.001-06:00

Just in case you didn't get an email... Here is the official "come and see us" info about Godspell. A few of you may not have heard that I am playing Jesus and Melissa is playing a disciple in Godspell at Artisan Center Theater in Hurst. ( http://www.artisanct.com) Melissa and I are in the "Wine Cast" which runs on Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM. Our show dates are December 30th, January 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, and the 27th. There might be added shows near the end of the run. If there are we will let you know if we are in them. Buy your tickets quick, the first weekend is sold out and the second is probably not far behind...

This is going to be a great show! Hope you come see it twice! (the other cast has some fantastic performances too)

For those who don't know the show...

Godspell is NOT a chronological story of events of Christ's life. If you are expecting a churchy pageant, you will be surprised. Godspell is based on the Gospel of Matthew. It is very open to creative direction. If you have seen one Godspell you have definately not seen them all, because every one is very different. One time you see it, it may take place in a circus with clowns and animals, and another production might set the story as a rock concert or other thematic locale. Our production attempts to presents Christ as he might appear today, in our industrial, depersonalized, post modern, over-philosophized-culture.

The script bounces between Christ's teachings, (contrasted with a smattering of philosophers from ancient times to modern), and a few partially out of sequence events from Christ's life, including: the baptism by John the Baptist, the confrontation with the Pharisees, the last supper, the betrayal(s) and crucifixion. Our production makes clear that there is a resurrection as well, but others I have seen leave it ambiguous.

Whether you know the show or not, you will love it!

Come see us!

Bein' Jesus...

2006-12-19T00:30:00.000-06:00

A cross-over from my MySpace blog...

Playing the role of Jesus in Godspell has gotten me to think about Him more than I thought that it would. I already knew all the words from reading the Bible over and over, and the hundreds of scripts in which I have played Jesus or enacted one of the parables. I also wrote my own life of Christ musical (no music, just lyrics...any takers?) and read extensively a chronological harmony of the gospels that puts everything in the order it actually happened. I've also read (and am re-reading) Bruce Marchiano's book In the Footsteps of Jesus about playing Jesus in The Gospel According to Matthew.
Maybe it is because the previous scripts in which I played Jesus were much smaller in scope, (5-10 minutes) but this experience has been different. I always knew in my head that Jesus had a choice. But thinking deeply about it as an actor brings a new perspective. As an actor I know that a person's choices define them. It hardly matters what a character says, or believes, or even feels. Action IS character. And Jesus was a man of action. He could have called the whole thing off when it came to the end, but He didn't. "He said "what greater love has a man than to lay down his life for his friends" and then he went out and did it." Billy Crockett said that at a concert.

I have always been told that one of the cheif goals of my faith is to put on the character of Jesus. But I'll tell you the truth, it is a lot easier on stage when all I have to do is give voice to words that He already spoke. When it's just me out there on my own... It's hard.

Rich Mullins said it better than anyone...

"...Lord it's hard to turn the other cheek
Hard to bless when others curse you
Oh Lord it's hard to be a man of peace
Lord it's hard ~ oh it's hard
You know it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard ~ oh it's hard
Oh Lord it's hard to be like Jesus

And it's hard to step out on them waves
Hard to walk beyond your vision
Oh Lord it's hard to be a man of faith
Lord it's hard (hard) Lord it's hard (so hard)
Oh Lord it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard (hard) oh it's hard (yeah hard)
Oh Lord it's hard to be like Jesus

Well His eye's on the sparrow
And the lilies of the field I've heard
And He will watch over you and He will watch over me
So we can dress like flowers and eat like birds

And it's hard when your soul had been stripped bare
Hard to lift your eyes toward Heaven
Oh Lord it's hard to be a man of prayer
Lord it's hard ~ oh it's hard
You know it's hard to be like Jesus
..."

My Mother is an Artist...

2006-11-18T23:21:00.000-06:00

My Mother is an artist. I realize now that I have always known this. Just like I have always known that I like chocolate but never told anyone. My mother sings. She is a music lover and critic and performer and she knows what she is talking about. I have never fully appreciated this. Mostly because I took it for granted. When you live in a house that always has music, you think everyone’s house is just like yours. Just like they have Frosted Flakes for Breakfast, and Peanut Butter for lunch, (with Jelly or with Bananas – thank you Elvis, thank you very much) and Chicken on Sunday, they must have music. There was: Opera, Country Western, Folk, Classical, Baroque, Rock, Spiritual, Gospel, Sacred, Blues, and even “Hair-Metal” and Heavy Metal and Rap when I started bringing music home. Music, Music everywhere. I thought everyone grew up listening to records and radio stations all up and down the dial, but sadly it’s not true. Of course the real point is not that this music came into our home over the radio, or on recordings, but that our house made music. Mom would sing along with just about anything. It used to embarrass the crap out of me when she would sing along with Bruce Springsteen or Elton John, or – worst of all – Fresh Prince. (Will Smith in another lifetime) Even when we were at home or in the car and none of my friends would ever know that my Mom who loved Classical music was rapping, I was mortified. “Well, if you don’t want me to sing your music I guess I’ll sing mine.” And she would launch into a Negro-Spiritual, or Bach, or The Sound of Music. Because of my Mom, music was always something in which you participated. Music was something you made yourself, like cookies, or Sweet Tea, or Barbeque. Sure, you can get it somewhere else, but it just isn’t the same. We all made music. I played Saxophone, and Guitar. My brother played basically the entire Brass section and the piano. And my sister played Clarinets (Contra and B flat) and Piano, I think. Which of course meant we were required by law to perform every time any form of relative or close friend dropped by. We always took our instruments whenever we traveled on vacation. Vacation always involved seeing family, and seeing family always involved music. “Aunts and Uncles, Cousins and Kissin’ Cousins, but especially you Grandparents! Here they are for your listening pleasure! The Tillman’s Traveling Gypsy Band!” A family vacation was our own miniature version of a Vaudeville tour. Memphis and Arkabutla, MS were our main stops, but we played Jacksonville, TX and Mountain Home, AR and we did the nursing home tour as well. Especially for the Grandparents. Anybody’s Grandparents!!! (My Parents were the leaders of our Church’s Nursing Home Ministry) We of course hated this. We complained about it. We made excuses not to do it. “My reed is cracked.” “My omniture is tired” “I forgot my mouthpiece.” “Do we HAVE to?” I am not sure if those who heard us play would be called victims or willing audiences. Some of both I am sure. And a better attitude on our part could have helped…

But I still question sometimes: Did we have to? Can a child live without the music emersion that we were baptized in? Music didn’t exactly change our lives. None of us is famous or making money from it. But that was never the point. Music is and always was our lives. We live in it and it lives in us. We make it and it makes us. That sounds a little kooky-new-age-ish reading back over it. But I’ll stick with it. Music is one of God’s most powerful gifts. Half magic and half mathematics, it bridges our analytical and emotional thoughts and brings them together. It is the reason that every culture has music for the important moments in life, and the reason that eight out of ten theater tickets sold on Broadway is to a musical, and the reason that music is so important and so divisive in our houses of worship and in our lives. The fact that many, maybe most, children in this country grow up with TV theme-songs and Radio Disney cookie-cutter pop as their only exposure to the wonder and power of music makes me very sad. It also makes me want to say thanks. Thanks, Mom. (and Dad too, who taught me about Rock History and that you don’t have to be a singer to sing…) Thanks for guiding me to music I might never have given a chance, and thanks for letting me explore music that I might never should have listened to in the first place. And thanks for singing and dancing, and forcing me to sing, and play, and dance too. I’m still doing it…

Godspell...

2006-11-10T00:07:00.000-06:00

The next show that Melissa and I will be in is Godspell at Artisan. I will play Jesus and Melissa will be a disciple. We are both very excited about it. (and I'm a little nervous) Thank God we won't be costuming anything like the picture on Artisan's PR materials. I'll be cutting my hair short again just as soon as I get "off the Ark". The Ark closes this weekend. And Godspell rehearsals have just started. And I am trying not to get sick... Ugh.

Interesting fact to me is that in a very few days I will technically be too old to play Jesus, 34. Shh, don't tell the director...

I have been listening to a ton of different versions of the soundtrack... okay... 3 versions... Anyway, by far the best is the one that Jason loaned to me. The pic with this blog is the album cover if you need to find it. I absolutely love the Barry White-ish "Light of the World" and the generally less-hippie-more-rock feel.

I think the hardest part of the whole show for me will be saying all the lines like they are in the script and not like they are in my head. After all, I have been playing Jesus in one script or another for about 13 years. Yeesh...

But I'm not "the only Jesus people will ever see" because the show is double cast. If you are local and want to come see me, I will be on Thursday nights and Saturday nights, and some of the matinees. (call me if you want to know which ones)

Don't Miss It!

Three Kind Mice...

2006-10-06T15:14:00.000-05:00

Melissa and I have written a show for Artie's Playhouse at Artisan in Hurst. I am crossing my fingers that the cast is all set! Very soon we will start rehearsals (on top of the final week of rehearsals for The Ark) and the regular run is from October 23rd thru November 11th. Yikes! That is soon! Anyway, the script is hilarious. Melissa and I strongly believe that any children's show/book/song/etc. that is entertaining only to children is a BAD children's show/book/song/etc. And Three Kind Mice will have many moments that will get an "Oh no they didn't" from the adults while at the same time getting the kids to laugh and learn something as well. In the story, three mean mice (Colby, Jack, and Brie) are in danger of having their tails cut off by the Farmer's Wife just like their blind cousins before them. To save them, the Bunny formerly known as Foo Foo (now a Purple Goon) is recruited by The Good Fairy named Share (....wait for it...) to teach the mice to be kind and no longer have a "Heart of Stone". Some of the songs used in the show are parodies of: Purple Rain, Cruel to be Kind, Heart of Stone, Who Put the Bomp, The Promise, and It's A Good Day.

It's a great laugh so don't miss it!

Profanity...

2006-09-27T01:13:00.000-05:00

Just a short opinion... Comments please.

Melissa and I are both in The Ark opening October 13th at Artisan in Hurst. (I am Japeth and Melissa is Shem's wife, Martha... yeah, Martha)

Anyway, the point is I disagree most of the time with people who want to take language out of plays and musicals that they are producing. Firstly: you have to have permission for it to be legal. Secondly: why not choose a different play instead? Thirdly: anything you put in place of a curse word almost always draws attention to the fact that a curse word used to be there. Fourthly: there is no way to remove everything that might offend someone, so why bother.

The Ark has a lyric in which the family sings, "Why the Hell did Heaven wait so long?" I find this to be a funny, truthful, and revealing expression of frustration with God. This is a common theme all though scripture. Also, it takes into account the metaphor of The Ark as Heaven on Earth in the midst of the Flood as Hell on earth. Per director's orders, with permission of the author (so it is legal) we will sing instead "Why the Heck did Heaven wait so long?"

First of all, I don't see how this is any better. Second of all, there is another phrase featured in a whole song, that I personally find more profane. The song goes, "I've got a couple of questions that I want to have answered when I meet the Man upstairs..." I've always squirmed in my seat whenever anyone used that particular euphemism for God. Yeah, I know that the Good News is that God became a man. Don't start quoting the first chapter of John to me, I know it and believe it. But that is my point, God became a man. He didn't start out that way. I mean if God was a man already, then what's the big honking deal, he just walked downstairs to have a look-see.

pro-fane: to debase by a wrong, unworthy, or vulgar use.

Anyway, I don't think that we should take out "the Man upstairs" either. But there's a "hell" of a lot of words I won't print here that I would rather hear in a play or musical instead.

Rant Over... Return to normal programming...

Blog Drought!!!

2006-09-04T02:51:00.000-05:00

I have been sooooo busy and hate that I havn't posted in so long.....

Much to come when I get my show open this week.

Melissa and I had a fantastic Theatrical Weekend so far. We saw three shows. (And Then There Were None, Tape, and The Shape of Things) Went to two parties. (One with Artisan Theatre People, and Cast party for And Then There Were None) And of course my rehearsals for Cheaper By The Dozen..... Argh! What are we, nuts? Yes, and ain't it fun.

Cheaper By The Dozen...

2006-08-04T12:59:00.000-05:00

My next Theatrical Project is directing Cheaper by the Dozen for Artisan Center Theater. It has nothing at all to do with a crappy movie starring Steve Martin! The play is based on the book by Frank Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth. It is a fun story about a real family. The picture above is of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth and their "Dozen" (Mary who died at 6 years old is not pictured) Frank and Lillian were BOTH inventors and engineers and Lillian (as well as her daughters after her) broke new ground for women in education and the workplace. If you have ever used a step-lid trash can, you can thank Lillian Gilbreth for inventing it. She graduated from the University of California with a B.A. and M.A. and went on to earn a Ph.D. from Brown University. She earned membership in the ASME, and like her husband lectured at Purdue University. They were pioneers of Motion Study and efficiancy. Some of their innovations would be called ergonomics today. For more info about this "First Lady of Engineering" and her family, start with this website about the books.

I have already directed the "sequel" to Cheaper..., Belles on their Toes. It is also based on Frank Jr. and Ernestine's books. Here is what I said in the Director's Notes in the program for that Production:

When I started work on “Belles” only three short months ago I was reminded of my very large family on my mother’s side. That was not because they had much in common with the Gilbreth’s. There were (only) nine children, not eleven. Grandaddy was a share-cropper in Mississippi, not an engineer in New Jersey. The house probably wouldn’t have been held up as a model of modern efficiency, but it was full of laughter and love. Laughing together unites us like nothing else, and love is the very reason for our existence. The Gilbreth family is full of both. And I hope that as you watch, you will be reminded of your family. The Gilbreth clan may be larger, more efficient, more amusing, more you-name-it than yours, but when it all comes down to it, families are the same. And whether you are here with friends, or relatives or alone, tonight you are a part of our Runway Theatre Family. I am proud to be a part of this “family” production, and I cannot say enough about the hard work put in by the cast and crew to make this happen. All the love and laughter that has gone into this work, is for you. Enjoy.

I hope many of you can make plans to come see the first half of the Gilbreth story. I have two casts full of great kids (and adults, too) so don't miss it. Hope to see you all there!

Don't Miss!!!!!

2006-07-27T14:36:00.000-05:00

Hey! Don't Melissa look great as Adelaide in Guys and Dolls!!! 'Dose of Youse in town, betta not miss it if you knows whats good for youse.!!!!

On Stage Epiphany...

2006-07-16T01:59:00.000-05:00

I had one of those weird perfomance moments of clarity amidst confusion during the concert tonight. It was right after Shape of My Heart. This is one of my favorite songs by Sting, and I was thrilled when Scott allowed me to sing the backing vocals for it. It was just the band and Scott and me, and I was very nervous about it, because I could barely hear myself in the monitor, and was a little unsure of how it sounded. But it felt really good, especially toward the end of the song. Since it was just the two of us singing, I was downstage on a mic near Scott, and for the next song I needed to be upstage where the mics were for the group of BGVers. (is that an official abbreviation?) So I turned to go upstage quickly so the next song could start, and as I am starting to go Scott generously says my name to the crowd and gestures to me. I think there was applause. I'm not really sure, because I suddenly was deciding if I should turn around and face the crowd or not, also I was about to run into a set of speakers and momentarily couldn't tell my body which way to go. Mercifully I did not fall over, although I thought I was going to. I simply staggered drunkenly around the speakers not looking back at the crowd, and as the applause (if there was any) petered out, I reached the BGV platform upstage and meekly smiled out at the dark theater.

In a brief moment of theoretical adulation - during which, if I had my choice I would choose to be calm and humble and nod with a slight smile - I found myself staggering, showing the audience my butt, and generally making a fool of myself. That is sometimes just like life. Just when you do something right, you do something dumb. Sometimes I thank God for those moments that keep me humble. Moments that remind me that I don't and won't have it all together.

But sometimes it bugs the crap out of me.

$4900 for Cancer Research...

2006-07-15T22:08:00.000-05:00

The audio quality on this is pitiful. Remember, it is first going through a cell phone to the internet, and then to your computer... But if you listen carfully you can hear Scott announce that the Concert and Silent auction raised $4900! After the crowds reaction you can hear the first section of the final song of the concert, Your Song. The whole experience was an awesome one for me. Thanks Sis and friends for coming to see me. Thanks also go to theatre buddies: Nissa, Mary, Trisha & Ken. (I know you were really there 'cause you know Scott, but thanks for cheering for me... and for assuring me that I didn't suck)

Snippet of Concert....

2006-07-15T22:04:00.000-05:00

If you can forgive the lousy cell-phone-to-website sound transfer, you can hear a little bit of Scenes from an Italian Restaurant from the concert. No I'm not singing on this number. I'm backstage blogging this with my cell phone. Technology is cool...