Friday, May 27th
Things are settling down again into their normal rhythm. Work, work, work. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. I'm at least getting to the right things at the right time but it's going to be something of a madhouse through the 4th of July weekend. 'The Vast Difference' opens two weeks from last night. We're off book, but there's still a lot of work to do to make the show flow properly. It's a lot of fun to be part of it, but I feel really inadequate compared to most of the rest of the cast as I haven't done this sort of performing in a long, long time - and I think it shows. My job for this next week, work on better eye contact with my fellow performers.
Once that show is on its feet, have to get things ready for the newest version of Politically Incorrect Cabaret. 'The Four-More Fourth' happens in Biloxi on July 2nd at something called the Marina Point Pavilion. More or less the same show from this past winter, just a few minor changes. I'm dumping the dog costume (and 'The Seven Deadly Virtues') in favor of not much more than body paint and 'I Wonder What The King Is Doing Tonight?' - Just have to tweak the lyrics to make them pointedly about 'W'. Following that, learning Sebastian in 'Twelfth Night' for a late August opening.
I have been offered a job working for Long Term Care Group in Minneapolis, the parent contractors for my Mine workers stuff. Tommy and I are going up on the 20th to talk to them about what it would entail. I hadn't really thought about moving to 'Fargo' country, but I think it's wise to see what sort of things they're really looking for and what my options might be. Tommy finally had a parting of the ways with Birmingham Health Care and now has a flexible future. He's busy stage managing and working with computers and keyboards the next few weeks.
Clinic remains calm this week. No major catastrophes. That may change.
Andy and Tommy on the road:
Minneapolis, MN - June 20th-22nd
Biloxi, MS and New Orleans, LA - July 1st-4th
Princeton, WV - July 17th-19th
New York, NY - July 19th-24th (tenative)
Friday, May 20th
Sorry there wasn't an update on the second half of the California trip but I was off line for part of it and dog tired when I got back. I'm only just starting to feel like I've caught up on sleep - but it won't last. Rehearsals for 'The Vast Difference' will see to that.
After the conference was over, Tommy and I headed down to Palo Alto to take a quick peek at the Stanford campus (much changed over the last twenty years) and to have lunch with Vickie, an old college friend of mine who is now the assistant to the artistic and managing directors at TheatreWorks, a large LORT C company that produces eight shows a year on the peninsula. We caught up and took a tour of their facilities and came away with a lot of ideas to implement in growing theater around here. On Friday, we left the city, wended our way up through Sonoma, Napa and the wine country, and ended up in Woodland, outside of Davis where we spent a couple of days with Ania (another old college theater buddy) and her family who recently relocated to a lovely Victorian home there. I feel a little strange around Sacramento these days as there's been so much water under the bridge. Drove past the old house. The new owners haven't been kind to the landscaping but Maynard, the Tulip Magnolia, continues to flourish in the parking strip. Had a nice lunch with Tom, an old friend and neighbor from Sacramento days, while there.
Back to the grind on Sunday. Due to a change of directors and some other administrative stuff, rehearsals were delayed on 'The Vast Difference' and I came in on Monday only having missed three. Second day back and we were supposed to be off book for Act I and off book for the whole show this coming Monday. I'm busy trying to paste two dozen pages of dialogue into my brain. The rest of the next couple of weeks will be devoted to getting that show up. Fortunately, no major work deadlines coming up, just the usual clinic loads and crazy making folk that come with that.
We're going to try and go to 'Revenge of the Sith' this weekend sometime. Perhaps a late show tonight, depending on availability.
Wednesday, May 11th - San Francisco, California
Well, here I am another year older. 43 - it's one of those prime numbers that you can't do a whole lot with other than live through until you hit 44, which is at least palindromic. This week is being spent in the SF bay area. I agreed to teach a course for the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology on pre-op for older women with a couple of friends. Not a huge attendance but it's a free trip out west and the comforts of the SF Mariott. Did the first part yesterday, doing the rest today. Had dinner last night at a restaurant, Ponzu, that was a great Asian fusion place.
Trying to learn all my pages for the play at Birmingham Festival that opens June 2nd. Found out today that the director just quit and is being replaced. Always an uncomfortable moment, especially when I'll be coming into rehearsals late. I'm more than just a little crazed about this show. I haven't done something this line heavy in a black box in forever. I hope I'm up to it.
Tommy and I are heading up to Sacramento for the weekend to see old friends. It always feels a little odd in this part of the world without Steve but life moves on.
Tuesday, May 3rd
The proofs of my new headshot are back from the photographer. While there are definitely some good photos in the batch, I am now keenly aware that I am no longer young - the wrinkles and thinning hair and the like can no longer be overlooked the way they could even a few years ago. Welcome to middle age. Well, at least I'm still reasonably trim. When I have one chosen, I'll put it up as the welcome photo to these musings.
I formally resigned from my role in 'Forty-Second Street' this weekend after much agonizing. It wasn't a stretch and the other thing I was offered, a supporting part in a Jeff Daniel's comedy about vasectomies, will be a lot tougher. A four week run in a hundred seat black box where no one in the audience is more than twenty feet away. First read through is tomorrow evening. I hope I'm up to it.
Not much excitement at work. Keeping up with the clinical tsunami so far. We just cleared a couple of dozen folks off the new patient wait list and it's back up to forty or fifty again. I am only one person. I need a break, fortunately, Tommy and I leave for SFO on Monday morning so I can teach gynecologists about basic geriatrics. (The annual ACOG meeting is there this year). Then we have a few days to play in Northern California before coming back to the grind.
MNM remains silent. Part of that is problems with internet access at home, part of that is with what's really going on in the news these days, gentle social satire doesn't quite compete with reality. Maybe later this week as I actually have seen a few films of late. Nothing at the theater for a while, though. Waiting for the new 'Star Wars' installment which comes out in a couple of weeks. I know it must be close as there were Darth Vader nacho cheese Doritos all over the local supermarket.
