Macbeth shall sleep no more

The end is near.  We only have two weeks left, and for we Macbeth-ers, that means only four more shows.  That makes me sad to think about.  We've only just found out how this thing works.  And each performance it grows deeper and better.  And now we only get to do it four more times?  Last night in South Pasadena was a special show.  I had my life-long friend Melanie there.  I don't know when the last time she saw me act was, but the first time is when I was 13 in Tom Sawyer (as the rascally Huck Finn).  I also had some SBTS friends from 14 years ago on hand (Karen, Matt, Eric and his pop).  Had some of my New American Theatre family there (Jade, Elise and Mouncey all of whom I've known for 13 years or so).  And also had some Barfly Shakespeare people there (Matt and my boy Luke who I directed in Henry IV a couple of years ago and who brought me to tears in a recent Pericles that he performed).  It's often hard for me to show up to see all the things that I want.  But

We showed up to the venue tonight and discovered that there was an awning built over the amphitheater upon which we were to perform.  This meant that we couldn't put up our set.  And if you've been following my blog (my four loyal readers) you know that that's one of the things that we are known for.  We roll up and pop-up a fully realized set, do a play, and then vanish "into the air as breath into the wind."  But we are next level when it comes to making shit work.  BJ rightly pointed out that we are the people you want to have around when the zombie apocalypse comes. Because we are survivors and thrivers.  To give you an idea of what our set looks like, here it is on Friday night in Torrance. And here it was tonight.  Here's another look. yup, that tiny thing in the background was all that we could put up under the awning. But we may have had our best show yet.  I continue to be amazed by how game everybody is

I'm pretty pure when it comes to this acting game.  I have been at it a very long time.  And the reason I'm still doing it is that I love telling these stories!  I don't make very much money doing it.  I'm not doing some sort of showcase to get an agent or "launch my career."  I go to parks, pull platforms out of a truck, set up a stage and get to perform the greatest stories ever written.  That is "the be all and the end all" of my service and reward.  And it is enough.  I have so many friends that have thrown themselves at "the industry" and burned out.  I see so many actors asking "what's in it for me?"  People turn down the opportunity to tour with us because they don't want to make their agents angry.  And I get it.  "Hollywood" is very seductive.  I've catered at the Governor's Ball many times...waiting on Oscar winners.  And every time I did, I vowed to myself that I would be on the other side of

We are on tour now!  This is where we become the most authentic traveling group of Shakespearean actors (maybe in the world).  We show up, and unload our truck and put up a set.  We go out into the crowd and try to raise some money.  We do a show.  Then we tear it all down, put it back into our truck and head off to the next city.  I can't tell you how much I love this.  I mean, tour is a six week grind, but I can feel my connection to those who have come before me dating back to the Renaissance. This past week we closed up shop (or band shell) in San Pedro (until closing weekend).  2 Macbeths and one Shrew there this week.  Saturday's Mackers felt good.  I still have a lot of things I'm working on, but Melissa (my brilliant Lady M.) and I really found the way into the story on Saturday.  When you are in the presence of  truly brilliant, passionate, unwavering commitment to authenticity and encounter the desperate need to go deeper, you can't help but get swept up i

My high school drama teacher, and dear friend (David Edwards) came to see Macbeth this weekend.  This man was a big reason why I am an actor today.  His belief in me when I was an awkward kid unsure of myself gave me the confidence to go out there and believe that I could do it.  And here we are more than 30 years after my graduation, and I still rely on his support and opinion to know that I am doing the right thing. Good teachers are abundant.  Teachers that support you are rare.  Teachers that have a vested interest in your future are gold.  Dave was there at the funeral of my mom and gave me a big hug.  He was there at the memorial for my dad and made me cry with his impression of my dad.  There are people that show up and people that don't.  I try to be the first.  Dave not only shows up, but brings snacks.  Having him and his lovely wife, Cindy, in attendance on Friday night filled me with joy.  I wouldn't be an actor without him.  And here I was playing Macbeth.  For m

There is a long held belief that this play is cursed.  There are lots of facts to back this up.  (Like people dying whilst working on it). You can google it.  I've had some bad things happen while working on different productions of Macbeth.  But I don't really believe that they are related to any sort of curse.  I think the real curse of this show is that it is really hard to stage and play convincingly.  Like The Tempest, Mackers is filled with magic and supernatural happenings that test the mettle of those who make plays.  And like The Tempest , which we did a couple of years ago at SBTS, we have the good fortune of having Stephanie Coltrin directing.  For those that don't know her, and don't follow my blogs closely, Steph is literally the artistic yin to my yang.  We have the same aesthetic, but approach it from different angles that just seem to compliment one another.  The greatest artistic successes I've had as an actor were in plays that she directed.