WebRadio

I just heard a pretty neat program on the web. Kate came up to my room at about one o'clock and asked me if I was able to listen to radio on the web, and I told her I could. Apparently her dad had called her to tell her that WAMU in D.C. (her hometown) was featuring a Professor Arthur I. Miller on their Public Affairs program, and this guy had just written a book about Einstein and Picasso and all the stuff they had in common. Well, it took me a few minutes (like, 15, to be exact) but I managed to log on and find the website and get the streaming audio.

Very interesting program - Prof. Miller talked a lot about Einstein and Picasso and their similarities, their similar influences, and their effects on the twentieth century. Many callers even talked about Steve Martin's play - the one I'm doing right now - so it was pretty damn neat to listen to. I'm even thinking about buying his book and reading it.

Hi, My Name is Joe and...

...I am an online-shopping addict. I admit it. There's no denying it. I went on a spree today at amazon.com.

For some reason, over the last couple of days, I've been thinking a lot about this book that I read years and years ago, called When Worlds Collide. It was this science fiction epic that was written, amazingly enough, during the 1930's, and as a child, I had an edition that had been reprinted in the 1950's. To this day, I have no idea how I came by this book, or where along the journey of my life I managed to lose it, but it was two books in one: When Worlds Collide, and its sequel, After Worlds Collide. Between them, the two books describe an effort to save a remnant of humanity when a rogue planet appears in the night sky, on a collision course with Earth - remember, this is over 60 years before either Armageddon or Deep Impact.

Anyway, as I've said, I've been thinking nostalgically about that book, and how I wish I still had it, so I could pull it off the shelf and re-read it one more time, but it's been gone for years. But today in the dressing room, Charlie Antalosky was talking about a difficult-to-find book for which he'd been searching for some time, and had found on amazon. Which, of course, got my brain rolling. So I logged onto Amazon.com, and guess what? I found When Worlds Collide and ordered it. I wanted to order After Worlds Collide too, but it's out of print. Amazon's "zShops" service had a copy of it, but they wanted $155.00 for it. I don't want to read After Worlds Collide that badly.

Being me, of course, I couldn't end the shopping there. I remembered hearing that the TV miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune had been released on DVD, and since I'd missed it, but had heard good things about it, I looked it up and (you guessed it) found it, and ordered it. I'm looking forward to seeing it. Though I'll be loathe to admit it, since I've spent the money on it, I'll let you know if it sucks. As I've said, I've talked to people who liked it a lot - but boy it seems like it would be hard to do Frank Herbert's book justice. I'm in the minority of people who hated David Lynch's movie version. So here's hoping.

"So," you say to yourself, "he's satisfied his shopping urge and ordered a DVD and a book.... that's not so bad." Well, you'd be right... if I had stopped there! Guess what else is out on DVD?

Yes, my friends, I bought the first two Pink Panther movies! A Shot in the Dark and The Pink Panther. Both are favorites, but I think that A Shot in the Dark may quite possibly be one of my all time favorite movies. Although the car chase scene in the first movie is one of my favorite moments on film, period.

So there you have it... that's about the end of the grevious harm that I've done to my pocketbook today. Tune in tomorrow for more of my further adventures in bankruptcy.

Winging Eastward

Ah, the miracles of technology. Today's update comes as I'm flying high over the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania. I have to say, I really wish that I were wealthy only because it's such a joy to fly everywhere. If I had my druthers, webfriends, I would never be in a car for more than two or three hours ever again. I'm just not a car-trip person by nature. I'm definitely one of those "hurry up, get there and relax" type of people. And you know, I'm fully aware that I'm missing out on all those fabulous aspects of the whole "life is a journey" thing... I'm all too aware - in all the other aspects of my life - that the journey is far more important than the destination. But the fact remains that I can't stand long drives. They drive me nuts. The five hours between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia was just about the upper limit of my tolerance for car trips.

And I love to fly. I'm not much of a cynical, experienced traveler, either. I haven't reached a point in my life where I'd rather sit in an aisle seat. I'm still enamored of sitting in a window seat and watching the earth rush past below me. I'm nearly 37 years old and I'm still like a little kid with my nose pressed against the window.

So though it wasn't exactly cheap to book an airline ticket the day before traveling, I think it was worth the money spent. The choice between forty-five mintues to an hour in the air and five hours on one of the worst toll roads in America is an easy one to make. For me, at least. Of course, all this is predicated on the fact that I actually have the money to make the trip. Usually, I'm way too poor to make an impulse decision to fly. And I suspect that sometime at the end of my time in New York, when the money's running out, I'm going to really miss that extra $400. But fuck it, I say.

And, too, there's something I have to look into: Under the contract that I'm working under, the theater is responsible for my transportation to and from the engagement... even if I drive (as I did), the contract states that they have to reimburse me for the cost of public transportation to and from the gig. Even if it's the cost of a train ticket, it would help defray the airline cost a little. The thing I have to look into (and should have long before this, I know) is whether or not the Arden's agreement with Actors' Equity Association allows them to waive that portion of the LORT contract.

We'll see.

So did I tell you that some of my family came to see the show? It was great! My sisters Sue & Lois, their kids, and some friends made the drive to Philadelphia, stayed over at a hotel, saw the show and drove back. I didn't get to spend as much time with that as I'd have liked, 'cuz it was a five show weekend, but we did get to have brunch together before the show on Sunday the 18th. I managed to get a couple of photos. In the photo to the right, you can see me (in the hat that I bought from Karen Peakes at Hats in the Belfry), Sue McMarr, her daughter Maggie, Justin Schulz, his mother Lois, and Sue's older daughter, Rachel. It was great to see them, since with the crazy life of an actor, I don't get to keep in as close touch with my family as I'd like. I haven't seen my mother or father since around Thanksgiving of last year! Of course, that has more to do with the fact that they're wintering in San Diego with my brother Tim than any shortcomings on my part, but that having been said, I could be much better at keeping in touch with them than I am. How lame am I? I've got overdue birthday presents for both of them sitting around back in Pittsburgh. I'll refrain from discussing what they are just in case they read this, but suffice it to say that any good son would have shipped the damn things to arrive on their birthdays. So there ya go.

Speaking of birthdays, here's a belated happy birthday with to Ian Merrill Peakes, who's playing the title role in our play. Ian turned thirty-two years old this past Sunday... and he's playing a twenty-four year-old in the play, so I guess it speaks well of how he's aging. You can decide for yourself... although the picture below isn't the most flattering I've taken of him. Gavan & my friend Joe Pedulla insists that that digital cameras make things look great, but can never do justice to people. Sometimes I'm convinced he's right, but in the (probably) vain belief that I can learn to do it right, I keep trying. Anyway, here's the birthday boy:

The Illiad

Yet another day off. I drove back to Pittsburgh again last night. And I did it through a blizzard that lasted from Bedford, PA to Donegal, PA - nearly sixty miles at speeds ranging from 30 to 40 mph on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Those of you who know it know it's an already infamously lame road... it's even more so, I'm here to tell you, when only one lane is cleared of snow and you're stuck behind morons who are light years beyond appropriately cautious for driving in a snowstorm. This freak in a Mitsubishi kept stomping on his brakes for no good reason, sending everyone behind him careening all over the roadway. I suspect I'm lucky to have made it home alive.

Whew. Just came off of a five-show weekend, and boy, was I beat when I got home! It was nice to see Gavan, though, so the trip was worth it.

I've got to share a discovery I've made about Philadelphia theater audiences, and I'll preface it by assuring you that I recognize it's a generalization and not really fair to everyone, but here it is nonetheless: People who attend Philadelphia theater have an over-developed sense of entitlement, and bladders the size of commas. Picasso runs a little over ninety minutes, and several signs in the lobby, as well as the house manager announce that fact before the show starts, leaving, in my estimation, a fair chance for everyone to empty their bladders before sitting down to enjoy the show. But I can't tell you how many people get up and walk out during our show, only to return a few minutes later. I can only assume it's to use the restroom. What the fuck is wrong with these people that they can't hold their bladders for 90 damn minutes?!? And don't they think that it's distracting for an actor who's only ten feet away from them as they cut in front of the entire audience to get to the exit?

My actor friends and I joke a lot about theater audiences and how so many of them think that watching a play is like sitting in front of their televisions (you know, with the constant chatter and the tendency so many of us have to talk back to the TV?), but this is absolutely amazing. I have never, in nearly 20 years of acting on the stage, seen anything even remotely like it.

I wonder if it has something to do with the independant spirit of Philadelphia's revolutionary forefathers? I mean, any group of people willing to throw off a reigning monarch over taxation without representation is surely going to sire progeny who have no compunction about attending to their bodily needs whenever the hell they damn well please.

Just a thought.

Oh, and I finally got to bring my laptop home and load all the programs that I wanted to on it. And the idea of facing that drive back to Philly tomorrow so depressed me that I got online and made reservations to fly back, and then to fly home after the show is over. It's only two weeks away, and I think I should be able to mash everything I have to bring back into my suitcases. And everything that won't fit into the suitcases is getting shipped home via UPS or something. It'll be worth it not to have to drive back and forth two more times. Of course, the more I think about it, the more I sit here doubting myself, but what the hell, I bought the ticket so it's too late. Actually, this flight might just throw me over the amount I need for a free flight with my Dividend Miles® account. We'll see.

Cats & Dogs

Today is really rainy and nasty in Philadelphia, friends. But I guess you have to take a little of the bad with the good in any situation… the weather so far on my trip here has been wonderful. Of course, compared to Pittsburgh in winter, most anything seems wonderful. Except Buffalo. Or Antarctica.

I’ve already had a little adventure today. I stumbled, bleary-eyed into the bathroom to shower, got naked, and THEN realized that I hadn’t gone to the grocery store to buy some shower essentials like shampoo and anti-perspirant and toothpaste, so I had to re-dress, stumble out into the torrential downpour (okay, I’m exaggerating a little there), and go off to the Super Fresh market for a toiletries run. Man, are groceries expensive! Especially toiletries. I didn’t even buy any food (except for a little container of grape tomatoes… a snack weakness of mine), and I spent nearly $40. Ouch!

Since we’re planning to have some folks over after our show this evening, I walked down 10th street to Washington, where I’d parked my car, and drove over to the local beer distributor to pick up a case. Only people who actually live in Pennsylvania understand what that entails… our home state isn’t like many others; you can’t just walk into a grocery store and buy beer. The sale of any sort of alcoholic beverages is strictly regulated in Pennsylvania, and you have to go to separate stores to buy beer, and even wine and spirits are sold in another shop altogether. Byzantine, to say the least. Archaic in the extreme, and annoying out the wazoo.

The rain is coming down something fierce out there. It’s not, I assure you, like a hurricane or anything, but in Pittsburgh, with all those hills to break them up, we rarely get lashed by storms like this. Very windy. So the long and the short of it is that I brought my car back to the neighborhood in which I’m staying and parked it at a meter across the street from the house. I’m driving to the theater tonight, my friends! Hopefully, I’ll be able to find a space when I get back, but really, I think I might just swallow the $9 and park ol’ Sister Bertrille in a garage overnight. It’s supposed to rain like this again tomorrow.

Spring Shower

Yours truly has been entirely too lax about making with the journal entries this week. Not that a ton o’ stuff has happened here in Philadelphia… the run is progressing well, and audiences are continuing to love the show. I actually went to dinner last night (my night off) at a restaurant called Monk’s on 16th street here in Philly, and my waitress recognized me from the show! How nice is that? Let me tell you friends, there’re few things finer than good food and being recognized by your waiter. I got to have dinner with Dito van Reigersberg – a friend of Maggie Siff’s and an all-around nice guy. I’ve been lucky to make a number of new friends while working here at the Arden, and he’s probably one of my favorites.

Speaking of new friends, good news for my pals Ian Merrill Peakes and Greg Wood – they both have callbacks for a film tomorrow. Here’s wishing them molto good luck! They both deserve it.

So far as I know, Buster’s doing well at Amy’s house. I meant to call and check on them today, but didn’t get around to it. So I’d best do that tomorrow. Hopefully, they’re all getting along well, and I don’t have to worry about them. But of course, I will anyway. I haven’t heard from Gavan in a couple of days, but I’m assuming he’s okay and deep into rehearsals for The Sound of Music at Pittsburgh Musical Theater. If you see him, tell him I said, “hello.”

So far the new computer has been absolutely dreamy! Once again, of course, I have the dilemma of not being able to transfer pictures from the digital camera to the computer, nor can I do online banking in Quicken, nor update my webpage very easily with Adobe PageMill… none of those programs are on the new computer, and the software disks for them are at home in Pittsburgh! I’m waiting for Gavan to mail them to me. Until that package gets here, I’m stuck using Microsoft Word 2000 for my journal entries… let’s just say I prefer PageMill.

Oh, the most outrageous thing happened on stage today… in the middle of one of my monologues, I turned to Kate Norris, who plays “Germaine,” and went to speak to her, and just showered her with spittle. I was SO taken aback and horrified on her behalf by this little pre-spring shower that I nearly started laughing right then and there. I think I can say with certainty that it’s the first time I’ve ever come close to breaking myself onstage. I almost treated the audience to a laughing fit the likes of which they’d never seen, and likely (if they’re lucky) never will.

Anyway, until next time, webfriends, here’s hoping you’re all well, and that life is treating you half so well as I think it’s treating me!

Faith & Begor... How Do You Spell That?!?

Well, now. Happy Saint Patrick's day to you all. I led a full and productive day. I dragged ass outta bed early to shuffle off to the bank and deposit my paycheck and a check into Gavan's account to cover the mortgage and some utilities. Oh boy. I love spending my money as soon as it hits my account! Ain't nothing finer!

After the bank, I biked up to Market Street and wandered around The Gallery, a mall that covers several blocks in Centre City Philadelphia. I stopped in at Babbage's and bought myself the expansion for the Icewind Dale game, Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter. Have I mentioned that I'm a big ol' geek? Well, I am. After I biked home from the mall, I went and liberated my car from the parking garage and stashed it on a street where they don't have permit parking, so I shouldn't have to worry about moving it for a day or so. I'll probably go check on it tomorrow, just out of paranoia. Finally, after parking the car, I took a walk along South Street, which is an education in and of itself. There was an unending parade of attractive people walking about in Philadelphia today, my friends. Men, women, boys, girls, even beautiful toddlers following along after beautiful parents. Kinda sickening, actually. And not to be left out, the alternative crowd was there as well - hair in every hue of the rainbow.

I stopped off at Hats in the Bellfry and saw Karen Peakes, lovely wife of Ian Merrill Peakes. I went into the store looking for a little fedora hat a la Frank Sinatra circa 1950, but they didn't have much of anything along those lines, so Karen talked me into a rather cool suede number. Yeah, I know, doesn't sound so great, but it looks cool on me. Maybe I'll break my rule and snap a pic of myself in it.

Fallout

Well, I guess that it’s inevitable that once all the stress of rehearsing and getting the show open and running is over, that I should get sick. The flu has been making the rounds of the cast, so it was also inevitable that it would hit me. I’ve managed to develop a bit of a sore throat and an ear-ache. I half suspect that it’s more a case of allergies hitting me and making for some obnoxious post-nasal drip, but the results the same. I feel like shit.

I’ve had word from Amy Hartman that Buster is adjusting to his new digs quite nicely, which is a huge relief. I felt really awful about taking him away from his home to stay in a strange place, but ultimately, it’s for the best, I’m sure. Gavan just wasn’t able to devote the time to him that he requires, and in his loneliness and anxiousness over his humans always being away, Buster was doing some pretty heavy duty chewing. Gavan’s exasperated phone call for help followed the destruction of our bedspread and several pillows.

Here’s what he looks like when he’s doing his “You don’t love me enough” routine:

He’s a corker, he is. I really miss him. ‘Course, it’s easy to miss him when I don’t have to put up with his whining and crying all the time. I don’t have to get outta bed every morning to feed him and take him for his morning constitutional. But I do have to say that I was shocked at how happy I was to see him and get to spend time with him last Monday. I really wish there were some way I could have him here in Philadelphia with me, but alas, it doesn’t look like it’s in the cards.

Another Opening, Another Show

Opening night was this past Tuesday, and it went pretty well. I have to admit that I'm used to opening night audiences that are a little more supportive than this one's was... it seemed, really, like an audience that was daring us to make it laugh - not so much like one that had come there with laughing in mind.

That having been said, I think the cast performed suberbly... I wasn't entirely on the top of my game, but a little mishap partway through the show got me on track but fast. I slapped a table top during this scene where I'm laughing at a joke and knocked my own drink into my lap. Greg Wood and Kate Norris, who play the owners of the bar, Freddy & Germaine, reacted flawlessly, tossing me towels and helping me clean up the mess. The bit of unusual activity was enough to get me out of my spaciness and get me focused on the play.

So all in all it was an okay evening. I think this show is going to do really well. I've heard that it's already 90% sold out, and it's pretty certain that we'll be extending by a week.. The sell-out is well deserved. Everyone has put such a tremendous amount of work into the show, and it's showing.

Here's a picture of the set that I snapped during preshow recently, isn't it beautiful? The design is by Bob Phillips, who's the designer for Sesame Street:

I think it's a really beautiful set... You can't see it so well in this shot, but the woodwork above the bar has stained-glass bunnies in it, and is carved with carrots. A little inside joke - since the play is Picasso at the Lapin Agile...Lapin Agile is "Nimble Rabbit" in French.

I haven't had many chances to snap pics of the folks in the show, so I should probably take the opportunity to post what I have, so you can see the cool folks I'm working with... at some point, I'll do a page of show pictures and put them on the Show Pictures page, but for now you'll have to settle for what I throw up here.

Here's Charles Antolosky, who's playing Gaston in the show... Charlie's a great guy, and was one of the first people here to go out of his way to make me feel at home. I hope he knows how much I appreciate his help and kindness.

This picture was snapped at a rather sedate moment, but these two wild children are Ian Merrill Peaks ("Picasso") and Kate Norris ("Germaine"). Kate's my room-mate in Actor Housing Central, and Ian is a local Philly actor. It's been such a joy to work with each of them. Ian's been great to work with, and our scene together as Einstein and Picasso is one of my favorite parts of the evening.

Here's Greg Wood, another of my new favorite people. Greg's also a local Philadelphia actor - a guy I think is pure joy to be onstage with. I should knock it off with the superlatives, since they're gonna start ringing insincere, but boy, I enjoy working with this group of folks, and I genuinely do think they're really, really talented. If you look really closely, you may recognize Greg from The Sixth Sense. He played Mr. Collins, the father of the dead girl with the videotape. It's an awful picture (I was trying to snap photos without using the flash), but you get the idea.

Here's a picture of Tony Braithwaite, who plays "Schmendiman" in the show. He's been very popular with audiences. And that's only partly because he's got the plum funny role in the show... Tony's one of the funniest guys I've ever met... his brain never shuts off. It's kinda frightening, in a way. A good way.

Here's the last of the pictures I've gotten so far (at least that I can access... remember, there's still a ton of 'em on that damn CD I burned... I just can't get to 'em). This young fella is Youssef Kerkour, who's playing "The Visitor." He shows up at the end of the show to complete the triumverate of genius. Youssef is my other roommate. He and Kate and I have been having some pretty fun times together. Here's hoping they continue!

Makeover

Day off. Made the trip back to Pittsburgh, and not all that happy about it. Gavan's had it with my dog, and apparently can't take him anymore, so I've had to come home and find someone to shelter my dog while I'm out of town. Amy Hartman has agreed to look after him. Thank god I can count on her.

It's nice to be home too, since I can use The Mother Ship. That's what I call the computer at home, which is light years beyond The Shuttlecraft - yes, you guessed it: my pet name for the laptop. It's a perfectly lovely laptop, but it just happens to be four or five years old, and sorta pales in comparison to The Mother Ship. So since I'm on a computer that can actually read these new CD-R discs, I'm taking advantage and posting some of the Philly pics that I wasn't able to do while I was there.

Wanna see something funny? Check this out. Here are some pictures of me before and after I got my Einstein makeover....

Believe me when I tell you, I'm looking forward to getting my hair cut and taking off that stupid mustache. The good news is that I've lost 5 pounds from all the biking around Philadelphia that I've been doing. So that's good.

Here're a couple of shots that I hadn't been able to share before... First up, it's a silly picture of Ben Lloyd, who's playing "Sagot" in the show... this was snapped the day of director Aaron Posner's birthday, when the office staff brough him a box of chocolates. Ben decided to do his fly imitation of The Fly and pose for the camera... I'm not sure if Karma came back to bite him in the ass or not, but a week or two later he was suffering from Pink Eye courtesy of his two-year old son, Griffen. Your guess is as good as mine.

Here's a better shot of Kate Norris, who's playing "Germaine" in the show. I'm sure by now you're sick of me telling you what a cool roommate she is. So I won't. Just check out her picture.

One last quick picture: Here's my new friend Maggie Siff, who's playing three roles in the play... essentially the groupies of all the "geniuses." I caught her as she reclined in the green room... you half expect her to start singing "Peel Me a Grape."

Oh, I forgot! I've finally had enough of dealing with how slow The Shuttlecraft has gotten after all these years (it is, as I've mentioned, at least four years old - which in computer years is something like 20), so I ordered a new laptop to use when I'm away from home. Since I've been very pleased with the peformance of The Mother Ship, I've gotten a Compaq Presario 1800. And, joy of joys, it has one of those new CD-R/DVD ROM drives! So I'll be able to burn my own CDs and watch DVD movies while on the road. Believe you me, I'm one happy techno-geek right now. It should arrive at the theater in Philadelphia at about the time I do tomorrow! Whoo hoo! I'm looking forward to not having to wait five minutes while it boots up. I'm sure we'll keep the old laptop, as Gavan will need something when I'm traveling and he's traveling... 'cuz you know I'm not giving up my new laptop if I'm going away! I'll let you know how it turns out.

Drunken Brilliance

It's actually really late in the evening - technically March 5th, but it feels like it's still the 4th... an amazing evening is winding down.

It started with an incredible matinee performance of Picasso this afternoon, after which, a number of us went out for some beer. Greg Wood, Ian Peakes, Youssef Kerkour, Kate Norris and I all stopped at Anthony's, a wonderful little bar on Market Street around the corner from the theater. Greg was wise - he dragged himself off to make dinner after a beer or two. The rest of us stayed at Anthony's past nine o'clock and then came back to Actor Housing Central for continued conversation and booze.

I got to sit and listen to the most extraordinary conversation as Ian, Youssef and Kate drank and talked all about their philosophies of acting, relating, and life. It was one of those amazing experiences that can often only happen under the influence of alcohol... and I mean that in a good way. People are often too inhibited in really talking about the forces that drive them - I've long believed that good conversation is a dying art. Often people don't really know how to wrap words around the things they feel, and so those things don't get talked about. What was wonderful about this evening was watching and listening as these incredibly smart people tried to do just that, and to word those thoughts in a way that was understandable to someone else.

The idea of people communicating is something that's always amazed me. I'm in the process of re-reading one of my favorite books, Gospel, by Wilton Barnhardt. I know it's not one of the greatest books ever written, but part of the reason I love it is that it so effortly mixes erudition and humor in an unstinting look at how ridiculous people of unquestioning faith can be. But there's a section of the book where a couple of the characters are talking about how Jewish kabbalists (I know I spelled that wrong. Wrongly?) believe that words have power. That words are magic. And that's exactly how I think of them. It's possible to argue that words have no power, since they're only symbols for the real things, and it's in the real things that the power lies... the word fish can't be cooked, eaten and digested, can it? But despite that argument, I can't help but believe that there's real power in words... they can move, they can enthrall, they can incense people... when used in the right way. Sitting around watching these incredibly smart people try to use those words to place an image of their own reasoning into the brain of another was, to me, endlessly fascinating. Bt then again, maybe it's because I was drinking.

Just kidding. I knew I was driving, so I really only had a couple of beers over the course of the evening. Oh, and before I forget, those pictures above are of (from the top) Kate, Ian, and Youssef. Each and every one of them are likely to kill me for posting those pictures. Don't tell 'em I did. ;o)