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Am doing the dramatic reading this evening, with several other actors, including a few from Cripple: Barb Jorgensen, John Spitler and Jocelyn Kandl (Jocelyn was actually AD for Cripple, but she is reading today). In fact she's reading a scene from Grace and Glorie with Barb. Meanwhile, I am reading from A Walk in the Woods with John. I will be the Russian arms negotiator Andrey Botvinnik (a role I will be auditioning for when the actual production comes about); John is the American, John Honeyman.

As I think I said before, the readings are previews of The Dayton Theatre Guild's 2004/2005 season, being presented for the guild's season ticket holders. We all had a very informal rehearsal at Greg Smith's house last Tuesday. I sort of had a problem with the accent. it was a sort of Russian/Irish blend. I think it was the nervousness of reading the script for the first time in front of people. I've been studying the Russian dialect tape for a couple weeks. I've read the scene through a few times already today and I am doing much better. Andrey is supposed to have very good command of English -- virtually fluent -- which is good, because Russians roll every R, and the thicker the accent, the more the roll. It's a difficult verbal trait for Americans and I am glad I can ease off it. I'd get it down eventually, but, it would take a lot of time and practice. I'm just going to slightly tap a few R's here and there; turn them into close to D's in sound.

In terms of other things, such as the movie and the novel. I have been in what I call the post-project downer. A place I need to really get the discipline to stay out of. I actually had a minor depression going on. That is a condition I must work on.

But I am back now and productivity is the name of the current game.

I am pretty close to done with the virtual tour of Cripple, though a few things will be added. Such as, John Spitler is having a party tonight for the cast and I will bring my handy camera. I also will take pics of the trip to Ohio Community Theater Association (OCTA) in June, to do the first two scenes from Cripple.

I will probably update tomorrow to report on today's dramatic reading.

I also need to report on two other reviews of Cripple, but as my time is short right now, I'll do that tomorrow, too.

And, now, at 12:10 p.m., Eastern U.S. daylight savings time, I am off to practice the reading then go buy some new black slacks, which I need anyway, for the appropriate attire for tonight's performance.

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I did well with Aundrey, though I did slip from the slight Russian accent into Irish a few times. But that was only minor and I did imbue Aundrey with life.

The Cripple cast party at John Spitler's was nice. About half the cast were able to be there. I brought my camera but didn't take pictures.

Tosha (Natasha Randall), who got there late, will soon be in a local Equity production of The Odd Couple, as one of the Pigeon sisters. She was late because she was in rehearsal all day. Matt (Smith) was not able to be there; he's soon to be in a local production of Assassins. I hope to see both.

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On the movie project front, it is definitely postponed until next year. I have decided to adapt my short story, "Shiloh." It will call for a slightly larger cast, I also will have more time to scout for better locations, and I have time to get some technical help on board. The big thing, as I mentioned a little earlier above, is that I want to be sure I get good sound. And I have time to adapt the story to a script. So, at this point, it looks like Sundance 2006 at the earliest. I will still look for other festivals, too.

I will, of course, cast myself as the English professor, and I'll need to cast two younger versions, (one high school, one college), though they both could be the same actor. Well, this is all a very new decision here. So, I will fill out detail a little more elaborately here as it comes.

Meanwhile, I plan to be back on stage, I hope several times, between now and the principle production of my movie. Will look for other directors' casting calls, too.

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The performance of the first two scenes of The Cripple of Inishmaan at Ohio Community Theater Association (OCTA) Regional conference has been cancelled. I'm sure one major factor is that the conference is the same weekend as the last week of the Proposals run, and both Tosha and Craig are in scene two of Cripple. There may be other factors but I don't know them at the moment. A little disappointed, but, I'll live.

I've edited down the first few chapters of my first novel. I may go back and make another sweep. Next, I send another massive mailing of queries to literary agents. This one will be a major blitz.

Think I'm going to check around for casting calls for local movie productions, here in the meantime. As well, I am about to prep for auditions for Little Shop of Horrors, those being held in July at The Dayton Playhouse. The production will rehearse in late summer and run in September. I am, as stated earlier, interested in the role of the dentist.

Will see Matt Smith in a student production of Assassins on the Wright State campus (IN THAT CREATIVE ARTS CENTER BUILDING) tomorrow night.

*modified slightly on May 21, 2004

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Since I didn't see Assassins tonight I dropped by the rehearsals for Proposals. Talk with Jocelyn about what else I might do besides help with set construction next weekend. She has drafted me to be stage manager the last weekend of the run. I may help with stage management the weekend before, just to better prepared.

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Jim Lockwood was at the show, too. Told him about my idea to audition for the dentist in Little Shop of Horrors. My idea is to go in with a goatee. The goatee and my eyebrows would be dyed black, and my head shaved. Jim suggested I nix the shaved head but present the idea to the director. I have taken his point, but am going for the goatee. I have the script and a copy of the Broadway cast CD. So I am starting to prep for the audition, which is July 11 and 12. Though I have been suffering from a mild-to-medium case of laryngitis the last few days, so, I am mostly just listening to the dentist's song at the moment.

I have forgotten to mention that Tosha Randall recently did a general audition for leading women for CBS soaps. She says she feels very good about her audition. Would be very cool if she ends up with such a career advancement.

I am dropping by the Proposals rehearsals tonight. And I will of course be helping with set construction tomorrow and very probably Sunday, too. Who knows, may talk some folk into going to see Assassins tomorrow night.

On the subject of that long-promised virtual tour of The Cripple of Inishmaan, I have the final thoughts page to finish, then it will be ready to post.

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Dropped by the Proposals rehearsals Friday night. Looks they're going very well. Saturday, Sunday and Monday, I dropped in and lent my hand to the set construction. It's amazing what a talented set designer can do with sheets of foam. Greg, as well as directing is designing. Coolest thing I was part of helping make the stone chimney, stage left -- I'll have a pic sometime soon. I missed the first weekend of set construction, but, now I feel a real commitment to help finish the damn thing. Next Saturday is the last day; I'm there. Still the ground covering for the back yard to finish. I helped start it, I'm helping finish it.

Oh, yeah, The Cripple of Inishmaan at the Dayton Theatre Guild March 5-21, 2004: a virtual tour is now up and available.

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At this point I am attending all the final Proposals rehearsals; show opens this Friday, June 11. I will attend that night off my season ticket, as an audience member. I'll be working the show as stage manager for the last four shows, starting June 20. Will likely work it on June 18 and 19, too.

Been taking a slew of pictures of these last rehearsals, beginning with the tech run last Sunday. But I don't have the greatest camera for stop action so a lot of pics of the actors have movement blur. I am compensating by taking a lot, with the hope of at least ten to twenty-five percent of the pics being usable.

Still listening to the Little Shop of Horrors cast CD. My throat is better so I have started feeling out the vocal parts for both Orin the dentist and Mr. Mushnik, the shop keeper. Were I to be cast as Orin, the song, "Dentist" would need to be in a different key than on the cast album. I can sing it there, but it's closer to the lower part of my register. I need to be able to get up higher in my register to get that right, "grease/be-bop" vocal style the song really needs. The Mushnik stuff is just fine where it's at. Auditions are about a month away.

I also will be picking up a copy of Sordid Lives, which is the Theatre Guild's first play for 2004/05. Greg (Smith) is directing. The auditions are about two weeks after those for Little Shop. I would know by then whether I was cast in L.S.O.H, and if I am not, I will perhaps audition for Sordid Lives. It's not that it is a "fall back" as much as it is that I very much want to do Little Shop. I am not even sure if there is a role for me in Sordid Lives.

Am starting to think about the treatment for my movie, too. I believe I am going to start it soon. The story will be filled out from what is the short story, "Shiloh." I have a vague idea of what I want to do. I'll let that sort itself out as I write the treatment.

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Got this great idea for some little gifts for each cast member as well as director Greg and AD Jocelyn.

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There were abundant fine performances from this cast, in fact, overall, I'd say the acting out-shined the text. It's a nice play, and funny, but, I wouldn't say it was one of Neil Simon's best. Though it does have several of both poignant and comedic moments. There was also mostly very strong chemistry between the characters; lots of wonderful one-on-one moments. I enjoyed watching this group of fine actors, some of them veteran to the craft, and I was glad to be there to support their performances.

Another nice thing happened last week. In the Dayton City Paper, Russell Florence Jr. gave several nods to The Cripple of Inishmaan. He listed our production as the best community theater production of the 2003/04 Dayton theater season. He also gave Dodie Lockwood, Natasha Randall and myself mentions as three of the best supporting performances of the year (re: Cripple); then listed my Johnny Pateen as one of the "breakthrough" performances of the year -- which I assume is comparable to "debut." Nice to be recognized for your efforts.

I also was approached the week before last about managing properties for the 2004/05 season at the Dayton Theatre Guild. I asked for a few days to consider it, but said I was leaning very heavily toward saying yes. I was to give my answer when I showed up Friday, June 18, to work Proposals. When I got there, I was congratulated by several people for being elected member-at-large for the guild's board. My term starts in September.

Found out that for the auditions for Little Shop of Horrors I am asked to sing one minute of a "Broadway-type" song, not from Little Shop. Since I am leaning toward going after Mushnik, the shop keeper, rather than Orin, the dentist, I have elected to use "To Life" from Fiddler on the roof. It's not rock-and-roll, like most of Little Shop's music, but, then neither is most of what Mushnik sings. "To Life" also has the same vocal range as Mushnik's vocal parts as well as being very similar in musical style to Mushnik's big number, "Mushnik and Son." As for Sordid Lives, if I audition for that (if not cast in Little Shop), I think I'd like the role of Brother Boy -- mostly because he's the only male in the play I like -- save for a twenty-one-year-old, which I clearly cannot be cast as. Brother Boy is a flaming homosexual transvestite who was unjustly committed to a mental ward when he was eighteen. He has coped with his long commitment by dressing up as his favorite female country stars and performing shows for his fellow inmates. It's really a great role. Though I haven't seen the movie, I know that Leslie Jordan played the role. I know he was great; he is such a good character actor.

Being active behind the scenes with Proposals, being recognized for my performance in Cripple, getting elected to the board at the guild, and prepping myself for upcoming auditions -- I feel now very much in my element. Remember those awkward, painful moments I described from back in October of last year? Those moments when I was around this energy and this thing that I was no longer a part of? I am back a part of it. I am back in the theater.

Now I am trying to figure out how to become an independent contractor at something. I need to be able to take off work whenever I want without getting permission. Sometime in the next year or so, I want to start auditioning for pro and semi-pro plays. To the best of my knowledge they don't rehearse in the evening. They rehearse in the day time. I am not going to be allowed time off for daytime rehearsals, from my current job. Working there, I won't be available for such productions. I need to pay rent some other way. I'm thinking I ought to acquire a lot of different graphic softwares and learn them inside and out. I do well with what software I have and know, I need to expand my knowledge and skill. I believe my independent contractor gigs fall in this realm.

There's a new Dayton area community theater award ceremony called The Daytonys, the derivation being obvious. It takes place in August. Most, if not all, of the cast of Cripple will be there, including me. There seems some good chance that Cripple will win something.

I have gotten a little bit of the treatment for the movie finished. It's the focus of my creative writing for the moment.