If you're wondering, I started 301 today, and I had a great time, but today's blog isn't about me. If I haven't spoken to you yet, then you haven't heard the news. On Sunday morning, my dog Sable passed away. Man, that's really hard to see written. So today's blog is going to be more of a tribute to her then anything, because this dog was really special.
I got Sable about 10 years ago. We had taken Shelly back to the breeder we had gotten her from in order to knock her up so we could get another puppy (not that Shelly wasn't great, but we thought she needed a friend, and who better than a son or daughter?). I won't go into details, but it didn't work out as such, and the breeder offered me the option of trying to knock up my dog again or, giving me a puppy. I remember seeing this little gray dog that just loved being chased around the yard, especially by this huge Rotweiller (the Rot really liked this little dog, as she was very gentle when she caught her). I remember asking, "What about her? Can I take her home?" The breeder agreed, and Sable became our new dog. We have this weird thing of naming all of our pets "S" names, and I was really into wrestling at the time, so that's how she got her name. From the moment we brought her home, her and Shelly were inseperable. I swear, it was hilarious to watch them play in our front yard and watch Sable drag Shelly by her tail. Oddly enough, Shelly loved it! One of the first things people would notice about Sable is that she was grey (technical term was "blue mearle"). Even though she looked older, she was the puppy of the two. That, and she would force you to pet her head. If you started to pet her and then you stopped, she would force her head back under your hand and make you pet her. She really was something else.
I'll never forget the time I was headed out of town on a business trip (this is back when I worked for "the man," travelling the country in the closed circuit TV business), and I was driving to Alabama to have Kevin watch the dogs. Shelly sat on my lap (that one looked and played like a puppy until the day she died), whereas Sable, God bless her...let's just say she had a low center of gravity. She wasn't fat, she litteraly just weighed a lot. Not wanting to be outdone by her adopted mother, she decided to crawl up on my shoulders and sit there...the entire trip from Atlanta to Birmingham. I couldn't move her, she was so damn comfortable. A few years later, my dad drove up to Birmingham from Florida to take the dogs to their final home. My dad has an interesting bond with animals. Animals simply love my dad, no matter how tempermental they are with anyone else. To Shelly and Sable, my dad was theirs, and not to be shared with anyone, including our mom. My dad had a heart attack back in 2004, and the best medicine he could've received was the love and affection from those 2 dogs. I couldn't have picked a better doctor or nurse to look after him. After Shelly died, Sable kind of lost a step in her personality, but what she lost there, she knew she had to make up for Shelly. This dog took such good care of my dad, I really can't thank her enough. A few months ago, my mom called me and told me that Sable had had a stroke, and that she was moving slower, and my parents were just making her as comfortable as they could. I recently bought her some pain medicine (and in a beautiful twist of irony, of course it arrived at my parents house today). Anyway, I'd always ask about her when I called, and the answer was always fine. However, I knew she didn't have much time left when my parents called me on Saturday and told me that she had stopped eating and wouldn't take her medicine. When I saw the missed phone call on my caller ID Sunday morning, I didn't even need to listen to my mom's message. The Lord had called Sable home, which brings me to my next point. I don't want to get on a soapbox or espouse my religious beliefs, because I truly respect the beliefs and opinions of others, whether I agree or disagree with said beliefs/opinions. However, I'll say this: I truly believe that all dogs go to heaven, and if you're reading this blog now and you've ever lost a pet, know that he or she is truly in a better place. They don't feel any pain, and they continue to bring joy and love to all those around them. Seriously, could you imagine Heaven without our pets?
"Hi, welcome to Heaven, here's your room key (I have no idea why locks would be needed in Heaven, but just go with it). Heaven is truly the greatest place ever."
"Wow, I made it to Heaven!! This is great, I can see my dog again!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, but there's been a big misunderstanding; we don't allow pets, trash pick up is on Tuesday, and HBO costs extra. However, ESPN is free."
That's not Heaven. By the very definition of the word, pets have to be there, and they are there, and I know Shelly greeted Sable with a big kiss on her wet nose, and they immediately began to chase each other in a great big meadow that God prepared for all dogs. The only difference is, Shelly has her young pup legs, so she can keep up a whole lot better with Sable. And I know they can see and hear me know, and they both know how much they are loved and missed by their family.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
Return of the King
OK, I've been lazy about my updates (I almost forgot I had this thing I've been so focused on other stuff), and the title is a bit self glossy, but it's the only thing I could come up with. So, let's hit on th recent stuWhen we last heard from our hero, he had just gotten an agent. There's a difference with exclusivity and signing talent in New York versus Atlanta. There's really no need to go into the finer points of it (if you have any questions, shoot me an email and I'll be happy to answer as best I can).
Also, now that the cat is out of the bag, yes, I did make a surprise return to Atlanta this past week. There was a bunch going on (my buddy Matt's 30th birthday, Chapman's last show at Whole World, and my friend Ashley's going away party). If you know me or anything about me, you'll know that if I'm a terrible secret keeper and an even worse hider. So Chapman, Matt, Stack, and I decided to have me make a surprise appearance at the Playing in Traffic Improv Show this past Sunday (we also made a trip to New Orleans this past weekend, but that's another blog). I flew in last Saturday (after being denied boarding on my flight which resulted in a later flight AND a FREE roundtrip ticket anywhere in the US). So I arrive in the ATL amidst many calls of "so are you coming in town?, etc." Keep in mind, I don't like lying to my friends, but the mission was at stake. Fast forward to Sunday, and here's the gameplan. I rode over to the studio in Brooke's trunk (that's what she said....oh, and she's Matt's girlfriend, who was also in on the whole thing). Chapman has the folks who are working the show in Nick's office so I can sneak in and hide under a table backstage (this is all happening about 45 minutes before the show). First shot at this whole thing, the door is locked, so back in the trunk for me. Chap gets the door open, I burst out of the trunk and high-tail it backstage and no one sees me. Now the next step in the plan (other than me having to be quiet and still for almost an hour). The game that I was going to enter was called "1, 2, 3." Essentially, it's 3 players, and the emcee manipulates how many people he (or she) wants on stage. If 3 players on stage and he calls "1," 2 need to justifiably leave. If he (or she) then calls "2," another player must justifiably enter. OK, good, so you get the set up. Now, the game was going to involve Matt, Stack, and Kelly Coker. If you know Coker, her and I are very close and she's also one of the most excitable people you will meet. I thought it'd be hilarious to surprise her for Matt's birthday (the reaction being the gift...can't put a price tag on that). Now, the other X-factor involved was the 2 other troupe members in the bull pen, Dave and Lara. Chapman was going to call "1" at some point in the scene, and Stack and Matt had to exit over by me, and after a few moments he was going to call "4," and I would enter back on and surprise Kelly. Now Dave and Lara being the good improv actors they are, if they had heard "4," they'd be on it in a heartbeat. So, to make sure they wouldn't enter, Chapman told them that he would be entering the scene on "4," and to just wait. OK, so that brings us up to the actual game. It's going on for a good 2 minutes or so (an improv enternity), and finally Chapman calls "1," and Matt and Stack tell Coker that they're both leaving, and they exit by me (oh, the set up for the scene was that it was a high school reunion, and Matt had established that they were the class president, vice president, and treasurer, respectively). After a good 30 seconds of Coker on stage, "4" is called, and Matt, Stack, and myself come back, and the audience was shocked. I was convinced Coker would've laughed her head off, but instead she started crying. Now that's an honest reaction (and in case you're wondering, I was Todd, the class parliamentarian, ready to bring back the discipline). The whole thing couldn't have gone any better, and I had a great time seeing everyone and catching up. Incidentaly, if I didn't get a chance to see you, and you feel slighted or peeved that I didn't tell you ahead of time, I'm sorry. A lot of planning went into this week, and Matt's one of my closest friends, and it was his 30th birthday. However, I only had a few days, so again, my 30th is coming up soon, and it's going to be an 80's prom in Atlanta (unless you all want to fly to New York, which might be kind of a cluster f---. So, until November...in the mean time, I had a great time, I miss and love you all....oh, and here's a few photos from the shennanigans post show. En-JOY!!!
OK, this is the kind of ridiculousness that I'm accustomed to. From left to right, that's Stack (aka Ringo), Vinnie (aka George), me (aka John), and the man of the hour Matt (aka Paul), and we just sold our 200th car...it's an inside joke.
That's me with my brother, Kevin. Yes, the resemblance is uncanny. Also, his couch is very comfortable, and he'll be visiting me at the end of August for Labor Day. Can't wait.
That's me with my Coker, Stack, Vinnie, Matt, and his girlfriend Brooke. Kelly is so great. Her favorite pastime is to tickle me and my brother, but not at the same time.
Why do I make such faces when I'm getting my picture taken? That's Jen to the left, with Chapman's girlfriend Jennifer, Jeff to her right, and Brian Chapman in teacher mode on top.
That's Nick to my left. He's the owner of the Professional Actor's Studio in Buckhead. Nick's quite a character, and I'm very proud that I studied at his studio, because Nick genuinely cares about his actors, and I made some of my best contacts and life long friends at his studio. I owe alot to that place.
Me and Matt. This one just pretty much speaks for itself.
Me, Kelly, and Wendy (aka Mrs. Dave). I can't say enough good things about these two.
Once again, a good shot of Stack, Vinnie, me, Brooke, and Matt. You should've noticed by now that I'm wearing a rockstar bandana in these shots. My hair is super long and it gets in my face and cutting it is not an option (unless my agent tells me so).
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
A Long Awaited Update
Time to break from tradition a bit (oh, by actually UPDATING my blog? Yeah, I know...but I have a valid reason). OK, so if you check Facebook, follow this thing, or talk to me, I mentioned that I had something pretty exciting in the works, and following up on my brother's advice (don't be the guy who talks about "I'm going to....," be the guy that says "I just did....,"). His sentiments were followed up by my good friend and fellow actor Tom Thon. So what did I just do? Let's set the stage and begin a tangent like only yours truly can bring you.
My very good friend Alicia Murton has a good friend who is an agent with one of the bigger agencies in New York (no, I'm not going to name drop the aforementioned agents). You know what, I can't hold it in, I had a metting with commercial division of Innovative Artists here in New York, and the meeting could not have gone any better!!! I'm still in a bit of shock, but I have a New York agent. It's super late, and I've been up since 7am, but I'm with them for commercials free lance (my actor buddy Allison explained what it means, and it's good). I'll go into further detail later this week, but THANK YOU ALL for your kind words, your prayers, and everything else. I'm truly blessed!!!
My very good friend Alicia Murton has a good friend who is an agent with one of the bigger agencies in New York (no, I'm not going to name drop the aforementioned agents). You know what, I can't hold it in, I had a metting with commercial division of Innovative Artists here in New York, and the meeting could not have gone any better!!! I'm still in a bit of shock, but I have a New York agent. It's super late, and I've been up since 7am, but I'm with them for commercials free lance (my actor buddy Allison explained what it means, and it's good). I'll go into further detail later this week, but THANK YOU ALL for your kind words, your prayers, and everything else. I'm truly blessed!!!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Broadcast News
OK, let's tee it up. I've been pretty busy over the past few weeks. For starters, if you didn't know, I'm now over at Dos Caminos (different restaurant under the same corporate umbrella). Nice place, I made bangin' money last week, so that's all good. So I'm in New York, got a good place, I like my job, it's time to start rockin' and rollin', which I have something in the works that I'm keeping on the down low. My brother made a good point, that my friend Tom Thon reiterated. "Don't be that actor who says, 'yeah, I'm working on this, I'm about to do this other thing, blahbuddy blah...be the actor who says, 'I've done this, this, and this.'" Great way to look at things and remain focused. I like it.
I also had some company in town this weekend. My brother Kevin was in town with his buddy Barry and their new friend Lisa (roommate of someone they have in Boston, whom they met in San Diego...yeah, I don't do the math, if you know Kevin and Barry, they make friends very easily, or at a Jason Stackhouse pace). Also, my buddy Brent from High School was in town, and my friend Tom Thon is currently in New York for an audition. We had coffee today. By the way, it was 90 today in Manhattan. This island is not well ventilated. By the way, central air is a blessing from God. I had my AC installed the other day (real old school type, where you mount it to the wall). My room feels MUCH better now (not like the past 2 nights....imagine sleeping in a sauna, because that's how it was). OK, I kept it short and sweet today...back to work!
I also had some company in town this weekend. My brother Kevin was in town with his buddy Barry and their new friend Lisa (roommate of someone they have in Boston, whom they met in San Diego...yeah, I don't do the math, if you know Kevin and Barry, they make friends very easily, or at a Jason Stackhouse pace). Also, my buddy Brent from High School was in town, and my friend Tom Thon is currently in New York for an audition. We had coffee today. By the way, it was 90 today in Manhattan. This island is not well ventilated. By the way, central air is a blessing from God. I had my AC installed the other day (real old school type, where you mount it to the wall). My room feels MUCH better now (not like the past 2 nights....imagine sleeping in a sauna, because that's how it was). OK, I kept it short and sweet today...back to work!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
One Flew Over the Kuckoo's Nest
I more than likely misspelled today's title, so if I did, we'll take care of it later. Let's start today's blog out right. In a previous blog (The Empire Strikes Back), I got on one of my soapboxes to vent, and I think I took it a bit too far by including my parentals. So in the interest of atonement, I'd like to publicly appologize to them. I had a bad day and I snapped and my anger was misplaced. I'm man enough to admit when I'm wrong and when I screw up, and I'm doing it. So to mom and dad, I'm sorry I was a big jerk. OK, now on to he hilarity.
I'm gearing up for 201 and I'm stoked about it. If I haven't mentioned it earlier (I don't usually read previous blogs even though I wrote them). I swapped to the intensive (I'll be done in 2 weeks as opposed to a month), plus my show will be before my good buddy Matt's 30th and I'll get to party with him, Stack, and Vinnie (fellow Illuminati members). On top of that, I spoke with my 101 teacher about a possible internship at UCB and he said once I was done with 201 to let him know and he'd give me a shining recommendation. So all good stuff in terms of networking going on. It also looks like I'll be transferring from Ruby Foo's to Dos Caminos (thanks to my buddy Allison). That's a sister restaurant of the B.R. Guest (get it, it's a clever play on words!!!) corporate umbrella. I met with the GM John, he was super cool and it looks like it'll work out. I'm scheduled to start over there on Monday, so that's exciting. The last obstacle in the way is the current GM where I work, Phil. I've vented about him before, but I don't think I've gone into too much detail. Let me bring you into the Ruby Foo's Times Square for a moment.
First off, there are some pretty nice people I work with (who are probably reading this blog). As a keen observer, I've noticed a few things. The two managers who are great and great to work with (Jose and Lucien) are both leaving, which means if I weren't transferring, I'd be stuck with Jenn the Gossip, Alex the new manager (who just kind of looks....I don't know....well, I do know, I just won't say right yet),Eric (he's OK...he means well, so I really don't have a beef even though I was completely right the other evening...but I digress), and Phil, the GM (where do I begin?). So with my keen powers of observation (well, me, and about 15 other people) are noticing that the captain's crew is abandoning ship. Good people don't typically leave in droves, and don't tell me it's the recession because people still have to eat. Phil's the kind of guy to point out everything you're doing wrong while you're busy, but never offer any kind of help. I guess I can't blame him. After all, it's extremely hard to stand around and criticize employees on a daily basis. With Memorial Day coming up this weekend, listen to how we're "celebrating" at the Foo. We're going to serve BBQ at an Asian themed restaurant (the aforementioned Foo) whilst dressed as cowboys/cowgirls. That's exactly how we plan on driving more traffic into the restaurant. Just a take a few moments to re-read the previous two sentences and let that bad boy digest. It's fine, I'll wait....
OK, let's break it down; cowboys serving BBQ at an Asian restaurnat. Maybe if the question is "can you name three things that couldn't possibly go together in this lifetime or even this dimension?" Let me add another layer; we'll be playing Top 40 music while people eat (they rejected my idea of playing some real Country music, like Merle Haggard or the Highwaymen, but Phil told me that it wouldn't "work well"). Really. I'm still trying to noodle this one out. You know, I think nothing says "let's honor those who died for out country's freedom" than "cowboy." Not red, white, and blue, not the men hoisting the American flag at Iwa Jima, hell, not even pictures of Ike, Washington, or Kennedy. No, it's definitely gun sliggin', horse ropin', prairie roamin' cowboys. Maybe if we were celebrating the annexation of the Republic of Texas into the United States, I could see the whole cowboy thing going down. Maybe if we were a barbeque joint, I can understand it. Hell, maybe why not dressing up as genie's, play some reggae and serve fondue; it makes about as much sense. We could even try pilgrims, gangster rap, and serve new-American cuisine. I can go on and on, so you see where I'm going with this whole line of thinking. So anywho, that's enough bitching by yours truly. Happy Memorial Day, and we'll be right back after a message from our sponsors!
I'm gearing up for 201 and I'm stoked about it. If I haven't mentioned it earlier (I don't usually read previous blogs even though I wrote them). I swapped to the intensive (I'll be done in 2 weeks as opposed to a month), plus my show will be before my good buddy Matt's 30th and I'll get to party with him, Stack, and Vinnie (fellow Illuminati members). On top of that, I spoke with my 101 teacher about a possible internship at UCB and he said once I was done with 201 to let him know and he'd give me a shining recommendation. So all good stuff in terms of networking going on. It also looks like I'll be transferring from Ruby Foo's to Dos Caminos (thanks to my buddy Allison). That's a sister restaurant of the B.R. Guest (get it, it's a clever play on words!!!) corporate umbrella. I met with the GM John, he was super cool and it looks like it'll work out. I'm scheduled to start over there on Monday, so that's exciting. The last obstacle in the way is the current GM where I work, Phil. I've vented about him before, but I don't think I've gone into too much detail. Let me bring you into the Ruby Foo's Times Square for a moment.
First off, there are some pretty nice people I work with (who are probably reading this blog). As a keen observer, I've noticed a few things. The two managers who are great and great to work with (Jose and Lucien) are both leaving, which means if I weren't transferring, I'd be stuck with Jenn the Gossip, Alex the new manager (who just kind of looks....I don't know....well, I do know, I just won't say right yet),Eric (he's OK...he means well, so I really don't have a beef even though I was completely right the other evening...but I digress), and Phil, the GM (where do I begin?). So with my keen powers of observation (well, me, and about 15 other people) are noticing that the captain's crew is abandoning ship. Good people don't typically leave in droves, and don't tell me it's the recession because people still have to eat. Phil's the kind of guy to point out everything you're doing wrong while you're busy, but never offer any kind of help. I guess I can't blame him. After all, it's extremely hard to stand around and criticize employees on a daily basis. With Memorial Day coming up this weekend, listen to how we're "celebrating" at the Foo. We're going to serve BBQ at an Asian themed restaurant (the aforementioned Foo) whilst dressed as cowboys/cowgirls. That's exactly how we plan on driving more traffic into the restaurant. Just a take a few moments to re-read the previous two sentences and let that bad boy digest. It's fine, I'll wait....
OK, let's break it down; cowboys serving BBQ at an Asian restaurnat. Maybe if the question is "can you name three things that couldn't possibly go together in this lifetime or even this dimension?" Let me add another layer; we'll be playing Top 40 music while people eat (they rejected my idea of playing some real Country music, like Merle Haggard or the Highwaymen, but Phil told me that it wouldn't "work well"). Really. I'm still trying to noodle this one out. You know, I think nothing says "let's honor those who died for out country's freedom" than "cowboy." Not red, white, and blue, not the men hoisting the American flag at Iwa Jima, hell, not even pictures of Ike, Washington, or Kennedy. No, it's definitely gun sliggin', horse ropin', prairie roamin' cowboys. Maybe if we were celebrating the annexation of the Republic of Texas into the United States, I could see the whole cowboy thing going down. Maybe if we were a barbeque joint, I can understand it. Hell, maybe why not dressing up as genie's, play some reggae and serve fondue; it makes about as much sense. We could even try pilgrims, gangster rap, and serve new-American cuisine. I can go on and on, so you see where I'm going with this whole line of thinking. So anywho, that's enough bitching by yours truly. Happy Memorial Day, and we'll be right back after a message from our sponsors!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Can't Hardly Wait
OK, so this weekend was pretty cool. We had our 101 Grad show, and I have to say it was pretty surreal to get to be on the UCB stage. If you've never been to the theater, let me put you in one of the seats.
The UCB Theater is located on W 26th St. in Chelsea (that's kind of southwest Manhattan), and when you go in the front door, you go down a set of stairs to the box office, and go to the right, and it's sort of a three-quarter round set up (for those not familiar with theater terminology, imagine a stage that where the audience sits in front of the stage, to left of the stage, and to the right of the stage, all facing said stage). Got it? Good. The theater used to be a "gentleman's club," but Guiliani shut it down back in the day, and now it's a theater. It's also underneath a Gristedes (that's like a Kroger if you're from the south, Jewell-Oscoe if you're from the Midwest, and a Vonn's if you're from the southwest). It's got a gritty, intimate feel to it; definitely New York, and it's always packed (the line goes down the street most nights to get in). So, I get there before my call time, grab a Gatorade from the Duane-Reade (drugstore like Eckerd, CVS, or Rite-Aid), and start talking basketball with my instructor, Ari (he was a fantastic teacher...like a high energy Chapman, but I digress). Everyone showed up, we warmed up a bit, and then we were divided into 2 teams (I'm kind of glad we got to go first, because then I got to really enjoy the second set and not be influenced by anything I saw previously). So our group heads backstage, and as we're hanging out, I throw the idea out there for "Mutual Admiration Society." It's not a new concept, as we've done this a bunch with PIT in Atlanta. It's just a great way to get centered and bring good energy onstage. The premise is to have one person face the group, and we go down the line and each person says something nice about the person facing the group. We go until everyone has heard how awesome he or she is, and then you get to rock out. As we're mutually admiring, Ari lets us know that we're about to go on and wants to know who our captain was (it ended up being me, which was pretty cool). Team captains act as a pseudo emcee by getting an audience suggestion and introducing the next group. The only awkward thing for me was that I had to be first onstage, which if you know me or you've seen me perform, I really like being the last one onstage (or up the stairs). Not only that, I really like taking my sweet-ass time too. No biggie, that's just a Brian thing. So, channelling my friend and mentor Brian Chapman, I proceed to get an audience suggestion (which ended up being "paper-cut"), and the show was on.
Man, did I miss performing!!! It felt like being home again, I had so much fun. Both teams did a great job (Incidentally, our name was "Accidental Europe" and the other team name was "The Screaming Dingleberry's). Remember that scene in "Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl," where Jack Sparrow is reunited with the Pearl at the end of the movie? Yeah, that times about 1.4 million is about how I felt getting onstage. Our scenework was very good overall, and I had a great time. I'm also glad my buddy Dale talked me into doing the slightly longer intensive, as I got to meet and hang out with some really cool people. I think I'm going to try an intensive foe 201 (if it's still open tomorrow; as of now, I'm signed up for Tues/Thurs starting July 7, but I'm really looking to take a big bite out of this thing. I'd love to start earlier because I'm getting so much out of it. Jeff Pack is enjoying his journey into improv in LA as well, and we had the idea together about some of the Atlanta folks making a pilgrimmage to either NY or LA to take an intensive. By doing that, you can knock out all the classes (including 401) in less than a year AND it's tax deductilbe (I'm not a tax expert, I haven't played one on TV, but it is a business expense, so there you go). If any of the Briantologists are interested in this idea, let me know (I have to limit this to actors looking to A) move to one of the big two markets, 2) be an actor right now, D) I have to know you pretty well, which if you have to ask yourself that question, you know the answer). Anyway, just throwing that idea out there. Helen and I are up here, so...it's cool. Man, 201 is going to be so exciting...
The UCB Theater is located on W 26th St. in Chelsea (that's kind of southwest Manhattan), and when you go in the front door, you go down a set of stairs to the box office, and go to the right, and it's sort of a three-quarter round set up (for those not familiar with theater terminology, imagine a stage that where the audience sits in front of the stage, to left of the stage, and to the right of the stage, all facing said stage). Got it? Good. The theater used to be a "gentleman's club," but Guiliani shut it down back in the day, and now it's a theater. It's also underneath a Gristedes (that's like a Kroger if you're from the south, Jewell-Oscoe if you're from the Midwest, and a Vonn's if you're from the southwest). It's got a gritty, intimate feel to it; definitely New York, and it's always packed (the line goes down the street most nights to get in). So, I get there before my call time, grab a Gatorade from the Duane-Reade (drugstore like Eckerd, CVS, or Rite-Aid), and start talking basketball with my instructor, Ari (he was a fantastic teacher...like a high energy Chapman, but I digress). Everyone showed up, we warmed up a bit, and then we were divided into 2 teams (I'm kind of glad we got to go first, because then I got to really enjoy the second set and not be influenced by anything I saw previously). So our group heads backstage, and as we're hanging out, I throw the idea out there for "Mutual Admiration Society." It's not a new concept, as we've done this a bunch with PIT in Atlanta. It's just a great way to get centered and bring good energy onstage. The premise is to have one person face the group, and we go down the line and each person says something nice about the person facing the group. We go until everyone has heard how awesome he or she is, and then you get to rock out. As we're mutually admiring, Ari lets us know that we're about to go on and wants to know who our captain was (it ended up being me, which was pretty cool). Team captains act as a pseudo emcee by getting an audience suggestion and introducing the next group. The only awkward thing for me was that I had to be first onstage, which if you know me or you've seen me perform, I really like being the last one onstage (or up the stairs). Not only that, I really like taking my sweet-ass time too. No biggie, that's just a Brian thing. So, channelling my friend and mentor Brian Chapman, I proceed to get an audience suggestion (which ended up being "paper-cut"), and the show was on.
Man, did I miss performing!!! It felt like being home again, I had so much fun. Both teams did a great job (Incidentally, our name was "Accidental Europe" and the other team name was "The Screaming Dingleberry's). Remember that scene in "Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl," where Jack Sparrow is reunited with the Pearl at the end of the movie? Yeah, that times about 1.4 million is about how I felt getting onstage. Our scenework was very good overall, and I had a great time. I'm also glad my buddy Dale talked me into doing the slightly longer intensive, as I got to meet and hang out with some really cool people. I think I'm going to try an intensive foe 201 (if it's still open tomorrow; as of now, I'm signed up for Tues/Thurs starting July 7, but I'm really looking to take a big bite out of this thing. I'd love to start earlier because I'm getting so much out of it. Jeff Pack is enjoying his journey into improv in LA as well, and we had the idea together about some of the Atlanta folks making a pilgrimmage to either NY or LA to take an intensive. By doing that, you can knock out all the classes (including 401) in less than a year AND it's tax deductilbe (I'm not a tax expert, I haven't played one on TV, but it is a business expense, so there you go). If any of the Briantologists are interested in this idea, let me know (I have to limit this to actors looking to A) move to one of the big two markets, 2) be an actor right now, D) I have to know you pretty well, which if you have to ask yourself that question, you know the answer). Anyway, just throwing that idea out there. Helen and I are up here, so...it's cool. Man, 201 is going to be so exciting...
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
You know, I got to thinking today. I'm by no means an answer man (I know what I just wrote, but hear me out for a second). I got to thinking about living up here, and how I've been living in New York City for about 3 months now and just how cool it is that EVERYTHING is at your fingertips here. I was thinking about some of my friends back in the ATL who are considering moving or they're about to move, and I'd like to give you a step by step guide to get to the place you want to be, be it New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, or Billings, Montana (I hear it's a big time up and coming theatre place). Also, this is an open forum, so I'm throwing an invite out to my good buddy Jeff Pack (my fellow Samurai warrior) to comment away and add his take as well. Just for the record, I love your comments, so if you read my blog and I check back to see if anyone has commented, I view "shutouts" (i.e. zero comments) as a failed blog. Moving right along...
First and foremost, have a reason to go. Don't just go for the sake of going. It's a simile I've used before, but it'd be like throwing a spear at the moon. I've known people who've said "I'm going to LA to act because so and so said I have talent." Wait, screw that, I'm getting on my soapbox again, and I could easily delete that last sentence, but as in improv, it's already out there. I'm gearing this to the LA/NY ready ATL actors (and if you're reading this, you know who you are). Be very specific in what you want to get out of said market. Going out to act is rather abstract, so I'd attack the business end of things and find out how you can meet the people who can put you on television or in films. I'm sorry, I see that I just rhymed, and I'm totally feeling a poem coming on, so let's see if we can bust out a haiku.
Thinking of moving,
New York, LA, calling out,
Planning is the key.
Awesome. You're plan is what's going to keep you grounded and focused on what you want while you're rocking and rolling. When the city pushes you, you push back and tell yourself "remember why you came here." OK, so we've got step one down, step two can be a bit daunting, but it's a necessity. It's essentially you're going to stay when you arrive. I have to stop again for a second, not because my non-diagnosed ADD is kicking in, but I want to reiterate something; moving to one of the "Big Two" clearly doesn't guarantee success, and you can certainly have a world of success without going to New York or LA (interesting fact, Kevin Bacon did it all out of Philadelphia, PA). Knowing what you want will answer where you should be so you can set yourself up for your success (be it Birmingham, AL or Alpha Centuri, all though I have no idea why one would want to pursue an acting career on the second closest star to the earth, seeing as it's a red dwarf, but if you want to travel that many parsecs, be my guest). OK, back on task. So you know what you want to accomplish, it's not in Atlanta, you've made your choice between NY and LA, so what do you do? It's humbling, but this is where you take advantage of your friends. Lob phone calls and ask if you can crash on his or her couch, fouton, floor, coffee table, etc. I was fortunate to have my friend Helen let me crash at her pad, and I'll be forever grateful. My goal was to get in and get out, because I didn't want to be "that guy" (I'm already "that guy" in so many other scenarios, there's no need to add another). So you stack them up. Helen was awesome and she would've made sure her psycho former roommate didn't make me feel like a total deadbeat while I was couch surfing. But to not push that envelope, I tried to make sure I had a few backups in place. I was VERY lucky to find my place (and if you're wondering, Lena is muy buena. Ella es el mejor amiga de cuarto). OK, so key points of my ramblings here are have friends where you're going (if you're reading this, you already have me, and I'll do any and everything in my power to help out if you decide to move to New York from Atlanta...and I know you of course, I'd hate for me to lob this nice gesture out there and some creep to show up at my door with this blog printed out). Anyway, you get the drift.
Now, you've made up your mind, you've got a place to stay lined up. Let's talk dollars and cents. Most people say "you need X amount of money if you're even considering moving." I don't want to say that is wrong, but here's the key to take away. X amount merely represents a rough estimate for a few months of living and not having a job. You really just need moving money (deposits, first month, and money to move). Don't be ridiculous ("I think $383 will definetely get me rolling in West Hollywood!"). I'll be perfectly honest, I did it with a bit less than $4000. Insane? Possibly, but I knew what I wanted, and I trusted it would work and I wouldn't fall. As long as you have a roof over your head and great friends (it's a good idea to line up a few places and rotate a few days at each place), you can really make any amount work while you're looking for your own pad.
It's really not as hard as it's made out to be. The toughest part? Keeping that focus and remaining excited about it. By excited, I'm talking freaking Navin R. Johnson "The new phonebooks are here, the new phonebooks are here!!!" excited. Why was he excited over something so trivial? Because he "was somebody now." I'll be honest, if you're reading this and thinking about moving or you're setting the date, or you've just moved, it's perfectly human to say to oneself "Man, I'm really going to miss my friends. I can't believe I'm not going to see so and so every day. Well, maybe I don't have to," and of course you don't have to. But who are you cheating? Everything you've built up in Atlanta isn't going to disappear. It's there; house money, as they say in Vegas. Believe me, after my final PIT show at the studio, don't think it didn't cross my mind to stay a bit longer. We had a crazy-packed house, the audience was going nuts for us, everyone was so on, and if you know me, those are the kind of things I freaking LIVE for (and if my parents are reading and they're still mad at me, which I know both to be true and it's fine, my drug of choice is performing for a live, packed house!). It was the hardest decision to make, but like Harry Potter, sometimes we have to choose between what's right and what's easy.
So, if you're an Atlanta actor thinking about moving (again, if I talk to you on a regular basis and moving comes up), there you have it. Oh...you also want to talk to people who are smarter in the business and currently having more success than you in the business, and I had long talks with John Cornetta, Michael Cole, Adam Boyer, and Tom Thon, each of whom are four actors from the Atlanta market who've had considerable success, and they gave me some awesome advice. When I made my decision and told one of my closest friends and hetero-lifemate Matt Cornwell (also my improv wingman and the most talented guy I've ever met) he said "man, I'm going to miss you, but I think you're doing the absolute right and the smartest thing for you." That's when I knew that even though I was going to miss everyone, I'd made the right decision.
Questions, comments, how come's, what if's? Open it up!
First and foremost, have a reason to go. Don't just go for the sake of going. It's a simile I've used before, but it'd be like throwing a spear at the moon. I've known people who've said "I'm going to LA to act because so and so said I have talent." Wait, screw that, I'm getting on my soapbox again, and I could easily delete that last sentence, but as in improv, it's already out there. I'm gearing this to the LA/NY ready ATL actors (and if you're reading this, you know who you are). Be very specific in what you want to get out of said market. Going out to act is rather abstract, so I'd attack the business end of things and find out how you can meet the people who can put you on television or in films. I'm sorry, I see that I just rhymed, and I'm totally feeling a poem coming on, so let's see if we can bust out a haiku.
Thinking of moving,
New York, LA, calling out,
Planning is the key.
Awesome. You're plan is what's going to keep you grounded and focused on what you want while you're rocking and rolling. When the city pushes you, you push back and tell yourself "remember why you came here." OK, so we've got step one down, step two can be a bit daunting, but it's a necessity. It's essentially you're going to stay when you arrive. I have to stop again for a second, not because my non-diagnosed ADD is kicking in, but I want to reiterate something; moving to one of the "Big Two" clearly doesn't guarantee success, and you can certainly have a world of success without going to New York or LA (interesting fact, Kevin Bacon did it all out of Philadelphia, PA). Knowing what you want will answer where you should be so you can set yourself up for your success (be it Birmingham, AL or Alpha Centuri, all though I have no idea why one would want to pursue an acting career on the second closest star to the earth, seeing as it's a red dwarf, but if you want to travel that many parsecs, be my guest). OK, back on task. So you know what you want to accomplish, it's not in Atlanta, you've made your choice between NY and LA, so what do you do? It's humbling, but this is where you take advantage of your friends. Lob phone calls and ask if you can crash on his or her couch, fouton, floor, coffee table, etc. I was fortunate to have my friend Helen let me crash at her pad, and I'll be forever grateful. My goal was to get in and get out, because I didn't want to be "that guy" (I'm already "that guy" in so many other scenarios, there's no need to add another). So you stack them up. Helen was awesome and she would've made sure her psycho former roommate didn't make me feel like a total deadbeat while I was couch surfing. But to not push that envelope, I tried to make sure I had a few backups in place. I was VERY lucky to find my place (and if you're wondering, Lena is muy buena. Ella es el mejor amiga de cuarto). OK, so key points of my ramblings here are have friends where you're going (if you're reading this, you already have me, and I'll do any and everything in my power to help out if you decide to move to New York from Atlanta...and I know you of course, I'd hate for me to lob this nice gesture out there and some creep to show up at my door with this blog printed out). Anyway, you get the drift.
Now, you've made up your mind, you've got a place to stay lined up. Let's talk dollars and cents. Most people say "you need X amount of money if you're even considering moving." I don't want to say that is wrong, but here's the key to take away. X amount merely represents a rough estimate for a few months of living and not having a job. You really just need moving money (deposits, first month, and money to move). Don't be ridiculous ("I think $383 will definetely get me rolling in West Hollywood!"). I'll be perfectly honest, I did it with a bit less than $4000. Insane? Possibly, but I knew what I wanted, and I trusted it would work and I wouldn't fall. As long as you have a roof over your head and great friends (it's a good idea to line up a few places and rotate a few days at each place), you can really make any amount work while you're looking for your own pad.
It's really not as hard as it's made out to be. The toughest part? Keeping that focus and remaining excited about it. By excited, I'm talking freaking Navin R. Johnson "The new phonebooks are here, the new phonebooks are here!!!" excited. Why was he excited over something so trivial? Because he "was somebody now." I'll be honest, if you're reading this and thinking about moving or you're setting the date, or you've just moved, it's perfectly human to say to oneself "Man, I'm really going to miss my friends. I can't believe I'm not going to see so and so every day. Well, maybe I don't have to," and of course you don't have to. But who are you cheating? Everything you've built up in Atlanta isn't going to disappear. It's there; house money, as they say in Vegas. Believe me, after my final PIT show at the studio, don't think it didn't cross my mind to stay a bit longer. We had a crazy-packed house, the audience was going nuts for us, everyone was so on, and if you know me, those are the kind of things I freaking LIVE for (and if my parents are reading and they're still mad at me, which I know both to be true and it's fine, my drug of choice is performing for a live, packed house!). It was the hardest decision to make, but like Harry Potter, sometimes we have to choose between what's right and what's easy.
So, if you're an Atlanta actor thinking about moving (again, if I talk to you on a regular basis and moving comes up), there you have it. Oh...you also want to talk to people who are smarter in the business and currently having more success than you in the business, and I had long talks with John Cornetta, Michael Cole, Adam Boyer, and Tom Thon, each of whom are four actors from the Atlanta market who've had considerable success, and they gave me some awesome advice. When I made my decision and told one of my closest friends and hetero-lifemate Matt Cornwell (also my improv wingman and the most talented guy I've ever met) he said "man, I'm going to miss you, but I think you're doing the absolute right and the smartest thing for you." That's when I knew that even though I was going to miss everyone, I'd made the right decision.
Questions, comments, how come's, what if's? Open it up!
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