Journal

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Not very professional of me

I have been real lazy learning my lines for Anne of Avonlea. Very unprofessional. I do know the lines well enough to say them all, but this week I have missed half a page of dialog because I could not remember my next line.

Why is this? Well, with A Christmas Story, I had half the book to memorize and so this time with only 14 pages of dialog, I was being a bit lazy. So now it shows during tech week. I am actually nervous during rehearsals that I will really blow it. There is no excuse for this.

We open Saturday with just one more day of rehearsal. So I really need to focus on lines the next few days.

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Shaving my head

Jeannie and Wally looked for a wig or skull cap that looked real so I would look like I was balding with just a fringe of hair. It is actually mentioned in the play. So no luck on a wig. So I am going to do it… Shave My Head. For this weekends show (Saturday, March 22nd and Sunday, March 23rd), I will shave most of my head except for the “fringe”. Then for the next 5 weekends I will be completely bald and hair.

This also means that for the Atlanta Unifieds, I will not look like my headshots, but a bald guy with a beard.

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Invited to Audition

David Shelton, who is firmly integrated into the Kudzu Playhouse family, has invited me to audition for a play he is directing for the Family Theatre. Says he likes my work. Cool! I like hearing that.

I am not sure when the audition is but here are the play details.

Play: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Written by Judy Blume. Adapted by Bruce Mason

Dates: August 30, 2008 – September 28, 2008
Saturdays & Sundays at 2:00pm
Special Saturday Evening Performances: September 20 & 27 at 7:30 pm

Description: Peter Hatcher has some problems at home. But it isn’t his mother, who’s always studying art history. And it isn’t his father, who watches TV just for the commercials. No, Peter’s biggest problem is Fudge, his disgustingly adorable baby brother. Fudge is always in Peter’s way and messing up everything he sees, whether he’s scribbling all over Peter’s school project, trying to fly off the jungle gym, or stealing the limelight in the Toddle Bike commercial. And when Peter’s pet turtle Dribble turns up gone…. all gone… everybody’s only worried about Fudge, who ate him, instead of Dribble, who got eaten! Based on the acclaimed novel by Judy Blume, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing reminds us that sibling rivalry isn’t always sweet… especially when your brother is Fudge!

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They said I look like…

Bill BrysonPicture of MeWilliam ShatnerGary Busey

I have been told I look like various people. Most resent has been Gary Busey. From left to right is Bill Bryson, me, William Shatner, and Gary Busey,

Of course I need to update my headshot. Most of the time I sport a beard these days. When I wore 1870 replica glasses, a picture of Bill Bryson was shown to my neices and asked who this was. They replied “Uncle Jay”.

Of all the proofs I have from my first headshot session, there are a few where I look like William Shatner, a litter heaver set William Shatner.

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Stewart

Title: Stewart

From the Book: More Monologues They Haven’t Heard

Roger Karshner
ISBN: 0-9611792-2-8

Description: Stewart, a young, terminal AIDS patient, unloads his anger.

Yes, I’m bitter. And why shouldn’t I be? How would you feel? How would you like to give it up, all of this…your life? Christ I haven’t even lived. Death is something that happens to other people, not you. You don’t consider it; it’s out of the question, an abstract thing.

I don’t want to die. I don’t want to leave you and the sky, the trees…people. You think about all this, you know. You think about how it’ll be without you around and how things will be still going on like always and how you’re not going to be part of it. That’s one of the tragedies of it. You’re gone and you’re nothing but an occasional memory or an old photo in a shoebox in someone’s closet.

You know you’re the first to die. You know this, and it makes sense. And you know there’s nothing you can do anyway. You repeat this logic to yourself over and over, try to sell yourself. But you don’t buy it.

Right now, I don’t know if I’ll be able to face death with dignity or not. Right not I’m afraid. And I’m damned mad.