Taking the Fun Out of It

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If I had more space in my house, I'd have an 'Arkeg' right now.

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No costume is trendier and easier to pull together this Halloween than the High School Vampire. Just follow these six easy steps:

Step one - Determine the high school student that you have the easiest access to. Depending on your situation this may be a sibling, son or daughter, or neighbor.

Step two - Sneak into selected student's room while they are at school.

Step three - 'Borrow' some of their most vampire appropriate clothes. In general, the darker and moodier the clothes the better. If your selected student isn't appropriately goth or emo, any clothes will do as the modern vampire comes well dressed in plain clothes.

Step four - Allow your skin to become pale. For the vast majority of Massachusetts residents in October this step will already be completed.

Step five - Become a vampire.
Option A - Sit under a picturesque tree at night while writing in your journal and listening to the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack. A vampire will appear shortly to turn you.
Option B - Buy a set of plastic vampire teeth at the local party store. Option B recommended for those who value their time and are willing to spend a little more on the costume.

Step six - Have an angst-y Halloween. Don't forget to return the clothes and thank your High School Student.

Labels: halloween, standup, writing

Vote!

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Labels: improv

Spent the evening chipping in on soundproofing efforts at ImprovBoston. Pictured is Pete Fenzel pretending to know what he's doing.

Would I rather have been hanging out at home or sleeping at a regular hour? Sure. Does it still feel awesome to chip in, get my hands dirty and make shit happen at my comedy home? Hell yes. And it will feel (sound?) even better when Harold Night is back in November in a sonically improved space.

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After a long day at work, teaching an improv class followed by performing in a bar show is a pretty damn good way to unwind.

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The last Rondo show couldn't have been better. My Brother was kind enough to take some photos of it. Enjoy.

Labels: improv, rondo

Rondo's Final Show - Friday October 16th at 9:30 at ImprovBoston

This evening marks the last public performance of Rondo, an improv troupe I've been performing with since their inception. All said and done from the first rehearsal to tonight's show it's been almost three years.

Rondo was my main improv performance outlet during a huge period of growth as a performer and one of the things I'll always associate the most with ImprovBoston. But beyond that, there are a few things that really stick out in my head about the group over the years.

More than any improv group I've ever performed with, we were working together for the right reasons. For the first year or so, Rondo didn't have any regular performance outlet. For most teams that would eventually wear on the group, but for us we just kept plugging away because we liked working with each other and wanted to get better at performing the Harold. When shows came up, it was a big deal (if only just for us). When I get burnt out, stuck, or overstressed, I try to remind myself of the attitude in the early days of Rondo.

We really did have some transcendent moments together on stage as a group - when our shows were at their best they really did blow my mind and exceed our expectations. I still remember shows and moments within shows years later, which is amazing. To be amazed and surprised by your group's own work is a wonderful thing.

I got to perform with a bunch of people I really admire and respect. Evan Barden, Brian Donnelly, Christine Flynn, Sasha Goldberg, Harry Gordon, Ari Herbstman, Manny Hernandez, Jeremiah Jordan, Will Luera, Mike McDonald, Sheila Moeschen and Neil Reynolds. Great players and great people.

And finally, Rondo was a huge part of the creation and growth of the Harold program at ImprovBoston. We went from just Rondo with no performance or rehearsal space, to a weekly Harold night show, four Harold teams, and three levels of classes. I've gotten to teach the Harold and coach another team. Now moving on from Rondo I'm hoping to have a chance to join another Harold team and recapture some of that magic. Exciting stuff.

Not bad for three years, huh?

I'll leave you with one last thing - a video of an old Rondo show. We used it as our festival submission video. Enjoy.

Labels: improv, rondo

My wife hated this movie.

She's not wrong, it all just depends on your perspective. She was expecting a movie that kids and adults and alike could enjoy. This movie is not that. 'Wild Things' is aggressively dark, right from the first frame. For some someone who works with kids who could be experiencing some of the same things the main character Max was in this movie, it must have hit close to home and been more than a little unsettling.

My wife hated it.

I on the other hand found a lot to enjoy. The entire movie was visually stunning, even in the short bookending sequences in the 'real world'. In tone and style it felt like one of the old Henson movies of the 80s like 'The Dark Crystal'. The soundtrack by Karen O was amazing and extremely well used, driving some of the most intense moments in the film. I thought the simple ending worked very well. It felt extremely true to the book, even in it's expanded scope. I had a few plot issues, but when don't I these days? Plus, it was adapted from a 10 line book - plot issues are pretty much a given.

But my wife hated it.

That's the part I struggle with. It seems completely reasonable that the kid unfriendly nature of this movie could put her off. I also wonder if I enjoy Spike Jonze's work here more as a student of film or even just due to the amazing backstory of this troubled production.

But I liked it!

Sometimes you've got to go with your gut. I've been waiting for this movie for years. I was lucky enough to watch this in a packed theater with hundreds of like minded people all wearing paper crowns. Even though this movie isn't for kids, it made me feel like a kid again (ironic, huh?). That feeling alone is worth the $90 million that the studio is never, never going to get back on this film.

One last thing - the screening was a benefit for 826 Boston. They seem to be doing some great work and deserve your support. Get on that.

Labels: movies

Why bother with yet another web site redesign and blog relaunch? I'm glad you asked Senator.

I obsess. My mind races, jumping from idea to idea. People size me up and see that some percentage of my mental capacity is elsewhere at all times. I write things down on tiny scraps of paper. I wake up with a start in the middle of the night. I find hidden details in things that may or may not actually be there. I analyze and abstract until all the joy is gone. I can't stop until it is all out of my head.

If this all sounds startlingly similar to the inner monologue of some kind of OCD suffering drug addict, well, that's pretty telling, isn't it? My creative life is pretty much an addiction. A wonderful, healthy addiction. And I'm committed to using this site to feed the beast. Creating more, sharing more, and talking more about what inspires me.

Doesn't it feel shiny and new around here? It smells a lot nicer, that's for sure.