How about that? New beginnings.
A poignant coincidence. Marlon Brando who achieved fame in A Streetcar Named Desire, and in turn made it famous, died on July First. The day we had our performances for the Meisner Progression. The following morning I saw Brando had died, and was struck. It personalized Brando for me. There is a feeling of camaraderie when you see a show you have worked on performed elsewhere. Better, worse, or just different -- it doesn't matter. The feeling extends to all the characters, even the set and props. You do remember your role, even more, you remember the story you were working to share.
I have never seen A Streetcar Named Desire, and now that I am done with the scene I will be seeing it in the next week or so. I was moved (and instructed by Jack Lemmon) when I watched Glengarry Glen Ross after the first quarter. I am looking forward to seeing it, and what Karl Malden did with Mitch. I expect the added dimension of Brando's passing will add or deepen something for me.
I can't go in for too much analysis. On the other side, I can't dismiss the coincidence either. A big event in my life has received a deepened meaning from a current event. You can't belittle it, and over analyzing or deifying the coincidence rejects any possible spiritual meaning more than an out and out denial. It is a personal experience, even a gift, and meaningful to me. So, I'll just let it affect me. :)
I'm just finishing up my lunch, some left over chicken rice soup I sealed and froze. November 2001. Over 2-1/2 years ago, over halfway along the artistic journey I started Spring of 2000. It is still pretty damn good soup. I'll have to make some more batches of soup now that I have a little time. I like the chore, which becomes comfort food later on. I usually make at least a gallon and a half at a time. It just feels right, and the seasonings come out best given my style. I like hearty soups.
When I seal the soups, and I often label them so I know what is in the bag. It is fun to remember what I was doing at the time of the soup. This soup was two months after 9/11. I was seriously evaluating priorities in my life. Especially the day job versus theatre arena. I like programming, and it gives me a salary and all that goes with it. It is also a balancing social outlet, an important one, so I am not totally wrapped up in the theatre world. Theatre is my love affair. November of 2001 I owned that, and realized it was as important to me as my day job, as integral as breathing. And for now inextricably entwined. I work my theatre schedule around my job, my job schedule around theatre. Maybe I'm lucky, maybe up front in my priorities. I have not yet had to choose one over the other. A good thing, because they still feed each other. Maybe it is not so much picking one, as to pursuing both openly and honestly.
November 2001 was also the first of my small purgings. There's been two since, and getting ready to start another one with the little break I hope to take. My goal, whose progress has been small and fitful, is to reduce my possessions to the point where I could load my truck (or van) and a trailer and move. The idea is to be open to opportunity, as well as culling stuff which has lost it's meaning. Stuff you hold onto for it's own sake, turns to crap when life has meaning. I'm thinking there should be a fertilizer simile in there. I also started work on my first script project at that time, which I finally acheived a first complete draft this February. A nice time to finish that soup, now that I am at another stepping off point. Well, there's a little in the fridge I'll probably have Monday evening.
There is nothing special about the soup itself, aside from the fact I made it during a turning point in my life. I had been out of work for 2 months, and feeling the job pinch for the first time, and was about to apply for unemployment. Could I actually indulge in this theatre stuff? I asked myself that question from every angle and personal perspective I could think of. The answer was always the same, a precursor to where I am now. "How can I not?" I've heard people speak of callings, particularly preachers. You can see it in the truly good ones. I now understand what a calling is. It is a doing and urging you have to honor for the sake of your soul. Since that time I have been out of work several times, always at times that were good for me, and always for just the right amount of time.
My soup is finished for now, and my old motorcycle is calling for attention. I've got to ride before the Guzzi is fixed.
Happy 4th!
I have never seen A Streetcar Named Desire, and now that I am done with the scene I will be seeing it in the next week or so. I was moved (and instructed by Jack Lemmon) when I watched Glengarry Glen Ross after the first quarter. I am looking forward to seeing it, and what Karl Malden did with Mitch. I expect the added dimension of Brando's passing will add or deepen something for me.
I can't go in for too much analysis. On the other side, I can't dismiss the coincidence either. A big event in my life has received a deepened meaning from a current event. You can't belittle it, and over analyzing or deifying the coincidence rejects any possible spiritual meaning more than an out and out denial. It is a personal experience, even a gift, and meaningful to me. So, I'll just let it affect me. :)
I'm just finishing up my lunch, some left over chicken rice soup I sealed and froze. November 2001. Over 2-1/2 years ago, over halfway along the artistic journey I started Spring of 2000. It is still pretty damn good soup. I'll have to make some more batches of soup now that I have a little time. I like the chore, which becomes comfort food later on. I usually make at least a gallon and a half at a time. It just feels right, and the seasonings come out best given my style. I like hearty soups.
When I seal the soups, and I often label them so I know what is in the bag. It is fun to remember what I was doing at the time of the soup. This soup was two months after 9/11. I was seriously evaluating priorities in my life. Especially the day job versus theatre arena. I like programming, and it gives me a salary and all that goes with it. It is also a balancing social outlet, an important one, so I am not totally wrapped up in the theatre world. Theatre is my love affair. November of 2001 I owned that, and realized it was as important to me as my day job, as integral as breathing. And for now inextricably entwined. I work my theatre schedule around my job, my job schedule around theatre. Maybe I'm lucky, maybe up front in my priorities. I have not yet had to choose one over the other. A good thing, because they still feed each other. Maybe it is not so much picking one, as to pursuing both openly and honestly.
November 2001 was also the first of my small purgings. There's been two since, and getting ready to start another one with the little break I hope to take. My goal, whose progress has been small and fitful, is to reduce my possessions to the point where I could load my truck (or van) and a trailer and move. The idea is to be open to opportunity, as well as culling stuff which has lost it's meaning. Stuff you hold onto for it's own sake, turns to crap when life has meaning. I'm thinking there should be a fertilizer simile in there. I also started work on my first script project at that time, which I finally acheived a first complete draft this February. A nice time to finish that soup, now that I am at another stepping off point. Well, there's a little in the fridge I'll probably have Monday evening.
There is nothing special about the soup itself, aside from the fact I made it during a turning point in my life. I had been out of work for 2 months, and feeling the job pinch for the first time, and was about to apply for unemployment. Could I actually indulge in this theatre stuff? I asked myself that question from every angle and personal perspective I could think of. The answer was always the same, a precursor to where I am now. "How can I not?" I've heard people speak of callings, particularly preachers. You can see it in the truly good ones. I now understand what a calling is. It is a doing and urging you have to honor for the sake of your soul. Since that time I have been out of work several times, always at times that were good for me, and always for just the right amount of time.
My soup is finished for now, and my old motorcycle is calling for attention. I've got to ride before the Guzzi is fixed.
Happy 4th!
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