Double header

Last Thursday many of us left work early for a company event at the afternoon baseball game. After the game I went to a coffee shop to write and do some analysis on Rumors. After that off to a show. I decided to get a thesis book for my notes for the show. In the past I have used the laptop. I didn't want to leave it in the back of the bike for that long, so I went with paper. I like the feel better. Here's my journal type entry.

Pen & paper, how quaint. Supercilious language to cover up the fact I still write quite slowly -- something that applies to pretentious characters. Setting at Cafe Vita's with my first 'hard' journal. I like composing with a keyboard, and this is different. By choice, and, I think, necessity.

I watched the Mariner's lose to the Twins earlier today. No matter really, it was simply a pleasure to sit outside, well in the stadium, and see the game unfold. Watching people was fun too. The inevitable catching of my eye by various women was eye opening. Pun intended, of course.

As actors we struggle to learn how to focus totally on another. When a woman catches a man's eye it happens. For a moment only. Whether it is the shape of a breast, the beauty of a face, a sashaying hip, captivation of an eye, a fluid movement grace or something that arrests the attention. During that moment, whether it be half a second, or a minute the entire world is that breast, sparkle of an eye or swish of a skirt. It is accompanied by a myriad of thoughts, conjectures, imaginings, and maybe a few calculations.

Then the moment is passed and you are back to the game, or the gabbing with your friends. You might cover by saying, "Look at that ass!" The truth is more likely you were taken somewhere by her mouth & eyes. Macho bravado is okay with the guys, wistful daydreaming is for yourself. In any case you are released, and have released the blissfully unaware object of your attention. There is only the rapidly fading feeling of a nearly cosmic experience and connection.

It's all overly poetic and the truth of the moment can lie anywhere between the poetic and the crass, cheap, meaningless encounters depicted in pop culture teeny bopper movies.

--------------------------

Now, I'm sitting outside the Jewel Box Theatre, in a little lobby between the Rendezvous Bar and the theatre. A casual friend, Patrick Taylor stops to chat with me every so often -- I came to see the show because I know him, and he filmed, DV'd, The Nazi nearest You scenes for us. I know him originally from Corbis.

I just finished my second read of the script. I ordered a drink, and it was a little stronger than I wanted. I maybe should not have chatted up the bartender. I am here by myself, and I do like to chat up people with those kind of jobs. Sort of a "Been there, Done that" feeling. I got a bargain on the drink, and will need to get some food. It is live music, with art videos. Starting an hour later than advertised, hence the writing and reading.

Briefly I chatted up Patrick. I would be fun to film The Thai Getaway, and I said I'd send him the script. Now, I f***ing got to do it.

The music I heard was pretty trying. Very techno, lots of reverberating boxes, and a woman strumming a few notes or chords, singing a short line, or using a noisemaker toy for sound affects. Then echo, echo, echo. If I hadn't been waiting for the drink to wear off a bit I would have left earlier. It ended up being a painful drone, with no change in energy or noise levels. Funny how the same precepts cross disciplines. Her last song used the echoing to enhance her voice and playing both of which were very nice. Luckily, the second set of videos made the wait worthwhile.

Patrick is a very good with a camera, and I didn't really think he was interested in doing a project, but now I have committed myself -- assuming I follow up with him. It's only a twenty to twenty-five minute piece. I have had a number of actors read it and they really liked it, though it is still too monologuish for my taste.

The whole bit about when a woman catches a man's eye was twofold. First is the point that total focus is commonplace, and remembering that circumstance is something that may help in future scene work. Second is to watch out for those things that invoke the audience's total focus. The "stop moment" Steven Dietz discussed. Keeping an eye out for those sort of things, so they may be used later on in writing or producing a show. Of course in this case it would be likely to grab only about half the audience. : )