Rise Up

I am, by nature, a humble person. Despite all the posts, blogs, and videos I send out, I really am just a quiet and sometimes shy kid. The stage, pen and paper allow me to open up and be loud, and then just go back to being in my comfort zone. That's not to say performing or writing is out of my comfort zone - I'm just trying to say that I'm not always "on," since I have outlets to express myself creatively. Being in a business where you have to constantly market and promote yourself can be difficult. I feel like I'm always selling.
A. B. C. - Always Be Closing.
I could never do sales. By the way, I have a show tonight at in the DeMaat Theatre at Second City tonight, and the next two Fridays, at 9pm, Aim Low, Sweet Patriot, http://www.secondcity.com/training/chicago/performances/detail/1515/ .
Back in college, I did a 3 month tour of duty at a semi-high-end clothing and outdoorsman store.
Jobs back in high school and college were easy to obtain. Times were good, and all you had to do was lap around the mall to stack up some job applications. The hardest part was then taking the 5-7 minutes for EACH ONE, mind you, to fill them out (in contrast, when I was scouring the earth for teaching jobs, one online application was so unique, it took 90 minutes to complete). Once the apps were completed, you did another lap with hands still sticky from Cinnabon, slapped those babies down on the glass counter of their home store, and wait for the clam shell to ring.
After my 20 minute interview and mock costumer sale, I was now a sales associate for E. Bauer (to be discreet). I worked about 25 hours a week telling people that our denim was special and that puffy down jackets are, and always will be, a fashionable necessity. I slung backpacks like a Caribbean kid slings candy to tourists. It was miserable. Over those 3 months, I ran ragged quickly. Not the job itself, but those in charge. They made straightening clearance items as stressful as bomb squad detail - having to touch every item in the store by time trial. While the managers would pretend it would take them 45 minutes to count money from a drawer, we wiped sweat from our eyes and carefully cut wires, combed for landmines, and re-hung flannels.
One day, however, I was the one that went off.
It was "Corporate Day," a day where the Alec Baldwins of EB would come in and judge everything you're doing, tell you to move around the whole store while they sipped coffee and hollered motivational acronyms, only to come back 3 months later and tell us we didn't win the car. Or the knives. And to move everything back to the way it was.
We reported to the store 2 hours before opening. I knew we'd be hauling denim towers and camisole bundles around, so I didn't bother to tuck in my shirt. This guy came to work.
As I was carrying a 30 lb stack of boot-cuts, Alec waved me over. "Hey Buddy. Hi, I'm Alec," as he extended his baby-so-soft hand out to shake mine. I clumsily maneuvered the Sherpa-load in my arms. "Oh..hello...I'm...struggling...I'm Dave."
"Hey Buddy, listen. We have really high standards here. That's why we hire people like you. I KNOW it's busy, and that we're ALL working right now, but could you please tuck your shirt in? You can even leave your stack with me so you can go use a mirror in back."
My mouth sounded like one of those big machines that grates up concrete. "Sure. I'll be right back."
When I came back, the jeans I had been slugging around were left on a table right where we had been talking. After a few breathes, I got back to work.
Just minutes later, as Alec and Billy were walking around with a clipboard of pictures describing how they wanted us to build their pyramids, the Baldwin approached me again as I was shuffling up some flannel.
"Hey, Bud."
Bud? Are we at this step in our incredibly professional relationship yet?
"Hey Alec. What's up?"
"Hey. I know we're moving the merch around and we don't open for another hour, but can you do me a favor? We have high standards here, and that's why we hire people like you. Would you mind just going ahead and slapping on that name tag for us?"
Someone fired up that machine again.
"Sure. No problem."
This guy was setting me off. I slumped back to my familiar friend the mirror, and put on my magnetic name tag. In the mirror, I imagined "Dave" read as "8473".
As we finally finished up, The Baldwins were looking over their creation in the store, even making those frames with their fingers to look through, like art appreciators surveying their wing of the museum. Even though it was just shy of 10, we raised the gate and as a couple of the competitive mall walkers were getting in their laps they hustled through, ignoring our cat-calls about "everything from here back being 30% off."
Alec approached. Since we were done with the remodel and the store was basically open, I was half-expecting a "Thanks!" or even a half-witted smile. I didn't get either.
"Hey Buddy."
"Dave."
"Hey, do you know where you guys keep a ladder?" 
"Oh sure, it's just in the back storage area. By the dressing rooms."
"Oh, great! Super. Thanks."
Awkward pause and stare-down.
"Would...would you like me to get it for you, Alec?" My skin began to sweat with sarcasm.
"Oh that'd be great! Look, we open in 5 minutes, and we just decided to swap locations of the polos and the tees. If you can get it done in 3 minutes, we'll give you an extra 15 minute break today!"
"Oh. Oh gosh! Really?" the words drooled vitriol as they leaked from my mouth. "That'd be awesome! I'll get to it right now!" My eyes turned black.
I went to the storage area I told Alec the ladder would be. I knew before walking in that's not where we kept it. I shuddered for a few breaths as I was catching it. This guy set me off. And it wasn't even 10am yet. Something had to be done. I had to do it. Not just for me, but for the proletariat that made the store hum.
I approached Alec with that ladder in hand. "Here's your ladder, BUD!" I said, uppercutting him with 9 feet of steel. He flew through the belts and wallets display, right into the storage room. "Now, YOU'RE on break!" I say as coolly as Stallone.
I laugh. I look up. Nope. Still in the storage room searching for an exit. I have to go out in fashion - like our 100% leather, fleece insulated gloves, now 70% off.
I was content with just walking out. I peered out through the door, noticed a few more stragglers being yelled at about 30% off by the nervous and already exhausted workers; saw Alec oozing with false charm as he was trying so desperately to smug some luggage off on a guy completely disinterested; I saw the exit. I took my chance.
I nervously and slowly made my way to the front of the store. In my head, an old lady approached me asking about hiking boots. "Sorry, Old Lady! Not today!" I pushed her forehead and she flew back still clutching her walker, taking out the sunglasses stand. She exploded on impact, creating a bad ass smoke plume for me to walk through in slow motion. I caught a pair of the hurdling sunglasses, put them on casually and walked out.
I came out of my daydream. I was so close to the exit. I plucked my magnetic name tag off my shirt, and put both fists in the air as I neared freedom. Sort of a double-fisted Judd Nelson. My voice, barely above my normal inside voice, confidently stated, "Later, bitches!" My fists slowly unclenched and became middle fingers. I placed my name tag onto the metallic opening of the door archway. I was free. I looked back casually, saw someone that looked like the Baldwin refolding a pair of Chinos, and brought my pace to a brisk walk. I caught up to the peloton of exercise walkers, blended in with their brightly colored nylon tracksuits, and made my exit.

Impressions

Something I've always been fond of, and rather proud of if I do say so myself, are impressions. I don't know at what age I became fascinated with people that can do impressions and what prompted me to have a go at it. But I remember that the first two impressions that I showcased in the hallways of various elementary schools across upstate New York and the Denver area were Urkel and Elvis.

Somewhere along the way, I became an Elvis fan. That's right, a 7-year-old ripe with the appreciation of The King. I think this was from my dad, a musician and appreciator of fine music. With Urkel, well, that's easy. It was the late 80s - early 90s. Family Matters was hot. Whatever the case, my desire to meet friends and to be liked kicked off this newly acquired skill.

Fast forward *cough* *cough* years, and I still not only pay special attention to the SNL cast members who do impressions and seek out videos on youtube, but I still put in a lot of my own time honing in on a voice, looking for quirks, and hearing accents and vocal patterns. If you catch me staring, I'm listening intently - both at what you're saying and how you're saying it.

Friends and family have questioned my curiosity and have shared their borderline paranoia with me, as I listen and observe them, convinced that they'll find themselves in my writing, act, or sketches someday. And while that most likely will be the case on some levels, it's out of respect and it is meant to be appreciation and a compliment.  It means that there are some things I find so very interesting about you that I want to explore them and let my imagination take off. Whether it's admitted or not, we all do this.
I could use the argument of mimesis and the Greek philosophers. Or a stage I just never grew out of. I could blame my strong passions and the interest in the arts. I could say my imagination just hears a certain word or phrase and my mind starts whirling out ideas on how I could use it. Whatever the case, because of both performing and writing, I have a love for picking up traits and honoring them.
Below is my first officially publicized impressions recording that I created this afternoon. It features a "pirate" radio podcast hosted by Capt. Jack Sparrow and Peter Griffin, with special guest, Christopher Walken. Give it a listen; it's pretty short. Feedback is, of course, welcome.
https://soundcloud.com/davek82/cpt-sparrow-podcast-w-peter

A Tale of Courage

The story I'm about to tell is a battle between Good vs. Evil. Courage vs. Fear. Taking the red line late at night from up North vs. Just hailing a cab. If that cab would only stop... Muahahaha!! Hahahah!! *cough* hahahah!! *cough* *cough* aha! *ahem*.

It was a Thursday. After 10pm. It was either Berwyn. Or Bryn Mawr. One of the "B" stops. Anyway, we were far!! We had just wrapped a rehearsal at a friend's apartment, said our goodbyes and high-fives, and my friend Michael and I were left to our own devices to get home. We lived in the same direction, so we just began walking to the train when it became clear neither of us made the distinct look of trying to peer over things to find a parked car.

It was dark. Because it was like 10:15. At. Night.

As we were walking merrily along talking about rehearsal and having a grand ol' time, a peloton of teenage thugs emerged from an apartment and begin noisily walking right behind us. There were 5-6 of them, if there were a hundred. A quick glance would note they were all towering over the two of us, talking loudly, and just being overall intimidating. We had no choice. Michael and I just continued to talk gaily, remembering bits from rehearsal and riffing off them. We both held a small twinkle in our eyes that seemed to say, "Keep laughing! Don't you dare stop laughing!"

We were holding strong. Laughing on the outside, our guts knotting up on the inside with fear. But more street light was quickly approaching. We weren't far from a busy intersection! Full of people and witnesses. Joy was on our faces, warming our bodies...which quickly returned to fear. As we were to cross the street, we noticed another armada of hooligan teens beginning to cross the street. There would be 7-8 more coming towards us. They flared out to take up more space...and we had to dance the forbidden dance in order to avoid making contact with any of them. I remembered all of those movies where people had to pull ninja moves to get around the activated motion-sensor laser beams. In the corner of my eye, I saw Michael had seen the same films, and seemed to move like a ballerina in slow-motion, moving to an aria. I, like Catherine Zeta-Jones from that one movie nobody can remember, but can recall that scene instantly.

We made it to the other side. We did it. A tsunami of thug had passed us by and we were unscathed. We rejoiced. We smiled again and could un-pucker everything that had been puckered. We had made it to the train! And we did it with courage.

"Boy, that was kinda scary," I had finally let out.
"Yeah. Small ass, fat wallet. That's my problem," expressed Michael.

We shared another victory laugh and could finally exhale. I heard a small noise, stopped laughing, and wheeled around quickly, ready to do some damage.
Nothing of danger.
So we could laugh again.

AHAHAH..Quietly!

ahaha.

Living in the Now

This is a vast world we live in. And it's so incredibly tiny. Nearly 7 billion mini-worlds swimming blindly around, casually bumping into one another, slowly absorbing others like  dying stars, or just blatantly ignoring everything around them, blasting through life on their own mini-missions from mini-Houston. It amazes me that with all of the ignoring going on, people can still find time to make connections. We don't ever seem to open our senses.

Through improv, I've been able to meet people from all over the world. I've met people who traveled from England and Australia to study improv in Chicago. I've also met people from my hometown here also because of improv. Sure, those are just coincidences. But just like Commissioner Gordon says, "You're a detective now - there are no coincidences." Such as improv. Those are signs of being in the right place at the right time.

Explaining improv to people who aren't improv people is ridiculous. It's not impossible, but it often ends with people looking like this:

I explain that it's not just about getting up on stage at your local Laugh Shack and spouting off funny one-liners while making Buffy the Vampire Slayer references *ahem*, or dropping movie titles left and right trying to impress people. Sure, we make stuff up and we fly sans script, but there's more to it than that.

Did you like the movie Limitless with THE Bradley Cooper? Good, me too. Because it's all about improv. Alright, there was a script, but the film had a strong feel of improv. When Bradley got into a jam, he would take a clear pill, and his mind would explode with possibilities. He wrote a novel, cleaned his apartment, AND went all Good Will Hunting on the stock market. Improv is like this little pill...it allows you to see, feel, and use everything in your environment.

"I once was blind but now I see." When you allow yourself to notice your surroundings, life happens. Such as improv.

Or how about Jim Carrey's Yes Man? All he did was say yes and agree to do everything that came his way. Look how much fun he had, not knowing what was happening next, but building on what others brought before him! He ordered a foreign bride, learned Korean, and saved a man's life with Third Eye Blind. Third. Eye. Blind.

Major aspects of what I've learned about improv can be summed up with someone a non-improv person said to me. "Improv is like meditation. The past is regret, the future is fear. Live in the present." This was my MOM, people! Not an improv wizard, just a general wizard in life. She was able to sum up the idea of improv in a sentence, and to my knowledge, has never hopped up on an improv stage.

She said this profound statement to me multiple times. The first time, I just didn't get it. She said it again months later and I was ready to hear it, and it began to link all of these little signs and space bubbles together. Not coincidences, but the right place, right time moments. Linking pieces of life, literature, events, thoughts...I felt that my world was a winding down Tarantino movie, connecting all the characters and stories together.

This chapter in my life was a...a...a Harold.

To non-improv people, a Harold is basically my aforementioned description of a Tarantino movie, only more layered and complicated, and usually with less blood. Such as life.

In the actor's world of constant rejection and dire need to be accepted and wanted, it's nice to know these parallels exist. It let's you know that even if they didn't cast you, they still want to be friends.

Taking the (Br)oath

For improv class, our teacher decided to give us homework: Face a fear or do something completely outside of your comfort zone. This stumped me for a while. I've ridden the El late at night, eaten some pretty weird things, and didn't have access to a pirate ship. Alas, I had realized my discomfort. It was just bound and gagged deep down in the pit of my stomach. My task: Go to Wrigleyville and be a "bro."

Throughout history, there have been many kinds of "bro." The Caveman Bro, who most likely thought it funny to use a sleeping woolly mammoth's tusk to open up a Pabst and draw about it later. The Medieval Bro who would take pictures of those punish'd in the stocks by handing them a Schlitz as their scrawny, chapped hands hung nearly lifeless in the elements. And the Victorian Bro, who would often trick others by making pickle sandwiches, rather than the customary cucumber, and wit about it with only the finest whiskey in hand.

I speak now of the Wrigley Bro: The Bro's Bro. The Dude Bro. The "Just...really?" Bro. There is nothing quite like the D-Baggery of Clark St., littered with the Stranglers of Bro-dom, that make me hate life. Just the blended scents of Old Style and cheap cologne by the gallon wafting through my nostrils has me looking for the closest hipster bar, trading up in the lesser of evils.

So what better way to get out of my comfort zone than to make a night of it? OK, well, more like an hour of it. Give or take. Baby steps. Here were my rules:

1. Spend a minimum of 1 hour on Clark St. and in bro bars.
2. Drink the bro drink of the night - Whatever the first bro I saw at the bar fed into his bro mouth.
3. Give myself a bro name (Kyle).
4. Dance it up like a bro, i.e. Fist Pumping; Air Punching and / or Kicking; Grinding on things.
5. Talk to anybody and everybody, making bro-nnections.
6. Go all out.

To go out in style, I had to bring my bro, Frank. I quickly gave him the name of "Mitch" as soon as we passed the first place with a line out the door. We had to build characters and become people we were not. People we avoided at all costs, and quickly mocked in scenes. We had to become "them." To go out in style, Frank decided to go with Tough Guy Bro, and donned a flannel and backwards hat. I decided on Social Butterfly Bro, wearing this season's Under Armour with a tee over it, and since the weather called for it, a UA beanie. We "wooooo'd," high-fived, and walked like we owned the place. First up, Houndstooth. The mood just felt right.

As we bought our Bud Lights (in the blue aluminum bottle, of course), we panned the crowd and squeezed through the pantry they call a hallway to the back. This is where we met Honorary Dude-Bro, Danny the Tour Guide. As soon as DTG saw me (and he was dressed exactly like Frank, er...Mitch), he must've thought I was a super cool bro, because he came right up to me, gave me a high-five, and said in his marbled bro speak, "Hey dude, you guys should follow me." We had to. These dudes abide. We followed DTG through this labyrinth of an establishment, through narrow hallways and sharp angles until he went right up to a girl and asked her if she liked double-dutch. We were all confused, all except DTG. After successfully creeping her out and having her beeline it back to the safe haven of friends, DTG turned to me and said,

"Dude. It's awesome. We ask girls if they like double-dutch. Then we go like this" (making the circular motions with his arms, as if rotating 2 jump ropes - while still holding onto his beer).
"And then what?"
"And then they jump, dude!"

Danny the Tour Guide then had to go to the bathroom, so Mitch and I quickly explored the rest of the crawlspace and decided to move on. After a few more "wooooo's" and high-fives of acceptance, we made it to the belly of the beast.

Once inside Big City, or colloquially, Big $#!tty, we armed ourselves with Heinekens and hit the foosball table. We played a game while a trio of older women flirted and shouted inaudible, and most likely, inappropriate, cat-calls as eloquently as they possibly could while they stuffed their faces with chicken tenders and wings. To make sure they really liked us, I went and did several dance moves in front and in between them during their fine dining experience. They raved.

I then noticed something of severe importance that was lacking attention. The dance floor was empty. I told Mitch this was our spot. This is where I did all of the previously mentioned dance moves. All of them. And I made sure I took up as much space as possible. Again, The Elders were into it. I felt like a shining star, dancing like the cast of The Breakfast Club at a Flogging Molly concert. Our hour finally came and went. Plus another 15 minutes. For good measure.

Since this was so out of my comfort zone, and because I put on a character, I have to say, I had a blast with this assignment. I'm still going to avoid this area at all costs, don't get me wrong. I know the lesson here is to just give it a shot and to not be afraid to live outside of your comfort zone. Just see what happens and what comes out of it. And I know this is a lesson deeper than improv.

High Five.

*Notable Bros Throughout History*

The Elizabethan Bro - He who shall call himself a man, yet drowns himself in barrel upon barrel of wine, not fit for a groundling, and barks up at women, as if they doth possess the characteristics of a humble tree squirrel.

The Socialist Bro - A brother who wears his unity pins in a manner of boistrosity.

Le French Bro - The dude who angers others but needs other bros to fight for him.

The Prohibition Bro - A man who maintains constant law and order in such oppressive times.

Russian Comrade Bro - Man who can not keep secrets, even under lightest punchings.

1940s Bro - This snake can't hold his liquor or keep his mouth shut. And he's always tryin' to hit on my dame! He's easy to spot because he's the one wearing cement shoes.

Lady Bro - A chick who will outdrink and outpunch any dude.

Early 90s Bro - This amazingly excellent bro barely scrapes by in life, thrashing all of his energy in his garage band, Wyld Stallyns, angering his cop dude dad.

My Five Minutes

Looking back, I really did love the 90s. It took a while, but that’s what makes it nostalgic, right? The ability to breathe a sigh of relief when it’s over, laugh about it, and then miss it? Maybe it was the progression that we as people sought after and strived for. The 80s were done. Bring on the last decade of the millennium! We phased out those ridiculous acid-washed jeans (at least some of us never got into them); the palate of neon that swathed our hair, faces, and bed sheets; and the synthesizer - all soon took a back seat to flannel, grunge, and anything Seattle. Nirvana. Saved by the Bell. Full House. This was livin’. These were America’s influences. For me, the biggest influence was being introduced to Saturday Night Live.

My mom showed me a recorded VHS tape (Gosh, those were great!) of the 15^th Anniversary of SNL, which aired in 1990. I just didn’t get it at first. There’s a woman who has Jaws for a neighbor. Sam Kinison yells. Buckwheat still has a speech impediment. For every Coneheads scene highlighting Dan Aykroyd shoving fried eggs down his mouth while drinking a 6-pack, there was an episode of “It’s Pat!” that wasted its double entendre on me. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. Though to be fair, I was only 8.

Hit fast forward on the VCR Remote Control (Ha! Classic.) four years, and you’ll find my weekly ritual of sitting with my buddy Tom on the basement futon, turning on the news at 10:34 so as not to miss the opener, and laughing at Hartman, Farley, Meadows, and Myers. The Dream Team. This cast was silly, over-the-top, and the perfect brand of humor for the angsty, early-to-mid-90s pre-teens figuring themselves out while listening to musical guests The Cranberries, Live, and Pearl Jam blaring from the TV. This. This I got. I understood it now.  Now, as a smart and worldly 12-year-old, I would re-watch the anniversary tape over and over. I now understood and loved Mel’s Char-Palace. The Bass-o-matic. And why it’s funny Lorne Michaels offers a check to The Beatles for $3,000.

Now, as I’m going through my experiences at Second City and iO, I can’t help but appreciate and fawn over the memorabilia and photos of the alumni that filled both theatres with laughter. This is where they found themselves. In improv. In characters. In satire. In the ugliness of the world, they found humanity with laughter and tears. These jesters were no fools.

I’ve been fortunate enough to see some SNL alum, along with other amazing performers from TV and movies, go back to their improvisational roots and perform on stage. In front of me. Like, right there. It was surreal. To hear them speak. To see them create. To show us the love of their lives. To appreciate that no matter what level of fame they’ve attained, all they want to do is a $5 improv show.

Recently, SNL had auditions in NYC, LA, and Chicago. They were searching for the next few talented people to bring up to the big leagues. I stood in line for 2 ½ hours just to be able to get into the theatre at iO, and another hour and a half glued to my seat before the auditions even started. 15 people. 5 minutes each. Invite-only audition. Those they liked would be flown to New York to audition again at 30 Rockefeller.

Everyone who auditioned was amazing and completely inspiring. They were bold. They brought characters. They were smart. Some could rap.  And I’m excited for the day that I can say, “Oh, yeah…I saw them before…” Watching the audition showcase presented me with knowledge – where I am in my creative and performance abilities, where I need to be, and more importantly, what I need to do. I need to write and create the best 5 minutes I can, spotlighting my strengths.

In college, I can honestly say I was more than a little bummed when my theatre professors all labeled me as a “character actor.” That means you’re not the good looking one right? I mean, come on. It was the early ‘00s. Jeans without holes. Track suits. Eminem. I was living in my angsty late-teens-to-early-20s. Every time I heard “character actor,” I thought of Joe Pesci for some reason. But now I understand their labeling: A) This can actually be a very good thing. B) I love creating a wide range of characters, so why was I so mad? C) It seems that I can’t escape any family holiday without at least 4 family members slipping into some form of a British or Russian accent. And D) I love doing impressions. I can still remember in 3^rd grade, I was making a killing as Elvis and a white Steve Urkel, donning my Hammer pants. How many 8-9 year olds can say that?

5 minutes. That’s all you get. You need to bring it. This is the time where most people see this industry as cut-throat. I see it as a time to make like the Hunger Games and form alliances. Work with some talented friends that are on the same path. Write. Push one another. Grow. Write some more. Develop characters. Form groups. After all, how many movies have Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau worked on together? That’s no accident.

And guess where they have their roots?

I also remember something else my theatre professors told me: It’s about the process, not about the destination. It's not about "making it." Though, that would be incredible, of course. But it's about living without regret. No matter the result, we will work for it.

Fiberglass and Candy Canes

The first time I ever tried “dippin’ sum chaw,” I was out on the town with a good friend of over 15 years. We had a rather mellow night, taking down only a couple beers and burgers at The Cherry Cricket before deciding to head elsewhere. Once in the truck, Tom flicked the tin a few times, unloaded a beetle-sized pinch of tobacco, and packed his lower lip, resembling a bulldog with a severe under-bite. I still remember his white teeth glistening through the loose tobacco and the darkness of the night. “Oh, yeah!” he exclaimed.

Since he went out of state for college, I hadn’t been there for the momentous occasion of when he first dipped into the Kentucky bubble gum. I can only imagine it was at a huge tailgate party, one of the many that started at 8 am, as U of Montana prepared to battle MSU in a rivalry only appreciated by those whose college actually had a football team. I could only live vicariously as he and his posse would paint their chests crimson and silver on a lovely, autumn, 20° Montana morn’, drink a pint or two, and stumble into the bushes for a pre-game nap.

“Man. This is the good $#!t,” he said. “Heyheyhey. Wanna dip? It’s good for ya.” I agreed, supposing it could be considered a whole grain. I took a little pinch, similar to the amount you’d use when lightly salting a mushroom. “No, no, no. Really get in there, so you can taste it.” Sure, I thought. After all, I did skip the bun at dinner. I squeezed a bit more and could feel the cool, damp, shredded leaves between my fingers. Being a contacts wearer, I was confident I could hold my lip open as I shoved the goop into my mouth. I of course gave myself a nice brown streak across my teeth and down my chin trying to

make a Sandlot joke.

“Doshznt dis shtuf cud yur mowf op-in?” I asked, as I cleaned my face in the side mirror.

“Eh, it’ll cut ya a little bit. The fiberglass is what makes it good.”

Tom was always a smart guy and I wasn’t let down when my very minor beer buzz began swelling, and it soon felt like I had drunk 5 or 6 drinks.

“Holy $#!t!” I mumbled. “Man! This is like a whole night of drinks in one little dollop!”

“Hell yeah! Kodiak Mint!”

It tasted sweet and familiar. It reminded me of the yuletide warmth of childhood, as I sat there watching myself in the truck’s mirror swishing around shreds of candy cane.

The initial swell unfortunately increased. Not to seem like a wimp, when he wasn’t looking, I pulled almost half of the chaw wedge from my mouth and nonchalantly tossed it out the window. My head was swooning even more, and I tightly grasped my head trying to imagine it didn’t feel like we were doing donuts as we sped down the street.

I grabbed the whole wad of it and threw it as far as I could, spitting out every little tobacky leave-behind in my mouth. I wanted to puke, but really tried to play it off, even keeping up the spitting facade. When he would do a spit take in an old Coke can, I’d do the same, only trying to tongue the rest of it out. I don’t remember the rest of the ride to the house, but I do remember immediately rushing to the bathroom for toothpaste. Unfortunately, the tube of Colgate shared a similar bouquet of mint that the good people of Kodiak preferred, and that was out. I never thought I’d prefer the burning eucalyptus taste of Listerine to anything.

During the coming months, Tom and his chew friends became quite the connoisseurs of hockey puck-shaped cigarettes. Cherry. Apple. Mint. I was soon exposed to a variety of scents that, at first, really seemed to freshen up the place. One Sunday morning after a late-night BBQ, I awoke to the amazing aroma of freshly baked peach pie. I scoured the house for it, searching the oven and every countertop and window sill in the house. I immediately fell ill when I located a red plastic party cup half full of the flavored swill.  For having broken my nose in a few places, I still had an extremely sensitive sense of smell.

In the summer of 2005, I embarked on a journey which would put me on my current life path. I auditioned, interviewed, and accepted the invitation to work at a repertory theatre and youth theatre summer camp in Silverton, CO. I had spoken with fellow theatre friends who had done the program before, and ultimately received the same answer to how it was: You’ll work your ass off, but it’s amazing.

Working one’s ass off doesn’t quite come close to the experience. It’s one of those scenarios where you don’t want to frighten the person, so you understate it. Not that you hate the individual, but rather, it’s something all people should experience.

“Nah man, you can meet some great women on Craigslist. Definitely recommend it. You should give it a shot.”

The other counselors were fortunately actors I either went to school with or had met months prior at a theatre conference. This got me off to a good start. If we were going to be working our asses off, I was glad it’d be with good people. We quickly got to work, and our schedule would go something like this:

We would arrive at the camp by 8am. We would get started by corralling the kids while balancing our mugs of coffee and begin teaching them some theatre games. Then we’d give them handfuls of broken goldfish crackers, and take them over to the school for the field and playground. We’d usually be outside for lunch, and several parents would come by to bring their kids food and check in.

Except for the one meth-head mom, they were all fantastic. One day in particular, I remember saying hi to her, then turning away to watch some of the kids play football. As I was watching a pretty nifty kick return, my head was panning to the right, and the game in front of me was suddenly blocked by a freckly and pale-faced woman with thinning blonde hair in mid-conversation with me. “…And then he just fell down and went boom, so that’s why you gotta watch him on the monkey bars.” She spoke with such a lazy speech that all you could really hear were the vowels and the blurred consonants. I focused my stare into her eyes, looked around to make sure she was in fact talking to me, glanced back at the football game, and back at her. She had arrived 10 minutes ago and hadn’t budged. I had missed a huge chapter of the kid’s life entitled, “How My Son Continually F*&ks Himself Up,” or more appropriately, “My Kid Went Boom.” I’ve worked this character into several improv scenes.

After lunch we’d head back to the theatre for more acting games, a rehearsal period for Annie, some improv, and call it a day. Parents would straggle over and get their kids by about 3, at which time we’d get a quick break before doing three or more of the following: read scripts; memorize lines; script analysis; character analysis; collect costumes, props, or set pieces; paint; set build; pass out flyers; and if it was a weeknight, have a good ol’ fashioned rehearsal. This would bring our day to a close around 10pm, at which time we were “free to go, but there is more work to do.”

Crawling into bed around midnight wasn’t uncommon for the duration of the summer, and we would scoff at those who worked a measly 60 or 80 hour work week. Ours would cap around 100. On the nights we had performances, it was fairly regular that either prior to or after the show, we would have a rehearsal for the other show we’d be running in rep. Looking back, this gave me the theatre schedule that I would learn to love, loathe, pine for, and appreciate.

Marianne Fearn was the owner of the theatre and our artistic director. Not only was she a good 40 years our senior, but she was putting in as many hours as we were. I had finally met someone whom you could believe when she said she swore off the fame and money side of performing and did it for the love.

In our first read-through, we were discussing character development when Marianne very casually mentioned the name “Uta” as she was telling a story of a good friend who played Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” on Broadway. The name caused my memory to churn. I was at the point in my young acting career where I wanted to learn everything at that moment and read anything on acting all at once, and the name Uta stuck out. I was asked a question about my character in the play, and quickly forgot about the name.

Days later, it came up again, and we all got curious. It turned out that we were now working with a woman who had taught and worked professionally with a woman who was known as a legitimate acting guru, affecting 1000s of careers. We then habitually wrote down everything Marianne said about anything. I even have 3 pages of detailed notes on how to go on a nature hike, because that’s what was asked of us for one rehearsal.

Marianne was a very in-tune person, and that is how she approached acting. Knowing yourself and your senses forced you to be grounded and to layer a character on to you, rather than build something of nothing. When she asked us to explore our character, if the script asked us to take a bite of an apple, she would have us know the color, size, firmness, and smell of said invisible apple, as well as a memory that we may have had while smelling it. Mmmm…our house after college game day.

I was blown away. No more would it be a blithe “and my character picks up an apple, and la-da-da…” Everything was something. So when Marianne announced that our rehearsal for the next day would be to go on a hike in the mountains, either alone or with one other person, I was much obliged to her. Not just to get out of the theatre for a night, but you know, for the process. Our notes – to use your senses and really be a part of nature. And no talking for one hour. Being in a fairly secluded mountain town gave us this perfect opportunity, and I can still smell the cool, crisp stream as it flowed through the fallen brush of pine and dampened earth. This one rehearsal opened my heart, mind, and senses to almost everything.

That summer gave me theatre experience, teaching credentials, a broken heart, life-long bonds, an appreciation of all things theatre, a heightened sense of smell, and the knowledge of who I am. The experience was emotionally, physically, and psychologically the hardest, most dramatic, most theatrical and life-fulfilling few months that I’ve gone through. And I absolutely loved it.

Tales of a First-Grade Something

I remember my first brush with writing fame. I was the most popular kid in the 1^st grade for one spectacular February day, because my story was read aloud by the teacher to the entire class. This was the same school year during which I told my first joke. Well, maybe not joke, but riff. You could say I was riffing.

As curious and studious 7-year-olds do, we had spent the school year thus far preening to get the status of “Favorite Student.” As we were doing our usual writing warm-up on a bitterly cold New York morning, a student trying so casually to look smart in his moon boots while holding the end of his glasses in his mouth asked, “Miss, have you ever read the book…um…um…I forgot.” Amateur. You fell for the classic blunder, Mark “Who Always Smelled like Bologna” Donald! You can’t drop some obscure title as a 1^st grader to a teacher when your entire library consists of Goodnight Moon and Ralph S. Mouse. Mrs. Barveinous, who was always quick, replied, “Oh…good book.” Ha! She got you good, you little twerp! I thought. Then I chimed in, so eloquently, so cavalier, with such subtlety, you’d think that I’d been watching Johnny Carson or The Wonder Years for my entire TV-viewing life. “Who’s it by?” I riffed, getting the biggest laugh from all 20 first graders and Mrs. B, who nearly spit out her coffee, capping a wonderful triangle of discourse in front of the class. Ha! Top that, Mark. He tried. He really did.

One day, our octagon-shaped terrarium that had housed several caterpillars, began housing cocoons instead. Some kids were perplexed. “Oh my gosh! Mrs. B, Where are all the cap-a-tillers!?” one girl, with a white kitten on her pink sweatshirt, exclaimed as she was picking her nose. “The caT-eR-pillars have tucked themselves into cocoons that they’ve made. Then they’ll turn into beautiful butterflies. Now go wash your hands, Betsy.” Mark and I made Dirty Harry faces at each other, turning our excited, bright eyes into small, fierce squints. “Make a move, vato,” I thought, as I turned my head slightly, presenting him with the floor. “Let’s see what you got,” I said with my hands out to the side, like I was in a dance battle. He quickly jumped at the chance.

“Oh, cool. The coke-oons are see-proof.” Oh. Crap. This kid just said a word and added “proof” to it. I began to sweat. My eyes quickly began searching for something. Anything. I held my b-boy pose, but began teetering.  This kid. This jerk-faced kid just pulled out some vocabulary. What object from around the room, or verb, could I add some other word to and make it fancy? Just when I was about to pass out from the pressure, Mrs. B came in. “Actually, you can see through the cocoon. It’s transparent. See-proof is not actually a real word, Mark. But good for you for trying.” Yeah, Mark. Good for you. Mwa-hahahaha. This was a big moment in my life. It wasn’t just a win or rise in my own stock as the favorite student. It was the exact time when I learned that sometimes you didn’t have to do anything to win. You could let your cocky opponent fall on his own face. This was huge. Mark’s eyes quickly fell to the floor in shame. Had he a sword, I think he would’ve Hara-kiri’d himself on our reading rug. I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t need to chime in; I knew I had already won. I didn’t want something like pity to rain on my victory parade. From then on, I gloat-proofed my victories.

The next day, Mark must’ve been still sick from the Battle of Wits, because he didn’t make it to school. In fact, I didn’t see him again for weeks, until I saw him crouching behind a blue minivan in his driveway. I could spot his too-big-for-him cowboy boots half a block away and pointed him out to my babysitter, Tracey. She told me I should go say hi, but I didn’t quite know how to tell her I didn’t really like the kid. After some half-hearted conversation about He-Man (I was just going through the motions. Like I could ever talk to this guy about The Power of Greyskull), I was finally able to get out of there. I never did find out why he was crouching behind the van, but he did say he was moving back to Oklahoma. As we walked down the street, Tracey asked if I had bologna in my pocket.

For V-Day, we continued the school tradition of passing out perforated Valentine’s cards and candy to everyone. I had gone with the Alvin and The Chipmunks motif and very thoughtfully chose candy hearts with those engraved messages on them. Choosing which heart belonged to whom was tough. Those little doozies can either say everything, or not enough, and to not raise the hopes of some girl who was semi-afraid of capatillars, I had spent quite a bit of time on them. When we finished, Mrs. B asked us to do a creative writing piece, the only requirement being we had to entitle it, “The Runaway Valentine.” Gold star for this guy. Some kids didn’t even know what “runaway” meant. I did. My older sister suggested I had done it plenty of times already. With Mark out of the way for good, I felt confident.

I wrote a story, complete with drawings of a miniature heart with arms and legs running away from a mailbox, because he didn’t like the fact that he was a gesture, rather than having someone who loved him, and wanted a Valentine of his own. Then there was mass confusion between the two characters I so creatively entitled, “Him and Her.” The rising action climaxed with a fine denouement of Him and Her deciding to make Valentines together on the porch. Had I even heard of Nabokov at that point, I’m sure he would’ve felt insecure. I turned in my masterpiece and began rocking back in my chair, looking around at all the little squirts still writing. I was busy stacking up my candy hearts by color and tone, while they were awkwardly wiping the eraser crumbs off their desks and savagely looking up "runaway" in the dictionary.

 

Then something happened. I plopped the front legs of my chair down and thought that I was so literal with the title that my DOW would plummet. I hated it. I wanted my paper back. I wanted to write about someone who hated their Valentine because she was smothering him, and decided to run away out of claustrophobia. Just then, Mrs. B pulled it from the top of her stack with a, “Hmm,” and said, “I would like to share my favorite story with you all right now. Everybody, put your pencils down and come to the reading rug.” Just for good measure, I did a quick check for any blood stains and I sat criss-cross-apple-sauce as she read my epic tale.