HUMP DAY CHECK IN - 2/20/13

So the great grey beast of February limps along here in Smith-Conner land. Is it Spring yet? By the look at the outside temperature right now, I'm guessing not. Working outdoors this Winter has really taken it's toll on me.  I am more than ready for warm weather to return before my skin starts to crack apart.

I finally cast the last male role in Thunder Knocking on the Door, so I am excited to unveil my cast very soon! It is an amazingly talented group of performers, and they are certain to rip the roof off of Creative Cauldron this Spring! I will give you two hints until then...the cast features two actors recently seen in Signature Theatre's Dreamgirls, and one actor recently seen in my production of the musical talked about below...Stay tuned for details...

                                                               (Photo by JoNell Franz)
Night of the Living Dead the Musical will play this Fall in St. Louis at New Line Theatre! We are beyond excited to have the full show make it's professional regional debut! I cannot wait to bring you more details through the coming months about the St. Louis NOTLD! Here is an article on Broadway World announcing it!




In the current installment of SH*T I LIKE, we have another film that yielded unexpected results...

This film is ridiculous and entertaining from minute one.  The film explores the genre of "no reason", as a tire raises itself up in a desert, and goes on a killing rampage with it's telekinetic powers. It makes no sense.  It isn't supposed to. It is my current favorite film. The always wonderful Stephen Spinella stars and narrates the film. It is currently on Netflix Instant, so check it out! (WARNING - if you are grossed out by over the top special effects such as exploding heads, skip this one.)

Stanford Mixed Company, an a cappella group I accidentally discovered, has an amazing CD on iTunes called, "The Other Side of Blue".  It features songs by the Indigo Girls, Dave Matthews Band, Madonna, Pat Benetar, U2, and others.  They are an incredible group, and I have NEVER been into a cappella until hearing this CD. Check them out on iTunes, and you can hear their cover of Madonna's Crazy for You HERE.

That is all for now, so until next time - keep battling the great grey beast...March is almost here!
xoxoxoxoxSGS

The Great Grey Beast

"The great grey beast February had eaten Harvey Swick alive. Here he was, buried in the belly of that smothering month, wondering if he would ever find his way out through the cold coils that lay between here and Easter...It was a monstrous month, that was for sure; a dire and dreary month. The pleasures of Christmas, both sharp and sweet, were already dimming in Harvey's memory, and the promise of summer was so remote as to be mythical. There'd be a spring break, of course, but how far off was that? Five weeks? Six? Mathematics wasn't his strong point, so he didn't irritate himself further by attempting -- and failing -- to calculate the days. He simply knew that long before the sun came to save him he would have withered away in the belly of the beast." - Clive Barker, "The Thief of Always".

Here we are, friends...entering the belly of the beast.  Welcome to February.  The coldest, dreariest month of the year, and a month that I have always dreaded since first reading Clive Barker's masterpiece, "The Thief of Always".  I still feel like Harvey Swick felt...buried in the belly of the beast.
So kill some time with me here in the beast's belly. We've nothing else to do, have we? Of course not...
What's new? Thank you for asking. I wish I could say something other than, "Not much." But I can't, really. I am busying myself walking dogs by day and sometimes teaching.  The bar has been closed for three weeks, so even my social interaction in the evenings has been limited. I go back to the bar for the Invited Dress Rehearsal of R&J this afternoon, so I look forward to seeing more people again.  (A sentence that I never thought I would say out loud. lol)
I have cast all but one role in Thunder Knocking on the Door, so we are still searching for him. I am terribly excited about the amazing cast that we have lined up, though, and look forward to announcing the entire cast to you once we have our final member. Rehearsals begin in April, so after surviving the great grey beast of February, I still have to navigate the maleficent murky month of March before I can get to staging the show. COME ON, SPRING!
Since I have not had a show since Whore House closed, I have had some time to be a normal (ish) human being. This has allowed me to get sucked into a number of television shows, including Downton Abbey, American Horror Story: Asylum, The Walking Dead, The New Normal, and RuPaul's Drag Race.  I have never watched so many tv shows, and I am already looking forward to a new A&E series called Bates Motel. This, my friends, is what too much downtime creates.
After fracturing my toes during the end of Whore House, I put on about 10 lbs or so. This was mainly due to an inability to get back to the gym.  So the first week of January, I was back to the gym.  One of my resolutions for the new year was to get back in shape, so off I went. I had two solid days of gym work under my bed when I got stricken with the dreaded Norovirus, which knocked me on my ass for a week. After recovering from that, I have logged about two solid gym weeks in now. It has become a routine part of my day again, and I like when it starts to feel natural like that. By spring, I should be back in business.
Alright, here is the latest Sh*t I like:

A Norwegian film that is about just what it says it is - a troll hunter. This film surprised me, as I never expected to like it at all.  I thought it would be terrible, but boy was I wrong...it is actually an incredible horror film, and the special effects are amazing. It is a MUST WATCH for horror fans. Check out the link here. The movie is on Netflix Streaming!

V/H/S is a compilation horror film, loosely strung together on the premise that a bunch of criminals must break into a house and find a certain video tape that contains evidence that is damning to the person who is paying them to do it. They find hundreds and hundreds of videotapes in this house, including a dead man sitting in front of a tv playing a blank vhs tape. There are nine different directors on this film who do different vignettes and stories as tapes are played, looking for the right tape. The film is seriously freaky, and you can also find it on Netflix streaming.

This compilation cd is EVERYTHING to me right now! Sounds of cars revving engines start most of the songs, and with titles like Drag Race Mama and Hot Rod Lincoln, the cd is not to be missed!

So that wraps up this breathtaking entry.  I hope that I have more of a reason to write something by the next one.  Signing off from inside the belly of the great grey beast, xoxoxoSGS

Hump Day Check In

Hello all...

Well, Sunset Boulevard has closed, and as is always the case, a bit of melancholy has filtered in as a result.

It was a fantastic run, and a wonderful production. I truly feel blessed to have been part of such a talented family of people. Now, it's back to 25 different jobs...oy.

I have returned to teaching 2 days a week in Fairfax County Schools, I am back at Ticketplace one or two days a week, I am doing some data entry for my friend Kim's company, Happy Hounds LLC, and am also back bar tending at Signature.

I have an exciting audition in one week for a major production at a major DC theatre that would run this Spring if I got it. Please send positive vibes. This would make my life sooooo much easier this Spring.

I also will be in a children's theatre production of Oscar Wilde's "The Selfish Giant" at ArtSpace Falls Church in March/April. But unless that other show works out, the next time I am back on a stage after April will be in August. That project has not been announced yet, so I can't put it out there just yet, but I expect it will be announced very soon, and boy am I excited about it! Details to follow...

Let's see...what else?

Buddha laying in bed is my new banner up top, because he is the cutest thing on the face of the planet and I couldn't help myself. So there.

Book of the Moment:

I have been reading a book by Thomas DeBaggio called "When It Gets Dark" and thoroughly enjoying it's beauty. DeBaggio himself is dead now, but before he died, he chronicled his life after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's Disease. DeBaggio also lived in Arlington, in a house that it turns out I walked past everyday when I worked for Happy Hounds as a dog walker. His remembrances of Arlington past are quite detailed and very interesting. This book is an eye opening glimpse into the mind of one grappling with a vicious disease, and seeking to document the beauty of all things in his life while he can still remember them. I highly recommend it.

Song of the Moment:

Erykah Badu's "Turn Me Away (Get Munny)" is currently playing in repeat in my head...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67Jn3pcc178

And that's about it for this Hump Day Check In. Hopefully life will get a little more exciting very soon. Take care of yourselves.

xoxo

sgs

yummmmmm.

Lunch and Dinner today. Lemon pepper chicken cooked in an army of sliced limes.

DELICIOUS.

AVATAR

I watched the film, Avatar for the first time, and found it utterly amazing. The creativity flowing through this film was awe inspiring, and the thought that this ENTIRE WORLD was created in someone's head was truly breath taking.
The metaphors in the film are so very right beneath the surface, and you can feel them from the onset. This is an alien movie in which you root for the aliens instead of your own race. One part Pocahontas, one part Dances with Wolves, and one part Jurassic Park, this film delivers on so many levels, and features the always amazing Sigourney Weaver.
If you are one of the few who have avoided the film or not seen it because blue people turn you off, I strongly recommend that you reconsider. It is an amazing film that I did not want to like, but have ended up LOVING.

Hump Day Check In

Hey there folks. What's new? What's going on in your lives? How is your summer going?
Mine is off to an interesting start.
I am working at my part time day job for a couple of days a week, but that is about it, so for the first time ever, I have filed for unemployment.
I start teaching camp in about 2 weeks, so I don't plan to be on it for long.
It's just these 2 weeks that will get a bit scary in the wallet department...so if any of you want to cook me dinner, I wouldn't object...haha.
Speaking of which, I signed up to sell some stuff at our community's yard sale this Saturday from 8AM to 11AM. I have been making some candles to sell there, and drudged through many dvds, videos, clothes, etc. I am sure to have a strange, interesting and wonderful sales table. Drop on by and buy some stuff!
My cabaret this summer will be entitled "Mixtape"
and will feature an eclectic blend of folk, pop, gospel, show tunes and more, featuring Gabe Mangiante on the piano. July 15th at Signature Theatre. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
What else?
I am kind of obsessed with The Weather Channel's

VORTEX2: The Great Tornado Hunt
It is an amazing show, fascinating and breath taking all at once. I feel a little heartsick watching it, because I know that I am watching what I truly should have done with my life (career wise). Not just being a tornado chaser, but being a field meteorologist. This show is almost over, but you can catch 2 more days of it on The Weather Channel and also catch their streaming web casts from 12-2PM tomorrow and the next day as they drive to whatever their new chase locations will be. Check it out.

Ok...that's my hump day check in. Hope you are all well and that life is treating you good.
Chat more tomorrow.
SGS

Sh*t I like right now...

Our computer is still out of commission and I am about to crawl up a wall. Sorry no recent posts, but it is hard to find time at work to do much on here.
So let's play a quick game of catch up with each other...
My parents paid a visit last weekend, and it was fantastic as always to spend time with them. The time is never enough, of course, and I wish I didn't have to work so much and could take off and see them more, but that's how it goes.
I have been working at the tanning salon and TicketPlace, making candles, and working on my upcoming summer cabaret, entitled Insomnieoke. Details to follow.
The Kander and Ebb Lucy Bowen McCauley show ended on Sunday afternoon, and went very well. I hear that there are great pictures from it, and as soon as I get them, I will share with all of you.


I just finished reading The Alchemist, and I have to say that I thought it was an amazing book that has totally changed my way of thinking. It is a life changing book, and I am so glad to have read it. Kurt Boehm got it for me and Matt for Christmas, and I read it this past week. Thanks so much for sharing that book with us, Kurt! I really loved it.


My last Netflix was:
The Tingler

A real campy treat of a film. I watched it the other night with Kara Tameika Watkins, and we laughed the whole way through. What fun it must have been to be in the movie theatre when the screen goes black and Vincent Price's voice yells,"The Tingler is loose in this theatre - scream - scream for your lives!!!"
*sigh* Good times.





I'm not much on contemporary pop music, but I have to say, I've been really digging Madonna's Hard Candy. Great beats and hooks, and just makes you want to dance. Favorite tracks: 4 Minutes to Save the World, Candy Shop, Give it To Me.



Ok, that's a quickie from me to you. Talk to you soon.
SGS