5 Shows Left

(PHOTOS BY CAROL PRATT)

Fringe

The country mouse ventured across the river to a show at the Capital Fringe Festival last night. It takes a whole heap to get me to cross the river, but this was a Monday night show, so I was available...not only a Monday night show, but Josh Lefkowitz's one man monologue, entitled, "HELP WANTED: A Personal Search for Meaningful Employment at the Start of the 21st Century".
Josh and I were in One Red Flower together, and formed an immediate and strong bond. I picked him up in DC after my morning job (Wisteria Landscapers)and brought him to rehearsal for the show.
We shared many incredibly funny conversations over the course of these car rides and rehearsals. Riffing on everything from eating meals (which I detest...yes, I hate the physical task of eating) to Julie Andrews putting cigarettes out in her eyes. I won't explain, because it would only cheapen the details.
Josh played my best friend in One Red Flower, and that was never a stretch. I found him hysterical, intelligent, and engaging. His one man show is like sitting down to dinner with him. Well...dinner and drinks.
I am happy to report that it is a fantastic show, and you always feel like he is speaking right to you. His story telling technique is very bombastic at times, yet never strays from Josh the person. The row of 6 of us from Signature, who know and adore the man, laughed with slightly more fervor, as we had just a little more knowledge about the man in question than the rest of the house.

I was happy and sad to see this show. Happy to see and experience the comedy/beauty that is Josh. Sad to know that he is no longer a Metro ride away from my house.
Growing up is hard to do. A lesson I learn daily.
Afterwards, I spotted Tboy , exchanged pleasantries as he pondered why I was out so late...then remembered it was a Monday...Josh and the rest of the Signature crew went to Fado's Pub.
I had never been, and LOVED it! It reminded me of many of the Irish pubs that I used to frequent in Winchester and PA. Dark and seedy, with lots of stone and wood.
We had a great evening, talked with Josh about days gone by and days to come.
When will I see JL again? Who knows. The beauty is that it never feels like there has been any time apart.
I strongly advise all of you Signature Subscribers who read this blog, and anyone else who has the time and money to go and see Josh pour out his words and passion. You will have a great night of entertainment and a beautiful glimpse into a talented man's artistic soul. Click HERE for more info...and PS...the only 2 remaining shows are tonight at 6:15PM, and tomorrow evening...Get your tickets fast!
Luv,
SGS

The Death of Mister Goodbar

Well, the heatwave took another casualty in it's wake. Mister Goodbar, my cellphone.
You may recall the previous saga of cellular horror at the Ballston Mall. When the evil cell phone that had metal on it and that had been eating my face up fell to it's death in a puddle in Del Ray, and my battles with Ballston Commons zombies and the Kiosk Queen.
No such horrors this time. I avoided Ballston and went to Old Town Alexandria's T-mobile store and obtained this cutie with no difficulty.







Same phone number, new phone.
Her name is Candy Apple.
Stop giggling.

FLOOR SHOW

Well, at long last, about a month after the flood to end all floods hit the Metro area, and after the previous sewage explosion of Fairlington,we are finally back in our basement with no threat of water logged carpet happening ever again. Tile now coats the floor. The tile is down, and we still have lots of work to do with cleaning virtually everything in the basement, but the progress has begun.
Here is our bedroom, almost back to normal.


What is interesting is that since the tile is so bright and clean looking, I feel the need to throw out all of the clutter in the basement, because it looks nasty in comparison to the clean Tuscan shaded tile.


We have been doing a little here and there between work and doing the show. All should be back to normal within or past the following week.
Amen.
Luv,
SGS

Assassins is starting to end...

Well, as often happens in double extensions, some of our cast members will be with us for the last time today. Bradley Bowers, who plays Billy Moore, will be leaving us to head up to Olney for No End of Blame. He gave everyone pictures..these are the 2 he gave me. We will all miss him this next week. His Billy Moore is a hysterically evil brat.
Diego Prieto will also be leaving, as he had some sort vacation to vacate to. *sigh* Sorry, a little envy creeped into that last sentence. Inside voice.
And next week, I know that Doug Bowles will be gone for at least one day, and Peter Joshua (Zangara) has an in and out schedule next week.
So, as always tends to happen, goodbyes start to come and I start waxing and waning on the whole thing that has occupied 60% of my time since May.
It was sad to say goodbye to Bradley, and tonight will be Diego's last show, and soon after, the week will turn into one long goodbye.
The old saying is that the sadder you are to close a show, the better it was.
Maybe that explains why my sad meter is starting to elevate...


Luv, SGS

Bzzzzzzzz...

With one week left in the "Summer of Bad Hair"...(I mean Assassins), I am already hearing the siren call of the electric razor. What do I mean by "Summer of Bad Hair"? Well, since I have had to grow my hair out to a Lee Harvey-like length, and dye it brownish (neither of which look too appealing on me off the stage), I long ago in May declared Summer 06' the Summer of Bad Hair.
That will all change on closing night, where upon Rabbit70 will buzz my hair to a pulp. I guess Damn Yankees spoiled me. I loved having my hair that short and seriously doubt if I will ever like to wear my hair long again.
Not that any of this is really any sort of breaking news, mind you. Well...it is to me, not to you. I cannot wait to shed these dyed locks and return to my blonde summer buzz. I actually took my clippers into the theatre and they are sitting on my station. I had to take them to the theatre for fear that I would have a night raid and shave my head in a fit of hair envy.
One week.
Oh, and PS, no this doesn't mean that I hate my hair in the show, or the show itself...I will actually be very sad to close this show, as it has been an amazing experience, and I love the role. The only good thing to come from closing, will be my hair preference.

One week.
*sigh*

NEW LINK!!!

I just had to do it. Don't ask me why. I feel that this belongs in my links.

My Fair Lady...the press machine begins...

This just in on Playbill.com.

UNBELIEVABLE

I know that I have heard most of you talking about this little girl, but if you haven't seen it, you really can't believe it.
Feast your eyes on an amazingly talented 11 year old girl..

Disco Belle

Here are some photos of my prize winning (just kidding) Disco Belle Hibiscus. Ain't she pretty?

2:30-update

Well, the pain has subsided. Thanks, in part, to antibiotics and pain killers. But I am now able to open my mouth wider, so I can begin to eat more normally.
I was given the name of a dentist who has offered to assist me, and I will go and see him after we close Assasins on July 30th.
I must say that I will miss this show when it is over. It has been a fantastic experience, and I will miss the cast.
You too, Cookie Puss.
So the tooth pain is done for now, and I thank you all for your sweet e-mails.
Luv,
SGS

2:30

Ok...so, I'm sorry if I haven't answered as many calls, or blogged a whole lot...there is, however, an explanation.
I have a wisdom tooth coming in that is angled in quite an evil way. It is cutting my inner cheek.
I think it is infected, too. Getting through the past 3 shows has been interesting.
I don't know what I am going to do. My face is swollen, and I am in more pain than I have ever been in.
I haven't really slept in 3 days.
Still in our living room, PS.
No workers putting tile in the basement yet.
Right about now, I wish I had a drug habit.
Luv,
SGS

In My Shoes...

I once read a book on photography that said to take pictures of your world that you see every day. These pictures capture the truest essence of what your personal human experience is.
I tapped on that with the silly little dog-walking You-Tube post.
Here are two more.

The first I call "4:30 PM."
Why?
From about 3-6PM every day is my leisure time. I usually go out back, put my feet up and read.
It is heavenly.


















The second I call "Warm Up".
This is what I see at about 45 minutes till curtain. 2 cigarettes and a Red Bull.

More in the future.
Luv,
SGS

THROUGH JULY 30TH

Great photo from Assassins that is featured in American Theatre Magazine...

What I See Every Day

Speaking of Fruit...

How about this photo, which has been entitled, "The Cucumber and the Melons".
Yes, this 18 inch cucumber was a gift from Donna's thriving garden, and provided hours of comment and amusement backstage. Here are Matt and Lynn(in to visit and see the show) in a photo too funny to not go up on this blog.

ATTRACTION TO FLOTATION

It seems like I can't let a summer go without obtaining a picture of me riding some sort of flotation device.
This summer, the photographer is my Mother, the flotation device?
Mr. Dolphin.











Similar, is it not, to last summer's Mr. Whale picture...





Thanks for shopping SGSblogspot... the best place to find shirtless fruits riding dolphins.

Birthday Flower Arrangements

Yes, even though there is a mattress in the middle of my living room, I still had to have adequate floral arrangements on my dining room table and in my living room. Call me old fashioned, but some traditions must be honored.
So here is the arrangement on my dining room table...a blend of gladiolus and the bells of Ireland. Two of my favorite cut flowers...
















The living room arrangement is the same, but with purple instead of red.








Luv,
Martha Stewart

Birthday Week Photos

I wanted to post a few pictures from the Birthday night at Cap City...so here they are. I was especially surprised and pleased to see Nehal Joshi attend, since I had not seen him in at least a year. He just closed The Threepenny Opera on Broadway, and is about to jump into the new Les Mis on Broadway. Here he is with me and Matt Deiss (Studio Theatre-Take Me Out).











Here is a cute picture of the girls' dressing room ladies...(Erin Driscoll, Priscilla Cuellar, and Kathy Fuller).













Here is a pic of Ryan, Matt, Eleasha, and Uncle Fred...
















and the obligatory picture of Eleasha and I...













I was also so happy to see that my Disco Belle Hibiscus, a present to me 2 years ago for my birthday, bloomed it's first gorgeous flower on my birthday.















By the next day, it had bloomed many more of the huge and almost fake looking flowers. The first year I had it, I think it bloomed once. Now it is a monster of beauty, blooming out of control!! (I just wanted it to sound a little more dramatic...)

Luv,
SGS

Hinckley goes to the Hilton

2 weeks ago, Matty and I went to the Food and Friends benefit dinner and auction at the Hilton in DC. Yes, the Hinckley Hilton...(where John Hinckley tried to assassinate President Reagan).
This was the day after the initial flood hit the area, and we weren't sure whether we should venture into DC, as it was still raining, and we had a Flash Flood Warning again. But, out of morbid curiosity, we went.


Torrents of rain pelted us as we approached the Hilton. I thought Matt kind of looked like the Morton's Salt Girl in this picture. Hah.
I kept asking him, "Was it here?", or "Was it there?"...he thought that he would know it when he saw it, since he had seen many pictures and video of that fateful day. We gave up trying to find it initially and went inside to eat.

I think that I have made it abundantly clear that I eat like a ten year old boy. I thought, however, that I would be able to find SOMETHING to eat there. Boy was I glad that I ate before I came. Out of the 40-50 stands from different restaurants, there was not one damn thing that I would eat. Not a thing. At least it was free booze.
We stayed for a little bit, but as time passed we began worrying about the state of the roads and of our basement. Scratch that...I was the worried one, as always. So, we said our farewells and left.

When we were outside, Matt took up the quest to find the shooting spot again. He looked down to our left, and recognized the brick pattern of the wall. He took off down to the wall, and said, "This is it!"...I snapped this shot. No pun intended.




It was a cool moment for him, and I am glad he got to touch a little piece of his character's history.

OINK

I have probably gained 10 pounds during this, the birthday week. Ugh. Am I exaggerating? Maybe a little. Maybe.
Whenever I go to my parents' house, or they come to visit, I end up stuffing myself to the hilt. They eat much more than I do, and I follow suit.
Much more Pizza, Cici's, grilling out, birthday cake, cheesecake, ect. Ugh.
Then, this morning, before my parents got on the road to go home, they wanted to go eat breakfast at IHOP.
Ugh.
I did.
Do I order conservatively? No. When in Rome.
I order Pigs in Blankets.
Then, when the waitress brings the food out, after I have a conversation about how I must go on a diet to get over all of the food that I have eaten in the past week, she holds out the plate of food at me and says..."Pigs".
I laughed outloud.
I said, "Of late, yes ma'am".

A Birthday Gift From a Friend...

28 Years Ago...

My mother thought that she was giving birth to a girl named Stephanie. Instead, I came out. In later years, I have told her that I met her halfway.
So yes, today is my birthday. And if I don't get those Cha-Cha heels, there's gonna be hell to pay!

Happy 4th!

Hey all...Quiet day, kind of. Spent a couple of hours at my Aunt's in Oakton, with my Mom, Dad, Aunt and Uncle. Had a fun time swimming, yes, at last-my first swim of the season...and I got fried. Oh yes, fried. Lee Harvey will look like he has been working in the fields. Oh well. Had a few peeps over for a cook out tonight. Fun times.
Buddha has his own perspective on the day, however.
Luv,
SGS

GO SEE IT, IT IS AMAZING!

WHERE WILL YOU STAND WHEN THE FLOOD COMES-PART 2

So, Today, one week from the flood, we still await a cleaning crew. We ripped the carpet off by ourselves Friday afternoon. What a bitch that was.

And the whole time, Buddha watched from a safe distance, very puzzled. He looks like he is in a tard sale in this picture....stuffed in amongst the junk. Matt said that he looks like an old man in a theatre balcony. Funny.


The carpet is now all out, however, we have much work ahead of us. The new tile floor will be laid sometime next week, so back to normal is a little far off right now.
In what can only be described as a desperate need for quality sleep, I carried our matress upstairs, (no, it didn't get wet) and set it up in the living room. I refused to sleep on anything besides my own bed any longer.






I took these next photos of Four Mile Run Creek, which bear further evidence that the creek spilled over. More updates to follow.

I'll take Literary Theatre for $200, Alex...

"The Critics are Raven about the new musical, Nevermore, which is based on the life and work of this poet...
Who is Edgar Allan Poe."


It was a $200 question, but still...prety cool!