My old theater company back in Chicago, Stage Left Theatre, is hosting DrekFest 3, their 3rd annual search for the worst short play in America.

The first contest of its kind (as far as we know!), DrekFest is on a mission to expose bad writing for what it really is: damn funny. DrekFest is also on a mission to expose the new-play development process for what it sometimes can be: pretty damn ridiculous.

We are not out to make fun of writers or those who love them! What we are doing is asking good writers to intentionally write awful plays that make us laugh on the inside (especially if that’s noted in the stage directions) — and out loud.

Looks like they are well on their way.  The finalists this year…

Above the Sheets
by Daniel Bonventre

Looking Back to the Dawn of Time, Philbert Meets a Nut, Yes, Sir, Really
by Pam Dickler

“Scarecrow” or Some S***, Call It Whatever You F******* Want I Don’t Care
by Randall Colburn

Someone Has to Die Tonight, Indeed He Does
by Pam Dickler

The carnage is on Tuesday, July 21st starting at 7:30pm.  If you’re in Chicago, you may want to check this out.

Another week.  Another Friday.  Another reason to dance!  Today’s Dance Party is pretty much how all of my boat parties turn out.

You Tube – Summer Dance

The artist is Lee Jung Hyun from Korea, but she also goes by Ava.

You don’t suppose she’s using this video to launch the cyber attacks, do you?

Hoo boy, we made it to Friday.  Stand up.  Dance.

YouTube – Tiesto – Dance 4 Life (Live at TMF Awards 2006 Amsterdam

Until the last minute, I thought it would be a Michael Jackson Moonwalk.  Instead I wanted to remember the lives that have been, and celebrate the time that we get.

So get dancing, yo.

We have lost so many people from show-business this week.  Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Karl Malden.

I just got word that another actress passed yesterday, July 1st, 2009 – one who may be a bit more famous in England.

Mollie Sugden (1922-2009)

Mollie Sugden became famous for her portrayal of Mrs. Slocombe in the 70’s Brit-com Are You Being Served.

I have to say I didn’t care for the show at first, but eventually it grew on me.  The characters were so well played, especially in the earlier seasons, that you really cared about them.

More importantly, the show will always have a special place in my heart since it was one of my Mom’s favorites.

Oy.  It’s been hard to get the blog going again after taking some time off.  But here goes.

We are opening I Hate Hamlet tonight at Totem Pole Playhouse.  This is a delightful comedy.  A young TV actor’s series has been cancelled.  He’s given a chance to play Hamlet.  He rents the apartment that used to be occupied by the legendary actor John Barrymore.  After being “summoned”, the ghost of John Barrymore returns to coach the young actor to do this difficult role.

This show has been great fun as well as a huge challenge.  My character is a hyped up LA type who is trying to lure the young actor back to Hollywood.  I haven’t played a character like this for awhile and am having a difficult time finding his voice.  Maybe I should find that before we open.  Ya think?

Very excited to get this up and running.

My only post this week, and it may as well be dancing!

The Friday Dance Party today is in honor of Wayside Theatre’s opening of Man of La Mancha. Sounds like it was amazing.

Man of La Mancha – Stephanie Romero

MoLM runs at Wayside through July 4, 2009.  I can’t wait to see it.

If there was anything I really missed about blogging it was inflicting the Friday Dance Party on the world.

Well, I’m back.  It’s Friday.  And we’re dancing.

I think we’re going to add this number to our current production of Cotton Patch Gospel.  Don’t tell Warner and Steve.  We want it to be a surprise.

DMT – Happy Day

DMT stands for Dream Mission Team.  You can learn more if you visit Ilovedmt.com and happen to understand Korean.

After a few months off, it’s time to return to the blog.  So hello again!

It was hard to get back in the swing of things.  The move from Virginia and from Wayside really threw me for a loop.  After being so firmly and comfortably established there, going somewhere else made me feel like a Freshman again.  I thought I was too old to feel like that.  Apparently not.

That said, I’m feeling fairly settled in to what will be my home for the summer.

I’m writing to you now from my temporary digs in Fayetteville, PA, where I’m working at Totem Pole Playhouse.  They are celebrating their 59th season of producing, so the theater has a very rich history.  This stage has seen the likes of Jean Stapleton, John Ritter and Mary Tyler Moore to name a few.

We are currently performing a remount of Wayside’s Cotton Patch Gospel, and it seems to be going over fairly well here…despite a few walkouts.

This is a modern-day retelling of the book of Matthew and some folks are just not ready to have their Gospel reinterpreted.  To some, what we are doing is sacrilegious.  I have some  strong feelings about that, but I think that may be for another post.

Anyway, it’s nice to be back in the blogsaddle again.  This time around I may not be posting every day.  That got to be a bit much.  I’ll try to come here when I actually have something to say.

And I’ll come here on Fridays.  So we can all dance.

See you tomorrow.

[Photo: Totem Pole Website]

Had a bit of internet time, so I thought I would check in.  Had a wonderful time out west and am now enjoying a short stay in Chicago.

Soon it will be to Pennsylvania and the next adventure.

Well, most of my stuff is packed and my time in Northern Virginia is drawing to a close.  It has been wonderful, and I’m better for having been here.

I’ll be at Totem Pole in a few weeks, and will be traveling a bit until then.  This means that I may not be able to update the blog for awhile.  Not sure.

I will try and Tweet from my phone every so often.  Again, you can find my Twitter feed on the side bar, or you can follow me here.

Thanks to all of you who visited this little blog of ramblings.  I’ll definitely be back to it in the middle of May.

Oh and if you miss the Friday Dance Party, check out Armchair Actorvist, my friend R. Scott’s blog.  I think his is better!