My Blegggh

Freak weddings!

weazie — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:22:53 GMT

Not in a particularly chatty mood, but I did want to say I loved LOVED LOVED!!! my freak weddings last month. 1. First there was Sparklebutt and J-Rad's. Fairy tale flash mob wedding in Golden Gate Park. Costume fabrication, rehearsals, cat herding ... lots of prep and guts-no-glory work, but soooo totally worth it. Beatiful, festive, and full of community love for the couple. (And hooray! for the Jews!) 2. Then Muse and Davor's (the weekend after!) up at Camp and Sons. I was their officiant. Which was both an extreme delight and big responsibility. Beautiful, festive, and full of a (slightly different) community love for the couple. Thank you, everyone, for the pre-wedding advice, soothing of wedding jitters, and post-ceremony kind words. Since I'm feeling lazy, you'll have to look for the pix yourself, but they worth it, 'cuz they are all great. ...so when the next wedding? :)

Dave Arneson, RIP

weazie — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:10:04 GMT

Dave Arneson, D&D's *other* co-creator, died Tuesday. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Arneson http://blog.wired.com/geekdad/2009/04/rip-dave-arneso.html http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0644.html

Beach?

weazie — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 23:06:46 GMT

This may be the last good-weather weekend for a long time, so is anyone interested in hitting the beach this weekend?

Facebook migration.

weazie — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:14:20 GMT

Although tribe.net has been relatively stable these last few days, I still fear its days are numbered. So I reluctantly joined facebook, to keep tabs on all y'alls (well, the ones that are there anyway). I've been thinking about it, and I've set up a second facebook account. I have simply too many family members, ex-coworkers, high-school friends, etc. who have found me on facebook. It is best for me, you, and them, if I have a separate account for where not-so-family-friendly banter can occur. So, in the coming days, I'm going to friend folks to my second account, and then unfriend them from my first account. Please accept the friend request when you get it. (And if we're not yet friends on facebook, let me know!) Thanks!

"Vampire Lesbians" -- FREE TICKETS!!!

weazie — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 23:55:35 GMT

So, if you come to the show THIS SATURADY (10/4), I can offer up to 5 people FREE tickets. First come, first served. Show details: http://people.tribe.net/weazie/blog/d54ab245-7dcf-4a1e-b22f-51089241e0b5

"Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" opens soon!

weazie — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:34:29 GMT

So my next show is about to open. "Vampire Lesbians," in addition to having about the best title EVAH!, is a very campy comedy. It originally was written/performed by a drag queen, so that should give you a clue as to its humor. Here's the event listing, with all the gory (ha ha!) details: http://sanfrancisco.tribe.net/tribe/servlet/template/pub%2CEvent.vm?eventid=70742a35-78bf-419c-a7be-08936b144009&published=true&nextpage=http%3A%2F%2Fsanfrancisco.tribe.net%2Flocal Or the show's homepage: http://www.cellardoortheatre.org/info.html

"What is done is done, and cannot be undone."

weazie — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:35:33 GMT

Macbeth is dead. Long live Macbeth. "Macbeth" closed. Which was my summer vacation and my buringman all rolled into one. And it is over. This is about the longest time I've ever spent on production (although it was a very long process when I was twice married (on stage) to Shameless Heather). The last few weeks have been really tiring, but fulfilling. In the week leading up to run (and the run itself), there was much less hippy-bullshit, and simply more doing. The directors wisely got out of our way, and let us just do what do best. And it was so much more fun that way; I only wish the whole production was like the last few weeks. I'm missing my castmates already. My perspective on the show really changed as well. I began to think of it less as theater (as I was doubting the quality), but more as large-scale interactive art. The old fort, the wind, the fog, the scale of it all, the incredible views...it was much like an art installation you'd find out in the desert at the company picnic. Last night, Macbeth and Macduff fought on the castle walls under a glowing full moon...it looked so awesome! In retrospect, I realize this show would made for burner types, and I wish I had pushed more people to see it. And the audience sipping PBR during the banqet scene was hilarious. Of course, the whole cast was downing scotch backstage (we're method!), so it all fit right in.... (Pictured above is me as Lady Macbeth...yes, it was one of *those* kinds of productions. But if you've never seen me in a dress, well, what are you doing on my friends' list?) But no rest for the wicked! I'm already rehearsing my next show: "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom." Yes, *that* "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom"...one of the longest-running off-Broadway shows. And for those unfamilar with the show, it is exactly as campy as you would expect it to be with a title like that. If you find drag amusing, then this is the show for you. Details: http://cellardoortheatre.org/info.html Being in two shows at once sucks (vampire pun kinda intended). No energy, no time, twice the stress. Can't wait for the moment when all the lines are in my head, and there's no more rehearsals....

Uh-oh.

weazie — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:28:41 GMT

Rumors are flying that tribe's savior, Darren, has quit: http://twitter.com/tjcrowley/statuses/917780742

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."

weazie — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:17:15 GMT

Welcome back, my dusty lovelies! While you were off being weird in the desert, I spent almost every day at a Civil-War era fort underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. "Macbeth" opens this weekend. Woo. Lots of work, drama, ego, etc. to deal with. But yesterday was fun. Normally, we rehearse in other venues, and then on the weekends, we go to the fort and see what works. But we rehearse when the fort is open to public, so we've been rehearsing around screaming children, German tourists, bridal party photo shoots (??? Who takes wedding shots in old, rust-colored fort?). But yesterday -- for the very first time -- we had the fort all to ourselves. It had such a "Jesus Christ Superstar" (the movie) feel to it (and if you know me, a "JC Superstar" comparison is a favorable one) -- old buildings reclaimed for an updated retelling of an ancient story. The sound of crashing waves in a windy cold fort is so evocative of ... Scotland! The immenseness and emptiness makes our lil' ghost story all that much spookier. And (spoiler alert!) the final battle sequence *literally* *on* the fort's parapets -- right as dusk hits -- is just fuckin' *cool*. Will it be a good show? Is it too disorganzied? Will the shifting characters make sense? Will the audience be able to hear anything? Will the coldness and endless walking make folks cranky? Will people even bother to make the journey to get there? Maybe, maybe not. But yesterday was fun -- people's immiginations and creativity and hustle paying off dividends. http://weplayers.org/

"When the hurlyburly's done"

weazie — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:35:59 GMT

Wooooo..."Macbeth": Sept. 5-14 Fri.-Sun @ 5:30pm Ft. Point (underneath the Golden Gate Bridge) FREE http://sanfrancisco.tribe.net/tribe/servlet/template/pub%2CEvent.vm?eventid=e1eb20f4-86c1-4203-b449-a11b4703a72b&published=true&nextpage=http%3A%2F%2Fsanfrancisco.tribe.net%2Flocal 1. It will be cold -- like winter at night cold. Layers! 2. Lots of walking; no sitting. Very comfortable shoes. 3. A "container" of "liquid refreshment" might be good idea indeed. (Pic from "Scotland, PA," a loving, offbeat adaptation of "Macbeth"; Chris Walken plays McDuff.)

Going to Harbin Aug. 8-11.

weazie — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:53:51 GMT

If you might be interested in going then as well, please let me know....

Dinner/dance benefit for "Macbeth"

weazie — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:06:05 GMT

I have been remiss and not begged everyone I know to attend the fundraiser for "Macbeth." We're serving dinner and then having a party. It is free, with a very strong emphasis on donations. (So, for example, if you come for dinner, pay what you think the meal would be worth if you went to a restaurant.) Details on tribe: http://sanfrancisco.tribe.net/tribe/servlet/template/pub%2CEvent.vm?eventid=69608b20-c7ca-41b5-8ff4-bdae9a9fcbbe&published=true&nextpage=http%3A%2F%2Fsanfrancisco.tribe.net%2Flocal Details on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=21140106855 Details on eVite: http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?event=TIEMYHPSOLPBXTFJJUGS Or, just the important details: WHERE: The Spot, 1800 Illinois Street (near 3rd & Ceasar Chavez) WHEN: Aug. 1 (Friday); 7pm for dinner; 9pm+ for dancing. RSVP for dinner: info@weplayers.org

Saucy Dream!

weazie — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:32:58 GMT

So last night I had this dream where I was having a hot threeway...with an ex-. And the locale of all this steamy action? *Another* ex-'s bedroom! What does *that* mean? (And who was the third person in the threeway? YOU, gentle reader, you.)

"Hay Fever" at the Altarena.

weazie — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:39:09 GMT

Now and again, people ask me what's going on the Altarena (the theater where Luscious and I performed in "Wait Until Dark"). Actors are often gypsies: We roam from theater to theater, to wherever the work takes us. (I, for example, am in a theater company, but I haven't worked with them in a year, but have since then worked with four other companies.) However, Luscious *is* working there again, this time appearing in "Hay Fever." "Hay Fever" is a British farce/comedy of manners written in the 1920s by Noel Coward: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay_Fever . If you like that kind of stuff, it is very funny. It opens this weekend and plays through August 9. Now is a very busy time of the year for most of us (what with campouts, prep for TTITD, etc.), but if you would like to go, perhaps a group outing can be organized, so speak up! Details on the production: http://www.altarena.org/2008-season/noel-cowards-hay-fever/

Amnesia.

weazie — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:49:05 GMT

I take back every nice thing I ever said about this bar. We went there last night to celebrate Princess Honey Bee's birthday. Which totally rocked, BTW. There are pictures of she and me during my harmonic tribute to the love we share. But Amnesia was FULL of douchebags. Not merely annoying hipsters, but full-on douchebags. We're talking "Douchebag Beach" douchebags: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVHhjWMpC1g ...and I was so ready to my love affair with this bar to next level....

Snow Day!

weazie — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:29:23 GMT

Or, more precisely: Power Outage Day! At about 4:45 yesterday, there was power surge in the building I work in, which knocked all the power out. So after dutifully exiting via the emergency exit, I waited at the designated meeting spot. Until that got boring, so I designated the bar across the street as my personal designated spot. Eventually they opened the doors, I grabbed stuff, and left. It turns out that the surge blew a fuse and there are no spares to be had. And that the building's power grid is customized, it'll take at least a day to get spares. So today was declared a loss, and we were all sent home. Woo! If anyone is looking for trouble, PM me.

Beach?

weazie — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:47:32 GMT

Does anyone (beside the delicate gothy types) wanna go try to catch some skin cancer tomorrow (Sat.)? PM if interested.

"Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

weazie — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:38:40 GMT

So as I last blogged, I was offered to join and off-beat production of "MacBeth": http://people.tribe.net/weazie/blog/1bba4535-571d-4805-b8fa-bf24113acc29 I decided to do the show. So from now on, if I blog about the show, expect cultural-reference quotes. We had our first "rehearsal" at the fort. There, the producers more fully explained the method behind their madness for wanting such a long rehearsal period: Performing at the fort is WORK. It's windy as heck. It can get cold. Some parts smell like old pigeon poop. Well, you just can't walk in an expect to be able to perform under those conditions. You've got to train. And train, oh yes we will. So like long-distance runners ramping up for a marathon, we're going practice, practice, PRACTICE projecting into the wind without ripping our vocal chords to shreads. If this was "The Karate Kid," now is the montage of all the waxing the car and painting the fence. Also, not that the fort is a maze, but as the performers, we need to know if backwards and forwards, to know how it affects our performances. Where does the sound bounce? Where does it get carried over the walls and into the bay? Where can I stash my flask of a warmed adult beverage so the audience can't see it? And since the training is about us and our skills, if I skip out a rehearsal to attend an event (say a campout), the rest of cast doesn't suffer, since we're not actually working on text and scenes -- just exercises (for the time being). Oh: The producers also clarified that they did not expect the cast to help fundraise for the show, other than the usual marketing all actors do (ie., telling your family, friends, co-workers, etc. what you are up to). I was glad to hear this said out loud. And I've already trained to my new castmates to know when I call them a hiiiiiiiippie!, it is just a gentle tease.

"Something wicked this way comes."

weazie — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 01:15:46 GMT

This blog is not about the Bradbury book (or the movie based upon it), but the original source material, "MacBeth." So I have been offered a role in an unusual production of "MacBeth" being produced by We Players http://weplayers.org/weplayers.swf . (A few years ago, they did a production of "The Tempest" at Albany Bulb; here are Jenn Conspiracy's pix: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennconspiracy/sets/72157594155945749/ ) For "The Tempest," they led the audience around to various locales at the Albany Bulb and did scenes. So rather than just sitting, the audience follows the performers around. (This type of theater is often called site-specific or processional theater.) For "MacBeth," they want to do something similar, except the locale will be Fort Point, a Civil War era fort under the base of the Golden Gate Bridge: http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/FortPoint.htm . We visited the site today: Windy! (The wind will be more of an acting challenge than the cars going over bridge overhead, which you can barely hear.) But for what is basically a martially theme ghost story, an old fort is a great, creepy setting. And they want to do an ensemble-based show, which means no single actor plays a single role; everyone shares and gets to be a little bit of everything. So that means I wouldn't be playing just MacBeth, but I wouldn't be just Spearholder No. 2, either; probably a bit of both. Pros in doing the show: * "MacBeth"! One of Billy Bob Shakes' tautest, bloodiest shows; a great tale of power, corruption, and revenge; * Challenge/opportunity to do many different things (working site-specific, in an old windy fort, on ensemble show); * Working with energized, imaginative folks (some of which are already in the larger community; it'll take some rounds of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon to map it out). Cons: * Loooong rehearsal process (3 months, including many precious summer weekends) for a short run (presently estimated to be 2 weeks unless they get more money; see below); * "Renting" the fort is expensive; they will be asking me to help fundraise, I'm sure, which is something I loathe doing (and I won't be paid, but I don't act for the money); * "Community" (drink!); the core group of people can be, well, a bit hiiiiiiiippy! at times. Not that I'm in love with the usual community theater types (*waiving to Luscious*; miss you!), but will excessive touchy-feeling group-based collaboration drive me bonkers? * Won't compare with the All-Nude MacBeth: http://dcist.com/2007/06/26/_theres_a_great.php [SFW]. Oh: The show will be free (so no "I'm poor!" excuses), but will be outdoors, on the bay and at dusk (read: cold!), at a relatively inexcessible locale (so bring a jacket and a flask). Thoughts? Suggestions? I have a few days to decide.

"How Rock Band saved my marriage."

weazie — Tue, 27 May 2008 23:48:54 GMT

(Don't look at me; I don't even own this game.) Despite the somewhat off-putting tone of the writing, I read this and thought about oh-so-many of you, and your RB addiction: http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/05/27/rock_band/ Unlike most video games, which do not appeal to most women, RB definitely has a female fan base, and kudos to the developers for crossing that gender divide.

"The Unspeakable Act."

weazie — Tue, 20 May 2008 23:32:40 GMT

Just a heads-up that next week I'll be in a 2-night only show (Weds., May 27 & Thus., May 28) at the Garage (975 Howard [b/t 5th & 6th] in SF). "The Unspeakable Act" is a bawdy retelling of a Japanese myth. With 80s dancing. I play the sexually ambiguous comic relief. Really stretching the acting muscles there, eh? Anyways, it'll be a fun little show. Tix are $10-$20, sliding scale. http://www.sfstation.com/the-unspeakable-act-e325641

Osento is closing!

weazie — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:50:23 GMT

So I have never been to Osento in San Francisco (oh the injustice!), but the owner has decided to wind down the business: http://www.osento.com/services/about.html "The building will then be returned to its original use as two residential units and sold." Now I may be talking out of my ass here, but I don't see why she would do that. (I think it would better for her to sell it as is at a slight discount, and let the new owner decide the renovation isssue.) What is even more amazing is that the 2-unit building is presently estimated to be worth $1.035 million: http://www.zillow.com/search/RealEstateSearch.htm?dg=dg2&addrstrthood=955+Valencia+Street&citystatezip=san+francisco%2C+ca#view=ver%3D1%26op%3Dsearch%26scen%3Ds1%26map%3D%28Aw%3AAN122421965%21As%3A37756149%21Ae%3AAN122419832%21An%3A37759160%29%26params%3D%28p3%3AAI2AMAJ%21p21%3A0%29%26mode%3D%28zoom%3A17%21sortANdir%3Au%21sortANparam%3Ax17%29%26dg%3Ddg2%26loc%3Daddr For two units in the Mission District of San Francisco, that's not a bargain, but it isn't a rip-off either. "But Weazie, I don't have a million dollars!" I hear you cry. No, but you might qualify for a million-dollar loan. Or you might know someone who does. If the prospect of owning a communal hot-tub place (and living next door to it!) might appeal to you or someone you know...please think about it! And I'm guessing Razor (or some of the other real estate professionals in the community) could help out with brokering the deal, finding loans, etc....

How Hypnagogic.

weazie — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:41:51 GMT

So I had a dream last night that last year's mayoral elections had been altered FROM THE FUTURE through a tachyon process. ("But tachyons break down at the subatomic level!" I hear you reply...name that quote.) You see, Chicken John actually won the election. But people from the future messed with the time-space continuum to make sure Gavin stayed in office. I don't know if this means that Gavin will do something especially meaningful in the next four years, or if this disruption of the fundamental laws of physics was to prevent Chicken from doing something really, really bad.

Beach!

weazie — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:35:44 GMT

The weather is supposed to be bootyful this weekend. Anyone wanna hit the beach?

Torch protest.

weazie — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:29:59 GMT

I snuck out of the office to take in the protests. Favorite signs: "Would We Let Nazi Germany Host the Olympics?" [Uh...they did. Twice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936_Summer_Olympics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936_Winter_Olympics ] "Another French Bastard for a Free Tibet." [Way to represent the French Bastards!] ...and of course, it wouldn't be a San Francisco protest unless there were a few naked guys there. I thankfully did not capture that moment with my cell phone camera.