Hold On

"Hold on to yourself, this is going to hurt like Hell"

I had a friend give me a reading last night (between rounds of D&D, no less). It was a deck I was unfamiliar with (A Russian Gypsy Deck). I shuffled the cards and handed them back to her. While she was placing he cards she told we that I hadn't been concentrating. No, shit...

"I've been a little unfocused lately."

Then she asked the fun one:

"Is anyone close to you Terminally Ill?"

Not that I know of. Today it hit me. I wouldn't know. Who would tell me?

I might as well have been wearing a black armband for the last month. Maybe that's what she picked up. I'm grieving.

It's a little death. It's what it feels like. It's how I have to think of it. Otherwise, I'll be weak (and I am, O so weak...).

There is so much I won't know. Things I missed. Things I will miss.

"What is it in me that refuses to believe..."

24 Hour Theater

This last weekend was the fifth installment of The Hunger Artists’ 24 Hour Theater. I was on writing duty again. At 11 o’clock on Saturday Night, Darcy, Jeremy, Abbe, Emily & I met Kimi (Our producer) and Joy (Our Technician) to draw the five prompts that we would use to write our plays with.

Setting: A Haberdashery
Prop: Naked Juice
Character: An Ophiologist (Snake Expert)
Sound Cue: A Ringing Bell
Line of Dialogue: “I’m more of an internet stalker.”

We were given the option of redrawing one of our 5 prompts. I chose to redraw prop and pulled “Tank Top”.

6 hours later, I had the story of Dr. Lilith Yamamoto, famed Ophiologist, lured into a normal looking Haberdashery by the nefarious Doctor Apocalypse. Lily is followed into the shop by Milo. While Lily is in the back Doctor Apocalypse rings a bell and summons his sidekicks, Betty & Veronica. The girls pummel Milo and drag him into the back. When Lily returns Doctor Apocalypse reveals himself and his need for Lily. His new secret liar has a snake pit that is having problems.
When Lily solves his problem, Doctor Apocalypse announces that her reward is being enslaved in the Underground Lair.
Lily is rescued by Milo, who returns, beaten and bloody from the back with one of the Doctor’s inventions, the Mind Control Ray. Milo uses it on Doctor Apocalypse (by accident), leaving him thinking that he is a Chicken.
Betty & Veronica take the opportunity to leave for greener pastures (Sharing a kiss that I described in the script as “Uncomfortably Long”). Milo then confesses to Lily that he has been stalking her. She accepts him and the show ends with them in a passionate embrace.
Around 4am we realized that we had one actor slot left over. So I wrote in a 6th role. Gladys was a customer in the Hat shop, flirting with Doc Apocalypse. Really, really bad jokes. I was ashamed. But it was funny.

I drew Ted Leib as my director. I didn’t know him but Darcy & Kimi said he was great. We met in the morning and I gave him my casting suggestions. After much debating, the 6 shows were cast (We had a writer in Chicago that none of use knew about).
The Cast was:
Yurika Young as Lilith
Jeremy Gable as Milo
Tony Swagler as Doc
Linda Borg as Betty
Lauren Brounley as Veronica
And
Suzanne Bradaric as Gladys

They rehearsed and I went home to sleep for a few hours. I came back Sunday night and watched the show.
Holy cow…
It frickin ROCKED! Great cast, great director. I am a lucky man.

If anybody is interested in a copy of the script, e-mail and I’ll send you a copy.