Martin Luther King

I just finished a wonderful book. The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I won't go into too much detail because I encourage all of you to go out and read it yourself. I will say it is about women living in Jackson, Mississippi during the beginning of the civil rights movement. And I stayed in bed all evening reading it. I couldn't put it down.

I don't know why but I've always been drawn to the stories of the civil rights movement. I can't hear Dr. King's speeches without choking up. I like to see the good in people and so when I hear stories about people hating other people it breaks my heart. I realize that ignorance plays a huge part in racism but I will never be able to understand the hatred. Why waste so much of your time putting people down, keeping people down, hurting people who ask nothing from you but acceptance.

Living in California almost forty years after the March on Washington I feel like I should be more optimistic about things than I am. I mean, things are so much better. Forty years ago in parts of our country people got killed for using the wrong restroom. People got killed for trying to check out a library book. People got killed for no other reason then their skin was the 'wrong' color. That doesn't happen as much anymore but we are still not living in an equal society. Laws may have changed but it takes a while to change the hearts and the heads of society. I forget sometimes about the capacity for hate in this nation, in the world. I'm lucky enough not to experience it first hand very much but sometimes I think about stories I've heard and for a second I can't breathe. I feel completely helpless.

And then I think about Dr. King and I take a deep breath. Because I do believe in the good in people. Much more than the bad.

Happy Birthday, Dr. King.

Lost in translation

I love how some things translate. Here's a conversation had via email between my father and his French cousin. Each email was written in the sender's first language and then translated to the other language and then I translated my dad's email back into English. The following translations made me giggle.

From Dad -

Hello Andre & Francoise,

We all wish we could be in France to visit. Andre, do not let Philip drink all your wine!.

Stephanie was married August 29 in a cave near San Francisco. I have attached photos of the beautiful bride and her father very proud.

We love you and miss you. Please give our love to everyone in the family, especially Clarette and Robert.

Stephen and Sherry

Response from Andre and Frances-

We were very happy to receive your message and beautiful pictures! Congratulations to the happy parents and best wishes for happiness in the beautiful Stephanie and her husband. Whether fine style dancer daddy! Bravo!...but Bravo to Sherry: always elegant and graceful. We look forward to the arrival of Phil and Gail Saturday night. The same welcome awaits you if you come in France. I'll watch it for the cellar is the wine!

We embrace you very hard,

Andrew and Frances

Art

For those of you wondering about my previous post allow me to explain about the bones.

I'm a director for a small theatre company.

This means that I'm also a stage manager, sound designer, costumer, and of course set designer. Well, the play I'm directing is set in an art museum so I get to make some art which is exciting. But it's bad modern art so it's a little weird. Ok, it's a lot weird.

I don't want to give too much away for those of you who want to come see the show but let's just say that some of the artwork includes bones. Thus the amazing bones cleaning experiment of 2009.

Now that we're clear, I'm going to search some thrift stores to see if I can find an old wedding dress for cheap.

Cause yeah, there's also a wedding dress.

It's art, y'all.

Bones

Recently I've found it necessary to cultivate a collection of animal bones.

Did you know that you can get ten pounds of bones from the butcher for ten dollars? And the bones are not clean, they're still full of meat which you can totally use for some sort of meat pie or something. Hello marvelous way to save money! I call it Mystery Meat Pie! Now if I could just find someone to eat it...

Why am I collecting bones, you ask? Well, let me assure you it's all in the name of art. More on that later.

But first, a lesson about the proper way to clean bones.

1. Place bones in a large pot for boiling.

2. Boil bones for several days. Enjoy the aroma of cooking carcass. Mmmm, carcass!

3. Rinse and scrub the bones using a strong brush. Make sure you get all of the marrow off. And those fun squishy bits!

4. Place clean bones on a cooking tray and place them in the sun to bleach. I'd recommend placing them somewhere in your yard where they will be in full view of most of your neighbors. It will certainly give you all something to talk about at the next block party.

I will say that after boiling and cleaning a cow's femur, I felt pretty badass. I mean no one's gonna mess with the bone cleaner...right?

The most horrible thing...

I've had a horrible night.

I just watched a television show on TLC called Toddlers and Tiaras and I feel the need to vent.

Or vomit.

The evening began harmlessley. I made a great dinner. Hung out with my mom and Mike. Had some bomb ass chardonnay and watched TLC's What Not To Wear. All and all a very mild Friday night.

Then I watched an hour of disgusting terrible filth.

Toddlers and Tiaras began after What Not To Wear ended and I started to watch it with mild curiosity. Ever since Jonbenet Ramsey I've wondered casually about the goings on of the child pageant world and was contented to watch the show for a few minutes before I changed the channel to more intellectual entertainment, i.e. Family Guy.

The next 57 minutes were like watching a car wreck. 10 minutes into the episode I was crying. I watched the whole show only because I found myself caring so much for the children that I hoped somehow someone would appear to take them away from the INSANE world of competitive glamor CHILD beauty pageants and teach them about their inner beauty and moral fiber.

A woman enetered her 2 week old son into a pageant. She said she had high hopes for him. That she thought he was already showing signs of being more out going than his older brother, Cameron, who has won "100s of competitions" before. She says she and her husband are gonna try for a girl because "they're more fun at pageants than the boys" who "only get a tux and their hair combed".

Then there's the woman who used hand puppets to calm her 4 year old daughter down when she cried claiming she, "hates hairspray!" and she "didn't want to do it [the pageant]".

But the absolute worst was the Sterling twins, Ashlynn and Breanne.

I want to punch this mother in the mouth. I want to hug these children and tell them they are beautiful.

I want to spill pig's blood on the whole competiton.

This show broke my heart.

Life lately...

Life's been a little busy lately hence the looooooong silence here in blogville.

Quick update...I set a goal for myself last year that this year I was going to be signed with an agency. And last week my goal was reached. I signed with an agency here in San Francisco and am so exctied to start the next leg of my career. The one where I start making some money!

I've been planning our wedding (more on that at another time) and casting a couple shows for Boxcar Theatre.

And today I'm off to my first commercial audition. Yay!

So life is crazy busy but so exciting! More details later.

Oh, really? An actor? Well...good for you!

Why It's Great To Be An Actor

Reason Two:  The Reactions

We've all had someone ask us what we do for a living.  Which, actually, is kind of sad.  Do you remember people used to ask where you went to school or what your major was?  Those were the days.  Now, we're old.  We get asked what we do for a living.  It's a conversation starter.  A way to learn more about each other and perhaps find some common ground.  Well, I'm guessing that most people don't get the response that we actors do.  People just don't know how to reply when you say you're an actor.  Here are some examples of my favorites:

Sales lady at the Bridal shop:  Are you a student?

Me:  No, I'm an actor.

Lady: (Loooooooong pause with lots of blinking in confusion) Oh!  Like, wow!  Ok.

Me: (Smiling awkwardly) Yeah...

Lady: (Loooooooooong pause) That's great!  Ok, let me just go get you that other dress...

--------

Drunk friend of a friend at a bar: What do you do?

Me: I'm an actor.

Drunk friend: Oh my god!  Like for real?!

Me: Uh, yeah.

Drunk friend: What TV show are you on?

Me: I'm not.

Drunk friend: You said you were an actor.

Me: Yeah.

Drunk friend: Pshhh.  Poser!

 -------------

Some chick: What do you do?

Me: Oh, I'm an actor.

Chick: Oh, cool.  What are you going to do if that doesn't work out?

Me: What do you mean?

Chick:  Like, for money.  If that doesn't work out?  What's your plan b?

Me: I guess I'll direct.

I mean I understand.  I'm not making much money being an actor.  I teach and direct children's theatre to suppliment my income but that's kind of what being an actor is all about.  .0001% of us make it BIG BIG time, 2% make a good living, and then the rest of us fight it out on our way to the top.  But if you keep fighting sooner or later you just might end up there.  So that's what I do.  I don't have a plan b.  And I'm kind of insulted that you think I need one.  If I had answered, "I teach preschool" would you ask me if I had a plan b?  No!  

It's a wierd reality I live in.  

I mean, I'm used to it.  I love it.  But sometimes I take a step back and think, "This is weird." 

Anyway, it's fun to be an actor because life is never boring.  And if you'd like to try my life on for a minute then the next time someone asks you what you do for a living, say your an actor.  And let me know how that goes.