Accomplished today (and since last post): Arrived in the heart of Michigan, did what I could to “Tuckerize” my assigned room, explored local scenery, slept for shit, read-through, high-lighted, blocked pages 1-15, grocery shopped for the rest of the week
Geez…I guess I’m supposed to make a wish or something. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do when all the numbers on the clock are the same? I think that’s right. I haven’t thought about that in a long time. But there are so many things that I could wish for…
Well, I missed THAT opportunity. Who knows when I’ll get to wish myself out of here? Or date the girl that I really want to date? Or be friggin’ happy, REALLY happy, with my life for the first time in as long as I can remember? (---deep sigh---) Maybe I’m being too harsh. Let’s review the current situation. The current Michigan situation. All that other crap will have to take a backseat for now…
Actually, this isn’t quite so bad. Jesus Christ, I’m getting paid a (barely) liveable wage acting. Should I repeat that so that it sinks in? Nah, I don’t think I will. (That would make for a REALLY boring journal.) But it is pretty good. It feels good. And except for this nagging throat “thing” that has kept me from being at anywhere close to full voice, I guess I feel pretty good about it all. The director seems nice enough and open to anything as far as staging, Sean is great to work with, and the other actors seem to be all-in-all a capable bunch. We’re not breaking new ground here. We’re not recreating a new definition of “art”. But it’s gonna be good for what it’s supposed to be…tourist attraction dinner theater. And I think Sean and I will be very good. Central damn Michigan isn’t gonna know what friggin’ hit it!
Some lows…the house is for shit. I overheard SP on the phone earlier jokingly telling a buddy that the building should probably be condemned and the very first thought that came to my mind was that perhaps the only reason it’s NOT condemned is because there isn’t a full-time resident here. I dunno anything about the laws and regulations governing housing and condemning and such but that would be my first guess. And, in fact, it WAS my first guess. It leans to the left as you’re looking at it from the street, it’s got half-finished walls and ceilings and there are semi-exposed wires and cords everywhere you look, but with a little love and the correct cleaning supplies (industrial strength), it wouldn’t be too bad a place. Sadly, I’d feel like a big old chump if I were to just go ahead and do that some time. And I have better things to do like type this out and watch TV and instant message folks back home. Oh, and learn lines, I suppose.
This is going to be one bitch of a show to memorize. So I’m not sure why I’m bothering to try and document this trip right now, but it feels like the right thing to do. And besides, repetition is the best way for me to learn lines, not hardcore sitting down and studying. In fact, I’m not even sure how one would go about such a thing. Maybe that’s why I was never so good at school (not enough repetition) but I know, deep down, that I should be at least trying it. And if it helps me learn a few more lines or have them all stick just a rehearsal or two faster than not doing it, I guess it’s a good thing. But there are so many other things to do. Time-wasting things. I should really get to it.
Before I go, though, I should say that there really isn’t a whole lot to Battle Creek. I admit to sort of being excited and relieved when I realized that I would actually be living in a city (such as Battle Creek appears, on paper, to be) as opposed to the boonies somewhere where perhaps the biggest thing around was some sort of Paintball castle/field but it’s very much the latter and none of the former. Sean and I have to drive for 20 minutes (at a healthy clip, I might add) just to get to what I imagine has to be the Retail Center of Michigan: a Meijers, a Super Wal-Mart, a Target (thank God!!), some kind of mall, and lots of different fast food places and gas stations. We live 7 miles away from the theater and maybe 4 from the church where some of our rehearsals will be taking place and for a 10AM start time we left the house (which, by the way, we’ve taken to calling Delta House because of its resemblance to the frat house in “Animal House”) this morning just before 9:15AM. This is so we could drive all the way to the Retail Mecca (I’m trying out different names for the area), get some Starbucks, and drive back to the church. Yikes! I fully admit to looking forward to when the show is up and running so that maybe SP and I can jump in the car and go deeper into this mysterious place called “Battle Creek” and see what the story really is. Because right now, I’m not impressed. And isn’t that what everyone and everything and everyplace should aspire to…impressing me?
Yeah. That’s what I thought.
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