Journal of a Madman

Capoeira Teaching Blog

2009-09-27T01:51:00.000-07:00

Most of my posts from now on will primarily be on my other blog, which relates to my experiences in teaching capoeira. If the RSS feed works, I'll do that. If not, I'll try and copy a link to any recent posts here.

Capoeira: An Assistant Instructor's Perspective

--D

A Little Story

2009-04-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

This will be well-edited to protect people, of course.

A group of friends and I were working on a project outside at their house, and for some reason, a couple of people started talking about names that work for boys and girls. Then one of the people, a mother of one of my friends, just chimes in with "I give all my miscarries unisex names because I never know if they are a boy or a girl."

...

"I always like to pretend what they'd be like as a boy or a girl."

Honest to god, my only reaction was to say out loud, "Yeah, that's...um...yeah."

I was waiting for a moment for that woman to say something completely off the wall and there you go. That kind of killed the mood for me that afternoon. I was fine with the rain, but jesus.

--D

Even more pictures from "Boxes"

2009-04-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

I might have been lazy and double posted some. Call me on it, please.

-D

Beard dream

2009-03-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

It's not easy for some people to remember all of what they dream. Usually it's easier to remember important snippets of information or just a general description of the events, glossing over the weird shit that makes the dream ever more charming.

I thought I'd bullet the various dream situations I've had recently. My dreams have become more vivid and easier to remember since graduation, so the lack of stuff on my mind must be the cause of these images.

One dream involved the actors I was in company with freshman year of college meeting up at some sort of reunion/concert that happened to be a reality show. I don't watch those shows, so this one was fucking weird.
Last night, before I woke up, I dreamt I had a beard that was thick from sideburn to sideburn. It was short, not all Alan Moore long, but it was quite thick.
Another involved some sort of cowboy-like riding of a whale.

That's about it really. I hope to begin lucid dreaming someday, which should be fun. I want to explore Arcadia!

--D

More Pictures from the set of "Boxes"

2009-03-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

"Boxes"

2009-03-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

So here I am, slightly sore and a little bit rested after a 7 hour night shoot for the short film "Boxes." All my stuff is done, so I don't have to come in for night two, but I thought I'd blog the experience for my particular section.

"Boxes" involved five shoppers fighting over the contents of a series of boxes in a small store. There's the cashier, played by my good friend, Robert Linden.

Here he is getting some food in the break room and being a badass behind the counter in between shots. He had to be there most of the night, from 7pm to roughly 2-3am. Lucky bastard, all he had to do was sit around and look cool.

Shopper 1 (Stan) and Shopper 2 (Simone) were finishing up their scene together, which is the first kill. It involved a pretty gunshot to the head of Stan, who is playing a blind man. Here's video of the shot itself (keep track of a chunk of gore).

Next came my interaction with Simone's character, who I stab in the back with a nice little knife (it's in the first picture).

Here's the awesome effects guy attaching the blade to her back.

At midnight, both Stan and Simone had to take off, and it was good that they both finished their parts right at the stroke of. Next came the fight between Shopper Four (Jamie/James) and myself. Here's before the carnage.

We shot a few wide-angle master shots of the fight, sans blood/injuries of course. Those came with the sub-masters we shot once we ran through the fight for the camera a couple of times. James was really wailing on my back during the tackle, which got some worried questions from the crew, combined with a bit of "that was cool" subtext. Here's the fight rehearsal we had on Tuesday to give you an idea of what we were up to.

Slowly, but surely, we got through the fight one section at a time. The make-up effects were brutal-looking and this fight was pretty damn fun to film.

We finished all of my stuff (and everything for the night) an hour early, so it was time for all of us to head home. Frankly, this was both tiring as fuck and fun as hell. I've uploaded some other photos of the shoot to my Tumblr account, so check those out.

Once I get a copy of the short, I'll be sure to post it here. Time for a late breakfast.

--D

Yeah, Tumblr

2009-03-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

That place isn't posting the entirety of my blog entries and is cutting them off early. Since this entry should be up on there soon, here's a link to this blog.

Longer entries shall come later. Gonna go do some fighting, thrice in one afternoon! I feel so chivalrous.

--D

Tumblr!

2009-03-23T20:25:00.001-07:00

http://davidvick.tumblr.com

My posts here should start importing over to that address in an hour or so. It's nice, feels like I'm Web 2.0 or some shit.

--D

Something, AGAIN!

2009-03-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

It's too damn boring in this computer lab. It's an easy job, but man I'd rather be doing something like walking around or whatever. Least the people here are chill as fuck and nice. Better than being one of those Desk Assistants in the dorms.

Speaking of dorms, I was reading my D&D Monster Manual 3rd Edition on the shitter today and I remembered about the two groups I had a chance to play D&D with. I was DM for one of them (a really shitty DM) that got carried away with power. That fucking game sounded like an episode of the Power Rangers. And by all intents and purposes, it could have been. And it would have been better written than any of them. Except for the Green Ranger Saga; that shit was baller.

I ran a PC in the other one. That shit was fun because these guys knew what the fuck was up and were pretty cool. The DM was a tricksy hobbitses though. He kept setting up traps for us in this tower with 5-7 levels of bullshit, but at least the ending of that session was killer since we faced off against a skeleton army. That situation seems daunting when you're a few beers in and just going with the game.

It would be nice to get back to that shit, maybe try out the 4th edition stuff with some Shacknews fellers at QuakeCon. That is, if we aren't blasted drunk.

Tommy was the best,

--D

Blog Entry Number... Something

2009-03-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

Fuck it all if I even attempt to update this blog regularly. I think it's about time I try to write for myself instead of thinking about who is reading this damn thing.

That whole mentality started when I sent a link to one of my old ones to this monstrous whale of a woman who just was the epitome of smugness. Yes, you buy clothes that complement your figure. Too bad your figure complements a buffet.

I sent this bitch a link to my blog a while ago and she's all "This blog is pretty self-centered."

...

NO SHIT.

That's like her giving me a sandwich and me saying, "Oh this has items in between bread." Not a likely situation in her case, but it's an example.

Yet, due to my gullibility and eagerness to please people, I followed her advice. Enough of that though, I'm writing this blog exclusively for myself, which is how it should be. The "epiphany" posts will be few and far between now, so expect more of my natural charm, wit, and raunchiness to come through in spades.

Regards,

--D

P.S. Oh and check this shit out when the website works. It's a fun game. www.brokenpicturetelephone.com

Boredom at the Computer Lab

2009-02-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

So things have become ever so stressful after graduation, which was to be expected I guess. The whole situation right now with the economy has left me scrambling to find a decent job other than here in the computer lab. While Capoeira and the stage combat class keep me motivated and hopeful, I remain determined to find a decent job while I continue the film and theater life I have laid out for myself.

I've had one audition this past weekend and another is lined up for this next one, so I'm excited for them. The grad school application is about 60% done, and I should be able to get part of it in by Friday. The rest of it involves the Grad School department of the whole university and the GRE test (which I can't afford now)... so I guess I'm screwed in that matter. Well, looks like I'll have to wait to take grad school next year.

That's it for now.

--David

Nervousness

2008-09-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

It's a strange beast. It can go away for a few seconds, but it's always there in the pit of your stomach. Finding a justification to feel or not feel that way doesn't take it all away.

It's an audition I have tonight for Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead, a workshop play being produced at the University of Arizona. Though I have only spoke the words of Shakespeare on two separate occasions (both monologues), that doesn't help with the nervousness expected during an audition. I'm fully confident that I know the words and have some (barely justifiable) blocking, but that nervousness in the pit of my stomach rattles me. Hopefully my new found focus will pull me through the endeavour. That and a bit of support from fellow actors and friends.

I just don't want a huge part in that play. I'd rather be one of the characters from the Shakespeare play than Rosencranz or Guildenstern. If I had more time, then I wouldn't care as much. Things will work out in the end though.

Ironically, I'm not nervous about the auditions for the Media Arts Student Films this Friday. In fact, they'll be a cakewalk compared to tonight. We'll see though.

--D

New Site

2008-09-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

I finally registered www.davidvick.com for my acting resume. Feel free to check it out and swing me an e-mail at david (AT) davidvick.com.

--D

Thoughts on Capoeira

2008-08-15T01:13:00.000-07:00

This will be cross-posted among my various internet profiles, so bear with me if this is repeated.

When I first started capoeira, there were many different voices saying many different ways of doing the same thing. It was confusing to people who had just begun, including myself. I was told not to think, but do. In spite of that advice, I thought more about the movements and what they meant, not only in the roda, but to myself as well. Perhaps I thought about it more than my peers, but that is how I have done things and will continue to do with other endeavours. This will, ideally, lead to minor realizations as I continue my practice of this art.

As much as it is emphasized in capoeira that training with a group, even if it's a group of only two, is best, there is a part of capoeira that is internal. Capoeira is a martial art and dance, so the personal exploration of each of those categories is very much present in capoeira. In fact, it is almost essential to the nature of the jogo.

Many times, from the time I began training to the writing of these words, I have seen students go from group to group, teacher to teacher. This is understandable for those that are just beginning. Schools have varying personalities. With students who have trained for longer periods, though, it is confusing. While one teacher demonstrates a movement in one fashion, another could show the same move explained differently. In the meantime, you're forced to adapt to their teaching style and their explanations, potentially hindering training beyond the classes or workshops.

A great student reaches beyond the boundaries established by the instructor to develop their vocabulary in capoeira while always having that "home" to return to if one gets lost. Going from teacher to teacher training for long periods of time is like moving from one country to another, but still thinking you're in the first country. How can you explore what's beyond the borders if the borders keep moving?

Any one, capoeirista or not, can learn the movements. To not think about where and when they can be used is to walk blindly into a roda, confused as to their significance to everyone and yourself. Of course, a student can learn and become a great capoeirista alone, but without guidance, knowledge, and-above all-respect, progress will become slow or stagnant.

It is only now, after three to four years of practice as of writing this, that I have grown a taste for discovery beyond what I have been taught. My boundaries and base are solidified and my will to push forward is increasing exponentially. My passion for the game is growing; my thirst for expression must be satisfied. This would not have been possible were it not for Capoeira Mandinga.

I owe a great deal to this group that I want to thrive because everyone on my path through this maze of movement and music has given me something that I will treasure. I owe it to Mestre Marcelo and Luar do Sertao for having a family that I can feel at home with, even when far away from my own. More importantly, I find the will and strength to do what I do not just for my instructor, or my mestre, or even the group. I do it for Capoeira in its entirety, and that gives me hope.

--Feiticeiro

Living Room Rock Gods

2008-07-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

Great website full of covers by guys and gals who take playing seriously.

http://lrrgs.blogspot.com

--David

Late night update

2008-07-07T00:10:00.001-07:00

After finishing the first part of the book Taylor and I are writing, it seems that an update to the blog is in order.

Summer is just about halfway finished here. My broken wrist is starting to get back to normal, yet it still remains fairly skinny. Normal functions should arrive soon enough. Even with the two new jobs that I picked up, one on campus and one at the Parks and Recreation department, I find myself having quite a bit of extra time for things like writing, gaming, and training capoeira. And of course, the radio show that Taylor and I do weekly.

shameless plug: www.themtironstagshow.com

I find my absence from theater and film for such a long period of time to be unsettling. There is a theater no more than five blocks away from my place, yet I haven't made an attempt to audition there. Perhaps I should, it's been such a long time since I've acted.

With the added responsibility I have grown to accept and respect in capoeira, I feel that I have matured just a little bit. Even if it is just a bit of maturity, it is something worth noting. Considering the behavior that I have chosen to take on a near constant basis, it's quite remarkable.

Well, that's all for now. Perhaps I should start working on my personal website a bit more. If I'm going to whore myself out there, I gotta make it look good, you know?

--David

A New Venture

2008-06-16T18:48:00.000-07:00

A friend and I have decided to write a book. Chapter by chapter, we will write on and off about whatever comes to mind when I write the first chapter. It could be a fictional narrative, a self-help book, whatever! It will be a book however, that will definitely have a style of its own. Length and content is at this time undefined, but the story should be done by the end of this summer.

Mark my words: I will make it into the press!

--David

The color yellow, wacky sounds, and the kids

2008-06-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

Are all right. My new belt in capoeira fits and looks nice. It's added motivation to keep learning/teaching and pushing myself and my concentration as far as it can go. That teaching job at the Parks and Recreation Department is a great opportunity to be able to teach and refine what I already know to new/some experienced students.

The radio show Taylor and I started back in Fall of '05 started back up again also. Check it out at www.themtironstagshow.com. We teamed up with these guys who run Flamegoat TV on Justin.tv, so we're moving on up and such. Fair warning, the shows are definitely NWS and not for the faint of heart.

The new pics of my nephew are pretty awesome. The guy's growing pretty well, and hopefully I get to see him again sometime later this summer.

That's it for now. Stay tuned!

--David

Afternoon Meditations

2008-02-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

This was written Saturday afternoon during what I hope to be many more meditations. The Indian Art Fair was taking place nearby.

Concentrate on your breathing and things become secondary, even distant in nature.

A cool breeze, almost chilly, blows from North to South. I breath and I acknowledge its properties, becoming almost calculating in behavior. It isn't felt, but its feelings are recognized.

Concentrate on your breathing and trains of thought pass by the station.

I'm walking a dog along a path. Soon an onslaught of potential possibilities invade that path like foul beasts ready to disrupt. I focus on the path ahead, and they disappear into the gloom.

This is possibility and outcome, a mindset of worry and dread and anticipation for what may or may not happen. This is the mindset that plagues me constantly. It must be controlled.

Drum beats of a percussionist sound in the distance. Cars pass; birds sing; people laugh, chat, and cough. The breeze is back again. It chills my spine, feeding goosebumps their essentials to grow.

I must move into the sun and embrace the warmth. My mind is calmed for now.

--David

Pardon

2008-02-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

Meetings, auditions, scheduling, plays, films, etc.... these are the things that distract me from proper entries for this blog. Or actual entries at all. The events have not died down quite yet, but there is enough time to submit a much needed update on all the goings-on.

The last calendar year of my tenure at the University has begun already. Only a couple of classes stand in my way, classes that can easily be handled, allowing me to graduate from this place. With potential T.A. positions lined up in the next few months, it will be a while before I truly leave this campus. Not that I have any particular attachment to the University and do not want to leave, far from it. I just enjoy it here and until I save enough money up to take the Seattle Stuntman training course, I'll have to make do with what I have.

And what is it that I have? A growing family with my nephew's birth a month ago; a second family of sorts with the Capoeira Mandinga club that continues to grow and grow, hopefully leading to an academy; a new sense of purpose for what I want to do in life: become a stuntman. All of these fill me with a hope that whatever burdens or responsibilities I have, that it'll be just fine since I will grow and grow physically, emotionally, and morally.

Large events loom over the horizon for moi. The Batizado planning is in full swing for late April, and with the people in our group doing the absolute best job they could do, my excitement about it continues to grow. That same month is, if luck holds out on me, the One Act festival of plays. It will be exciting to be cast in one, but not upsetting if I don't. April's already a busy month with the Batizado. Two animated films with my voice work are to be shown at the Loft in May as well. I have not seen a single frame of either, so the completed products will be a sight to behold.

The next highway exit will be for Spring Workshop Ave., location of Martin McDonaugh's The Pillowman. Such a dark, dark comedy...

Ate logo for now,

--David

This blog's reading level

2007-12-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

Not too bad I guess. Of course, the noticeable stupidity of most college undergrads doesn't really prove that this level is too far from high school (or even middle school).

--David

Fat-Bottomed

2007-11-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

Girls can be confusing.

News of the century right here folks.

I'm not going to bother attempting to delve into the topic any further than that, as I just needed a sentence to go along with my song title pattern. That doesn't make it any less true though.

With one month left before the end of the semester, I remain in fairly average spirits. Nothing too bad has happened, but there are several things that I wish could have turned out better than what they are now. It happens, but I look towards the future with a newly-found vigor that comes from God knows where.

Maybe it's Roger Daltrey's powerful scream playing in the background that has me in such an energetic mood. I've said it before many times, but it is always worth a repeat: The Who are the greatest rock band to ever live. Ever. Bar none. Do not even argue with me, as your efforts will be futile. They are the greatest band EVAR.

Off to work now! Candide's been keeping us all busy and on our toes, but it's a fantastic show, so the effort is all worth it.

I shall post my pictures of the All Soul's Procession on Photobucket soon. I just have to head home after work to do it.

Bon journee,

--David

Paint it

2007-10-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

Black pants are torture to wear in Arizona, even in the autumn months, where the temperature is ideal to the point where I almost regret thinking about another location to live. Almost.

Thankfully, it's Halloween tonight and in roughly an hour, I shall spend my evening perusing the local hotspots with some buddies of mine. Whether or not I choose to wear my Peter Petrelli, TF2 Spy, or Patrick Bateman costume remains a mystery. The thematic element of our group is superheroes, so it is looking like I shall be doing something extraordinary alongside Beast and Gambit. Now, should I go to La Cocina tonight or not? Maybe... I don't know. We'll figure it out.

Why do I feel like I'm missing something right now? What an odd feeling...

Your friendly neighborhood Guitar Hero,

--David

Lazily I Submit an Entry

2007-10-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

This must be one of those rare times people experience when they're just completely disappointed with themselves. What could be the cause of this? It's probably a multitude of things, but why now?

Perhaps I am confused by something...maybe it's loneliness finally catching up to me...I have no idea. The only real bright spot of today was having lunch with Mackenzie. I could talk to her for hours and not care if I missed anything. Other than that, my day today has been pretty below average.

I need some sleep. Or a hug... something....

--David

I Want

2007-10-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

It all seems strange when you are stuck in a computer lab at 9pm at night trying to wait for the printer servers to reset so you can get that French journal entry finished. Another world carefully unfolds like delicate, brittle paper. Sometimes, you get lost in your thoughts and in the soft sounds of hard drives humming, keys on the board being depressed, and the almost musical light show of monitors turning on and off.

Of course, this is all just baseless ranting without a purpose; a personal exercise if you will, conjured by extreme impatience. I just want my damn paper printed out!

Several things occupy my mind at this moment besides a journal entry for my class. Mulling over the idea of having a relationship right now fills me with an odd feeling of...well, I'm not sure what to call it, but the best words that comes to mind would be "togetherness without tricks." It's difficult for me to find a person that I would feel comfortable trying out romantic things. It's not out of a lack of wanting to, it is more of a matter of meeting someone who would want that. I'd prefer to do these things, no questions asked, and preferably on the spur of the moment.

Longing for those relaxed, casual conversations between two kindred spirits tugs at me sometimes softly, other times agonizingly hard. Holding each other in our arms, softly petting each other... deep sighs of hope follow those thoughts when they sidle my way into my idle mind. It may not be as extreme as Poe has described numerous times, but it is certainly a help in understanding where he might have come from. Yet, my thoughts remain on the positive side as hope keeps me striving towards that day when these thoughts can be made a reality by someone who seeks to bring them back into their life as well.

With that out of the way, the other thing that keeps my mind processing is the release of Valve Software's The Orange Box.

Over the past few days, I have had a chance to play the second episode of Half-life 2 (more like H-L 3 to myself and the developers), along with Portal. Having the ability to play the beta version of Team Fortress 2 before the full release of The Orange Box, my thoughts on that game shall be first.

It is rare that a game comes along where it is fairly easy to begin, yet hard to master. This quality has kept games alive, not just video games, for many centuries. For many games to be considered even remotely good, it is a necessity. Team Fortress 2 is an excellent example of taking this simple dynamic and blowing it up to a visually stunning, funny bone-jarring, and action-packed environment. Counter-Strike would do well to bow down and hand its crown over to this game, since nothing else can compare in terms of gameplay variety, depth, and pure unbridled fun.

Portal's fresh way of puzzle solving and witty humor was a welcome slap in the face. I can't really say more than that. Valve continues to outdo themselves, and Portal is a giant leap ahead, for gameplay and storytelling.

Episode 2's strongest point, (its lesser points should hardly be called lesser) would be the storytelling. Through the thick of action and in wide areas, there is still a wonderful emotional connection to these characters. One moment you could be chuckling along with fellow rebels, the next minute you could be brought down to the ground, emotionally and physically.

The world of Half-Life 2 and its subsequent episodes could hardly be covered by my measly little review. Go. Play these games for yourself. They are what every game in this genre should strive for.

With that out of the way, and my stupid journal not printing, I am forced to relent to the fates and head to my apartment to copy these down in my journal by hand. Perhaps I shall get in a quick game of Portal or TF2 after I practice my guitar scales.

Au revoir for now, faithful readers...

--David

Addendum: Success! I can print out my journal using the $0.10 left on my CatCard Chip at the library. More time for Portal and/or TF2 is truly a fantastic thing. Looks like the cake isn't a lie.

Wanted Dead Or

2007-10-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

A live performance of "Sideways Stories..." for an elementary school this morning has left me all but completely drained of energy. With the moving of the set, the changing, and the fact that we'd be having a new audience to perform for, the eventual result of my near fatigue comes as no huge surprise. Yet, in spite of all that, it was still worth it to have the 500 kids be entertained and enjoy the show. I must remember to bring out the wig for next week's performance.

With my evenings now free, I can finally get back on track with capoeira training and with the responsibilities I have as the club's president. Some of the ideas Patricia, the Dean of the Honors College offered me were fantastic and definitely excellent starting points for raising funds for the Batizado in April.

Now I must figure out who sen me a quite provocative anonymous facebook message. I'd post it here, but I'd rather not. Let's just say that I'm all for it...

--David

Whip

2007-10-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

It's good that I didn't contract my stuffy nose during the weekend run of "Sideways Stories..." or it would have been torture!

With the on-campus run of the ETC show done and done, we come from our show tired, yet ecstatic and and excited for the tour around Tucson's elementary schools. Many people enjoyed the performances, so it is exciting to have that and carry it over through to the touring shows. Here's the obligatory picture of myself as Mrs. Gorf. Pictures on the actual set will be coming soon.

In other news, my former mentor and instigator for learning Capoeira is traveling across the states in an experiment he calls The Homeless Comic. Read more about it here.

Here's the note he posted on facebook not too long ago:

The purpose of this note is to tell you about The Homeless Comic Experiment. (http://homelesscomic.com/who-is-this-bum) In starting what i hope to be a sustainable comedy career I have decided to go about it in the following way. It is part social experiment and part comic adventure, peppered with a little bit of service to humanity.

I have recently given up all of my unimportant material possessions, meaning I kept my good denim and my laptop, and am living in my car traveling the country doing stand up. Since I am just starting out I don't have a fan base to support me, so I am building one, one couch at a time. I am hoping the people I know (you) believe in my ability to make it enough and are willing to spread the word about my project. Word of mouth is all I've got right now if you don't count myspace, facebook, and my website www.homelesscomic.com.

My goal is to make across the country and back doing stand up. I am performing at some clubs that pay but not many. In between the 2 paid gigs I've booked I am "working" for food and shelter by providing an in-house comedy show in exchange for a meal and a couch (or floor, or barn). I am documenting as much as possible by keeping a travel blog of events that happen along the way with pictures and videos of places I stop. I am collecting stories from people I meet especially homeless people. This is where the service to humanity comes in. My personal philosophy is that it is not worth being able to to what you love to do for a living if you can't give back in some way. For example, last night I met a homeless man named Lincoln in Tulsa, OK. He was a poet so I bought a poem for $20 bucks and gave him a ride to Wal-Mart. I will soon feature Lincolns story and poem on my website. I also have t-shirts that I sell at shows in which I want to start donating a % of sales to charities that help homeless people. I have bigger ideas for this project but I won't bore you with them now. If this interests you at all and you want to offer anything from advice to assistance I am open to it.

This is brand new and I am figuring it out as I go along. I'm just 4 weeks into it and about 1100 miles away from what i used to call home. Now home is where I park the car.

I will be heading from Tulsa, OK to Vermont next week. If you or anyone you know would be willing to have a show in exchange for a meal and a couch. Let me know or put us in touch some how. It has been great so far, meeting people, having fun, and livin' the dream!

THANK YOU! to everyone that has come to see a show or has in any way supported my crazy comedy fetish over the past couple years. Feel free to contact me with anything. All questions, comments and feedback are welcome, even if it just to tell me to piss off.

all of the best,
Brian

I wish him the best of luck and that he doesn't starve.

--David

Opening Day!!

2007-09-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

The morning performance for "Sideways Stories..." went pretty darn well this morning. The excitement the cast absorbed from the whole elementary school coming was beyond measure. I'm still in a sort of tizzy from the excitement of the first show in front of such a great audience. I'll try to add more information and cool things later, along with some pictures backstage. For now, let's just say I believe we rocked!

--David

Come together

2007-09-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm in a mixed state of excitement and fatigue, the latter the obvious result of waking up a few minutes ago. The 85 push-ups and sit-ups in stage combat class certainly added their own flavor to the mix. As the class progresses, I strive to look inward more often with each new move or skill we pick up. It is frustrating when I lose that inward emotional control during a sequence, so my efforts in concentration must be doubled to truly grow as a stage combatant. Hell, as an actor and as a person, too. Perhaps before the class, I'll take the time to do some pre-meditation to concentrate on my breathing, and not just rely on the ones after class.

"Sideways Stories from Wayside School" opens tomorrow morning with a show for an elementary school. Jazzed does not begin to describe my excitement for that show. We've been doing great during all the runs, so there's no doubt we'll rock the house on all the shows.

Time to study for French!

--David

Quotes from the Director lady

2007-09-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

"One person goes up, one person goes down. So it looks like we're being blown."

"Oh this is good... oh...huh? What's in my mouth?"

"Use your mouth."

"Grab your potatoes and sit down!"

"Ok. Let's try it with the bunraku hoods."

"It will be your turn to touch your understudy."

--David

Half-asleep rants by David

2007-09-19T00:37:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the spelling, mistakes. I am functioning on little energy right now.

Screw this entry! I'm headed to sleep.

Night,

--David

NINJA EDIT:

Now that I'm slightly more coherent and awake in comparison to last night, my post will contain more content. Though that is a challenge when they had no content to begin with.

The Team Fortress 2 beta is out around the internet and from what I've played so far, this game is loads of fun. Perhaps I can actually play through a full round sometime before my computer freezes up . I've installed the latest ATi Catalyst drivers, yet it still freezes/crashes. I'm going to turn the settings down to medium, but if there's a way to have it not freeze at high graphic settings, I'm all ears.

Once again, pictures will be incoming from the show soon.

Midnight madness

2007-09-18T00:10:00.000-07:00

Free wireless internet at my apartment complex is a fantastic tool, that's for damn sure.

It's about a few minutes past midnight here in the Old Pueblo, and my efforts to post something at regular intervals is off to a decent start. My state of drowsiness will be a fantastic assistance for keeping this post short.

Good things today:

I contributed some pretty decent stuff today in French 202. With the friends I have in that class, and the new people I've met who are really good with French, it's been a great help with my improvement.
Team Fortress 2 is preloading right now over Steam. I'm very excited to try out all the classes in the game to see which fits my style of play better.
We're moving on to scales in guitar class. It's nothing too exciting, but with practice, it will definitely lead to something

Alright things/Bad things today:

I had a quiz in directing class today. It was tougher than I thought it would be, but I knew enough to answer as well as I could.
Lolo's been having trouble with her essay and editing it to her teacher's "recommendations." It's too bad she has to edit it, because I really enjoyed it and it was a pretty damn creative story.

There's probably a few more things I could include, but I am tired and need rest for tomorrow.

--David

Genesis Part 2

2007-09-16T15:20:00.001-07:00

Here I am once again.

This will be a fresh start for my blogging, since certain things happened that changed my outlook on life somewhat, leaving me to summon a new page from the depths of nonexistence. Nothing bad happened, mind you, but changes that have hopefully made me a better person in the end.

Once in a while, you have an epiphany about yourself, a realization of something that you knew you were, but didn't have the heart to admit or to actually follow through with in real life. Sometimes it comes with age and, in the case of myself, it comes with the eventual onset of a chapter of your life coming to a close and with the admittance of feelings that you have had all along, but denied because of how odd it must seem to the general population.

When you've known someone for five years, you get to know them pretty well. Especially if you happen to be the main reason they became involved in the fine arts. There's an underlying sense of responsibility and a unique connection between you two, as if you've known each other for longer than five years. Now when I say responsibility, I mean that that person has dedicated themselves to a pursuit in life because of your influence and, as that influential person, you want to see them succeed in their pursuit, as well as bettering yourself day after day in the hopes that you set a positive example. It is a mutual responsibility of equal measure.

So what categorizes this situation, this relationship, as odd? That will have to wait until my French 202 homework is finished. Cliffhangers are the devil's plaything.

With the Educational Theatre Company show's rehearsals more than halfway through, and with two weeks left until the on-campus performances, the cast and crew are in high spirits, which is always uplifting. We've all done some fantastic work for such a long and challenging play for young audiences. With photo calls and tech run throughs coming up in a few days, sustaining that will be essential. I'm sure we can get through this unscathed.

Expect pictures from the show to be posted on this blog in a few days. Until then, it is off to "le monde du Francais."

Au revoir,

--David