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VEGAN! BLACK METAL! CHEF!
May. 17th, 2011 01:57 amThe joke might wear thin after a few minutes... but the recipe looks really good! And fourteen minutes of black metal. Did he seriously write and record all that?
May. 17th, 2011
St. George and the Dragon
May. 17th, 2011 02:19 amI have returned from adventure in the woods with The Champagne Players. I am proud to say that the whole thing went better than I could have hoped or imagined.
Our performance this weekend was at an SCA event called St. George and the Dragon. I arranged to carpool with Tess, one of our actors, and she picked me up Saturday afternoon. Getting to the secluded campground outside of Springfield, MO turned out to be an adventure in itself. Cell reception was bad out there and the directions we received via cell phone were not clear, Lesley's phone cutting out as a crucial part of the directions were conveyed. After going literally a hundred miles out of our way we got back on track, only to find ourselves at the blocked road we had been attempting to avoid all along. Fortunately, Tess is a hell of a wheelwoman and took a twisting, nailbiting, backwoods dirt road with a confidence and speed that many would never approach.
Side note: this incredibly twisted, on-the-verge-of-reverting-completely-to-wilderness dirt road was regularly marked by armadillo carcasses in the midst of being devoured by vultures. Creepy. This road clearly gets no traffic, yet cars somehow came along at just the right time to kill not one but two armadillos. What are the odds?
Once ensconced in our camp site we had enough time for a breakneck dress rehearsal to iron out the bugs. The SCA folks had been drinking, dueling, and jousting all day and I figured they'd be tired. But no, they were ready to party and nearly the entire population of the campground showed up at our stage come performance time. Our show consisted of two comedy sketches, a burlesque dance, and an operatic solo by one of our very talented ladies. About a half hour of material but apparently just enough to rile up our rowdy audience and leave them wanting more. We got lots of feedback and friendly heckling from the crowd and it helped us take our performances to a level we just couldn't reach in rehearsals. Frankly, it was the most fun I've had on stage in years and possibly rekindled a passion for live theatre I haven't felt in far longer.
Once we were through with the show we were ready to party too. The women of the troupe put on their bellydance attire and migrated to one of the larger bonfires where they mesmerized us one and all. A few bards were present who, between the girls' dances, regaled the audiences with songs and comedy. With the dancing done we strolled through the campground, sampling excellent homebrewed beer and mead and socializing with people. I haven't let my hair down like that in a long time and I can't wait to do it again.
Sunday Tess and I got back with far less adventuring and after a quality dinner at 54th Street Grill with my beautiful wife, we reconvened with the Players for a rehearsal of the material we didn't perform. The rehearsal was almost as much fun as doing a show. I think after the stress and hustle of getting the performance in gear we were all ready to have some fun.
Today was back to work and reality but I'm still still floating on the weekend's vibe. Our next performance at Lilies War is still over a month away but I am SO ready. Last year it kind of felt like work even though I wound up having a blast. This time, however, I'm like a kid looking forward to Christmas.
Our performance this weekend was at an SCA event called St. George and the Dragon. I arranged to carpool with Tess, one of our actors, and she picked me up Saturday afternoon. Getting to the secluded campground outside of Springfield, MO turned out to be an adventure in itself. Cell reception was bad out there and the directions we received via cell phone were not clear, Lesley's phone cutting out as a crucial part of the directions were conveyed. After going literally a hundred miles out of our way we got back on track, only to find ourselves at the blocked road we had been attempting to avoid all along. Fortunately, Tess is a hell of a wheelwoman and took a twisting, nailbiting, backwoods dirt road with a confidence and speed that many would never approach.
Side note: this incredibly twisted, on-the-verge-of-reverting-completely-to-wilderness dirt road was regularly marked by armadillo carcasses in the midst of being devoured by vultures. Creepy. This road clearly gets no traffic, yet cars somehow came along at just the right time to kill not one but two armadillos. What are the odds?
Once ensconced in our camp site we had enough time for a breakneck dress rehearsal to iron out the bugs. The SCA folks had been drinking, dueling, and jousting all day and I figured they'd be tired. But no, they were ready to party and nearly the entire population of the campground showed up at our stage come performance time. Our show consisted of two comedy sketches, a burlesque dance, and an operatic solo by one of our very talented ladies. About a half hour of material but apparently just enough to rile up our rowdy audience and leave them wanting more. We got lots of feedback and friendly heckling from the crowd and it helped us take our performances to a level we just couldn't reach in rehearsals. Frankly, it was the most fun I've had on stage in years and possibly rekindled a passion for live theatre I haven't felt in far longer.
Once we were through with the show we were ready to party too. The women of the troupe put on their bellydance attire and migrated to one of the larger bonfires where they mesmerized us one and all. A few bards were present who, between the girls' dances, regaled the audiences with songs and comedy. With the dancing done we strolled through the campground, sampling excellent homebrewed beer and mead and socializing with people. I haven't let my hair down like that in a long time and I can't wait to do it again.
Sunday Tess and I got back with far less adventuring and after a quality dinner at 54th Street Grill with my beautiful wife, we reconvened with the Players for a rehearsal of the material we didn't perform. The rehearsal was almost as much fun as doing a show. I think after the stress and hustle of getting the performance in gear we were all ready to have some fun.
Today was back to work and reality but I'm still still floating on the weekend's vibe. Our next performance at Lilies War is still over a month away but I am SO ready. Last year it kind of felt like work even though I wound up having a blast. This time, however, I'm like a kid looking forward to Christmas.
this weekend I had a couple of conversations with different people about several toxic, manipulative people I've crossed paths with in my life. This song sums up what they put people through. I finally know your game, Symbionts. I know what to watch for now. It won't be so easy next time.
