Tipping Point

Tonight we cancelled Prime for the first time due to lack of audience. We've been struggling to find a crowd since TJ & Dave starting performing at the same time a couple months back. Late Sunday night in general, especially given iO's new location, is tough.

Craig has been talking for a while about ending the run. With a consistently light crowd there's not much incentive, for Craig because it's time away from his wife, for the rest of us because it means starting each work week tired. It's great to see everyone each week, check in and hang out a bit but without a decent audience to entertain the weekly grind of it has seemed a bit hollow, a bit futile.

None of us are at the point any more where we're starving for stage time, we're at a pretty comfortable place where our time is relatively valuable and we can be a bit discerning how we relegate it. It's always a joy to get on stage and perform but I think we've all been a bit frustrated with our lack of traction when it comes to people coming to actually watch.

Craig gave us a ride home and made the call we would end the run at the end of the month. I, and I think Scott and Sabine too, felt some relief. End it before it gets to be a chore and we come to resent it, end it while the shows are still fun and quality. We talked about trying to get another slot at iO sometime in the future, something that might work better with our schedules and be more conducive to building an audience. It could work out, it could not. We'll see.

For now there's three more chances to see Prime. Sundays at iO 1030pm till 2015.

A Biting Wind

Cold creeps toward marrow
and frowns pull at cheeks.

Feet frost, fingers freeze,
bitter joints pop and creak.

The mind stutters, ambitions seize
Winter's teeth sink slow and deep.

'Antarctica: A Year On Ice' A Review

Antarctica: A Year On Ice is a documentary about life on Antarctica. Over the course of a year Anthony Powell uses time lapse photography and personal interviews to convey the feeling of that cold and remote continent.

The film is intriguing in that it delves into detail about the relatively unexplored subject however some of the mechanisms that are used are relatively distracting. The constant and unrelenting time lapse shots of nature are at first interesting but then quickly become unsatisfying. Powell presumably uses them to convey the energy of the Antarctic but when not a single shot is still it is almost impossible to take anything in. The desolate beauty of the landscape cannot be appreciated because it is always in constant motion, it is unclear what to look at, there is no focus, no pause in which to digest what he is trying to show us.

The score also seems out of place. Cliche triumphant orchestra crash in at times when we are meant to appreciate the majesty and solitude of nature. It seems as if Powell doesn't trust the images in and of themselves, he wields his intention like a club, the sickly sweet accompaniment pounds at us leaving no room for interpretation or subtlety.

The characters that inhabit the film are curious and engaging, the landscape beautiful, but discordant elements in post production leave the film simply serviceable. More appropriate for TLC or the Discovery Channel rather than the movie theater.

Rent It.

Releasing Pressure

Yesterday I was feeling a little off, cranky, out-of-sorts. Not for any particular reason, just tired and a bit worn out I suspect. Sitting at home after work I couldn't relax, I was restless, had some negative energy without a convient outlet.

I went to Thunderdome later in the evening and just going out and seeing folks was a bit of a relief. I was in the first group that played and that's when I really started to feel better. The set itself was good not great, very dark and blue. Most of my characters were mean and I brought up a lot of perverse subject matter(like the book Flowers In The Attic). After it was over I felt empty, I purged all the negativity I had been feeling.

In classes I had a couple teachers who would deride "improv as therapy" and I think there is certainly some substance to that. The goal is to have fun and make people laugh, you don't want someone unloading all their personal woes on an audience, it's inappropriate and seldom humorous. But you can use personal experience as inspiration. You can use it to relieve stress. When the pressure builds up take it to the stage.

Temptation 2

an offer

via text
in the morning-night

an old friend
solicitous
inferring illicit desire

the allure
of carnal play
with an unknown figure

the thought
then guilt
for mulling sensual betrayal

a man alone
accustomed to deceit
weights the price of a sickly sultry treat

Contention: A Love/Hate Story

Beanpole put this together for my upcoming play at The Annoyance. We have two previews January 2nd and 9th then an eight week run. It's still a ways away, they don't have the info up on the website yet, and we have a lot of work to do.

Very excited to keep working, hone this thing, and put it up. Coming soon!

The Hanging Tree

One of the highlights of Mockingjay Part 1 is Lawrence's acappella song which they use a couple different times. Reminds me a bit of the T Bone Burnett produced soundtracks for Cold Mountain and O' Brother Where Art Thou?