Dejesification

Saturday night, after six exciting weeks of performances (and seemingly as many months of rehearsal), the cast of Pan took their final bows before an appreciative standing-room-only audience. Much revelry followed, during which a couple of newly retired nymphs compelled me to dance to Shake Your Booty, a fate which I had somehow managed to avoid until now. It was slightly less embarrassing than my karaoke rendition of Rocket Man the previous night. I'll miss seeing the other cast members regularly, but I won't miss the beard, which fell in bits into my bathroom sink before the sun came up the next day. I didn't really have a choice, as I had to audition for a part as a nerdy accountant (as opposed to the stereotypical action-hero accountant you see in so many movies) and then go play a doctor in a commercial -- except they had changed up the shooting schedule and when I got there they turned me into a patient. No big thing, as in this case they paid the same. I was a little disturbed that they were taking pains not to show my newly shaven face, until they explained I was too young and healthy looking. I could accept that. I still get paid, right? Monday and today were largely devoted to copyediting and site-building. Still found time to apply for more of those doctor and lawyer-type roles though. I may not be a highly paid professional, but I can play one on TV.

Father & Son

Almost as soon as I was cast in Pan, I decided not to invite my born-again Christian father. Although I've tried to approach the character of Jesus respectfully, the content and overall themes of the play mean it's not likely to become a favorite among Sunday-school teachers any time soon. But when one of the cast members said there was an older gentleman downstairs who looked a lot like me, I got a sinking feeling. When the stage manager asked me if I knew who the man in the cowboy hat was, my fears were confirmed. Well, family issues or not, the show must go on. If anything, my performance was edgier than usual. When I went downstairs after the play to face the music, my father surprised me by telling me how much he liked the show. And I'm pretty sure he meant it because he didn't use words like "interesting" or "different." He seemed to enjoy it more than my secular-humanist mother, in fact. Afterward we hung out with the cast, and he shared a story of seeing an out-of-town tryout of "Oklahoma." It turns out my father is a theater buff from way back!

Beverage Service

It's been a long day. I had an early call time out in Agoura Hills, where I worked on a public service announcement about stopping financial abuse of seniors. In this case, work consisted largely of lying on my back drinking beer, as I was playing a ne'er-do-well son stealing from his elderly father. I felt good about the work and it was for a good cause, but I may not let my parents see this one. I don't want them to get the wrong idea about me. Tonight was another performance of Pan. The audience tonight was very enthusiastic and receptive, and several of the performers seemed to find something new. It amazes me that after so many nights of rehearsal and performance, there are still discoveries to be made.

Oh, Henry

Last night some of the cast of Pan saw a rousing Henry V, presented as part of the 7th annual Long Beach Shakespeare Festival. Ron Elwell in the title role delivered the trademark speeches ("Once more into the breach..." and "We few, we happy few...") stirringly, Laura Kaplan was enchanting as Katherine of France despite speaking only a few words of English, and Stephen Wood as the Chorus and Exeter spoke with authority and clarity. I put together a photo album (pictures by Kristin Autry) at lbshakespeare.com/gallery. It plays one more weekend at the Long Beach Aquarium. Call 562-997-1494 for more info.

Back for Seconds

After weeks of internalizing and projecting someone else's words and ideas, it was both challenging and refreshing to be asked to write my own lines on the fly again. This week I returned to Second City LA, now a student in the conservatory program. Out of the 13 Immersion Workshop students with whom I auditioned, three are in the class with me. I had naively expected just to pick up where I left off six weeks ago, but now in place of all that existing trust and camaraderie I have new classmates and a new teacher, and it's been a while since I stretched those improv muscles. I think I laid an egg in the chicken sketch (ouch). But a few things seemed to click, and I'm confident by the end of session I'll have picked up a few new skills and hopefully some new friends as well.

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

One more three-nights-one-matinee weekend behind us. Today I projected less wrath, more compassion. Evan (young Pan) complimented me on the choice. I had to smile at getting praised for my Jesus by a sincere young man wearing horns and goat legs. You just can't judge by appearances. Afterward I went out with another actor and ended up at the marina listening to an impromptu drum solo. When I got up this morning I had no idea I'd find myself outdoors at the water's edge on a beautiful summer night, intoxicated with the rhythms of a topless beauty at one with her djembe. What would Pan do?

Shameless Exhibitionism

Over at MySpace I've posted some snaps from projects in which I've appeared this year. If you're not registered (free) you won't be able to view the index, but you can still flip through the pix using the "previous" and "next" links at the bottom of the page. Seeing all these pictures together, it occurs to me that I may be a bit odd. Posting them for the world to see confirms it.

Praise for Pan

Finally, our first review! An excerpt: "An invigorating trip back in time, Andrew Marshall’s Pan at the Long Beach Shakespeare Co.—which Marshall also directed—finds the once-mighty, still-proud, soon-to-be-dead Olympian god sequestered with two nymphs in an Oregon cabin.... He’s been supplanted in the realm of spirituality by Jesus Christ (Keith Bush) and in the realm of materialism by Diamond Jim Brady (Dylan Seal), both of whom are pleased to remind him of his irrelevance.... At times rapturous, at times demonic, always compelling, the play brims with energetic dialogue, pathos and visuals that rivet us to our seats.... Seal’s Brady—pompous, portly, pretentious and smug—and Bush’s Jesus—holier-than thou, dogmatically intransigent—show what we’ve done to Pan: we’ve broken him up into components, half Dionysus, half Apollo.... Daring and fresh, it’s enacted with a passion that reminds us that while it may not be nice to mess with Father Nature, it certainly makes for good theater." — James Scarborough, OC Weekly.

Playing G_d

Despite rumors of his death, great Pan is alive and unwell, holed up in Oregon with only his memories, delusions and two aging nymphs for company as he rails against a changing world that once belonged to him. That's the premise of Pan, making its world premiere under the auspices of the Long Beach Shakespeare Co. I play Jesus, who confronts the aging goat-god in a series of highly charged visions. In an odd bit of double-casting, I also have a couple of walk-ons as a follower of Pan. Hopefully this won't be as confusing to the audience as it was to me. I think I've got it all sorted out now. I just got back from our first dress rehearsal, tired but excited. This should be an entertaining and provocative piece of theater. More info: 562-997-1494.

In the Pits

Life isn't all parties and applause (not yet, anyway). I was coding HTML and resizing photos into the wee hours of the morning for Pit Racer, for which I freelance regularly. My title is "Web editor"; my actual duties include editing copy for each print issue and consulting with the publisher on various aspects of the magazine as well as maintaining the Web site. It's a lot of work, but it's steady income — steadier than acting, anyway. And while large men on tiny bikes may not be art, they can be entertaining. Visit the site and see what I mean.

Skyrockets over L.A.

I just got home from a Fourth of July party at the home of the beautiful and multi-talented Heather Marie Marsden. The guest list was full of industry people, but I was well-behaved and only handed out two business cards all night — and those were to the same person. Well, he was with a company that publishes magazines and produces films, so how could I resist giving him a card for each of my vocations? Mostly, though, I just caught up with some friends, enjoyed terrific views of local fireworks, met some fascinating new people, and got my spine aligned by a motion-picture stuntman. Now compared to that, improv isn't scary at all, but I did leave feeling a little more upright. How many people can say that about a Hollywood party?

2006 Is Coming! Give Me Money

Yes, the 2006 Day-At-A-Glance DOG FANCY Calendar is on its way, with hundreds of pictures of precious pups and dogs to die for, each accompanied by a fascinating fact or helpful hint, written by me (but without so much alliteration). That's right, you'll get a message from me on every page. What a bargain at $12.99! Unfortunately, I get no royalties, but if you purchase a copy through one of the links on this page, I will (in theory) get a small commission. Buy it any other way and I get bupkus, thank you very much. If you want to give me money without getting a calendar, click on the donation button near the bottom of the right-hand column. I don't know why you would, but I don't know why people do a lot of things.

Good Folk, Bubbles and Smoke

I spent a few hours with some former classmates at a hookah bar last night. (Don't smoke! It's a filthy habit. But if you do, the mango-flavored tobacco is particularly yummy.) I met this lovely and talented group of people through the UCLA Extension acting program. We had some great times hanging out after class, but I hadn't seen them in months when it hit me that they might be drifting away. So I made a beeline for Westwood to make sure I got at least one more look at them. I'm glad I did, especially after learning that two are leaving L.A. soon. Oh, it's not like they're going to another planet and never coming back, but it will make seeing each other less likely for a while. There are lots of things I love about acting, but the people I've met probably top the list. As a journalist I've interviewed and written about some famous and fascinating subjects, but there are so many other gifted people out there to be appreciated. Working with them in this way creates connections on levels that are difficult to reach in other aspects of life.

Simon Says, "Look Away!"

Tonight I reunited with some of my improv pals (see previous post) at an audition. It was great reconnecting with them and experiencing some of that old magic that we last felt, oh, six long days ago. In the audition, my scene partner intentionally made me his lover and I accidentally made him a kangaroo. Things like that happen when you improvise, I guess. Actually, when I think about how some of my real-life relationships have ended, that's not so bad. From there the night just got weirder, as I rushed to Universal Studios and had the otherworldly experience of sitting in a dark theater, surrounded by strangers, watching myself take a shower on the big screen. Well, that's show business. I played a character named Simon in a short film called The Sensualist. He's a quirky cultist who handles the bulk of the film's exposition, helps set the mood and facilitates the final, brutal confrontation between protagonist and antagonist. The shower segment is mercifully brief and contains only what we in the biz call implied nudity; basically just my head and shoulders are exposed. Still, I squirmed and wanted to shout, "I'm wearing shorts!" For the bulk of my screen time I'm fully dressed, and I get to deliver some juicy chunks of dialog and take some interesting emotional turns. I did get some nice comments afterward -- on my acting, not my milky white skin. Thanks to director Angelica Rodriguez and writer Gabriel Fregoso for making me part of this stylish and intriguing project. After the screening, there was free food. Actors love free food.

A Week Without a Script

I'm still buzzing from a wild week in the world of improvisational acting. Here's the main thing I learned from the Immersion Workshop at The Second City Los Angeles Training Center: Improv is hard. But it's exhilarating too. I also learned to be more deeply aware of my partners, accept their offerings, try to give more back, and let things move forward organically in a framework of trust and mutual support. If that sounds more like a relationship seminar than an improvisation workshop, I guess that's the point. The Second City teaches "connecting emotionally" more than "making up stuff." The one-week course comprises five consecutive days of six-hour classes (including breaks) culminating in a performance before invited guests and paying audience members. To tell the truth, I took it mainly to have something else to put on my acting resume and to help with auditions, but if I'm not careful I could become addicted. I even went to an improv jam last night for another fix. I don't know whether to blame the sheer thrill of performance or the infectious enthusiasm of the faculty: Amazing Amy Seeley, Musical Michael Pollock, and most especially Rockin' David Razowsky. I already miss them and my fun-loving improv-class buddies. I hope we meet again soon.

The Course