Second Chance at "Second Best"

The original cast of "The Second Best Sketch Comedy Show Ever!" (which I perform in and cowrote) is reuniting for a special command performance 8 p.m. Saturday at the Next Stage, 1523 N. La Brea, Second Floor, Hollywood, California. (323) 850-7827. This is your last opportunity to see it. We mean it this time. If you don't go, you'll regret it for the rest of your miserable little life. And I say that with love.

Second Best Slide Show Ever

"The Second Best Sketch Comedy Show Ever!" has played to capacity crowds and smashed box office records at the Second Stage. OK, that's not quite like playing to capacity crowds at the Pantages, but it's something. And it's even more remarkable considering my legions of faithful friends who haven't shown up in droves. Oh, well, there's always Mom, even if she was convinced I was making some kind of statement in the "Frat Mom" sketch, which I didn't even write or cast myself in. Anyway, for the rest of you who can't be bothered to show up, here are some slides from opening night, if clicking isn't too much trouble for you.

Character/Sketches

It's not a sure thing, but I may have a chance soon to direct a play of my choosing. It would probably be a classical piece (that is, pre-1923) so royalties wouldn't be an issue. Of course I'd want to put myself in a major role, but therein lies the rub. How can I be sure I haven't miscast myself before it's too late? Usually when I'm acting, I have the comforting thought that someone else thought I was appropriate for the part (and I try not to think about the dozen more-appropriate people who might have turned down the gig). But to rely on nothing but my own judgment and talent is an entirely different matter. Here are some characters I may be inappropriate for: Lear (too young), Cleopatra (too male), and Othello (too white). But I could use some help coming up with the perfect part. While you're puzzling over that, remember that I'll be appearing in "The Second Best Sketch Comedy Show Ever!" (co-written by me), Fridays at 8 p.m., Sept. 15 - Oct. 6, Second Stage at El Ranch Plaza, 431 N. Brookhurst, Suite 140, Anaheim, Calif. Admission $15 cash at the door.

Short Stuff

I'm still tall, it's the pictures that got short. I'm in Convicted for Life, screening September 10 at the Arclight as part of the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival. It'll just be you, me, the cameras, and those wonderful people out there in the dark.

Breaking News Extra: Our stage show now has a name: The Second Best Sketch Comedy Show Ever. (If it were the best, we'd have to charge more.)

Spontaneity: Plan on It

I'll be part of the "Improv Extravaganza" at the Second Stage, 531 N. Brookhurst, Anaheim, 8:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 18. Admission is $10 cash, or mention my name and get charged double.

Something Sketchy

I'm a cowriter and featured performer in an upcoming sketch comedy show. We don't have a title yet, but we do have outrageous characters and incredible situations that will have you laughing till you stop, so I encourage my reader (hi, Mom) to make reservations now (or just show up).

The Second Stage
El Rancho Plaza #140
531 N. Brookhurst
Anaheim, Calif.
(714) 502-2249

September 15, 22, and 29 and October 6 at 8 p.m., or whenever we get our heads together. Admission is a measly $15, cash at the door.

Who's the Boss?

I'm the boss. Well, I got to act like one, anyway. Over the weekend I worked on an independent short, playing the protagonist's disagreeable employer. I'd almost forgotten what it's like to tell other people what to do. Even though there was no chance of him actually doing it, there was something kind of satisfying about it. Maybe I should consider directing.

Back to Berubia

I'll be performing with the Berubian All-Stars of Improv again, this Friday at 8ish. A good time is guaranteed to be had by me. Tickets are normally $12, but mention my name and they'll let you in for $24.95.

Second Stage Theatre
El Rancho Plaza
431 N. Brookhurst, Suite 140
Anaheim, California
(714) 502-2249

I Put the 'Ear' in 'RehEarsal'

I gaze achingly, hungrily, longingly at her until my passion overwhelms me and I seize her, press my body against hers and plant a wet, passionate kiss on her... yep, her ear. Who knew she was going to move her head just then? Oh, well. One more week to get it right.

Living Beyond My Means

My beautiful, auburn-haired wife and I spent a few hours in Hancock Park today, looking at multimillion-dollar homes in which we might spend the rest of our lives together. In my dreams? No, in the short film I mentioned a couple of paragraphs down. If only life could be more like the movies (the ones where I don't get shot). Oh, well, it was a fun shoot working with cool people and I got to feel successful for a weekend, anyway, even if my character was a bit dorky. (Obviously the filmmakers decided it would be interesting to cast against type!)

New Flyer, New Date, New Time

Click the thumbnail to view the new, more-informative, less-scandalous art for Shakespeare's Italian Lovers. We have just scheduled a third performance. Because of the limited run and, uh, intimate nature of the space, reservations are strongly suggested.

June 23 (Friday) & 24 (Saturday) @ 8 p.m.
June 25 (Sunday) @ 3 p.m.
Actors Art Theatre, 6128 Wilshire Blvd. #110, LA 90048
323-969-4953

Hate, Eat, Love

Yesterday morning I auditioned for a part in an indie horror film, an unloving and unlovable misfit. I'm not sure who or what the killer is, but he'd be high on my list of suspects. Apparently I was good (bad?) enough to merit a call-back later the same day to read with some other actors. Then I had to rush from Huntington Beach to the Miracle Mile for a read-through. When I arrived I was in no state of mind for romantic comedy, but that was fine, because our Italian-American director started us off with a delicious Italian feast, wine included, that put us all in the mood to have a few laughs and pitch some woo. Looks like a good cast, and all the scenes are funny. That Shakespeare could write. You can quote me.

That's Amore!

I'm one of Shakespeare's Italian Lovers, but that's not me on the promotional material. Looks like I need to get in shape. And we might need a bigger flag.

8 p.m. June 23rd & June 24th (Friday & Saturday)
Actors Art Theatre
6128 Wilshire Blvd. #110, Los Angeles, CA 90048

323.969.4953

There Are Some Who Call Me... Tim?

I've been cast as Tim in a short film with the working title of Ben & Benny. Something tells me I won't be getting top billing on this one, but it should be fun.

Benediction

I had a couple of auditions this weekend, one of which involved Benedick and Beatrice confessing their love to each other. I have to admit there was a little wish-fulfillment involved there. In fact, my biggest concern with my performance was that I might have been smiling too much. But the director has scheduled me for a callback, so I guess I didn't stink up the stage too much.

Holy Smokes!

I appear as a cigarette-puffing messiah in Second Time's the Charm, part of the Spring 2006 Filmmakers Showcase at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center (pictured) in Long Beach, May 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets ($6 to $8) available at the box office.

Much Adieu

This weekend we gave the opening and closing performance of Much Ado About Nothing. How’s that for efficiency? It was the climax to a tragicomedy that began five months ago with my nearly killing myself to get to the audition, included several shocking twists, spawned a spin-off act, and ended with a lightly attended show that was twice disrupted by an angry downstairs neighbor hammering on a pipe. In between we had rehearsals in cold, rain, and gloom of night. If we had opened when and where we had planned it could have been a great success. This cast had the talent and drive to make wonderful things happen. But as we moved from one venue to another uncertain if and when the show would ever open, and the director become increasingly embroiled in permit struggles with the county government, I think we lost some of the spark. Add to that the difficulty of working in a space about a third of the size of the one the show was originally blocked and rehearsed in, and you end up with a show that just wasn’t all it should have been. The few people who did see the first and final official performance said they really enjoyed it, but I feel we actually gave our best performances weeks ago, around the time of our originally schedule opening, in our final rehearsals on the company's own stage. With time in the new space we probably could have recaptured the magic, but poor attendance did us in. That could be accounted for by the fact that the ticket price was too high, there was no street-level advertising, the promotional materials had the wrong phone number, there were no listings in the LA Weekly or LA Times, people we had personally invited were repeatedly uninvited…. well, none of it really matters now. Although it didn’t end at all the way I wanted it to, it was an amazing experience. I hope I’ll be seeing more of some of the cast, but in any case I feel fortunate to have worked with such a talented, warm, and dedicated group of people, even too briefly. Sixteen actors without a flake or prima donna in the bunch? What are the odds? And fun—oh, yeah, you bet we had some fun along the way. And I learned a lot about how to put on a show, and how not to put on a show, and acting, and Shakespeare, and life in general. So with dozens of rehearsals, one performance, several cast parties and some tearful goodbyes behind me, I look forward to the next adventure.

Big Audition/Improv de Mayo

1) Last night I saw “The Big Audition” at the Second Stage in Anaheim, which features a few actors I've worked with before. Funny stuff and highly interactive. It begins as soon as you enter the theatre and continues through intermission, with the cast mingling with the audience and staying in character the whole time. In the second act they dragged several audience members on stage to "audition" for roles. Of course everything was exaggerated for comic effect, yet it was painfully reminiscent of a few auditions I've participated in. The two-person monologue was a definite high/low point. It plays three more Thursdays. Check it out.

2) About two hours ago I found out I'm going to be doing some improv TONIGHT:
* Berubian All-Stars
* Second Stage Theatre
* 431 N. Brookhurst, Ste. 140
* Anaheim, Calif.
* Admission: US$10
Plaza Garibaldi across the street has delicioso Mexican food, live music, and a dance floor.

Back to the Bash

I just saw a report on the Bard's Birthday Bash from the talented guy who provided my theme music by means of a one-man electronic orchestra. OK, that wasn't his primary function, but this is my blog, after all. His blog is mostly about his experiences (well, duh), but it does give an overall impression of the event and includes this photo of my backside, which you should be able to see next to this post.

Pistol-Whipping and Other Fun

I had a good audition Friday. I mean, I don't know how it looked to the director, but it felt natural, and I was confident, energetic, and fully present, and for once I didn't stress out thinking about it afterward. I'd like to say that's because I've matured as an actor, but it's probably just because I was too busy stressing about my MC gig that night, hosting a 3 1/2-hour pseudo-Elizabethan variety show. It turned out to be a lot of fun, and I learned a few things that could come in handy the next time I'm asked to host a 3 1/2-hour pseudo-Elizabethan variety show. Saturday I worked on an independent film in which I got to be smug and condescending—at least until the pistol-whipping started. Today was another rehearsal for Much Ado—three weeks until the long-awaited opening!