" Peace on Earth, Can it be?..."

Hiya all! To any regular posters and ALL MS Divas, post any holiday greetings here! Give a shout out, tell us what you want for Xmas, what you're doing for Christmas, WHO you're doi...oh hell, you get the point! And feel free to leave Happy birthday wishes to my son Logan, who turns the big ONE of Dec 28th! (Strangely, I have aged roughly 15 years in the past 12 months...hmmm...) Even if (hell, especially if...) you've only lurked and never posted before, Go for it! Tis the season!!!
Joy and I are celebrating the holidaze in TN as always, and hope you are all well, happy, warm and surrounded by loved ones. For any in South MS or NOLA who might see this and are still reeling from Katrina's effects, God bless, and know that tonight and all through the season you are in our hearts, our minds and our prayers...the people of the gulf south are strong, resiliant, salt of the earth people and they WILL rise up again!
ALSO if you want to hear some groovy new music from some cool unsigned bands, check out www.skypiecesradio.blogspot.com Frequent poster Mike T is the Daddy of this site, and it's a good one...and if you listen, you might hear my Hank Hill in one of the episodes!
PEACE ON EARTH AND GOOD WILL TO ALL!

HOLIDAY DINNER

Hey Lex-town folk-
Joy and I would like to get a group of folks to go out for an early holiday dinner this Thursday at 6pm at EL TORO Mexican Resturant on Nicholasville Rd (Right next to Dennys)
If you think you can make it, let me know either by email (or phone if you happen to have my #) or leave a message here at the bolg by tomorrow evening.
Love to see you there!
...and keep those great holiday memories comin!

"So when spirits grow lighter,and hopes are shining brighter, then you know that Christmas time is here..."

A Merry Christmas season to all...hope everyone is having a grand old time buying presents without sending your family to the poorhouse, navigating the mall parking lots, desperately picking over a group of over-priced, crappy looking trees to find one that doesn't look like it'll catch fire in your living room...do I sound a little blue? Well, I am. I normally don't profess any emotional crap on this here blog, as that ain't it's purpose. But I gotta tell you, I'm feeling overworked, underappreciated and less than festive right now. I have more than my share of things to be thankful for, and I realize that, but sometimes the old workload just gets to be a bit much. But, no pity party here. I realize you all have your own workloads and burdens...I guess my reason for saying this is that I need a little Christmas, right this very minute! Sooo....hit me with your all time BEST yuletide season memory. It can be from when you were a kid, or from last year...
22 points for the reference (it';s one of my fav rock and roll x-mas songs- AND one loyal poster should recognize it from his childhood record collection!)

"The Christmas we get we deserve..."

Ho Ho Ho....it's that time of year again! My, how the time flies. This time last year my wife and I were anxiously awaiting Logan's arrival (Dec 28 was the day, FYI) and enjoying our last few weeks of "freedom" from parenthood. It's been a long, strange trip of a year, filled with the kinds of ups and downs only those who have experencied parenthood firsthand can relate to (sorry, Nephews, neices and cats are all wonderful, but the just don't count!If you think that's the same thing as parenting, you are delusional in the first degree!) but I gotta tell you: I wouldn't have it any other way. As crazed and tired as I've been over this year, that little guy has made me better in every respect. And I am SO looking forward to experiencing Christmas through the eyes of a child again...I'm truly blessed to have that oportunity!
Anyhoo...in the spirit of the holiday...nay the CHRISTMAS season (sorry, but that's what we celebrate here at DIVA CLONES- normally, I revel in my card carrying liberal-ness, but doggoneit I like saying Merry Christmas! Apologies to any ACLU's, Muslems, or Quanza celebrators amonst you...) ...what do you consider the top five Christmas movies of all time? New, old, serious and dramatic, cheesy, funny, cartoon or live action....go nuts! But a warning....anyone who rags ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE or A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS on this blog will get a nice seasonal Ass whuppin from yours truly! HO HO HO!!!!!!
13 points for the seasonal reference! it's one of my favorites... and yes, I know CHARLIE BROWN is not a movie...still and all....

"Over the River and through the woods..."

Well, we're here in TN visiting the family for Turkey day...came in a little early to be with my Mother in Law who's been a bit under the weather. I always like coming home for the holidays, in theory anyway. Many times it just turns in to one big cluster you know what, but there are those occasions where the stars line up and we all have a beautiful time...hoping this is one of those years.
Soooo....here's the topic, and it's a simp;le one. (Once again, in theory) What are YOU most thankful for? Think about it and get back to me.
BTW- no points for this song...Too easy...(Gimme a break- I don' t know any other thanksgiving songs!)

"...don't you know, that life is a bitch!"

BOY! Lots o' college-like theatre stuff in the past few weeks. Did the ACTF state festival in Greensboro, NC and followed that up this weekend with KTA fest in Hazard, KY (insert your Bo, Luke, Coy or Vance joke here...) where I ran the SETC screening auditions. Saw some really good auditons (and I must brag- 3 of my four students made the cut, including one student who had the 11th highest score out of the 125 in-state auditionees! ) and some not so good, but all around it was a smoothly run, well attended festival.
SOOO- here's your latest question- Are things like SETC and ACTF really valuable for college theatre students or is it all a big waste o time?? Discuss....
13 points for the reference...and I want the ALBUM TITLE too!
Also, as my home PC has died, I will only be able to respond occasionally for the next few weeks. But don't give up on us, baby...we'll be back at full strength in no time!

"Junior Johnson runnin' through the woods of Caroline..."

So I'm off this week for NCTA in Greensboro to "respond" to their ACTF state fest. Only four shows this year, but some sound pretty interesting. I'll give a report whence I return...IN THE MEANTIME- Here's a topic for you- TOP FIVE TELEVISION MOMENTS OF ALL TIME...this can be anything, music, TV show, pop culture moment, news headline/coverage, whatever...hit me with your best shots, peeps...
AND- 22 ponits for the reference, artist, album title, and year of release. FOR ALL YOU IN THE LEX AREA- Some good theatre goin on- Check out VINCENT IN BRIXTON at AGL, and opening this weekend , Neil Simon's RUMORS down at Asbury, directed by my good buddy Jeff Day. See ya later, folks! I'll check in in NC when I can...

"I don't EVER wanna hear that song again..."

BY REQUEST- today's topic-
TOP TEN WORST SONGS EVER!!!!Have fun...and good luck with the reference!It's actually a good song, or so my wife says....22 points are up for grabs...
btw- Any mention of the Boss in these lists will get you FOREVER BANNED from this blog!!!!! Show tunes are acceptable, however...

"I try to sleep, they're wide awake , they won't let me alone..."

Sleep Deprivation is a bitch!!!! I'm in show-mode this week at K-state, and have had had maybe five hours in the last three days...along with the NORMAL Sleep Dep. that comes with being a new parent...hence, I'm REALLY sleepy...but, ahead we must forge!
Sooo...here's an interesting queery I found in PASTE magazine...if you don't know PASTE, and you're a music fan, you should...it's the magazine the Rolling Stone OUGHTA be, and might be if the baby boomer-sellouts who run that mag had a shred of integrity left! Check out www.pastemagazine.com... I think that's the link. If not, just google it...I'm tired dammit!
Anyhoo, in a small section of the magazine , I noticed one of their writers made a list of TOP FIVE THINGS I'M SUPPOSED TO LIKE, BUT DON'T....
Think about that (don't EVERTHINK though- no need to analyze, just go with it!) and shoot me a response to that...it can be music,oriented, theatre, or whatever you like! Reader's choice...

28 points for the reference....BUT, I need album, year of release, artist, song title AND songwriter! (take that bee-yotches!)

MEET THE NEW BOSS

So according to my less than scientific calculations, here'e our TOP TEN ROCK AND ROLL ALBUMS OF ALL TIME (Counting votes, Honorable mentions, and my own wheel greasing...)
10- ALL THE BEST COWBOYS HAVE CHINESE EYES- Pete Townsend (SHOCKER!)
9- REVOLVER- Los Beatles
8- TEN- Pearl Jam
7- AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE- REM
6- PURPLE RAIN- His Royal Badness
5- BACK IN BLACK- AC/DC
4- THRILLER- His royal weirdness
3- JOSHUA TREE- U2
2- PHYSICAL GRAFFITI....
and the #1 album of all time....WHO'S NEXT by the WHO*

This method is niether scientific, nor accurate, as I've had a hard day, can't really add that well, adn have been drinking beer all night....
SIGNED...The management
WHAT ABOUT THE 5 GREATEST MUSICALS...maybe????

"And all we gotta do is hold up our end..."

Well, it's late...we need a new post and I REALLY enjoyed the levity of the last group of comments (never knew there were so many $6Million dollar man fans out there!) so I'm gonna toss out a similiar vine...
Name the FIVE GREATEST ROCK AND ROLL ALBUMS EVER!! (Broadway Cast albums, unless they were composed by Pete Townsend, and anything from NEW EDITION will not be counted...ROCK AND ROLL people!!!!)

Can ya guess the reference? It's from an album the darn well might make my list!

"Mary Mary, you're on my mind..."

So Mikey and I were just talking about one of our favorite new shows LOST (Man , that show has more layers than a wedding cake...) and it got me to thinking about a fun little topic of discussion:
List your FIVE favorite TV shows of all time... While TV has been a bit of a wasteland over the last 25 yeears or so, there have also been some GREAT moments, wonderful shows and intersting, deep characterizations....let me hear from ya!

8 pts for the reference...and it's a clue to one of my favs as well!

"Life can take the strongest man, make him feel so alone"

Ahoy hoy! Hope everyone is off to a flying start on the work week! Thanks to some good friends who chipped in to help a brother out (me!) I am feeling almost caught up! Let me explain...
A lot of talk has ben circulating on Bo's YAHOO board ( http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LexingtonTheatre/ )regarding how fractured the Lex Theatre scene is and how cliquish we all are, etc, etc...Well, I'm here to tell you that that ain't exactly so! This weekend, I really needed to get some work done on my set for PIECE OF MY HEART (running Oct 20-22 at KSU- SHAMELESS PLUG!) and I had very little (i.e. NO) funds to pay anyone to come help. That's when cast member, and Lex theatre queen, Ms Kim Dixon said "I'll call Russell...he'll come help" Well, that's cool, I thought, but Hell I've only even seen Russell about twice since Logan was born, why would he wanna give up a saturday to come help me out? Well, guess what? 9 am that morning , there were Kim and Russell, tools in hand, waiting to go, and within six hours, my entire set was about 85% complete...just goes to show you that maybe things ain';t as "cliqu-ey" as maybe some think...Russell and I have alwyas gotton on fine, we've had a good working relationship, but we ain't exactly best drinking buddies, and yet there he was helping me out for little more than lunch and a pat on the back. Why? Couse he believes in the idea that , as a Theatre community, it's what we SHOULD do! And he walks it like he talks it, which ain't always the case for everyone in this burg of ours...
I've been fortunate at KSU- I am, LITERALLY, a one man show at that school. I do it all...BUT without the help of alot of volunteers, some I've managed to eek a little money to, some not, I've managed to start a very healthy little program. Lord knows Mike Tuttle has come to my aid more times than 1, as has Lito, Big Country, Rick8 and StevenK, Sparky Carrera, Kristen Thompson, and Jeff Day, just to name a few...I still have a shit - load of work to wade through on an hourly basis, BUT MAN, have those folks made life easier for me....I try to "pay it forward" whenever I can (not nearly as much as I should) and will continue to do so. Why? Cause it's what I SHOULD do...I'm a Lexington Theatre Artist...there, I said it! And I owe it to my art, my community, and my fellow artists to help any way I can. And you know what? It feels good to help...damn good...so here's a toast to Russell and Kim, and ALL the folks who have given a hand at Kstate...CHEERS!!!! And to those who say that Lex is all fractured and we only care about our little group?? Piss on that....
Thoughts? Comments? Bring em on...
8 points for the song...there's a hint in one of D$'s last posts...

"I myself have seen my wilder days..."

Well, things are tying to get back to normal. I'm back full time in the swing of things at work, and have started rehearsals for A PIECE OF MY HEART which goes up in late October. Logan is growing like a weed, and the missus is busy doing her thing in the world of healing arts... and onward we go. Joy , Logan and I spent a rousing Saturday browsing at the local mall, eating lunch at the food court (Chao Cajun...yummy!) and followed it up with a hearty late afternoon nap! And I LOVED it , cause it's the first day in weeks I've just been able to vege and do not much of anything...but MAN it's a far cry from what my Saturday's used to be like...it's strange: one day you're young and vital, partying your rear-end off and staying up all hours, the next day you wake up and BOOM- you're one of those real, bona-fide grown up types, with a job, family, BILLS, etc...granted I've been that guy for over 12 years now, but let me tell you - it's blown by awfully fast! For instance, Logan has his nine month check up next week, and it seems like we just had him two days ago! If time flies when you're having fun, I must be having a helluva lot of fun....cause time is like the FLASH in my world (Wally West, of course- there's one for you geeks!)
SOOOO- what I wanna know now is...as a theatre artist, has time made you MORE adventourous or less? Bolder or more cautious? What do you think?
ps- 10 points for the ref...I figured the game MUST go on, since it;'s soooo close and all...

"I myself have seen my wilder days..."

DIVA NEWS

Here is t is , Divas!

From Johnny Moore...................Please check out the trailer for my new movie Glorious Mail. Ritchie Montgomery plays Brother Oral Buchanan of The First Church of Divine Rightessnous. It's a scream. Please forward this to anyone you know that may be in the Oxford area this Saturday to come see it. The 3rd Annual Oxford Film Festival will host the World Premiere of GLORIOUS MAIL written by J.D. Evermore and Alice Walker and directed by J.D. Evermore this Saturday, Sept. 10th at 2:45 P.M. at the Gertrude C. Ford Center on campus at The University of Mississippi. The movie stars Ritchie Montgomery, Stuart Greer, Grey Sample, Turner Crumbley, Alice Walker, JD Evermore, Johnny McPhail, Patty Lewis, and Rebecca Jernigan. To view the trailer, go to: http://www.lifeofms.com/TRAILER.wmvFor more info: www.oxfordfilmfest.com---------------------------------------------------------------From Jason Armit................
Please pass on the below information to any of your studentsor friends about to graduate or to any alumni who are lookingfor an MFA degree in performance. Also, feel free to call meor e-mail me with any questions about either of these twoevents. The member MFA programs of SEGTA are committed tokeeping the fall audition as an annual event, possible addingdesign/tech auditions in the near future.I am happy to announce that the University of Georgia will beholding on-site auditions for our MFA Acting Program onSaturday, December 3, 2005 on the campus of UGA in Athens,Georgia. Please join us for a day of acting, voice andmovement workshops, interviews and tours of the facility andcampus. We also invite you as our guest at that evening'sperformance of NOISES OFF by Michael Frayn, a hilarious, rip-roaring farce. Please contact me at this e-mail address orthe below phone number to schedule an appointment forSaturday, December 3. The day will begin with a workshop at1:00 PM, followed by auditions and interviews. We are hopingto enroll 10-12 students in our newly revised MFA Actingprogram in the fall of 2006. Please visit our website foradditional information, www.drama.uga.edu. If a conflictexists for this December date, we can schedule an individualappointment as an alternative. For those unable to auditionthis fall, we will be holding an additional on-site auditionat UGA in the early part of the spring semester.Another exciting event scheduled for this fall is the firstannual Southeast Graduate Theatre Auditions (SEGTA)! OnNovember 12, at the Atlanta Civic Center in Atlanta, GA fiveMFA Acting programs will be holding combined auditions forstudents interested in their graduate programs. Please visitthe website (www.segta.net) for details and particulars onthe audition, application and procedures. Feel free tocontact me about either of these auditions. I look forward toseeing you in the fall.Best regards,RayRay PaolinoAssociate ProfessorHead of Performance; Director of TheatreDepartment of Theatre & Film StudiesUniversity of Georgia, Athens GA 30602Phone:706-542-2085Fax:706-542-2080-----------------------------------------------------------
THIS IS FROM LIZ MEYERS ADDINGTON. SENT SOMETIME DURING OR SHORTLY AFTER KATRINA..........Greetings from the addington family. We are outside of Houston with Kevin and Sarah harrison. We are alive and well. We road the storm out in our home in Louisiana. We boarded up. Our house is fine just tons of trees down and it was very hard to get out of there. The down power line in our driveway and the gas leak next door made us leave. My grandmother did die during the storm. She was sick and couldnt leave. She died while they were evacuating her. So needless to say i am happy to be alive. Hope all is well with all of you.P.S. Our clinic didn't withstand any damage just no electricity or water.God Bless.Liz Addington-----------------------------------------------------------------
David Hutson in New York City saw Charles Farris on the Weather Channel talking about the hurricane. Sunday evening about 9pm or so. -------------------------------------------------------------------lauraazul22@hotmail.com This is laura smith's email address. she wants to be added to the Diva List. i told her and eric holland what they have been missing and they want in-oh yeah.xojenn duran

"Let's get back to the cave...for a little while..."

USM DIVAS- Mr Mills has asked that you send any DIVA news my way for the time being till he gets things up and going at the cave again...any and all KATRINA reports would be greatly appreciated, particularly those of you in the burg...Hope all is well.

Our benefit is progressing nicely. Met with Rick and Jim Clark (Lexington Arts Commission) to begin some strategic planning, and things are already progressing nicely. Here's what we know thus far:

The event will take place October 11th at the DAC in Lexington (time TBA). Admission is $25 a person and donations will also be accepted in addition to this. We are planning either a pre or post (or perhaps BOTH) show reception with some Cajun fare, spirits, etc...the evenings entertainment will be provided by local actors/singers , some from specific productions, others solo or in duet...some of the confimations we have include the cast of CROWNS(AGL) , the cast of FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (WCTAA) the cast of RED HOT AND COLE (Sayre School), Jonathon Watson, Mike Fryman, Laura St. Peter, Shayne Brakefield, Michael Thompson, and yours truly...any local reading this who want to be involved leave a comment with a contact or email me at the address in the last post.
Even if you don't want to participate., PLEASE come out and support this worthy cause. The specific charity is still being worked out, but all proceeds WILL GO to Katrina victims...

...and just to get back to a LITTLE normalcy...EIGHTEEN POINTS for the winner of this weeks lyric...title AND performer, please!

Austin, TX

My sister in law Hope lives in Austin TX where some of the now homeless NOLA folks are arriving. She and her friend Eileen have been helping out at the evacuee center. This is part of Eileen's account of their past few days:

Hope and I have spent most of the last two days down at the Austin Convention Center helping out at one of the public computer banks and my hubby Sam joined us today. I feel like I've been there for weeks and wish that I could stay for as long as the evacuees are there. There have been so many emotions whirling through me since yesterday morning:

ANGER AT WHATS HAPPENING TO THESE LOVELY PEOPLE:These people are the statistics we've heard about: the 37% of the NO population that is living below the poverty line. These are people who had next to nothing, and the "next to" was washed away. Most of the evacuees at the Austin Convention Center are a prime example of who is being left behind as a result of the digital divide and they are the losing side of the widening gap between the lower and evershrinking middle classes. They are people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and older who have never used a computer, never heard of an e-mail address and approach a computer as if it were a tiger with its teeth bared. Unfortunately most of the resources available to the evacuees require online access and basic PC skills.
Frustration and anger with the system that left these people living in unspeakable conditions for WAY TOO LONG
I've talked to someone yesterday who saw a 12 year's throat being slit in front of him. I talked to people who were too afraid to go to sleep for all the days there were in the Superdome and NO Convention Center because they didn't know if they'd be killed in their sleep. I talked to people who spent six days waiting under a bridge for help with no water or food in the sweltering heat.
You can read more of their first hand account at http://www.appalachia-alumni-association.net/blog/.
This thing gets sadder by the minute for me. Reading some of these stories breaks my heart.... for those in lexington I CHALLENGE ALL OF YOU to get involved. We are discussing fundraiser ideas and after friday I'll have a clearer picture of whats going to happen. PLEASE get invloved with us and lend a hand. And do anything else you can: Give money, time, blood, old clotes, anything!
Also, for Lexington folk, do any of you know if any people have been aevacuated to the Central KY area? And if so where are they and do they need help? Also, who's taking clothing and supply donations?
Let me know.
For any South MS folk reading this, please continue to let us know if you are ok and if you need anything at all. We are here for you...and any other DIVAS with news or comments are welcome to chime in.

KATRINA BENEFIT

Greetings all. Actors Guild of Lexington in conjunction with the Lexington Arts Council is in the planning stages of a fund raising event to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf South. I have been asked to be the point person for this event, and I would like to enlist the aid of the ENTIRE Lexington Theatre and Arts communities. Rick, Jim Clark and I plan to meet next week to begin planning this event, and I need YOUR input AND support! If you have any ideas, please send them to my private email at woundedeagle8@yahoo.com. As I've mentioned before, the Gulf region is very close to my heart. I would love to make this an event to remember, and it would be great to see our wonderful, large community of artists come together for this very necessary cause. Let me hear from you!

And for all you DIVAS, please keep posting info on any of our brothers and sisters in the area!

"And the sky is red from off towards New Orleans"

It's a sad day for me. They say possibly as many as 80 dead in Harrison County alone. I used to live in Harrison County. I have friends there...former students and colleagues. They say that due to something called "Hurricane fatigue" many gulf coast residents didn't evacuate...too much of the "boy who cried wolf" syndrome. Unfortunately for many of them, this was the real deal. A cat 4 hurricane smacking you in the face is no small matter. It's devistation of the highest order. New Orleans, another city very close to my heart, and home to many a former DIVA, is underwater in places and a bit worse for wear, but it looks like they really dodged another one. Despite the damage, if that hurricane hadn't downshifted froma 5 to 4 and turned slightly eastward at the last minute, I don't think NOLA would be standing right now. SO despite everything, there is solace in knowing it could've been worse.
So for any and all DIVAS reading this, if you get word on any of our friends in that area, let the DIVAMASTER know, or leave a comment here. And for those of you in harms way, we're praying for you. Don't hesitate to let us know what we can do to help. For todays comments, feel free to just comment on the events of the past few days and pass along any updates you might hear. And if you wanna send along well wishes to DIVAS in the South Mississippi / NOLA area feel free.I'm sure DIVA master will send out a link to all residents once the power is up and running again.If any of you LEX area DIVAS can generate ideas about how we can help, post em!
BTW- the lyric is from Jimmy Buffet's BILOXI, a beautiful song about a beautiful place...here's the rest:
Down around Biloxi
Pretty girls are dancin' in the sea
They all look like sisters in the ocean
The boy will fill his pail with salty water
And the storms will blow from off towards New Orleans
Sun shines on Biloxi
Air is filled with vapors from the sea
Boy will dig a pool beside the ocean
He sees creatures from his dream underwater
And the sun will set from off towards New Orleans
Stars can see Biloxi
Stars can find their faces in the sea
We are walking down beside the ocean
We are splashing naked in the water
And the sky is red from off towards New Orleans
And the sky is red from off towards New Orleans
Down around Biloxi
Pretty girls are swimming in the sea
They all look like sisters in the ocean
The boy will fill his pail with salty water
And the storms will blow from off toward New Orleans

"Wake me up with laughter..."

HA! Name THAT tune, bee-yotches!!!

So, before Mikey runs outta shit to say (highly unlikely:) , lets hit this topic... what qualities do you look for in a good director? AND- in your estimation, what are the DEADLY SINS that many not-so-good directors commit? As usual, please leave names or show titles out, as we try to run a clean, fairly inoffensive blog here! Not looking for anyone to finger point...

TEN BIG POINTS for this weeks song!!!!! AND (as per Fletch's whin...uhhh..REQUEST) ...gimmie the album title and artist)

Rock me like a hurricane, people!

"Somewhere out on that horizon..."

John Denver! Poison! Sade!Spin Doctors! New Edition!!!!! RENT!!!! Oh, the HUMANITY....
Let's stay on this track..it's fun and mighty informative!!!
Howsa bout we discuss our guilty pleasure MOVIES???? EVERYBODY's got loads of those...
Discuss....
and the winner of THIS song title gets three points AND gets to take up to 3 points AWAY from whomever (just 1 person) they choose...MMMWWAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

"I raise a toast to all of us who are breakin our backs every day..."

Egad, this is a busy week!
As I am immersed in all things theatrical and university-like, lets talk about something else today! We all have guily pleasures hiding in our closet. From a musical perspective, what's yours? (You know, that album or song you're deathly afriad someone will find out you love! Or do you listen to Barry Manilow songs cranked full tilt in your hummer, whilst singing along at full volume? What? Tell me, dammit! I'm here to help!)
You show me yours, and I'll show you mine...ps - the mystery song in question is from one of my dirty little secrets... get it right and DOUBLE your score!!!! (unless you haven't scored yet, then you'll just get two points!)

"Cos people believe that they're gonna get away for the summer"

The game's gettin interesting!

Scores
Fletch- 12
Nat-7
Scott Mc- 3 and 1/2
Stevek- 3
Diva Master /Dustin/ Mikey/ Synge- 1

So anyhoo- this is my last weekend before my semester officially starts back, and I gotta tell ya: Gonna kinda miss having the time to spend with the boy (even though I'll still get to see him a great deal.) Joy and I have been lucky enough to work it out thus far where he is never without one of us. Ah, the joys of a flex schedule (brit pronunciation, Rick8). Life is about to shift into fifth gear real quick. Gonna have auditions for PIECE OF MY HEART in a few weeks, got an overload of classes, including one I'm teaching for the first time, and I may wind up being our area coordinator before the end of the semester,pending what my colleague does. SOOOO...lots on my plate. BUT, I kinda like it that way...makes me feel alive, and all...
For this next question, we'll leave the controversy behind and just axe you this:
What's the best/most inspiring performance you've ever seen? This can be Broadway or Little Theatre...whatever floats your barge.
Point values going up to give some of you 1 point scrubs a chance to catch up! (3 this time out...)

"Take a right at the light, keep going straight until night..."

So I went to have my eyes checked this afternoon (verdict? I still can't see worth a crap without my glasses, and I may need BI-focals in the next few years!!! Hoo-ray!) and lucky me, not only did I have to endure that god-awful blinding light test, BUT I got an eye DR TRAINEE to give it a go as well (she wasn't very good). I've spent most of the day in a weird, dialated haze...yeah, it sucks to get old! But, it's better than the alternative.

Anyhoo, some intersting confab on Bo's YAHOO board about Shakespeare for the past few weeks, including a mention of a new Patrick Stewart / Sir Ian McEllen version of Merchant set in Vegas, baby!!!! (The geek inside is wetting himself as we speak- Professor X and Magneto go NUTS on the strip!!!! "Verily I sayeth, what happenth in yon Vegas, dost stayeth therein!!!") Got me to thinking- people LOVE to monkey with Willie when it comes to setting/time/era...what's the best example of this? What's the worst? You can go with Theatre or Film...GO NUTS!
5 big points for the song reference...a chance for someone to catch up or run away with it!
I'll post scores next time- too lazy to do it tonight!

"Wasted days, and sleepless nights..."

Ok...so some think we were being a little too bitchy last round...but hell, it don't bother me none! VENT AWAY!!! Bring me you tired, you weary, your heavy laden with pissiness...I welcome it all! Actually, some good posts last time, and some fine food for thought, which after all, IS the point of all this... SOOOOOO....with that in mind, now let's hit the POSITIVES...what do you LOVE about the Theatre? Is it the rehearsal process? The performances? The adulation of an adoring crowd? The opportunity to hone one's table waiting skills? The outpouring of support and solidarity the Conservative right has shown for the Arts???? (Hey, a man can DREAM, can't he?) The opportunity to be lit on fire every night for 14 weeks (Boonies only, of course)? For the love of God, man, WHAT????
Hit me with your rythum sticks people...and as for the latest lyric...it's an oldie, but a goodie!!!! (and OH the Aqua Net THESE guys used!!! I think 90% of the Ozone hole opened up whenever they went on the road!) Got a heckuva battle going on..we'll tally up next week and check scores for the home stretch and the GRAND PRIZE!!!!

"The World is a vampire..."

For any interested Lex-ville's parties, there's also some cool chatter going on a a site Bo List put up though Yahoo. Check it out at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LexingtonTheatre/....
I've done so much shameless shilling for this blog there, that I just fugured I owed 'em one! Check it out...
All this bloging and chatting and swapping of virtual spit has got me to thinking alot about the craft lately, and about what I love about it and what I hate about it too! Being involved in University Theatre I also get to see the best and worst of the business from a different perspective from say, a professional actor or an artistic director or a TD somewhere...so I'm interested (and let's go to the negative first) What do you HATE about this business/craft? We'll accentuate the positive next round, but for now try to elaborate without naming any names (cause God knows I could!!!) or being overly harsh.Just what is it that sticks in your craw (and what IS a CRAW, exactly? I've never really known...) about this thing we call the DRAMA! (and there's one for me- people who call theatre DRAMA! GOD, doesn't that just irk the shit outta you?????)
Should be an easy call for all 90's rock fans this week!!!! I'm giving Synge a chance to catch up, cause I bet she knows this one too! AND, it's a little shout out from me to the Scoobies....

"3,500 miles away...what would you change if you could?"

Okay, so a record number of posts on that topic. So lets stay in the same vein. 1995 was a heckuva year for me as well, as it marked the year USM first took an ACTF show to the Kennedy Center - CATFISH MOON starring yours truly, Ben Craven (who's off getting laid somewhere as we speak) Canady Vance-Thomas (newly married!) and C. Glenn Matthews(who's probably never taken the time to come to our little site!) Our TD was frequent poster and BOONE vet Scott Mc. It was a hell of an experience. Weirdly enough (and many of you know this so bear with me) at the Region IV ACTF fest in Greensboro, NC that year was UK's version of LEND ME A TENOR (with Laurie Genet, and directed by Mike Freidman) and Christopher Newport U's THE FABLE (staring our own Rick St. Peter). When I came to work at BOONE for the first time in 96, Mike Freidman gave me endless shit about "keepin me from going to the Kennedy Center, you bastard!" and years later while having drinks at the Rosebud Laurie and I would also make the connection (with an almost unison "I KNEW I had seen you before!")... ditto with me and Rick at his welcome to Lex party at Russell and Mere's last year. Small friggin world, people... Anyhoo, that summer was intersting as well cause I did the Summer rep for the first time at USM (also w. Scott Mc, and the DIVA master, and too many others to mention...)
SOOO....what's your memories of the summer (or any other time, for that matter) of 1995? I daresay most of you were out of single digits by then...unless of course Dakota Fanning Googled herself recently and is lurking the boards... and also, if any of you were in said season of SAT or at siad ACTF fest, I'd love to hear your rememberances...
BTW- Fletch tied things up with the GOV'T CHEESE reference...so it's he and Nat neck and neck w. 6 big point, but we still have a ways to go to the BIG PRIZE!!!!! This one is definitely a 90's joint....

"Come on back to Bowling Green and marry me!"

Hey ya'll! Hope everyone's had a great weekend. Mine has been filled with all the joys that fatherhood can bring (playing with my kid, watching him grow and learn new things, worrying incessantly over money, etc...). Also been surprised to hear of a rash of weddings of late. Of course our buddy the Coach, who's honeymooning as we speak in FLA, but also congrats to Andrea Crowe- Purkey, and Canady Vance as well! A big ole diva smooch to all of you! For those of you in Lex-town, Joy Parks and her betrothed JD are fixing to tie the knot soon as well...gosh, must be something in the water! Also, good luck to Diva's Ben Craven and Jen Courtade-Duran on their moves to the big apple! Break lotsa legs and keep in touch.
Some interesting responses to the last philosophical type question, and PLEASE if you still want to weigh in on that, or any other issue, feel free. BUT, I'm gonna keep it light on this one. This,being the summer of 2005, is the 20th anniversary of something the fletch and I (and various other Peanut Gallery members) like to refer to as THE SUMMER OF LUST (for reasons I, and probably he, will expand on later- legalities notwithstanding!) Tell me- What is your best memory from the summer of 1985? It CAN be theatrical, if you so desire, but it can also be secular (lol)...Hit me with your best shot!
ps- as far as scores, Natalie has burned past Fletch with a 6 to 5 lead...allthough if Fletch can re-energize some of those lost 80's brain cells, he might be able to get this one...and some of you KY locals who remember the 80's music scene in these parts ALSO might have an edge (BIG hint)...

"Captain, I canna' change the laws of PHYSICS!"

Jimmy Doohan , Mr Scott to the TREK world, died today. Gonna miss him: I'm an avid TREKKER and Scotty was always one of my favorites. I especially loved the way he used to call Shatner out for being such a prick (even though I DO love Bill Shatner!) It was refreshing to see a guy NOT beat around the bush, in typical Hollywood fashion...
A few things about him...he was CANADIAN, believe it or not. Served with the Canadian military, and landed on Juno Beach during D-day, where he was machine gunned, and took SIX slugs (four in the leg, two in the chest- one that would've hit his heart were it not for, swear to God, a SILVER CIGARRETTE CASE!) When he got out of the service, he won a two-year scholarship to New York's famed Neighborhood Playhouse, where his fellow students included Leslie Nielsen, Tony Randall and Richard Boone, among others. Not bad company. He was a master of dialect, and we he got cast in TREK, went through about seven different accents before he decided to go with the obvious, and make Scotty and Scotsman... We'll miss you, Mr Scott. One to beam up....

btw- no one ever said BEAM ME UP SCOTTY on any of the trek shows or films. It's kinda like the "PLAY IT AGAIN SAM" thing w/ Bogey...
SO, keep hitting the last question. I want some more talk back on this one.

"The Road goes on forever..."

So I'm back from my trip down to sweet home Alabama (my GOD it was hot down there!) and our good friend the Coach is officially married. I had a great time, but it got me to thinking about some things. At one point , all the groomsmen and best men and ushers, etc, were in a tiny room giving the coach the business about how "horrible" marriage is and how he was "throwing away his freedom" etc, etc...then it got kinda mean-spirited with a couple guys telling the "my wife is so stupid" stories (btw coach- i'm not refering to your best men, as they were cool about this!) - you know the type. "Oh she's got BOOK sense, but no COMMON sense "(whatever the hell that means!) And I thought to myself "Well hell- my wife's pretty cool! I even (gasp!) still LOVE her!!!! You guys are pathetic, bald, fat bastards and should be happy a woman will even co-habitate with your sorry asses!" I didn't say that- but I should've! My wife is a beautiful, amazing woman and she deserves as much...and as I was driving home, staring out at the beautiful middle Tennessee landscapes, drinking in the clear, blue sky and listening to Robert Earl Keen on my cd player, it occured to me: Life is pretty damned swell and I don't often thank my lucky stars, or my maker, enough for that!
So enough with the testemony- here's the question folks: In Robert Cohen's THEATRE: A Brief version, he says that "ultimately, theatre is a celebration of life".
What's that mean to you? And don't be afraid to be specific...
BTW- for this song reference, I need artist, song title AND the next line of the sonG! AND it's worth FIVE BIG POINTS! and believe it or not, when I wrap up this contest next month there WILL be an actual prize! So get crackin!

"Ding, Dong the bells are gonna chime..."

Well, the storm has mostly passed, and all our gulf coast friends came out w/ nary a scratch, including the DIVA MASTER , who bravely rode out the storm at DIVA HQ with only a case of Boones Farm Strawberry Hill and a loaded 30 ought six to scare off any potential looters or mutant zombies that might have been awakened by the wrath of Mamma Nature. (course I hear there's lots of those types just roamin' freely in South Mississippi! lol)
Anyhoo, I'm headed back down south to my good friend and sometime blog troller the Coach's wedding. For any of you in the gulf area that might be interested, there will be a reception Sunday on the coast. Holler at me if you want details.
SO- as I take off for a few days, here's a good question for all of you to ponder-if you could have your own theatre what would it be like? Where would it be? What kind of season would you do? What shows? Would you do original work? Equity, non, or a mix? (If you happen to work as an AD of MD, feel free to talk about your dream situation...and if you HAVE your own , or like Dustin and Joy are in the midst of starting one, tell us what it'll be like) Let's really get some good chatter going on this one folks.
BTW- Point totals as follows
Anon in the boro (Fletch) FIVE big points (nailing that John Connely reference really pulled him out front)
Natalie-1
Dustin-1
Mikey-1
Diva Master- 1
Fletch is pulling away with it! This next one is easy, if you like musicals :)

"Thinkin about what I been missing in the city..."

Greetings all...well, I'm officially "on the back side of 30" , to quote an old county song...or the tail end of it, to be more precise. But, according to John Mellancamp, a man's not really worth a damn till he;s in his forties, and ole Johnny Cougar's NEVER wrong, is he?I'll say this...I wouldn't want to be any other age at any other time, cause right now is pretty good, from where I'm standin'...thanks to all who came to the b-day bash at el toro. NOW I remember why I stopped drinking Tequila!
AND , on a serious note, a shout out to any and all DIVAS in the Gulf Coast area. Baton down the hatches and God bless...I've been through one Hurricane (well, numberous, if you're counting the Pat O'brien types! lol) and I know how devistating they can be. Our thoughts and prayers are with the DIVAMASTER and all our South Mississippi folk...
So, for those of us on higher ground, here's a new topic to ponder...in your experience, what's the best town/city for theatre? and no, we won't count NYC or LA LA land as that would be too easy...and the points game is getting interesting, with Mike T. joining the fray by nailing the last lyric right out of the gate. This one is my little shout out to the folks on the gulf...

My Daddys Pre-Midlife Crisis Get together

Hello Friends of my Daddy....this is Logan. I am guest blogging for my daddy. Well actually it was my mommys idea....daddy doesnt know that she knows his password....but i guess now ive blown that. Anyway....
I know its short notice but my daddys birthday is tomorrow and me and mommy are trying to arrange a little get together to hopefully take the edge off of him turning 39. Mommy says that is an important milestone for big fellas for some reason...she said that next year i should not be surprised to see daddys gray hair start to disappear overnight as well as him drop a few pounds and possibly buy himself a motorcycle. She calls it a phase or crisis or something....anyway we would love it if you could come out and help celebrate what is sure to be the last sane birthday daddy ever has.

WHERE : El Toro Mexican restaurant on Nicholasville Road
WHEN: 6PM
RSVP: to mommy by email or phone 576-1745
BRING: anything that will make daddy feel better about turning 39....your bright shining face would mean the most!!!! I know daddy could sure use a few drinks.

Thanks...hope you can come....my daddy needs some fun!

Love- LOGAN DAVIS ......

P.S. My teeth really hurt.....this cold chew toy is NOT taking the edge off and mommy wont cave and buy me any anbisol....shes like that.......

"The Dogs on Main Street howl, cause they understand..."

Greetings fellow theatre folk! Joy, Logan and I are just back from a nice mini-vacation to the Motherland (Tennessee, if you haven't been reading along) and some nice fellowship with LOTS of family. We managed to spend a nice, quiet fourth here in Lex-ville watching the fireworks light up the sky. One thing I love about this town is that on the fourth there's not ONE good display , but dozens...you have but to look up in the sky in my neighborhood to see fireworks from all corners (and not the little cheap fizzly things they sell here- the REAL stuff). It was a nice evening.
So, all this shit blowing up got me to thinking about one of the great things about live theatre (or not so great, depending on your pov) - the fact that you NEVER KNOW what might happen onstage. On any given night, a glorius happy accident might occur and bring the show to a whole new level, OR something might go horribly awry and screw up the works completely. So I'm interested, Divas, what are your horror/ happy accident stage stories? Lets hear em!
As always, bonus points to the well-learned individual who gets my title reference (Hint* If you know my taste in music at all, this is an easy one...). Herre's the scores thus far:
Fletch in the boro- 2 pts
Natalie- 1 pt
Diva Master- 1 pt
What a life (aka Dustin) - 1 pt

Tennessee, Tennessee, there ain't no place I'd rather be...

GREETINGS FROM NASHVILLE !! (or 20 minutes to the southeast). Joy and I are smack-dab in the middle of our mini-vacation from the Bluegrass, and LOTS AND LOTS of family....My Mom and my brother Tony and his family all live nearby, Joy's Mom and Dad and younger brother live here, AND Joy's sister Hope is in with her hubby and 2 kids...and FRIDAY my other brother Jerry arrives...FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY!!!!Gotta love em...
Which brings up a great new Topic... How has your family reacted to your decision to devote your time/life to the theatre? Were they receptive? Helpful? Supportive? Did they ridicule you? Give you a dumb blank stare as if to say " Are you SICK OR SOMETHING???" Are there any particular members of the family who have supported/inspired you...did you have other family members in the craft?
YOU get the idea...so discuss!
AND as always- bonus points for the title reference...this one's kinda easy...btw-the reference scores are :
Anon 1 (from the boro) -2pt
Diva master- 1 pt
Natalie- 1 pt

SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS...

Well, BOWL O RAMA 05 is over and done with (The first ever without a BOONE presence...kinda sad.BUT , there were former Boonies in attendance, such as Shayne B., Chris R., Spencer C., Moi, etc...) and the Lex shakes fest comes away with the win, despite a valiant effort from the ACTORS GUILD team (I even bowled over 160 in one game- tremendous, for me!) Despite the appearance of at least one suspicious character who bowled over a 200 average, I suppose they won it fair and square! Mad props to Hank Layton for setting the whole deal up...we'll get em next year!!!!
So I'll be leaving from Nash-vegas in a few hours, but don't fear loyal readers. There WILL be a Tennessee posting and a BRAND SPANKING NEW question...
Now FOR ANY AND ALL USM DIVAS READING THIS- with the exception of Millsy, Scott Mc and Jen none of you guys are posting. I can surmise that either :
a) You're not coming to check the blog out despite numerous DIVA alerts
b) You're not opinionated enough to comment on anything (NOT LIKELY!!!)
c) You are starting to feel that the whole thing is too LEXINGTON-centric (not the case- we have posters from all over)
d) It's something personal (I certainly hope not!)
e) You , for some reason , feel hesitant to join in the commentary.
I'm gonna assume E is the answer, and just say this: We , especially ME, would love to hear from you. This was started as a forum for YOU GUYS, so we can keep in contact and share ideas and debate a little bit. This is pretty much my last plea to you, as I fear I'm starting to appear desperate, so for the love of God JUMP IN- THE WATERS FINE!!!!! For those of you coming and sharing on a regular basis- keep it up! WE love the chatter here at DIVA clones...so till the next time, PEACE OUT!
btw- points, as always, for the title reference. This ones a little more obscure...

Gimmie a bullet to bite on...

So we've only got two more shows left for ALL MY SONS at AGL here in Lex-ville. I must say, this production has been very close to my heart. It is the first show I've been a part of as a new father, and with all the Father/Son themes running through this piece, it has been a very emotional ride for me. But overall, it's been a blast. I've gotten the opportunity to work side by side with Adam Luckye, and I gotta tell you... it's been a privelige. Adam is one of the most giving, spot-on guys you'd ever want to work with. He's there 110% - night in and night out, and it's been inspiring to watch...the rest of the cast has also been a joy to work with, and I hope to get the opportunity to do it again with each and every one of you...any of you Central KY types who haven't seen this show yet...do yourselves a favor and get your butts to the theatre! It's well worth it...if I do say so myself! BTW- rumor has it that the Lex. Shakes BOWL O RAMA is scheduled for this Monday night @ 10:30 pm at Southland lanes... our AGL team is a bit thin right now, and we could use some more players, so gimmie a shout out if you're interested.
and now for what you've ALL been waiting for...
The next topic of discussion IS: What particular production that you've been involved with (acting / Directing/design/etc) has had the greatest emotional impact / effect on you?
AS ALWAYS - bonus points for whomsoever gets my title reference...Right now Mr Anon from the BORO is leading the game with 2 big points!

Give it to me, baby...

SO great postings all. Our last round really got the ball rolling. Thanks to all our posters, especially Rick8 and skohler...lemmee tell ya'll something about these boys...I work with em and it's one of the best working relationships I've had in over 25 years of doing this. They are, as Mr. Tuttle might say, HCMF's (i'll leave your creative minds to figure out what that means, but believe me, it's good!) These men are passionate and they know their shit, and I'm proud to call em my amigos.
So now - onto the next line of questioning...and maybe some more DIVAS will actually chime in (as this WAS created for you!) ...I'll even make it easy on you....
What, or whom, got you interested in theatre in the first place??
Bonus points, once again, for the title reference...bitch! (*hint)

NEXT POSITION PLEASE

SO how about this , Divas?
How do we increase our audience and attendance at our theatres WITHOUT completely selling out our artistic integrity?
ANY AND ALL takes will be accepted...just don't suck!

ps- bonus points for anyone who gets my title reference! (I'm talking to YOU D$!)

My two cents...

So thanks to all the techies for chiming in...intersting comments. And since none of the actoids took part, here's my two cents...
AEA membership is a necessary evil for some (particularly those in NYC or LA LA land) but for many of us out here on the finges (where, guess what??GOOD, quality theatre ACTUALLY HAPPENS!) it can be more of a hinderance than a help. Here in my neck of the woods, it is difficult to find equity work (difficult, but not impossible- for instance ATL hires LOTS of Equity actors...as long as they're from New York, cause OF COURSE NYC actors are the only ones who know their craft ;) AS a result, most of the actors in this region tend to shy away from union membership... why take it on when there's plenty of decent paying work in the local houses, childrens theatre, outdoor theatres,, and Shakes fests? We have also seen lots of our DIVA brethren (and SIStren?) do great regional work without shilling for the union label (Austin, TX and Raleigh, NC, anyone?), so it is possible to work and work steady without it...
AS an educator, however, I'm finding it more and more necessary to have union affiliation, as you can't get with in 100 yards of a job interview at a decent sized program without it (* see my rant from the previous thread for more on this!) Such is the nature of the education biz- like it or not!
SO there- any thoughts?
BTW- a new question will be posted this weekend...jump on it, people...I KNOW you guys are more opinionated than this! (lol)
later.
x

Oh yeah...

... and for all you tech cats, please chime in on any union affiliations on your end of things!!

WELCOME ALL DIVA-CLONES!

YO!!! Lets get some DIVA chatter going..here's the first ? -

Equity or non-equity? Which is the way to go and WHY????


Discuss, please.....