Simple Complexities"Great improvisors are like priests. They are thinking only of their god."
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Simple Complexities "Great improvisors are like priests. They are thinking only of their god." |
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Tuesday, September 30, 2003 Don't Worry OK. Feeling better today. Thanks to all of you who write me nice emails whenever I admit to being down. This was yesterday's reading from "The Celtic Daily Prayer": "Hurry is an unpleasant thing in itself, but also very unpleasant for whoever is around it. Some people came into my room an rushed in and rushed out and even when they were there they were not there-they were in the moment ahead or the moment behind. Some people who came in just for a moment were all there, completely in that moment. Live from day to day, just from day to day. If you do so, you worry less and live more richly. If you let yourself be absorbed competely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly in those moments. I do not think it is lack of time that keeps me from doing things, it is that I do not want enough to do them." -Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Bring Me a Unicorn posted by Joe | 9:17 AM Monday, September 29, 2003 Heavy I'm having a rather irrationally sad day. This too will pass. posted by Joe | 4:21 PM Sunday, September 28, 2003 Thank You Sir, May I Have Another? I have, for the most part, always been my own boss. When Apex was at The Ridge I was under Kevin, but he pretty much let me do whatever the heck I wanted. The Apex Elders are officially my bosses, but I'm one of them and they never really tell me what to do-just a whole lot of group processing. It seems like Saga's headed in a similar direction. Sometimes I fantasize about the simplicity of being told what to do. I really yearn for freedom and creative control. That's why my life has ended up so free and creative...but sometimes I miss being the crew buddy at the Chick-fil-A in the Florence Mall when Troy would tell me to clean the fryer...and I would just do it. Just some sleepy Sunday night thoughts for you. posted by Joe | 11:54 PM Saturday, September 27, 2003 Oh Yeah Gotta Improv Gig tonight at 8 in the southeast part of town. Click here for directions. posted by Joe | 12:49 PM Thursday, September 25, 2003 Interested? OPEN AUDITIONS: SAGA STORYTELLERS ASSOCIATION Needed: M/F improvisational actors to help create and perform an original Christmas program. The Show: “A Christmas of Convenience”, an original Saga production. The show is mixed media film and theater in which five strangers are robbed and locked in the storeroom of a convenience store on Christmas morning. The actors will join the director and producer in creating the script based upon the characters that are developed. The show will be staged five or six nights over the first two weeks of December, 2003. The principals will be paid a minimum of $150. They will also receive a writing credit. Rehearsals are key since a large part of the dialogue and action will be created through improvisation. Rehearsals will begin the week of October 20 and run twice weekly, perhaps more frequently as the show nears. Actors will also need to be available for shooting film throughout the month of November. Auditions: Wed. Oct. 8: 4pm-10pm Thu. Oct. 9: 10am-1pm, 7pm-10pm Mon. Oct 13: 7pm (callbacks if needed) Call 702-396-8447 to schedule. Auditions will be held at Apex (4874 W. Lone Mountain Road at Decatur) Headshot and Resume desired. Create a fully realized character inspired by one of the phrases listed below. You will be asked to improvise as this person (and possibly others). We are looking for characters that are both interesting and believable. A convenience store clerk A successful workaholic A suicidal depressive A religious zealot A sidewalk Santa An “out-of-towner” posted by Joe | 11:03 AM Wednesday, September 24, 2003 For Fun I took the test as if I were the book of Genesis:  My life is rated NC-17. What is your life rated? Everyone is doing it.  My life is rated R. What is your life rated? So...whatever that means. posted by Joe | 12:31 PM Tuesday, September 23, 2003 Life is Good Paymon's Mediterranean Cafe is my favorite restaurant in Las Vegas. I get to eat there twice this week. If it were not 25 miles from my house, I would be in debt from financing hummus and athens fries. posted by Joe | 11:55 AM Monday, September 22, 2003 The World is a Stage... Feeling a little behind the eight ball these days. We are moving the Saga "In the Beginning" show back a month or two to better prepare publicity for it. It's the first time that we have had to move something, so it feels a little frustrating, but it is definately the right decision. When I worked at the Ridge a friend of mine used to say "Fast, Cheap, Good. Pick Two." I've found it to be true with production. We could have done the show fast and cheap...but it might not have been very good. Auditions will be held in a few weeks for the Saga Christmas show as well. Looks like we are going to call it "A Christmas of Convenience." I'm directing and excited about it. I'm leaving now to have lunch with Dale and Sean to discuss it. My improv troupe performed Saturday night. We have another gig this Saturday at 8 pm. Click here for directions. posted by Joe | 11:50 AM Wednesday, September 17, 2003 Vulnerable I miss the Petersons...hopefully they will read this and come visit. posted by Joe | 8:06 PM Tuesday, September 16, 2003 See Joe Improv I have a few small improv gigs coming up if anyone is interested. This Saturday at 6pm Unlikely Probability will be back at the "intimate" venue: Art for the Heart Coffee Shop (Tenaya and Alexander). This show is free! Reserve a seat by emailing Rolan. We have another show the following Saturday. Here's the skinny on that one: Saturday Sept. 27th 8pm Katherine Gianaclis Park for the Arts 5690 Boulder Highway (Boulder Highway just south of Tropicana, corner of Boulder and English) Admission: $5 posted by Joe | 1:44 PM Why? Because he isn't who you think he is. Because he is radical, rebellious and revolutionary. Because he is wiser than Master Yoda, more powerful than Gandalf the Gray, and more beautiful than Nicole Kidman. Because he parties with mobsters, philosophizes with drunken sailors, and accepts generous financial considerations from known whores. Because he preaches without a church, pontificates without a theology degree, and pastors without a paycheck or a 401(k). Beacause he dances at weddings, cries at funerals, and goes mental at religious flea markets. Because he loves the unbearable, heals the unimportant and befriends the unclean. Because he is my friend, hero, master, big brother, and reason to get up in the morning. Because he's all I know. That's why I love him. posted by Joe | 11:35 AM Friday, September 12, 2003 Oopsie I have accidentally put together a very busy week. It concludes tomorrow with a day-long workshop with Central. I'm tired. I have much work undone. So I had better quit blogging and get it at. posted by Joe | 4:04 PM Tuesday, September 09, 2003 Etc. I did an audition with The Groundlings in LA to gain entrance into their training center. It wasn't for a job or anything, more for the right to give them money. But it was interesting to do my first Holllywood audition. I found out that I was accepted to study Improv with them and will probably begin in October. It will involve traveling there and back in the same day with my friend Noah. It feels like the next step toward the mystery I'm walking into. I had a mildly depressing day today. I just felt sad and sleepy. I freak myself out whenever I have a sad day because I don't want to become the Joe of years past who was constantly depressed. I feel like the alcoholic who has been sober for nine months and wakes up one morning really wanting a drink. I feel better now. I'm learning how to be a content person with some sad days instead of a sad person with some content days. This week is busy. A storytelling gig, leading a retreat, finishing the "In the Beginning" script, and an all-day staff meeting with Apex. Should be both exciting and exhausting. Peace to you. posted by Joe | 9:31 PM Monday, September 08, 2003 My Family is Home So now I'm complete again. posted by Joe | 10:14 PM Friday, September 05, 2003 Group Project!!! My wife is still in Indiana with her family. She gets back Monday. She seems to be doing very well overall, but today was a sad day for the family. Please click here to finish this statement: "I love Debbie because..." posted by Joe | 5:36 PM I Love Jesus I've had a few people quote scriptures at me lately to try to persuade me that I am too wordly. Maybe they are right. I've noticed that it is never Jesus they quote though. I feel very OK with Jesus these days. St. Paul might have a word or two with me...who knows? I'm still a little confused on some of his stuff. Just trying to be faithful. There is nothing harder. Being faithful to God is the most difficult process that I have ever entered into. It's surprising how many people are so sure that you are not being faithful by looking at your life from afar. It is ironic that the very things they see in you as unfaithfulness are the very results of some previously scary and difficult leap of faith. I'm not a normal Christian anymore. I piss off most normal Christians if I spend too much time with them...not because so much of what I say, but because of who I am. I have no desire to piss them off. I'm so done with the religious rebel persona. It just happens... And now some of my friends are experiencing it too. I wish I could take it away, but I can't. They will grow through it. Father, forgive them (and me)...we know not what we do. posted by Joe | 2:28 AM Thursday, September 04, 2003 We are all pilgrims Being friends with actors is hard. They move around a lot. My friend Adrian is leaving for Chicago friday. We had our farewell dinner tonight. Noah may move with him if he can get a job there. I'm excited for both of them. My friend Blaine moved to NYC to try to make it there a few months back. Now he may be moving to LA for ten weeks... I'm staying in Sin City for at least 4 or 5 more years. I feel grounded here. It's home. I'm a little jealous of my friends moving to exotic places, but I love my community here more than a man should be allowed to love anything. I was able to hang out with four new actor-friends tonight: Paul (who looks exactly like Jason Biggs from the American Pie movies), Griffin, Doug and Irene. We laughed a lot. I hope to get to know them before they move away too! posted by Joe | 1:26 AM Wednesday, September 03, 2003 Lonely in Las Vegas I miss my wife and kids. It always hits me at the end of the day. Whenever they are gone I make myself very busy doing the things that I wouldn't feel right doing if they were waiting on me to come home: hanging out with my single friends, reading a book at starbucks, seeing a movie, etc. Complete autonomy is quite attractive to me...but only for a few hours at a time. Then all at once I get lonely. So, sleep well tonight, honey. And night-night bubba-boos. Daddy loves you. posted by Joe | 12:12 AM Tuesday, September 02, 2003 Long Day Must get sleep...It's 2:45 in the a.m. and I came by the office to send some emails that had to go out tonight. Today was eventful. It started in Indiana...went east to Cincy to catch a flight to Vegas. Got home. Bought some new pants. Went to the hizouse. Took a shower and went to my impov show. It was hella fun. I wish I could have performed more. My class did really well. The advanced students were great-they gave us something to shoot for. Since then I've been hanging out with the whole Las Vegas Second City community. For the first time I started to see us become genuine friends. They are a gift to me. The time with Deb's family was good, but rather uneventful. I think that everyone was all "mourned out" when I got there. I was content to be quiet and think about Angie in my own way. I'm considering taking these five lifetime vows...a thought that bombarded me on the plane: 1. Fidelity-faithfulness to God, my wife and kids 2. Community-sharing all I am and all I have with my friends 3. Simplicity-removing the distraction of unimportant things 4. Honesty-valuing truth and never manipulating others 5. Prayer-being with God everyday We'll see what happens posted by Joe | 2:57 AM  
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