Simple Complexities


"Great improvisors are like priests. They are thinking only of their god."


Monday, December 29, 2003

I'm a Freak

I finally saw Return of the King. My favorite part was Gandalf discussing death with Pippen. For a second I wasn't afraid to die either.

I'm starting to see that acting for me is also a form a therapy. It is a great release to become someone else for a few hours. It's strange. I wonder how I made it this far in life without it.

Here's a stange thing that all of you mystics can think about and get back to me on: For almost five years I have had a recurring dream of sorts. Its not really a dream because it only lasts 2 seconds and it occurs just before I fall asleep most every night. I am at a baseball game batting. I see the pitcher and the ball from my perspective and I always make contact with the ball. Sometimes its a line drive, other times a home run. Always a hit. It ends there.

Anyway, for the last three nights the image has changed for the first time ever. I am a cowboy preparing to draw two guns form side holsters on my hip. I draw them and shoot at nothing in particular. It ends there.

I don't think that I have ever told anyone about these images. So I figured I'd share them with the world all at once.

posted by Joe | 10:54 AM



Tuesday, December 23, 2003

I'm Better, a Little Loopy, but Better

I'm feeling almost completely better. It was a very strange illness. I'm happy to be well though. The kids are excited about Christmas which is helping me get more excited.

I work at TnT's Christmas Eve, Christmas, NY Eve (my ninth anniversary), and NY Day. "Welcome to the real world, she said to me, condescendingly." (A little John Mayer tribute there.) I'm pretty sure that I misspelled a word in that last sentence, but I'm too tired to figure it out. I might have misspelled "misspelled". I don't think I did, but maybe it just has one "s"...well, now I have possibly misspelled it three...no four times. I should just move on...

Merey Christmus ta yu an yurs.


posted by Joe | 11:13 PM



Sunday, December 21, 2003

I'm cold...I'm sweating

No, I don't have menopause. I think I might have the flu. I've pretty much been in bed for the last three days except to do a video shoot and my show last night. Tonight is the Apex Christmas service...I'm heading that way now.

Peace.

posted by Joe | 2:12 PM



Monday, December 15, 2003

What's Going On

The Saga show has wrapped. I'm glad that we did it. But I am also very glad that it is over. Directing is more challanging than I expected, probably due to the fact that I had to step in and act as well. I'll talk more about the show later. I learned a lot.

Last night was the Tony n Tina's cast Christmas party. It was a little awkward at first since Debbie and I don't really know anyone at all yet. By the end I was really glad that we went. They definately are a family of sorts. I'm looking forward to the day when I feel completely comfortable with them.

Debbie's brother Dave and his fiance Sarah are in town. We will be hanging out this week.

Gregg hooked me up with a tech industry commercial that will be filming Thursday and Friday of this week. It should be some extra $ for the holidays which will be cool.

That's about all that's new in my world...

posted by Joe | 10:59 AM



Friday, December 12, 2003

A Christmas of Convenience

We've gotten some local press this week and a few people have stumbled upon my web log looking for information about the show.
It plays tonight, Saturday and Sunday afternoon. All of the information can be found at www.sagastorytellers.com. Or just call 702-396-8447 to reserve a seat.

Hope to see you there.

posted by Joe | 2:35 PM



Wednesday, December 10, 2003

We believe in one, holy, apostolic, catholic church.

For all of the grief that us independent, PROTESTant, "enlightened" indidualistic, "modern" (read: smarter) Christians love to heap upon our fathers...I think that got some pretty darn important ideas down with the Nicene Creed.

What if a few of us really started to believe in one, holy, apostolic, catholic church? What if we lived within the reality of that construct? Perhaps it wasn't the ideas of the fathers that got the church into trouble...perhaps it was the way they implemented their ideas. We can believe in one, holy, apostolic, catholic church without assuming the burden to MAKE it one or holy or apostolic of catholic. We can assume that God has been and still is building his church...and he builds us as ONE church. He sees one family in one Kingdom with his eyes. He builds us as HOLY-set apart and unique-foreign to the world-an outpost, embassy and foretaste of his eternal Kingdom. He builds us as APOSTOLIC. He makes us a people of the journey. He calls a mobile Kingdom of pilgrims...as he always has from Noah to Abraham to Israel to Moses to the Prophets to Jesus and his team...always wandering, always moving, always sent forth, sent ahead and sent toward. And he builds us into a CATHOLIC church. His blueprint calls for diversity without division...a universal, world-wide family.

I've gotten out of the business of building the church. I don't really miss it too much. I was doing a pretty bad job anyway. I see some of my friends still trying to build it. I feel bad for those who are seemingly succesful...I hope that their success will not blind them to the fact that God is really the one working. Sometimes I get restless or a little bored and want to go build me a church...but I've learned to close my eyes and ask to see what God sees. It makes me want to just trust him more. I'd like to spend a few years just walking around looking for the church that God is building. I'm more of a detective these days than anything else...looking for God in the corners of my world. I saw him working last weekend at the Saga show and yesterday at Grand China. I hope to see him in the underbelly of the Rio Casino tonight...but if not, I'll just wait for him there. He always shows up...his kingdom always comes.

"And when you pray, pray like this...Our Father...let your kingdom fully come here just like it is where you live."



posted by Joe | 2:23 PM



Monday, December 08, 2003

Ahh, Drugs.

I'm feeling mostly better. Just the nagging cough to contend with now. I have two whole nights off from performing...then five shows in a row. Two at TnT and three with Saga. So, needless to say, I'm glad to be on the road to recovery.

posted by Joe | 6:43 PM



Saturday, December 06, 2003

I miss my mommy

Yeah. I'm officially sick. I spent 3.5 hours at "Quick Care" to find out that I have a severe throat infection. They gave me three different perscriptions including some ROIDS. I should be freakin huge soon. What happened to the days when being sick was a ticket to miss school and watch TV all day?

Having a sore throat is extra stressful when you use your voice as part of your vocation. In my case, for both of my vocations. The second of six Saga shows wrapped tonight. I'm proud of the cast.



posted by Joe | 11:07 PM



Wednesday, December 03, 2003

"The show must go on."

It's a saying that didn't mean too much to me for most of my life. Now I understand. I'm getting sick but it doesn't matter. Tonight I had to pee for the last hour of the show-didn't matter. I still had to chug five "beers" (Bud Light bottles filled with water) and stay in the room. Friday night is opening night for A Christmas of Convenience. It might be a full house...it might be just my wife watching-doesn't matter.

The Show Must Go On.

posted by Joe | 10:25 PM



Monday, December 01, 2003

What a difference a year makes

This time last year I hadn't even considered acting as more than something I might want to "try someday." I guess I'm officially an actor now. This week holds 7 rehearsals and 4 performances with three different projects. Man, that happened fast.

posted by Joe | 10:08 PM

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