Many new things and "A Grimm Reality"

Well,

I'm not a very good blogger.

Sorry bout that. You're probably all gone now.

Maybe that's for the best.

I was starting to feel pressure about doing this for people to read. Like this needed to be a really good blog.

But I've missed doing this and I think it does me good.

So maybe now I'll keep doing this but for me.

No offense, if anyone else is still listening.

So what has happened in the the last 3 months?

Well I have a respectable day job.

2 in fact.

One of them is teaching Meisner at NYFA. I love it. Love it, love it, love it.

It's great in many many ways, but not the least of which is that I get to teach MEISNER. Not just acting or scene study, but strict regimented Meisner.

It's been rejuvenating. Teaching others the principles and beliefs that shaped me as an artist has helped me reconnect to them again in a deeper way.

It's fantastic. And I love my students. Being around people who are truly just concerned with the art of acting is a wonderful change of pace from trying to get money or a job.


A Grimm Reality is a reality now.

Bryant Park gave us final approval, finally.

July 24, 31, August 7, and 14.

Right now we've had a few meetings with an ever expanding group of people. Actors, writers, designers, and others.

It's a big beautiful mess right now, but I think it's going to be something truly truly special. Something created by a group, and experienced in an immersive environment. And free. Couldn't fit the principles I laid out much better than that. Thanks to, well, everyone for their support and helping things fall in place for this.

Theatre 4the People is also a reality now. We've applied for fiscal sponsorship with Fractured Atlas, should be approved soon.

We also had our first "prequel" kind of performance. Robert Lyons offered us a week at the OHIO and we threw together a festival of short plays in a couple of weeks. SHORT LOVE at the OHIO was a success and yours truly was onstage in a real live show for the first time in 6 years.

Felt good. Couldn't have done it without Adam Belvo carrying me through most of it. And Justin Swain's fantastic NEW CAR PLAY...it was a really great experience. To get to act with such a great actor and good friend, and to speak such wonderful words--and I got work again with Jake Witlen, who is a damn fine director. The kind of director who lets you be the best actor you can be. Swain, Witlen, and Belvo, I can never repay you guys enough.

Bekah Brunstetter gave us a short play and bunch of monologues--we made the evening a little bit interactive with some pieces happening in the audience--and it just me made hungry to do more. I got to work with a lovely actress, Julia Davis who is a very sincere and very very brave actress...my friend Kara Ayn got to direct her boyfriend Edward (my Lee from TRUE WEST last year) in Bekah's short play. And they were all awesome.

Erin McCarson reprised her role in DRAMA PLAY or as it's often called the "God Bless Harry Potter" monologue. Which is so amazingly fantastic that everyone who sees her do it, immediately becomes enamored with both Erin and Bekah. For good reason, it's the best monologue I've ever seen. There's been some discussion of Bekah writing a whole show for Erin as that character. I love the idea, but I'm also terrified of messing with something so damn good. I think it might be too tempting not to see if we can't do it. It's worth a try.

I'm still heartbroken about the OHIO, but I thank God for the opportunity to perform in that hallowed space one last time. It was magical. We had a great group of people and plays and everything was really fun and inspiring.

Dan Kitrosser made a splash with a new song by a character he created for Desiree Birch's bday party a while back: BIG GAY STORYTELLING FROG is everyone's new favorite character. Dan and I will have to create a whole show for him. The people demand it.

To think that was Dan's companion contribution to his poetic and affecting play ON THE WAY TO MY ABORTION which despite the jolting title was a lovely, touching piece of nonpolitical of theatre. I'm glad you're on my side Dan, cause you're a formidable talent. Not many people can write nonpolitical abortion plays. Even fewer can write good ones. And I doubt anyone else has the juice to bring BIG GAY STORYTELLING FROG to life. I just don't see how.

Also, my good friend Roberta Colindrez (hope that's spelled right, 'Bert) got to do a piece written just for her by Bekah. And she was great. That was her first performance in NYC, I think, and she got to do it at the OHIO and with Bekah's words. I was incredibly proud. ('Bert also just became a Neo-Futurist, so again I am proud and feeling damn lucky to have such talented friends!)

Anyway, it was a great time and raised a little cash for THEATRE 4the People.

I also got to work on Donnetta Gray's play THE NEW NORMAL with Coyote Rep. I don't know yet if I'm directing the fall production of it. I think her old professor is supposed to, but maybe not. Anyway, it was great to work on, and I think Donnetta is becoming a pretty good playwright. (She's on a new show called Rubicon-I think that's the title-so she's pretty much kicking ass) Whatever happens, I think the play is going to be great and I'm glad to be a part of it in whatever way I can. Got to work with an old friend, Michael Mason, as a director on that and it felt like coming home again to work with such a talented guy I've known for over a decade. Need to do that again soon Mikey.

So yeah. Busy. Good. Friends kicking ass. Good things all around.

Now it's time to buckle down and start getting Grimm Reality built.

I'll write again soon.

Maybe I can keep up a weekly thing. Like every Saturday or something.

We'll see. Right now, I don't really know what I'm doing. Everything seems suddenly fast and furious, like a roller coaster or a car joy ride spinning just out of control. Like I should be scared, but instead I am having a fine, fine time doing what I'm doing.

Guess we'll see how it all plays out.

"Alan: I mean just imagine it, see the car wrapped around it, the sap pouring out slowly, the smell of the inside of the tree, like the forest, the real forest, like wilderness...and and no more this beautiful clean new car smell. No more of this fakey fake processed pine tree, and fake fakey life. No more. We will have blood dripping from our mouths. We will taste death. We will walk with the Whales. We will ride the High End Rooster.

Adam: What!?

Alan: I'm reaching for something, c'mon let's do it."

Excerpt from New Car Play by Justin Swain