passing gas

because it excites me, here are the notes from the first production meeting for A/other Lover being presented by LiveWire Chicago Theatre at the Side Project Theatre February 8 - 18, 2007.

-

Production Meeting #1
September 25, 2006
6:30 p.m.

Joshua Weinstein – Writer/Director
Rebekah Johnson – Stage Manager/Assistant Director
David Stoughton – Lighting Designer
Aleks Zarnitsyn – Sound Designer
Erin Barlow – Costumes/Cherry

Josh will take care of the Set design
David will assist him on Set and Props

Set:
4 Acting Spaces for the 4 characters
Joe & Gina – Married/Bedroom – Neat/Tidy space
Ian & Cherry – Cherry is shacked up with Ian/Ian’s Condo – Cluttered scripts and junk everywhere

Gina – Writing desk/boudoir
Joe – Bed/T.V.

--Space is shifted--

Ian – Shelf unit/wall full of books
Cherry – Desk/Phone

-Camera Crew – Possibility
-Two High Rise apartments
-Windows with lights coming thru
-City at night
-High up in the high rise
-Faint city noises
-Naturalistic
-Roman Numerals/Split up
-Isolation of characters within light

Costumes:
Joe – Blue Collar
Ian – Writer but not emphasized
Gina: Simple, but feminine
“You can see her boob.” ~ Joshua
Cherry: Layers – Attitude/Feel

Neutrals/gray

Costume Chages: small assesory changes
(i.e. Cherry Robe/Jacket)

“Search for truth”
Truth- Society

First Read-Thru:
October 16 – 8:30 pm – Joshua’s Apartment

David back in town after tour – December 27 or 28

January 3 – First Rehearsal
February 5 – Load-in
February 8-18 – Run/Performances

Production Meeting #2 – Right after First Read on October 16.
Production Meeting #3 – After rehearsals start

Rehearsals are anticipated to be 4 days a week

LiveWire Fundraiser at 7pm –T’s in Andersonville (10.04.06)
-Raffle
-Pool Tournament
-All kinds of Fun!

fortunes from cookies (with numbers) saved from the past year and a half

in no particular order...

- You will enjoy doing something different this coming weekend. (8 13 23 30 33 38)
+ i can't remember which weekend this was talking about, but this past weekend I actually went grocery shopping, so that's different!

- You have a charming way with words. Write a letter this week. (3 7 14 23 35 46)
+ does e-mail count? what about blogging?

- Beauty surrounds you because you create it. (6 12 18 37 42. 17)
+ duh!

- You will spend old age in comfort and material wealth. (10 14 25 29 32 37)
+ looking forward to this one.

- Your new love is already very near you. (2 14 23 36 38. 16)
+ how near is very? if you said very very I'd see your point.

- You tend to think things out thoroughly and seriously. (8 12 27 39 41. 19)
+ the bane of my existence.

- People willingly believe what they wish. (5 18 27 39 41. 20)
+ ...but they don't believe a word you say.

- Take full responsibility for your indulgences. (8 11 15 38 41. 19)
+ done and done.

- If there is no struggle there is no progress. (3 14 22 32 40. 25)
+ preach on!

- You will attend an unusual party and meet someone important. (11 29 35 39 45 46)
+ fuck you!

- You have a strong desire for personal freedom. (3 12 26 38 40. 20)
+ get off my back!

- Take that chance you've been considering. (9 15 17 37 40. 23)
+ consider this!

- The good will you show towards others will return to you. (5 12 23 37 43. 18)
+ shit!

- The future seems far away right now-so focus on the present. (8 17 24 39 46. 24)
+ i think I need glasses.

- People will find it difficult to resist your propositions. (6 11 15 38 41. 24)
+ excellent.

- You know your own mind, and you look at life from a broad standpoint. (9 15 19 36 43. 18)
+ whatever you say...the rice better not be fried.

- Your leadership talents will bring you an incredible opportunity. (2 13 27 39 43. 12)
+ just one?

- Someone you recently met will play an important role in your life. (7 13 33 38 40. 26)
+ geebus?

- You will soon be reunited with an old friend. (7 9 11 17 27 32)
+ not if I can help it.

- You will have an exciting addition to your life by being the warm to others. (9 14 18 36 32. 15)
+ what the fuck is that supposed to mean? is it a misprint? should it be worm?

- You enjoy using your imagination. (8 19 23 38 42. 25)
+ point taken.

One Angry Hippie

He was one angry hippie. Peaceful and calm as can be
with undeniable rage and pain inside. Like the Incredible Hulk.
Manic and depressive.

It all started at the tender age of sixteen. Was it the hormones
or the serotonin? Like a shovel to the face.
It came out of nowhere.

The only thing he blessed, was peace. It said so in his name.
Romantic, yet, shy. Angry and sly.

Lately, he has been enjoying walks in the fall rain.
Also, climbing and not falling. Pulling and hanging.

Dangling. By the toes.
Orange skies and blue nights.
Children. Laughing and playing
and crying and sleeping.
Begging for more.

He has no more to give.
Not until tomorrow.

-Benjamin D. Bain
September 23, 2006

these are some lyrics to a song; I wrote a scene surrounding them, but like them as they are...

The bird flies
closer
than the dead
wade
across the city

As we were
Like it was

They’ll take it
back;
Wasn’t all we
thought...
Should’ve settled.

As we were
Like it was

must read bloggers

I added three bloggers to my list of links to the right. they are must reads.

"This Place is Gonna Blow" has everything from cutting edge video/music clips to commentary on the bane of existence.

"The Chaff" is literary genius. Go back in history to find "The Zombie Diary", quite possibly the best Zombie story ever. ever.

"An Angry White Guy in Chicago" is non-stop commentary on what is wrong in society today unveiling what is truly right.

like Bob Marley says, "Get Up! Stand Up! Don't give up the fight!"

studio 60 on the sunset strip better not suck

i'm gonna start to blog without a title and see if something comes to be before the end.

we walked out of Conversations with Other Women and an elderly lady approached and asked what we thought. I gave her my take which confused her even more, but dollars to donuts she goes to see it again to see if I was right. I don't know if I was right, but everyone should go see this or read my play "The Bout". they are similar to a scary degree.

aside from the fact that "The Office" is hilarious both in its British and American version, I find it facinating that they sell paper. like the dodo, huh?

as I am still cableless, I watched the Bears/Lions game on Sunday with my eyes glued to the ticker. The Giants came back from a 24 to 7 deficite in the 4th Quarter to win the game in overtime 30 to 24 against the Eagles. with each ticker I moved closer and closer to the edge of my seat until finally I had to sit at my computer and watch the NFL.com page reload every 30 seconds (for some reason the ticker on abc was not so advanced and kept an inconsistent track of the game). who says watching numbers can't be fun? well it was, so back off!

I've been banned from picking bars to go to as last night J Patricks had an open mic night that could only be described as shitty. the two or three no-nothings who entertained nobody but themselves grated at our ears and tried our paitence until it was time to tab out and run for cover. the bottom line is that if you play for yourself in your apartment and nobody listens, chances are that when you go to the bar nobody will be listening either. i know your mom thinks you're great, but I had your mom and she is not that great and shouldn't be giving you advice on anything but how to slowly wither away and die. now, I know you may think this comes across as mean, but you weren't there. it was terrible. i never thought it would come to me saying this, but I would have rather sat through 4 weeks of Karayoke. i want those hours back. in fact, I want 12 hours back because that's what it felt like. dammit!

studio 60 on the sunset strip better not suck.

Peace!

important questions with possible answers

where in the world is carmen sandiego?

1. stuck in traffic coming over the bridge
2. in line at the DMV
3. held up by gunpoint in your neighborhood 7-Eleven
4. beneath the wreckage
5. on hold
6. alive with the sound of music
7. knockin' on heaven's door
8. in the kitchen with Dinah
9. on the late show with David Letterman
10. late, as usual

why when we sleep is it like we're dead?

have you ever heard of being "dead" tired? well, when we expend a large amount of energy, our bodies need time to rejuvenate themselves so we go into a deep state of rest. the thing is that when we are asleep, our body slows down to a point where it can "take a breather". when we are dead, our body shuts down to a point of no return. when we sleep it isn't like we are dead. peacefully resting rather than resting in peace.

what does an owl say?

quack

what does a duck say?

hoot

how do you eat fried worms?

1. on a whim
2. with a goat
3. in the nude
4. a la carte

why?

why not?

beacuse.

good. that's settled.

long time no post

i've been tied up literally in the basement of a 32 story skyscraper downtown Chicago. a very trying time finally saved by an off-beat cop who had a hunch there was something fishy going on. a female off-beat cop I know you thought the cop was male but she was female and I need to clarify that point. latino. we've gone dancing a few time. salsa. the tango. she cooks me enchiladas. con queso.

the folks at GroundUp Theatre are putting on Lanford Wilson's "Burn This". Check their website for more details (www.grounduptheatre.com).

saw bobrauschenberfamerica by Charles Mee; my second Mee production; Big Love being the first. he's painting a portrait of America. not many people believe in his America. this is a sad fact. go see some of his work. thank you Madeline for taking me there (and the Wine Festival). you are wild.

to tell you the truth I have just been living. i had mexican food some time back but was never saved by an off-beat latino female cop from the basement of a 32 story skyscraper downtown Chicago. i doubt you believed me anyway but I wanted to come clean.

LiveWire Chicago Theatre is gearing up for its production of Sartre's No Exit. Check our website for more details (www.livewirechicago.com).

I'm building a website for KAW Associates (www.kawassociates.com). Check out the featured article in Washington Spaces on the place my father remodeled. If you can get a copy of the magazine you'll see before and after pics. We'll have them up on the site soon.

the films are close to being finished. this is exciting.

a new script is almost complete as well. looking to shoot late next summer/early fall. in a year. can you stand it?

do some jumping jacks.