Malt Liquor? I Barely Know Her!

Malt liquor done me in.

Friday night was the Beatbox's 100th show. The audience was packed and the show was great, fun, and hilarious. Right after the show there was a toast with King Cobra malt liquor. I had half a small, plastic cup of malt liquor. That's all I had.

The next morning I was hung over from not properly hydrating myself once I got home. I went to Shock Corridor rehearsal that afternoon. I wasn't feeling too great but at least good enough to rehearse. Then I went home and laid down on the couch trying to will away my headache. My stomach was pretty gassy so I knew I couldn't risk taking an Advil because it would create way too much gas in my stomach and I'd have to throw up. I didn't want to throw up; at that time.

I got some coffee from across the street to help with my headache. I got halfway into the cup of coffee when I felt a change in my stomach. I knew there was a good chance that when I went to CSz for my 3 shows that night that I'd throw up on stage. I needed to throw up NOW! So I did. Ugh was it gross.

After a quick brushing of the teeth, I went over to CSz to do my shows. I was Mr. Voice twice and played on a team in the middle show. How I got through it I'm not quite sure. I also learned that spearmint is supposedly a calming agent for the stomach.

New Job

I got a new job. Before the NY Fringe Festival, my friend Zack informed me about an opening at the company that he works for. It was for a file clerk position. I sent my resume to him and asked if he'd kindly add it to the pile. Long story short, I got the job. I interviewed for it and then two days later I got the job offer. I'll be makeing more money for doing a job that almost like my current one and I won't have to be on the phones at all.

I gave my 2 weeks notice at work but won't start the new job until a week after that. So I get a week long vacation. Course it's a vacation with no pay, but I'll take it. I need a week to just chill out and get some needed ME time.

Farewell Lauren

Friend and fellow Felt puppeteer/cast member Lauren moved to New York City yesterday. Wednesday night, she had her packing already done and - instead of hanging out at an empty apartment while driving herself crazy by focusing on the huge life moment of loving away from the city that she grew up in - she decided to distract her mind by playing in Felt one last time. She's super talented and crazy hilarious. I think it's only a matter of time before her and her comedy partner in crime Candy are guest comics on VH1's Best Week Ever.

Good luck Lauren.

Chicago Seems Smaller

After work I walked through the Loop to go see my friend Thea's band, Let's Get Out of this Terrible Sandwich Shop. Having spent 7 nights in a hotel just west of Times Square, I couldn't help but feel like Chicago was this small hamlet of a city instead of the 3rd biggest city in America. The theater section of the Loop seemed like a sandbox compared to the Sahara that is Broadway in NYC. Chicago has taller skyscrapers but it seems like there's less tall buildings here. It was an old feeling. Chicago feels smaller. And I'm okay with that.

NYC Fringe Reviews for PennyBear

PennyBear got reviewed four times during the Fringe Festival. Two of them got us and the other two didn't. Here are the reviews of the ones that got us.

From curtainup.com:
Pennybear
Refreshingly inventive writing and stellar acting had me hoping Pennybear's next sketch wouldn't be their last. This cast of four and writer/director James Whittington get it right in this self-written work, and it kills. Minimal props and creative staging lend excellent focus to the hilarity at hand including truth or dare in the trunk of a car, a never-ending rollercoaster ride, father/daughter bonding over menstruation, heinous airport customer service, and the accidental demise of two suicide jumpers. With a background in Chicago improv, Marla Caceres, Padriac Connelly, Nancy Friedrich and Jon Forsythe seal the deal with emotional commitment and spot-on comic timing. Ensemble acting doesn't get much better than this. At Players Theatre. 55 minutes. [Winchester]

From nytheatre.com:
PennyBear
reviewed by Judith Jarosz
Aug 21, 2008

This Chicago-based troupe presents an hour of comedy sketches of varying lengths, and on a wide variety of subjects. Some of these subjects are more "risky" and others "safer," though almost all are very funny. This is due to some clever scenes written, directed and executed by five very talented artists who are as diverse as their material. The performers include a tall brunette, Marla Caceres; sturdy, bearded Padraic Connelly; the curvaceous, red-haired Nancy Friedrich; and lean, gangly Jon Forsythe, who all work very well together and seem to enjoy what they do as much as we enjoy watching them. (The fifth contributor is director James Whittington.)

As I said, the subject matter varies greatly and most of the sketches involve dark twists, like the one with two corporate co-workers chatting cheerily from their respective cubicles as we slowly learn that she has an emotionally sadistic boyfriend and he still lives with his control freak mom who is nutritionally stuck in the 1950s. Or the sweet lady at the airport ticket stand, who turns into a robotic Nazi. As is usually the case with sketch comedy, occasionally some of the scenes ramble or fall flat. And some, such as the scene with the father talking through the bathroom door to his teen daughter reading instructions on how to insert a tampon, walk a challenging fine line between funny and uncomfortable. But it is really a credit to the performers that most scenes remain funny even as they turn darker.

There is sketch where Forsythe's character gets stuck on a roller coaster that works wonderfully due to his great physical comedic ability. As he keeps whipping around the track getting more and more frantic while his helpless friend stands by, you feel bad for him, but can't help laughing. It reminds me a lot of Steve Martin's work. Another scene has unicorns at a party making out, and let's just say that their horns take on a whole new meaning, with creative use of props, especially for the "climax."

Although there is no real story line throughout the piece, it starts out with Connelly miming putting a needle on a phonograph album, resulting in a scratchy voice of a director who introduces each cast member and starts off the show. We also hear from this voice at the end of the piece, as a way to wrap it up. Director/writer James Whittington makes great use of the stage area and props, and I can only assume that the simple set and lighting, which are not credited, are a group effort. I enjoyed watching this troupe and would definitely check them out again, and bring friends!

NYC Fringe Festival

Flew in Sunday
Took bus into Manhattan from LGA
Found hotel
Smallest hotel room I've ever seen
Went to Brooklyn
Subway system is confusing
Subway is super noisy
Subway making me FEEL TENSE!
Brooklyn looks and feels like Chicago
Brooklyn is quiet
Brooklyn is nice
Hanging with Justin & Anna
Largest controllers ever
Fold-out cot barely fit in room
Hotel bed and cot fill 90% of room space
Techs Monday
Venue director super late
Can't tech all of show
Given extra tech day Tuesday
Venue director late Tuesday
Worst tech ever
Got headaches
Drank coffee
Check into Fringe Central in Little Italy
Watch Olympics in hotel
Ate first crepe - delicious
Switched to slightly larger room
Don't tell staff 4 people in 1 room
Pad on floor with comforter and me on bed with thin sheet
A/C on full
Sleep in sweater
Ask for extra blanket 2 days later
Sightseeing throughout the week
Public Library
The Met
Central Park
Battery Park
Times Square
Empire State Building
Chrysler Building
Rockafeller Plaza
Grand Central Station
Get to see Dayna & Sunita
Open show for 11 people
House gets bigger every show
50 people by last show
Nancy's Digbat gets Timeout NY recommended
Did the Power Hour
People like our show
Went to an "Urban Roadhouse"
Actual fight broke out at "Urban Roadhouse"
Pretended to listen to conversations while looking over shoulder at Olympics coverage on bar flat-screen TVs.
Meant to get up early in the mornings
Slept in late every day except Sunday
Took train to bus to airport
Plane 22nd in line on tarmac
Flew back Sunday
Luggage wheel breaks 3 blocks from home
Had fun
Glad to be back

Lollapalooza

Day 1
Bands I saw:
Rogue Wave (lame)
Holy F*ck DJ Set (good for 15 minutes, then went away)
The Kills (nothing special; the press release photo of the girl in the band looks like my friend Molly)
Gogol Bordello (sounded good from a distance; not in the mood for the music though)
Mates of State (good set; the sounds was a little off)
CSS (amazing show)
Radiohead (could only stay for an hour and ten minutes, but they were pretty darn great)

Thoughts:
Getting in was a pain; super packed. Way more packed than last year. Texting and calling friends was a nightmare. I have AT&T and the festival is sponsered by AT&T but the service was shitty. Very hot. Spent and much time in the shade as I could.



Day 2
Bands I saw:
MGMT (so-so; better towards the end)
Explosions in the Sky (nice background music for napping)
Okkervil River (average)
Battles (good show, but after 15 minutes wasn't in the mood, needed to hear a song with lyrics. so I walked over to...)
Broken Social Scene (so-so)
Wilco (good set)

Thoughts:
Average day. No awful bands, but no amazing bands. Not as hot was day before but still pretty hot in the sun. Spent lots of time in the shade.



Day 3
Bands I saw:
Black Kids (so-so)
Iron & Wine (so-so)
Flogging Molly (great show but again, wasn't in the mood; douche bag factor way up for this show)
Gnarls Barkley (okay)
Girl Talk (stage filled with fans; sounded like a good time)
Nine Inch Nails (not a fan; heard Closer and then left)
Kanye (again, not a fan; didn't really even listen to his songs)

Thoughts:
Weather-wise it was the best day. It got cloudy mid-afternoon so it protected us from the sun, so most of the day felt like we were in the shade. With the so-so shows and tiredness factoring in, Sunday was my least favorite day. (Just like last year)

Overall the festival was nice but definitely not as good as last year.