Paradox rehearsals I

So yesterday was the first day of rehearsals and read through of my new play Paradox of the Urban Cliche. For me it was an excersise to keep my ego in check. By the end of reading the first act I had given up the battle and accepted the fact that I had written fire!
The actors we selected were truly professional and dare I say, they fucking brought the business! Warner Miller who is playing Ceez, the main character, attacked the role with authenticity and a sensetivity that helped give Ceez the three dimentional aspect Sarah Sidman- the director- and I had been looking for. Azariah Gunn who plays Smiles, at many times during the read pulled tears from the back of my eyes so much so that I had to keep my eyes on the page during her monologues. Authority, played by Sid Williams with what I like to call a jolly intensity, was the expected magnificence and specificity for the skilled actor that I know him to be. Sheldon Best, the young lion, is playing three characters, Dice Dude, Thug and Agent of Authority. He is the perfect utilitarian actor. I just wish I had puppets in my play for him to work. He is that skilled. I am lucky to have him because he will be a star. The design team is utterly professional and I was a bit embarrassed by the corrections of my spelling errors in front of them. Sarah Sidman has been a tireless supporter of the play since it was four poems and then an incomprehensible one-man play that prompted one mentor of mine to sum his criticism as just, "muMs, I hated it." haha.... He hates it no longer. Thank you Sarah.
I took my moment after the read in the bathroom, in the mirror, to pump my fist and congratulate myself for writing my first full length play. And it is good. Ok, now that that is out of the way let's get to work!
To the Artistic Directors and my fellow members of the Labyrith Theater Company, THANK YOU for the opportunity and mostly for believing in this play even when I didn't.

Paradox of the Urban Cliche running in rep with Greg Keller's Dutch Masters at The Cherry Pit Theater May 14th- 30th. For more information go to www.labtheater.org


-goRealer

Location:8th Ave,New York,United States

ASS OUT

Okay, I'm not the one to be all, "the younger generation this... the younger generation that...". I mean I remember clear walking around with my sneakers flip-flopping cause my fat laces were for show and not for holding my shell toe adidas on my feet. But this, I don't know, I can't wrap my head around it. personally my jeans don't necessarily sit atop my waist either. My belt line is on my hips, my crotch is roomy, my boxers peak out the top, but not to the point that they're seen, let alone the curves of my buttocks being completely out and obvious to the world behind me. I'd really like to sit an eighteen year old down and have him explain it to me. The purpose, the fashion of it all. I really want to know how they see it.

I had wanted to put up a picture of a monkey with a swollen red ass next to this photo but I thought that might be a bit too much by way making a statement that I'd be able to get away with only because I'm black. You cannot look past the similarity though.

As I look at this kid, I think to myself, well, your thug. I understand that. This is a fashion statement (d)evolved from the lack of belts in jail,- I'm not too sure how many 18 year olds know that- but like, what if the cops was chasing you or worse, some rival gang with guns wanting to get you cause you wandered onto their turf? How are you going to run? Really?

I see that the thing with the youth is extremes. They make up for their lack of imagination by way over compensating. A kid walked into a Starbucks I happened to be writing in the other day. He had a Kwame-styled high top fade, complete with the bleached streak up the front. He wore Run-D-MC truck, gold rope chain jewelry. He had on what we used to call Webo boots back in the early 80's but then later adopted by Madonna, with silver chain links and studs covering them. Of course this kid was clearly a New York City artist type and not the norm but the interesting part was the only thing new about him was that he wore the entire decade as one complete outfit. amazing.

This could really be pointed towards something larger like, what Jean Baudrillard wrote about in Simulacra and Simulation: that our perceived reality is only a simulation of reality. That we've lost all connection to what is real in the world all together. Maybe man has truly lived beyond his purpose. Maybe there is no more human progression. Maybe this is a sign that man is done. hmmm... deep. All of that read on the uncovered boxer shorts of a youth on the train.

goRealer

check out my play, Paradox of the Urban Cliche at Cherry Pit, May 14- 30th