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

I'm Back

I'm Back from outter space...

and I just need to vent. make me a point about not worrying.

Dream, dream big, write with no spell check, take pictures in regular light when people ain't looking, if you feel like doing a Michael Jackson spin in the subway at rush hour, do it! Go after your dreams and put no pretenses on your existence here on the planet cause who the F knows right?

Yeah it me muMs, Craig Grant, Sirmumsila, Chrysanthemums... etc. I respond to all. It's been a pretty uneventful yet productive year. first off I had some major money issues that I'm sure all of you can relate to especially since most of my little audience consists of self made artists like myself. This ain't France homies there ain't no government subsidized art going on here. And actually money has been tight for quite some time now. basically through two failed relationships (that is now how I measure time). My pride wouldn't allow me to go out and get a job. no offense to bar tenders but I'm sure I'd jump off of something first. I am an actor even though the work has become scarce for someone so un-zac effron as me. o well no frets, no worry. worrying kills more people than... I don't know, I don't give a fuck about facts right now. I just know worrying ain't good for you so I don't do it at all. so here I was at 40 yo in December 08, basically money-less, girlfriend-less, refusing to get a regular job. I told people that I was living in cardboard box under a bridge in the Bronx. made for a good story but no one believed me. kinda like when I decided to tell everyone that I was gay so I could meet girls. I decided I needed a change. I got a call from a director who wanted me to come to LA to do a workshop of Elephant Man featuring Common. They had no money to pay me but the director insisted. so much so he reached in his pocket and was willing to buy me a one-way fare. There is something about fate or God or the Universe or like... energy. my mind was clamoring for a change and here was the opportunity. I said yes, packed a bag and took 200 of my last 300 sans the phone bill, and went to the poker table. With that desperate energy on my side I walked out of that poker game with 1000 dollars at something like 4 in the morning and was on a plane to LA with nowhere to stay 7:30 am. nice. Well, I ended up killing the workshop like I usually do when I concentrate.
I am a much-better-than-decent actor ( but as I learned quickly in LA that means squat). I wound up staying on a rather comfortable air mattress in Santa Monica for two months then moving to West Hollywood, where I now reside. I am well into writing a play that I am very proud of and am about to tackle the task of writing a screenplay. Some monies have trickled in and I am, after a nice discussion with my manager about how I am switching my focus from acting to writing even after acquiring a pair of decent agents out here, contemplating a future in advertising to go along with writing and acting. I just returned to LA from spending two weeks at my theater Intensive at BARD University in New York. It was an invigorating experience, especially staging the first act of my play and people understanding it as well as liking it!
Anyway, long story short, the universe gives you signs for your life journey everyday, at 40 I decided to listen and things are good, very good. Ta da bitches...

ok so look forward to my posts being a bit more personal than they have been but not quite as long. love you all. peace.

affectionately,
muMs