So here in Elgin/Chicago, it has been nice. Good weather and such. I didn't take any pics of the hotel room - it looks exactly like the one I was in at Minneapolis! The theatre is nice, the folks there are great by far! I will be taking some pics of the area outside as well as a few inside. If I can only remember that damn camera tomorrow!

I went to a place called Mad Maggie's today. Not so 'Mad'. The whole time I was there with Lucas, the sound guy, they were playing the acoustical version of every rock song you know. Kinda weird hearing U2 and others played acoustical. It gave the whole place a mellow kinda low-key place. Nothing 'mad' about it!

Anyways, I will say the nachos are definitely worth writing home about! You know how when you order nachos and get the beef on them, it's usually the spicy ground beef crumbles? NOT SO here. Seriously it was tender cut steak pieces! Medium-well at that! What a culinary treat! And the amount of jalapenos and cheese? A tastebud extravaganza. Who'd a thunk the world's best tex-mex nachos are in a small suburb of Chicago at a place called Mad Maggies? I finished them off, though I'm regretting it now. SOO FULL!

The first pic is a center stage shot looking right out into the HUGE house. The next couple are pics of a look left and right. The fourth shot is the wonderfully accented golden archway above the proscenium. And if you look close you can see the 'nosebleed' seats! Following that is a pic of the stage floor - immaculate! Such a rich red hue and it is extremely smooth for a hardwood stage floor - gotta say I'm impressed! Anyways, the next shot is just a backstage shot so you can see the vastness of the space. And that final shot is the old stairway that leads up to the old light board. I forgot to get a pic of it, but seriously, talk about franken-board! Instead of buttons, sliders, and all the things you are used to, yeah you had to switch off the main switch (it looked like it weighed 200 lbs!), then you pulled out the fuses to lights you didn't want, then inserted the ones you did want, then you hammered the main switch back on. Talk about a work out!!!!! Damn I wish I got a pic of that lightboard!. Oh well.

Here's pics of my hotel. The hotel used to be a bank here in Columbus. They renovated for sure, but they left a lot of the old vaults and vault doors and such. It really is cool. Now the whole 'to excess' idea can be seen with all the architecture. I mean, it's a bank, for cryin' out loud! A million mile high ceilings, marble-marble everywhere and not an inch was spared! The old mail chute system is still functional and utilized by the hotel.

The nuveau style the rooms are in is quite cool. Do you see the car above the chez lounge? Just all kinds of art and decor around the room! Not to mention....a window in the closet? HAHAHAH!

Here are some pictures of the space where we are rehearsing Church Basement Ladies. (Ironically, we rehearse in a basement.)

Minneapolis is turning out to be like NYC pretty much. Grass and hay wraps are the menu of choice. Water is 5 bucks a bottle. (Yeah, from the spigot ain't bad these days, and it's free). Walked into the grocery store today, and was shocked that I had to walk all the way to the back to get to the dollar, super-fattening, unhealthy, frozen pizzas! Everything else was organic, healthy, vegan, and no less than 6 bucks for a frozen entree smaller than a Healthy Choice snack. Oh well! Ended up with a Margherita pizza (ok, ok, I do kinda like those a bit), as well a coupla pizzas that'll do. Ok, so again I fell into the healthy line, I got a nice supply of V-8 spicy as well.

Ah crap, I'm rambling.

So, yeah, something weighing on my mind that needs to be spoken. Listen up, all you readers who live for theatre!

So having watched quite a few shows, been a part of many of them as well, I have come to a conclusion. It seems there are sooo many who think they are great actors due to how many laughs they get. What? Did I just come out and say it? Yeah. I did.

It seems that more and more as I work, I see way to many actors and actresses who are hell-bent on getting a laugh, and they feel accomplished the more laughs they get. The result? Scene stealing, over-acting, non-realism, beyond caricature, basically, utter ridiculousness. I mean really peeps, is that what we want to see and pay for in these economic times?

Now, I must say before I go too far, yes this activity has its place. DUMB AND DUMBER, GREATER TUNA, CLUE to name a few. But you know what? Even in these movies and plays, there is still an element of honesty to all the characters involved. So with that in mind...

I speak of people who play for the comedy, not the character. I give you this thought: Which is more funny? Someone is walking along a road, accidentally trips, falls into an orange cart and all the oranges fall upon them? Or someone who PURPOSELY trips, makes it an event on the fall, tips over the orange cart, and then practically jumps up afterwards and says 'TA-DAAA!' Food for thought.

Yes that is a bit extreme as an example, but it proves my point. When we go see a show, unless it is labeled as a farce or simply a good time, we expect a little bit of reality. Wait, I think HUMANITY is a better word. To me, 'incidents' are sooo much funnier when I can identify with the character being portrayed, rather than a character who just comes in, does a stunt, or something outrageous a few times. I mean, for crying out loud, even the circuses of the world are giving their clowns a character story line for their acts of bravado and comedy these days!

Dang, I use a lot of commas. Anyways...

The point being: Fellow actors and actresses of the world, sure, you can get laughs by doing outrageous things, you can steal a scene by doing little things, yeah, you can even get some minor applause for some of the crap (let's face it, it truly is crap) you decide to pull, but when it comes down to it, what does an audience really remember? 'Oh my it was so funny when this small moment happened', point being, do they remember your name? Do they remember specifically what happened? NO. They remember honesty, they remember characters who grow throughout a show. They remember performances that move them, not just make them laugh.

Wanna make a bet? Check out the reviews of local theatre shows. And then go see them. More often than not, the peeps that get a nod or mention are the characters who have DEVELOPMENT and audiences can actually feel for. Wait...what? Oh that might be that honesty thing I was talking about!

Sure you can create all kinds of laughs by doing crazy things, but is it truly what your character would do? Is it REALLY in the vein of forwarding the show? So you get bored having done the show a few times and want to create more excitement....well...in doing so, you violate the author's intent, you violate the scene itself, and you violate your fellow onstage actors' right to perform the scene. EVIL! When do you begin to realize a show is not just about you, but everyone as a whole? I don't care what your experience or name is! A show is a show. 'Props' should go to everyone in the cast and crew and production, NOT just YOU.

Let us all remember that theatre is for everyone, not just for one!

In other words, evil-doers, they remember not a circus act, or a side show comedy routine. No, they remember, through time, how they felt and identified with certain characters, which lasts much longer than a laugh.

So, to conclude this rant, I say this to all fellow actors and actresses: Play the honesty and the intention - the laughs you get will be far more memorable and worthwhile. To be remembered right after the show is fun, but to be remembered years later is even better.

I say this being a character actor who does not oft get the lead for a show, and yes, should I play it that way, could steal a scene, or a show (depending on direction of course). I am never bitter, just simply saddened by the antics of others in what I call 'the ruination' of a show. I say this as someone who observes this ridiculo-sity (add it to your dictionaries folks), that goes on and sees people getting robbed of the respect they truly deserve.

Hello out there! I know it's been awhile since I've been on a rant, or as I like to call it, a 'speechifyin' moment. What can I say? I have been a little busy...but no excuses. So here's the latest. K 'G' C? Kentucky GRILLED Chicken?

First I say, simply wow. WOW. To use the lingo of the younger, more computer-savvy gen...WTF? This is an establishment and empire, mind you, that has been in its own right since the 1950's! Yes, I know he started way before then, but he really didn't start getting his recognition until the 1950's. And it was built on FRIED chicken. The secret recipe that has stood for years as the 'penultimate' stantion for fried chicken. So now they cater to the health conscious with grilled chicken? I am beside myself on this issue.

I mean, yeah it is truly great to be healthy wih food choices and such, but every once in a while it is nice to have a little fried something every now and then. I know, I know, you nay-sayers you, that yeah they still offer their traditional menu, but c'mon! That's like McDs offering a choice between a choice salad (which still has waay to many preservatives in it to be truly healthy) and a Big Mac! Which would you choose? Sure, say salad, ass, to 'present' yourself as healthy. We all know what the real choice would be. C'mon, BMac versus a salad? Really?

All I am saying is this: I understand offering a 'healthy' alternative for things, but I did a small experiment as far as money goes. For what I paid for two breasts, two wings, and two legs (grilled at the K 'G' C), I found I could pay less than half that amount for a grilled whole chicken at my local grocery, and got twice the meat! And better than that, it tasted the same! The only difference I found was that the sodium content was almost twice for K 'G' C than the grocery! YIKES people....YIKES!

Just thought I'd mention it is all. Yes I am a fast food kinda guy. But, when I am looking for health and the like, Sometimes it's the bottom line what really matters. Upon taste, K 'G' C was no better than the local grocer, and well, I'd prefer to buy once and have three meals as opposed to buy once and have less than two.

What have we come to in the fast food industry? It never claimed to have been super healthy before, and well it always boils down to choices (yeah, damn us for having free will).

I say, quit blaming the industry, they're making a buck just like the rest of us. I say, don't fall for their new healthy attire - it's still fast food! I mean, what truly is the difference between that and that age old snickers, or pack of fire fries from the vending machine? Risk and choice are what we are faced with. Belief is what you choose it to be.

BTW, I chose to have extra crisp K 'F' C this eve. Yeah, I'm feeling my heart slow, and my faculties are a bit on the 'What the hell?' side, But I made my choice. I'm not pissed or upset. I mean, bottom line....It tasted amazing!

My younger brother John and his girlfriend Karen came to visit me. I took them to the beach. It wasn't a very pretty day, but who really cares when it's the beach?!

Just call me Rodney. No, not as in my daddy. As in Dangerfield. I get no respect. That's me in the big, lion headdress costume. Notice I am listed as Jayar Garcia as Tumnus. WTF!!!! Oh well. At least it is listed somehow. Can't win for living, eh?

Eyeborgs eyeballing Winston-Salem premiere during RiverRun
By Mark Burger

Okay, you can stop asking: Eyeborgs is coming.

At long last, the film will be screened — as a work-in-progress — at the RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston- Salem next month.

The film is scheduled to be shown April 27 in the Main Theatre of the ACE Exhibition Complex, located on the UNC School of the Arts campus in Winston-Salem — and nobody’s happier about it than the people who made it. “We’re very thrilled and very excited,” says producer and co-star John S. Rushton, “and we think people will be pleased.”

“I’d like for people to be surprised by what we’ve achieved,” says co-writer/ producer/director Richard Clabaugh. “First and foremost, it’s a piece of entertainment. It’s meant to be fun. And if we can surprise people with the political themes, even better.”

Filmed entirely in Winston-Salem and set in a not-too-distant future — one in which the political structure is leaning toward fascism — Eyeborgs marks the debut feature from Crimson Wolf Productions, which is headquartered in Lewisville.

It’s a home-grown effort from top to bottom. “I’ve known Richard for years and I’ve known about Eyeborgs since I got to town,” says Andrew Rodgers, executive director of the festival. “I finally got to see some of it and it’s got some incredible optical effects and CGI. It’s the kind of film that Winston-Salem audiences will be excited about, having heard so much about it. They may wonder where a film with such highquality special effects came from — and it came from right here in Winston- Salem.”

Clabaugh and Company like to joke that Eyeborgs is a killer-robot movie — which it is — but in conceiving the story, Richard and Fran Clabaugh (co-screenwriters as well as husband and wife) wanted to incorporate some relevant observations amidst the action.

As a life-long science-fiction and fantasy buff, Clabaugh particularly reveres those films which worked on an allegorical level, like The Day the Earth Stood Still and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and wanted to make one of his own. And he wanted to make it here. Raising the necessary funding from independent sources, most of which are from the Piedmont Triad area, was a lengthy, but ultimately successful, process. Then there was the matter of a leading man. Clabaugh had written the pivotal role of heroic Department of Homeland Security agent RJ “Gunner” Reynolds (a nod to Winston-Salem’s history) with actor Adrian Paul in mind. The problem was that Paul was in the midst of filming a political thriller titled The Heavy… which was shooting in London simultaneously. As a result, the actor had to pull double-duty for a number of weeks — flying back and forth to shoot The Heavy there and Eyeborgs here. “He arrived ready to rock,” praises Rushton, who plays Reynolds‘ DHS partner, Bradley.

And there’s plenty of onscreen rocking in Eyeborgs, as Reynolds finally throws down the gauntlet and goes “mano-a-machino” against the mechanized monstrosities.

Others in the cast include Luke Eberl, as a rebellious punk rocker who happens to be the nephew of the president; Megan Blake as a TV reporter who smells a story and Juan-Carlos Guzman as her tenacious photographer; Dale Girard (who also served as the film’s stunt coordinator) as Sankur, a suspected terrorist; and cult icon Danny Trejo as “G-Man,” a reclusive political dissident.

And then there are the Eyeborgs themselves. Devious devices of surveillance — and, lest we forget, defense — that come in all shapes and sizes, watching and waiting… programmed to protect the populace from terrorist threats. But, as befits classic sciencefiction (think Westworld or even The Terminator), what happens when technology runs amuck? With the exception of actors Paul, Eberl and Trejo, the cast and crew of Eyeborgs all hail from the region. The majority of crew members are graduates of the UNCSA School of Filmmaking, where Clabaugh taught cinematography from 1998 until last year. “One of our goals was to establish a ‘calling card’ for our first movie,” observes Fran Clabaugh, also the film’s principal editor, “and I think we’ve done that.” The makers of Eyeborgs admit that postproduction, particularly when it came to the visual effects, took longer than expected.

“It’s been a three-year process in producing a highly effective sciencefiction thriller with as many special effects as The Dark Knight and Transformers,” Rushton says. “I think we’re going to surprise everybody.”

Unlike The Dark Knight and Transformers, Eyeborgs didn’t have the backing of a major studio or the budget of a major studio film. The eventual budget for the film is somewhere south of $5 million — or about 30 times less than Transformers cost. “It was an ambitious project with limited resources,” says Clabaugh. “We wanted to show people that we’re capable here of making something comparable to the bigger-budgeted blockbusters being made today.”

Unforeseen delays aside, the makers of Eyeborgs are proud of their killer-robot movie. For one thing, being independent allowed them to make the film their way. For another, it was an opportunity to showcase the filmmaking talent that exists right here in the region. Eyeborgs is only the first Crimson Wolf production, they say, and it won’t be the last. For a sneak peek at the official Eyeborgs trailer, visit www.eyeborgs.com.

And, remember… they’re watching you.

‘Church Basement Ladies’ dishes out laughs, fun time

Photos

“Church Basement Ladies” is a Minnesota-based performance playing at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.

"Church Basement Ladies" is a Minnesota import that is currently tickling the funny bones of audiences attending the Off Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. The book for this musical, that takes on Lutherans everywhere, was written by Jessica Zurhlke and Jim Stowell, with music and lyrics by Drew Jansen. "Church Basement Ladies" has been playing to sell-out crowds for 29 months in Minneapolis, as well as dishing out laughs all across the country from Kansas to Chicago and all points north and south. It runs through March 29th (**editorial note...we've been extended through May 24th!!!! Yessssss!**) at the Broadway Palm.

The show was off and running with a rousing and infectious opening "Closer to Heaven (In the Church Basement)" sung by the entire cast of four ladies and the pastor. That little ditty started the ball rolling and the sold-out audience giggling and hooting in recognition. This was followed by "The Pale Food Polka" which sang the praises of the standard Norwegian feast - lefse and lutefisk (some sort of white fish, potatoes, cabbage, flour, Muenster cheese, and cream mixture, smothered in lots of BUTTER) - while the ladies cooked up this luncheon blowout for 187 people.

The delighted audience laughed out loud at such goofy lyrics as "Don't be brash, don't be bold, when you're feeding the fold" in this kitchen chorale. All this folk-tradition is laid-out for our enjoyment as the ladies go about brandishing out coffee and hot dishes, punctuating their sentences with an occasional "ufda!" (a sort of oy vey, Norwegian style) added to local references - a pickup truck is a "Minnesota refrigerator," and "wonder boots" are actually Wonder Bread plastic bags tied on to cover one's shoes.

Tradition is what counts to the good people of Cornucopia, Minn. in the year 1967. Stay away from the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah also known as Minneapolis and St. Paul. There are lots of inside jokes like the differences between Lutherans and Catholics; as sung in "This Is Most Certainly True," another audience favorite for those in the know; as was the reference to "Dead Spread," a tune about funeral food.

I'm sure that the more you know about church life, the funnier these jokes are, and also the truer to life this show gets. And I'm sure if you were raised Lutheran and of a certain age where the hammed up ode to hot flashes, "My Own Personal Island," will resonate for you, setting the chuckles churning into helpless guffaws. This certainly proved true for the audience I sat with; they had an absolutely terrific time, according to the laugh-a-minute reading I took.

The cast of this genial, wholesome, gently satirical show was droll and terrific. Mikey Wiseman as Pastor Gunderson did a fine job in his sweet poignant solo "Song for Willie." The strong singing of Jessica Taige as Signe was grand, as was her acting progression from student to bride, which probably provided the closest thing to a plot line in the raucous giggle-fest. The graceful, multi-talented Keara Trummel as Karin Engleson, Signe's once nonconformist mother, echoed wisdom and reason convincingly. In direct contrast and just as comically convincing as a conservative force at the center of it all was Kay Francis as Vivian, aka Mrs. Lars Snustad, who performed her tasks with suitably exaggerated protests. Beth Brandel (the sizzle-puss in "wonder boots") was hilarious with her over-the-top rendition of "My Own Personal Island."

The direction by Curt Wollan kept the laughs moving along hot and heavy as did the choreography by April Monte. The set by Paul Drechsel and the costumes by Jim Conti were not only on target, they made a great frame for the show and gave the characters real identity - especially the five different hats and scarves that folks need to wear all at one time during those "brrr" Minnesota winters.

This show was certainly an audience favorite the night I caught the show; they certainly had a whale of a good time, according to my laugh meter countdown. As for me, although I'm a big fan of "The Prairie Home Companion" and listen to that radio show pretty faithfully every Saturday, I didn't resonate that much to "Church Basement Ladies" . Maybe I have to chalk that up to growing up in New York City, where none of my churches had basements, all our events were done on the top floor of an elevated building, and most of the food was catered by a local restaurant or delicatessen.

Nevertheless, for those of you who grew up attending church functions and the dear women that ran them, this will be a real treat and a great trip down memory lane, glorifying growing up in a church-centered lifestyle and congregation. You'd better hurry and get on down to the box office at the Broadway Palm or better yet phone 278-4422 for your reservation to "Church Basement Ladies", because tickets to this one are selling out fast. Remember to tell 'em Marsha sent you.

And now for a shameless commercial:

Guess who is performing this Sunday, Feb. 15th, at 7 p.m. at the Schoolhouse Theatre?

Yup, yours truly, along with my dear friend, Thomas Bartis, in his acting debut on Sanibel. We're doing a Valentine's Day, play-reading tribute of A.R. Gurney's "Love Letters", the story of Andrew Makepeace Ladd and Melissa Gardner, whose funny friendship & ill-fated romance takes them from second grade through middle age.

For more information, or tickets, call the box office at 472-6862 and, once again, tell 'em Marsha sent you!

I was born with these hands.
So tiny and fragile,
Filled with potential,
Yet undiscovered and waiting...

As life formed my conscious,
And I began to wake,
They grew.

From early on,
They had to learn the meaning of tough,
As well as diligence and perseverance;
Their education far greater than schooling at times.

These hands calloused to abuse,
Blistered under pressure.
They got cut, they bled,
Stopped moving at times because of pain.

All the while they formed character,
Forged the nuclear core of my being,
Broke and remade my spirit countless times...
Willfully made sure that life never quit.

These hands have held the softest of touches,
The strongest of wills.
Thankfully, they have created...more than destroyed.
And yet, they remain waiting.

They are iron.
Stronger than the hardest steel,
More durable than the oldest stone.
They possess the fortitude of a forgotten soldier.

I do not know where they will take me,
I only know their trust.
Tried and true,
They've never failed, and will always pave the way.

Our future remains to be seen, these hands and me.
Waiting to explore and adventure ,
Following only the path we create together.

...These Hands...

Mikey Wiseman

Church Basement Ladies A Hoot by Di Saggau

Audiences are howling about the antics of the Church Basement Ladies, a musical comedy featuring four distinct characters and their relationships as they organize the food and solve the problems of East Cornucopia Lutheran, a rural Minnesota church in 1964. It's showing at The Off Broadway Palm Theatre.

As the show opens, we meet Pastor Gunderson, played to perfection by Mikey Wiseman. He's newly married to a woman half his age, whose maiden name was Andersen. The ladies would like her better if her name was Anderson.

A big pot of lutefisk is cooking on the stove for a church dinner that quickly grows to 200. I'm glad it was make believe because the smell of lutefisk would have driven me right out the door. Let's just say it's an acquired taste that I never acquired.

The four ladies are the pillars of the church, preparing food for weddings, funerals, and fundraisers. Vivian (Kay Francis) calls it "her kitchen". She says to Karin (Keara Trummel), "Some day you'll run this kitchen. Until that day comes, I wash, you dry." She's a bit on the crusty side and conflicts often with Signe (Jessica Taige), Karin's college-age daughter. Vivian doesn't like change, especially the changes in her church. Guitars in the sanctuary heaven forbid. Mavis (Beth Brandel), is a fun loving gal who is going through a crisis called hot flashes. At one point, she actually crawls into the freezer. She's the clown of the cast and is often talking with a knife in her hand, waving it wildly and scaring the poor pastor to death.

The songs are fun too. The Pale Food Polka describes the monochromatic food they prepare, with lots of butter. Song For Willie features Pastor Gunderson preparing a eulogy for Willie, the church janitor, who died. I loved that one. Dead Spread finds the ladies describing the food they prepare for a funeral. The clever This Is Most Certainly True has Signe and Karin singing about the differences and a few similarities between Catholics and Lutherans. The audience loved it.

Church Basement Ladies is about small-town Minnesota gals. Some have never even been to the "cities". Who knows what danger lurks in Minneapolis and St. Paul? There's a song about that too.

This is a show that everyone can relate to in one way or another. The cast is great.

They have a lot of fun and it's contagious. The show runs through March 29 (** As an editorial note, it has been extended through April 11th **). Tickets can be reserved by calling 278-4422, by visiting www.BroadwayPalm.com, or by stopping by the box office at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.

*Source: Di Saggau, The River Weekly News, Feb. 13, 2009, Page 18

I was involved in a project last night, called Voices Of Sanibel. It was done here at The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, part of a kickoff celebration of black history month. The script was written by Tom Praither and it is a glimpse into the lives of the people who helped found Sanibel Island into what it is today. Very eye opening as far as a slice of life goes. It was a staged reading, and all involved helped to create a very memorable look into the past and the hardships the people of Sanibel had to overcome. From segregation to hurricanes, the main point, the people of Sanibel never give up hope, was beautifully poignant. No matter what has happened, they always rebuilt, found work, and most important of all, stayed together to overcome whatever odds or losses they incurred. I am proud to have been a part of this production and I hope it meets with equal success wherever it goes. Many thanks to Tom Praither for giving me the opportunity to be a part of it, as well as many thanks to the fellow cast mates who I very much enjoyed working with.

The heat is back in FL! Errr for now at least. Although I will have to say, I much prefer FL cold snaps to NC cold snaps! It got as low as 36 degrees here....wow....a whole 36! But I digress, the heat is back! One of these days, I might make it to the beach. At least, the plan is to get there at least once before I leave here! Where DID I put that speedo? HAHA!

Well here I am in Ft. Myers, FL working at The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. I'm in Church Basement Ladies playing Pastor Gunderson, and I must say having a wonderful time! The ladies that are in the show are wonderfully amazing (they kinda have to be since its all about the 4 ladies!), but is nice to be a part of this cast and so far a wonderfully successful show! And yes, for all my fellow North Carolinians, I am truly enjoying the sunny weather down here. My apologies for all the snow, bitter cold, and slush I am missing. Anyways, just wanted to try and keep everyone up to date as possible. And yes, the pic below is true. I get to be clean shaven for this show!!!! Wow, first show in a looong time it seems! Oooops, intermission is almost over!

I mean really? It doesn't look like much in the pic, but tonite when I shaved, no shit, I somehow managed to slice my lip a bit. WTF? How the hell does that happen? Better than that, I hit it (very, very minuscule trust me) in a crinkle spot so it kept bleeding for almost half the friggin show! Really? HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN! So many times I have shaved, hell, I've even taken a full beard off with a Bic disposable! Ah well. Feces occureth. I am just in disbelief that it happened at all.....damn my luck!