Another post blah blah yada yada warden yada yada
I've been really tempted to abandon this blog, again. Not that I'm giving up on my goals, but it's starting to become a real pain in the ass to maintain two blogs. However, if I disconnect, then the few friends I have outside Chicago will believe that I have abandoned my recent projects and will bombard me with emails like,
"Dear fucking puss,
How does it feel to have the attention span of a hamster? You're old."
But that's good, I suppose. The discipline of keeping two blogs helps to keep me from slipping back into the gooey quicksand of my own laziness. It also forces me to keep a journal of my progress; which I do believe is a very constructive tool. I've never been good at sticking with journals (lack of aforementioned discipline) but it's never too late to start. Unless you're 90, then it's too late. But I'm not 90.
The material has been coming along really great. The thing that really woke me up, and helped me to find my voice again, was the realization that this shit is Theatre. I never used to think of it that way. I created a bare outline for my act, and got up there and did it. It was just me being me. Working from a script seemed fake. I was acting since the age of 12, and I didn't want to "act" anymore. I wanted to find myself, as cheesy as that sounds now. The irony is that after "finding myself" I abandoned stand-up and pursued an acting career. Yuk, yuk. I went back to stand-up on occasion, but my energy and enthusiasm for it dwindled. Besides, I actually made money as an actor. The most money I ever made from stand-up still wasn't enough to buy a vowel.
Acting gave me for many years the discipline and structure that I needed in my life. Stand-up wasn't the same, it was too chaotic. Now, and maybe it's because I'm older, stand-up seems incredibly disciplined to me. The idea that you're going out there and just "being yourself" is true to a certain degree; but anytime you step into a performance arena you're playing a role. That goes for teachers, politicians, evangelists, trial lawyers, etc. (Especially the lawyers.) The real skill, it seems to me now, is not in being earnestly spontaneous; but in being such a convincing actor that your performance has the appearance of being completely spontaneous. Not that I'm closing the door to spontaneity, which is essential, but I'm more open to the idea of creating a performance beforehand, rather than hoping one falls out of my ass later on.
Going to finally get around to checking out some shows this weekend. Was going to last weekend, but shirked it in favor of seeing Superbad. I have no regrets.
Comments
Well, I'm still interested in hearing about your life/career development. Is that voyeuristic? Oh well.
I have had a fun life. And it's not even over yet. (Cue unforeseen, intoxicated truck driver.) My life does seem way more interesting in the retelling than in the actual "living" of it. But I have no complaints. Except that I should have studied harder in school and gone into law. (My God, I wish I had gone into law!) But I digress.
Thanks for the compliment. I am planning to use my untitled, unwritten, future Theatre project as a forum for telling some of the best stories from my freakish existence. There will also be t-shirts and coffee mugs for sale. : )
Pretty gosh darn blue, my friend.
Keep with the blog, I like reading it.
Thanks, D:
I will definitely keep it open. It's nice when people pop in to offer encouragement or insight. I forgot about that aspect. You can't underappreciate any and all forms of support.
Also, it's interesting to hear opinions from other artists outside the Chicago area. I wasn't expecting any to show up and here they are. That's really great.
Thanks, Dave. I hear you about the blueness. Though if someone's looking to work professionally, they should think about toning it down. At least for the more commercial venues. (I can't stop using that word - "venue." It's driving me nuts. Note to self: use thesaurus and find new buzz word.) Regardless, I love obscenity. It makes me happy down deep in my soul and it's who I am. I don't use it for shock effect, which I'm not sure is even possible anymore, but because it comes as naturally to me as anything. Luckily, I have no aspirations for a career in comedy. I'm happy with what I do. As corny as it sounds, I just want to keep growing as a performer, while not forgetting what it's like to entertain a live audience. Unlike N.Y. or L.A., Chicago is a great place for non-professionals to perform consistently. The downside is little or no money; the upside is complete creative control and exposure.
That was way more than either of us needed to hear, but it helped me to avoid more work, so I thank you, again.
I hear YOU about growing as a performer. Working "blue" can give you some verisimilitude with the audience. I mean, everbody swears. Matter of fact, I don't trust people who don't. Material is rated R because life is rates R (I heard that on NPR)
That said, there is something about working clean that speaks to me as an elevated craft in comedy. Being able to reach someone on a gut level without using gut-level language is a difficult task.
God knows I can't do it.