"Opening Night"

Opening night for "A Little Princess" went well. We had a good-sized audience, and plenty of energy. Those who came to see the show seemed to enjoy it, and compliments seemed to be all the rage. Now, though, we move on to tomorrow when we close the run of the show with a double-header! Should be fun! Bittersweet as always, but fun.

I'm off to get some sleep in the present. But I'll let you know how things go on the morrow. :)

Until then....

Your happily blogging actor friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:07 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Thursday in Review"

Today was a day off from rehearsing for "A Little Princess". What did I do with this rare evening to myself?.... Ironically, not much. Wasted it really. But, I suppose, considering that I've been rehearsing every night for the past two weeks, I can be afforded such a luxury. It gives me time to review, focus, and prepare because tomorrow we open with our first of three performances. :)

For those that are interested, here's how you can see the show:

Performances at:

Wisconsin Lutheran College
Center for Arts and Performance
8815 West Wisconsin Ave
Milwaukee, WI

Friday, July 22 -- 7pm
Saturday, July 23 -- 2pm, 7pm

Tickets: $8.00 at the door.

For those that are unable to attend, I'll see about having a review of the opening night performance right here sometime later Friday night. For right now, though, I think I'm going to head off, take care of a few other things, and then go to bed.

Have a blessed Friday all, and until next time,

Your happily blogging actor friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:43 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Beaming Up Scotty"

James Doohan, the actor who played Montgomery Scott -- the scrappy Scotsman who repeatedly gave the Starship Enterprise "all she's got" in the original "Star Trek" TV series and motion pictures -- died Wednesday. He was 85.

"Star Trek Engineer James Doohan Dies"

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:18 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Movie Wisdom"

AMUSING: 40 Things That Only Happen in Movies.

Here are my top three favorites:

1. If you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts, your opponents will wait patiently to attack you one by one by dancing around you in a threatening manner until you have defeated their predecessor.
   
   
2. Rather than wasting bullets, megalomaniacs prefer to kill their enemies with complicated devices incorporating fuses, pulleys, deadly gases, lasers and man-eating sharks.
   
   
3. If staying in a haunted house, women should investigate any strange noises wearing their most revealing underwear.
   

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:04 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Wednesday's Labor"

Moved a large pile of wood chips today. Very sore. Tired. Going to bed.
Until the morrow,

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:17 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Casting Update: 'The Liar'"

Today I was offered the role of Florindo (one of the male leads) in "The Liar" -- which I actually auditioned for yesterday of all things. So, it appears as though my summer acting streak will continue. After "A Little Princess" opens and closes in a week, I then move right into a month of rehearsals for "The Liar", and two weekends of performances in early September. :)

So, not only is the flurry of artwork going great, but acting seems to have wanted a piece of the action as well! But I won't let myself get too big of a head. The high points in life come in spurts. It is good to know, though, that Someone Upstairs is also standing behind my creative endeavors. For the time-being, I think I'll go with the flow and enjoy the opportunties He's provided me with. They don't always come this close together!

But for now, I'm off to bed. I have another day of "manual labor" scheduled for tomorrow. No trees or big rocks this time... but something outside (if it isn't raining). I'm eager to see what's in store for my Wednesday!

Have a blessed evening all, and I'll see you on the morrow.

Your happily blogging actor friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:36 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Ah, to be a Liar!"

Interestingly enough, I had another stage audition today. It was for a show titled, "The Liar", and written by Venitian playwrite Carlo Goldoni in the late 1700's. I couldn't get downtown for the scheduled audition in the evening, so, the director offered to come to me! Yep. In the afternoon, he stopped by my apartment, we read a few scenes, chatted for a bit, and that was that.

I'll find out the results of my audition later this week.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 8:21 PM  I   I  0 comments

"A Creative Idea"

"Need a New Girlfriend?" Perhaps I can help.
posted by Jon at 10:18 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Reconstructing A Face"

How to reconstruct a 300-year old skull: Facial Reconstruction.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 9:23 PM  I   I  0 comments

"July 7, 2005: London Bombings"

My deepest sympathies to the citizens of London, and my heartfelt condolences to those who lost their lives. Pray for the victims. And pray that this second cowardly "9-11" (the Twin Towers being the first) strengthens and unites a fickle world against terrorism.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 2:56 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Running on Empty"

Today has been one of those really tiring days. The kind where you can only hope to find a comfy spot somewhere, and just curl up and fall asleep. But, I suppose that isn't too much of a surprise, because today I moved rocks, heavy boulders, and other such elements of petrified earth -- and wore myself out in a hurry too. Then, physically exhausted and a bit sore, I went to rehearsal for another three hours, where -- thankfully -- I was able to play my character with a limp.

But, the good news is, I'm home now... and I think I'm going straight to bed! :)

So, until the morrow, whereupon I hope to be well-rested,

Your happily blogging, almost asleep friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:46 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Quote of the Day"

"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

- "Think Different" Advertisement -- Apple Computers

-Jon
posted by Jon at 2:04 AM  I   I  0 comments

"A Little Princess"

Well, those of you who have been reading my blog know that I auditioned for a stage show not too long ago. Originally it was going to be a show about King Arthur, but shortly after most of the show was cast, the fight choreographer backed out, and left the production without someone in charge of sword fighting and combat.

So, rather than cancel the show, it's been moved to sometime in late January 2006, and a new show has been scheduled to replace it. Now, instead of King Arthur, we'll be putting on a production of "A Little Princess" (aka, the tale of "Sara Crewe", adapted from the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett). I've been cast to play the role of Mr. Carrisford, the wealthy kind-hearted next door neighbor (aka, the guy with the monkey) who eventually saves young Sara from the cruelty of "Miss Minchin's School for Young Girls".

Performances are on July 22 and 23, and will be presented in the Wisconsin Lutheran College Raabe Theatre. I'll update more as rehearsals progress. :)

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:16 PM  I   I  0 comments

"No More Branches"

Well, the good news is, today was the last day I will be helping my landlord clear brush, branches, and other tree-related items from the lot we've been working on. All done. No more battle scars and scratched up arms and legs!

The bad news.... Now we get to move on to the next task -- removing rocks and boulders.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 7:45 PM  I   I  0 comments

"A Different Kind of Independence"

My Grandfather died this morning.

On the same day we celebrate our national independence, is also the day he found his. In a world full of spiritual trials, temptations, and the constant tug-of-war between Good and evil, today is the day the Lord called him home. Today my grandfather found his own independence from the tyranny of sin, and now he rests in the arms of his Savior Jesus Christ.

If you think about it, there's a lot of symbolism in that.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 7:53 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Independence Day"

Happy Birthday America! 229 years and counting. :)

-Jon
posted by Jon at 4:34 PM  I   I  0 comments