Last-minute audition

So I was on the web at 6pm and I found an audition notice for tonight, so I got myself together, ran out the door, flew up the highway, searched for the theatre, and then found no one there. Either they had cancelled the audition or left early, so I was up in the Allentown area with no plans. So I took my time coming home, stopped at Borders to browse, only barely escaping hearing the secrets of the last Harry Potter novel. So now I'm packing for a trip to Atlantic City to do some performances of "Tony N Tina's Wedding," wondering what it will be like. I'll be sure to tell you.

An adventure good for the soul

Now, this all happened on Monday, July 23. It's being posted a little late, just because I didn't yet have the energy to sit down and write it all out.

I woke up on Monday morning, finished packing the car, and then headed to the coffee shop in Naples for one last breakfast. I ran into two friends on the way, and we had a nice chance to say goodbye again. Then I got directions from the internet, got a little more coffee, and I was off on my way to Niagara Falls. The drive was very nice, and my new FM transmitter for an ipod was working perfectly. Instead of heading straight to the Falls, I took another road that led to Lake Ontario and I toured Old Fort Niagara, an old military installation where Lake Ontario meets the Niagara River. For almost two hundred years, it was one of the most important military posts in the country, as it controlled virtually all access to the continent. The fort has since been rebuilt and "historified," and the film and exhibits are very illuminating.

I spent a while there touring and taking pictures, and then I got back in the car and headed over to Canada to see the Falls. It didn't take long to get there, but one of the hardest things was trying to find cheap parking once I got there. Sure, I could have parked within sight of them if I'd wanted to pay $18, but I didn't, so it took me a while to find more reasonable lots. Then I walked around, went to the horseshoe falls, took lots of pictures, and the only thing I bought from the gift shops there was a bag of candy made with Canadian icewine. (Look it up.) Then I spent the last of my Canadian money in a tourist trap called "Lego Brick World," in which an entire town is built out of lego blocks. For the most part, it was completely assembled and displayed kits, but he did have some custom builds, including the Taj Mahal, the Statue of Liberty, and an amazing Golden Gate Bridge. Some Star Wars ships circled the display, but they were just the special edition kits, fully assembled. It was fun overall, but a little too tourist-y.

From there, I had another adventure trying to find the way to the bridge back to America. It took me several tries, but eventually I gave up, found the QEW highway, and then drove south to the Fort Erie bridge. The customs official searched my trunk (I must have looked suspicious), and then I found the highways home. I was passing Naples again around 10 at night, and I made it all the way to my parent's house in Hazleton before I found that I was just too tired to continue. So I rolled in around 2:30am, slept on the couch, got up at noon, and then headed the rest of the way home.

It was a grand adventure, and I'm a little disappointed to be home. It's nice and comfy to sleep in my own bed again, but I miss the area, the people, and above all, the work. I made arrangements to return to my job at Pella windows, and I'll actually be performing in "Tony n Tina's Wedding" this weekend in Atlantic City. I need to get ready for that, look at my script for "Red Light Winter," and then also learn my lines for "Romeo and Juliet." I promise I will try to keep this blog updated and exciting, but I will do my best.

I started packing this morning

Pushing dirty clothes into the suitcase, rounding up my bottles of wine, finding all the loose change I've collected while I've been here. I'm in the coffee shop getting ready for our last show this afternoon, and then we need to clean our stuff out of the dressing room and get ready to go. We're probably going to hang out tonight, drink some wine, before we all leave in the morning, but it feels like the end of the summer. We have to leave this beautiful area and go back to our homes. Truthfully, I hate to leave, but I'm excited about the projects I have coming up. I like being in the ensemble of a stylized show, like a farce or a musical, but I'm excited to do some scene-partner acting in my next few shows. I'll write a little more about this later, but I wish I was staying up here to do "Sleuth."

A busy social calendar

Sorry I haven't posted in the last week. It's been crazy. I had two friends come up to visit and spend some time on the lake, and we have gone to party after party while performing shows. On Monday, some local wine experts took us on a tour of a few vineyards around Keuka Lake, and I bought four bottles of wine. But it also gave me the idea to go around some on my own, and I might pick up some more. I got a few whites, but I should pick up a red or two. On Tuesday, we saw the new Harry Potter movie, which was a nice distraction, and then we had parties for the last three nights at different houses. Tonight after the show, we're going back to the house on the lake where we partied after a "Lend Me a Tenor." They want us back.

And oh yes, the show is going well.

First weekend

So the first weekend of La Mancha has come and gone, and suddenly I'm faced with only a week left in this town. Next Sunday afternoon will be my last show with Bristol Valley Theatre, and then on Monday I'll be setting off on my road trip adventure. My plans at the moment are to venture up into the Niagara country, maybe stopping by the falls, and hitting Rochester as I swing back south through New York to arrive in Philly again sometime later in the week. It'll be a nice and leisurely way to get home, rather than trying to rush home in a single day. I still need to submit my receipts for the travel up here, since I'll get the money back for gas and tolls, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Tomorrow we're going on a special invited tour of some local wineries with a few wine experts who are patrons of the theatre. They are taking us out in the afternoon so we can compare, and I'm very much looking forward to doing it with people who are experts on the subject. It should be a good time, and I'll be sure to post anything I learn about the different types of wine. It's crazy that I get paid to do this, eh?

Not the worst job in the world

So for the next week or so, I'll be getting paid to spend my afternoons hanging out, my mornings sleeping, and my nights performing. All in all, not a bad job. We opened La Mancha last night to a very appreciative audience, and I think we have another hit on our hands. It's a very funny thing, though, because since this show is so much easier than the last one on me, i almost don't feel like I have anything to do with the success of the show. Yes, I know that I am a valuable and integral part of the ensemble, but I don't do as much as I did in Tenor. But it's still satisfying, and a good show. Everything comes together at the end.

Another op'ning, another show

I'm called at the theatre in about half an hour so I can get into costume and be ready for mic check for Man of La Mancha. I'm very excited to open it today, but also disappointed that my friends from Philly aren't able to make the show tonight. There were last minute problems with work and such, so they weren't able to take the time to drive up here. It's a little frustrating since the plans had been set for so long and were changed at the last minute, but it's also something that traveling professional actors have to get used to. We're constantly performing for different communities, and sometimes it's a shame that our family and friends don't get to see our shows, but that's the way it is. My grandmother hasn't seen anything I've done in years, because it's always been too far for her to travel. That's one reason I would love to do more shows in and around Philly, so she can bring her friends, see my show, and then brag about her grandson the actor. Course, she'll brag anyway. But it's fun for her to see them.