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    18.3.07

    300, IV, & V

    Yes, I went to the opening night of 300 & yes, it's as good as you've heard (meaning the critics hated it, so you'll love it). There's something for the guys (brawling, conquering, braveness in the face of insurmountable odds, bloody battles, etc.) & something for the ladies (cut looking men wearing not much....I guess that applies to something for some guys as well...), and everyone in between. I thought it was a wonderful adaptation of Frank Miller's novel, which makes three for three with Batman Begins and Sin City being the other two. Happily the filmmakers of each of those respective films stayed true to the look and feel of the originals and I think it's paying off (what else can an opening weekend gross of $70 million, the highest grossing opening in March EVER, tell you?).

    Henry IV wrapped & despite blanking on stage on the final Saturday performance for a line (& recovering and getting through - something I have never done before & God bless improv skills), the run was very well received and the reviews reflected as much. Not to rest on our gilded laurels, we are already into rehearsals for Part Three of (and the conclusion to) The Henriad: Henry V. I've got even MORE lines than I did in IV and am more freaked out about it than I was for IV, if that can be believed. I am in both Henry V & Creme de Coco (over at St. Ambrose University) at the same time, which is insane, but I'm already off-book for the latter, so that's a minor amount of relief I can take in the situation.

    If you haven't seen Borat yet, you owe it to yourself to at least see it once. It won a Golden Globe & was nominated for an Oscar so it must've done something right. It's out on DVD now so do yourself a favor and NetFlix or rent or do whatever you have to to check it out. I think it was easily one of the funniest movies of the year and definitely will have you talking & thinking about America and our view on things at it's conclusion. By the way, the box art, DVD art, & the menu are freakin' brilliant.

    What's more is the chameleon-like performance of Sacha Baron Cohen. Watch Da Ali G Show, Borat, and then Talladega Nights & I think you will be shocked at realizing that he can make you not see the actor playing the role, but believe that this character could so easily be a real person in that environment.

    Thanks to my friend Casey, I have discovered a new amazing show for anyone remotely interested in Shakespeare (or someone that is a part of a theatre company for that matter) entitled Slings & Arrows. This show is wonderful and has more inside Shakespeare jokes & subtle references than Shakespeare In Love does. The cast is impeccable and all pretty much have ties to the Startford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, which the entire show is essentially lampooning - and their love for the Bard as well as the insane situations that many a theatre person can identify with shines through. The first two seasons are available on DVD, and the third (and final season) is currently airing on the Sundance Channel, for those of you lucky enough to receive it.














    I was able to do some CSz shows again as the rush of the Prenzie shows subsided and it never ceases to amaze me how only one weekend away from doing improv just seems to eat away at me as being too long to not perform. As I'm entering my 13th year at CSz, I realized that I could probably realistically count on barely two hands the number of weekends that I have had "off" from performing down there - & I'm not counting weekends I was on vacation or in another show of some kind, I'm talking about weekends that I was a
    vailable to work and had the nights off, but still found myself down at the theatre and thrown into a show (much to the chagrin of an ex of mine). It's a genuine passion & I think it's b/c it's one of very few things that I feel I can do well at despite still having so much to learn about it and still coming away with something else to think on every time I walk off that stage.

    In closing, I don't know if any of you are familiar with the whole GAP (RED) campaign yet or not, and I'm not going to sit here and preach about it, but I think it's a
    pretty good idea & a great take on dealing with a very serious issue. So if you get the chance, head over to GAP.COM/RED, & give it a read.