Wednesday, May 2, 2007

where you at?

I have no idea how many people read my blog. I have a few regular readers, some who leave a comment now and again (and I read their blogs, too, almost regularly). And I know Polly reads my blog, but I suspect she's just checking up on me. Anyhow, I might have more regular readers if I would write more consistently. I've made promises to myself to do it. I want to start doing a regular "sketch of the day" feature. Mostly, I find myself too busy or inspired, and sometimes just too damned tired to do it. But I do keep promising that I will...I'm only promising myself, though. I'd feel bad about it if I promised you, blogreader, and didn't deliver. But at this point, I've broken enough promises to myself that I just sort of expect it. I don't find myself to be too trustworthy.



Here's something kind of fun...head over to The MoonTopples Blog and try your hand at short fiction. The "Great Big Awesome (short) Fiction Contest #2" or GBA(s)FC #2, is Maht's second outing hosting a short fiction contest. The first one was fun, and there were a lot of good stories. I took a stab at one. You can read it here. As you can see...there was at least one mediocre story. I don't know if I'll try to write something this time. I'm going to try...but I'm a little bit busy these days.

Because....


I'm in a play. Sort of. I've been trying to decide how to pimp this thing...because...well...I'm not really acting. But...I think it's going to be a good play. And the lead actor is very good...which is important, because it's mostly a one-woman show.

Okay...here's what happened. A director I worked with a lot in college had retired, and wanted to start up a new theatre ensemble. He called me up and asked me to help out with his first production with the new company. The show involves a lot of monologues by the lead character, and two other actors flit in and out of the action playing multiple characters. And there are two stagehands who move set pieces and hand props to the actors as the show progresses. I am one of those stagehands. Occasionally, we interact with the actors. But it isn't really acting. A well trained monkey could probably do what I'm doing in this show. (I'm less prone to fling my feces at the audience, though.)

I've done this before, for the same director...but that show was Kafka's The Trial, and I and my fellow "propmaster" were there as an ominous presence to enhance the paranoid tone of the piece. And at the end, we got to execute the lead. I don't get to kill anyone this time. But I do get to pretend to play violin.

So it's weird for me to talk it up...I think it's going to be a good show...I think the actors involved (those who have lines) are very good. But I feel like I have to explain it too much. So anyway...that's why I'm extra busy these days. That's what I'm up to. If you want to read more about the show, which is called Scrambled Eggs, click here.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am one of the faithful blog readers you spoke of... and I check back daily (largely due to the fact that I find my life rather dull and my words rather un-anything). However, if you think YOU don't expect enough of yourself, imagine my process of self-actualization when I realized that I'm too lazy to even post a comment or two. Blah.

basest said...

thank you anonymous. I think I can say with great confidence that you are one of my favourite readers. And you are very likely an attractive and intelligent person. Of course...you are anonymous...so...my words only mean so much.

Chris said...

Hey bass man don't be too hard on yourself if you're not able to post every day. It's all about the quality. Some times life does get in the way but when that happens at the end when things settle down then you've got something to blog about.

I think you should reconsider the feces thing, could shake things up ;>)

The Moon Topples said...

If it helps, I'm pretty sure that 10% of all blog entries begin with an apology for a lack of recent posts. It is certainly a recurrent theme over at my place.

Hope to see you over at the GBA(s)FC, but if not, maybe you'll start commenting again.

Anna MR said...

Hey basest, get yourself statcounter and you'll know who reads you and when.

Hope you have your email alarm system up and running, as I am commenting here on an "old" post. I just had to tell you how, in the late 80s early 90s, this experimentalish theatre group rocked Finland's cultural life (and got a hell of a lot of publicity for it) by throwing their own faeces at audience members. The group called themselves Jumalan teatteri, Theatre of God.

Just to give you some ideas, in case your play doesn't get found by the viewing public. Which I'm sure it shall. Break a leg, all of you.

basest said...

anna,
i think that faeces-throwing is always good for publicity...and I'll keep it in mind. Our show was not very well attended last weekend (the publicity machine is somewhat distracted) and if things don't go well this week...well..the shit may fly!

Anna MR said...

Mm, our opening weekend last week could have done with some faeces, methinks - we fought against the Eurovision song contest being arranged in Helsinki for the first time (I realise that as an American, you won't understand just how phenomenal a phenomenon this was, so I'll just leave it to you to google it for yourself - believe me, it was a Big Issue), the finals of the ice hockey world cup (yes, Finland was playing for gold - and lost), Mothers' Day, and fabulously good weather.

This week has been much better, tonight we had to turn people away, but they were a big and unfriendly audience, as opposed to small but enthusiastic last weekend. Give the latter back to me, I take it all back, I don't want size, I want quality. x