Puppets and Casting and fun fun fun!

This weekend was quite possibly too much fun.  Too much in the fact that I am still recovering for the second day after all the fun that was had.  So let's get into it!

Friday night was the big day at the Museum of Photographic Arts!  Crystal worked her butt off to edit the video of all the awesome puppet pictures that Rich took, and turned it into a really fun stop-animation film.  She really deserves 90% of the credit in getting it all done.  Crystal-  you have proven yourself to not only be a huge asset to our group, but an inspiring and gifted artist.  I feel so blessed to be working with you, and I love you!

The way we were set up to perform was as an "opening act" to the Puppet film fest, along with a couple other puppet acts including the awesome "Strings and Things," and the gracious hosts of the evening- Animal Cracker Conspiracy.  We were set up in the Gallery with a projection, and Brendan/ Evan read a bit of the scene leading up to the film, and the monologue that describes the action in the film.  It was hilarious.  We got a great reaction from the crowd, and seemingly a lot of people interested in us!  Buzz!

Here are some pictures that doesn't really do how cool it was justice- but I wanted to share.  There were some professional shots taken as well, so hopefully I'll grab them when I can.

I had to write down something to say.  There were at ton of people there, and I had to introduce us right!

I figured Evan would secure our female/gay audience's intrigue.  Look at that putum!

Puppet shenanigans!

We had support!  The majority of the company made it out, and a couple friends-of showed us love!  This is the lovely Matt, a friend of the beautiful Ashley.  Sam was very much enjoying the wine at this event.

All in all, it was a wonderful start of the long journey that will be mounting this show, and creating enough intrigue to build a company that can have staying power.

Saturday night we went to see beautiful company member Soroya strut her stuff as a questionably-gendered German Ringleader at the Ruby Room's Circus-themed event.  Check out how awesome she is:

How hot is she?  Her performance inspired 'Circle Circle dot dot' to probably get more 'festive' then we should have.

And finally, Sunday was a day of reading, schedule-maneuvering, and final casting choices for the show!  I am happy to announce the final cast of "The Break Up Break Down":

Missy: Soroya Rowley

Tommy: Brendan Cavalier

Kaitlyn: Crystal Mercado

Alvie: Evan Kendig

Sandra: Sam Ginn

Jay: Patrick Kelly

Mel: Melissa Coleman Reed

Jane: Wendy Savage

Cecily: Jacque Wilke

Ivan: Kyle Sorrell

After some final connections with two beautiful local actresses- all of the pieces fell together.  From now until our reading in April we will be working on physical explorations in the studio- and I will be documenting all of it!

Thanks everyone for reading.  This continues to get more and more exciting with each passing week.

Amazing Weekend!

Something I realized this weekend that set into me pretty deep is the fact that my free time is now gone.  If I want to make this happen I have to dedicate every moment outside of my wonderful job (that I am always kind of working on) to do it.

But really...what am I doing during my free time?  Hanging out with my friends, talking about art, wanting to be creative....it seems like I've found the ability to do just that- and be productive towards an amazing goal.  So I think I'll be ok.  Check back in June when my hair might turn white from stress.  I might look good with white hair though.....so maybe it'll all work out.

Here is what work happened into the weekend:

Thursday: met with the AMAZING Matt Lescault-Wood, and tried my hardest to glean some of his superior photoshop knowledge in order to fine-tune our logo and work on future designs for postcards, websites, programs....etc.  Here is what we (mostly he) created from my previous work:

It's cleaner, and it transfers to black and white with ease.  The colors can easily be changed, and it is awesome!  I'd proudly wear this on a T-shirt.  (: Thanks for everything Matt!

On Friday Crystal and I worked hard to finish the puppets for our film. Then on Saturday the amazing Rich Soublet helped Crystal, Ashley, and I create our puppet film for this Friday's Adult Puppet Cabaret performance, by taking AMAZING pictures of our puppets in compromising situations.  I wont give away the film, but here is a little snapshot of Rich hanging with the Brendan puppet:

How amazing is Rich?  And how AMAZING is the Brendan puppet?!?  Crystal is proud, rightfully so.  He rocks- and so will this film.  We are so excited and honored to be able to share it with the Puppet-loving community in San Diego.  They are such an awesome underground group of giving and supportive people who I truly hope to collaborate with in the future.

Last, but certainly not least, the company- Sam, Brendan, Soroya, Crystal, Ashley, Patrick, Evan, and I had a little photoshoot for publicity purposes and for the help of constructing online marketing profiles.  My amazing friend Aaron Rumley came out and took beautiful pictures of us hanging out, being jackals- and just trying to showcase some of our personality for the world.  There will be many more to show off once I get our website and Facebook page up, and we are still going through all of them and picking out the ones we love the best (228 pictures and gold in all of them!)- but here are a few that have stood out so far:



Everyone gives great face in this one.

Yes.  Sam volunteered to get in that dumpster.

For those who don't know I have an affection for mustaches.

The group loved this fallen tree in Morley Field.

 

Well there you have it.   That's all I've got for today.

Everyone should come out to the show on Friday!  Support some fabulous local artists and check out CCDD's sneak peek!  Check HERE for more information!

Grant-writing.

On Saturday I took the better part of the beautiful San Diego day to sit in my room and fill out a Grant application for Circle Circle dot dot.  It was actually the first Grant I came across- it was due within a week of my finding it, but I decided I was up for the challenge despite a busy schedule.  It required I speak on the audience interaction of our project.

Since I believe all of our pieces will be Community-driven Theatre, it was not difficult for me to speak on this.  I also hope to one day turn this into a fully-functioning project with Community-Outreach and educational services.  I have always dreamt of starting an Augusto Boal-styled Community-Based Theatre troupe, and I think this is the perfect opportunity with the perfect group of people.

I'm going to keep this brief.  There is a lot going on, and many projects happening that I am allowing members of the company to take lead on, because I trust them, and that feels magnificent.

Tomorrow Brendan is meeting with a Lawyer to fast-forward our non-profit status.  Crystal continues to construct puppets to my delight.  She sends me pictures, and I for the most part want to keep some of these things a surprise.  Patrick is working on designing his set, and building a model for us to see.  On Sunday, we have our Company Photo Shoot for marketing purposes, so you will be seeing our faces more and more.  I am working on finding an affordable website to call our host.  In other words- things are moving along swimmingly.

This weekend I had the opportunity to sing in a show.  It was a fabulous experience and my heart felt full with the blessed chance to perform.  Tomorrow I will be acting for the second time in a staged reading with Triad Productions at Diversionary Theatre.  I did this last Tuesday as well, and it was a lot of fun.  It is good for me to be doing this now, because I will be working a lot behind the scenes for Circle's show.  A lot of the cast asked me why I didn't just act in and direct the show, but I just decided it wasn't the right way to go about things.  Especially for our very first production.  I will be acting with Circle Circle dot dot in the future, but now is the time to be in charge, and to make sure this piece can launch us with staying power in San Diego.

Ok, I'm done rambling on.  I hope you all enjoy the beautiful weather we have in store this week.  Go see the ocean- it will inspire you.

Puppet Day!

We have a potentially awesome opportunity to present a puppet piece for the Animal Cracker Conspiracy Adult Puppet Cabaret coming up at the Museum of Photographic Arts on the 28th!  If we can get our shit together and create a snippet that will be featured in our production happening this summer in time, we will be presenting and promoting the show on that night!

This is a big "if," as it is requesting us to get a very intricate part of the production done waay ahead of schedule-which would be great, but would make for a scramble of work to be done this month.  It will be up to our puppet Goddess Crystal, to see if she has it in her schedule this month to make that happen.  If not we will be at this performance, promoting somehow- maybe in our own makeshift Puppet Show.

Animal Cracker Conspiracy is so cool, and they seemed enthusiastic about us, so we hope to collaborate with them somehow in the promotion of this project as well as potentially with future productions.

Today was a practice round of puppet creations as Company members Sam, Ashley, Evan, Brendan (kind of), and I came to Crystal's home and worked on making Slutty puppets for what will be a stop-animation film made for the show.  Crystal had an abundant amount of supplies, and after we joked about her "Hoarder" status we got down to it.    Here we are at work:

This doesn't look like much, but this is the start of Ashley's puppet she entitled "Brrr".  Pronounced with a tongue roll, that I can't do.  But, like most of us, inspiration for her puppet started with the boobs.  Can you see them?

I too started my slutty puppet building with an emphasis on boobs.  Really, where else should I start?  We found old Egg cartons made for a very nice puppet rack.

Brendan took his position as resident nerd and worked at taking apart an old DVD player for potential puppet parts.  Brendan was also there as inspiration for the main puppet character in the piece.  Notice the lofty pile of puppets that Crystal brought out to share with us next to Lord Geekdom on the couch.

This is my puppet queen herself Crystal, working on her own puppet creation.  The hair was truly inspired.

Evan had a unique boob-creating technique.  Crystal seemed concerned.

This picture has really nothing to do with any puppet creating.  Just Sam, displaying herself birthing a dragon.  Like she does.

Here are the start of the proud slutty puppet creations!

Crystal's sultry lady!

As you can see, it was a proud day one for all of us.

Hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into our insanity!  The craziest thing is that all this work is literally going into about 2 minutes of our production.

Thanks to our  devoted group of artists who would dedicate their Saturday afternoon to this insanity.

I will keep you posted on whether or not we will get it all together in time for the 28th!

This is our year!

Since I have opened up the news of our company starting with the internets, I have gotten a great response from friends, and a couple of questions from outside sources.

We are working on:

-Nonprofit status.

-Mission statement perfecting.

-Grant research for start-up companies.

-Fringe Festival submissions.

-Everything.

Oy.  I started this list and then quickly realized there was too much to put on it.

Luckily for me, my new years resolution is to take better care of myself, and to become more aware of what I am putting in my body.  So, for the first four months of 2011, I will be Vegan, and will not drink.

Fun!  Not....really.  But I'm going to do it.  It will also be an amazing time to focus.  I'm going to work hard at my job- which I love.  And work hard at this- which I also love.  So as long as I am in love with everything I am doing, I think the work at taking better care of myself will not be so bad.  I am ready for a change, and ready to take the time to focus on what needs to happen.

 

I'm a little chatty today.  I think it's because I feel inspired.  It's the new year and there are real goals to obtain.

 

I hope everyone is as excited for 2011 as I am.  I hope that you all take this journey with me, and we are stronger, happier, and better artists because of it.