Charles Lewis III, jumping back into the game.
“Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years”
– LL Cool J, “Mama Said Knock You Out”
As I write this, I’m a few hours removed from finally seeing Into the Woods. For personal reasons I didn’t take part in Theater Pub’s month-long series dedicated to the stage show, but I went in to the film expecting the worst (given the terrible fucking advertising) and wound up being somewhat pleasantly surprised. It’s not perfect by any means, but this isn’t a review so I won’t dissect it piece-by-piece. It just struck me on my way home that this was one of the first three films I’ve seen in 2015 (after the great-but-flawed Birdman and the campy thriller The Boy Next Door) and two of those films have direct links to theatre. The first stage production I’ve seen has been our Satyr Night Fever, I’ve attended my first Saturday Write Fever in almost a year, I spent the last two weekends doing box office for one theatre company, will spend the next month doing it for another company, and I have my first stage audition of the year happening two weeks. And I’ve put some Olympians gears into motion.
After feeling like a hamster running in place with nothing to do, it’s clear that my personal theatre year has begun.
It’s a bit exciting, thankfully not terrifying. Exhausting, but not terrifying. In the few short weeks of our new year, I’ve been on my feet much more than I’d expected to be. I’ve been constantly running from one place to another with a bag that’s twice as heavy when carrying the laptop I use to write the words you see before you. I’ve been trying to have dinner with two of my best theatre friends for the past two weeks, but sickness and scheduling conflicts have put it off. All this running around and lack of exercise has screwed up my circadian rhythm and made me more of nightowl than usual (which is often never). Plus I have yet to be paid for a commercial I shot weeks ago. Thankfully I don’t have any health concerns; I’m just pissed off that I’m not getting my usual eight hours sleep and waking up at 6am under my own power.
But I’ve adjusted well enough.
But then who would I be to complain? That commercial I shot was just the first of two well-paying jobs I’ve done recently, including one of my first voiceovers (for which I was paid – very well at that). I’ve run into friends I haven’t seen in forever, I’ve written things that confuse even me (because I don’t know where they come from in my subconscious), and I’ve seen considerable improvements in my personal life in regards to employment and dating. Plus I have keys to a theatre. Just this past Monday, I was speaking to one of our new co-ADs about the power trip that comes with having keys. Needless to say an evil supervillain laugh is a requirement. “I have access to the cupboard with the extra toilet paper – mua-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!”
I guess the point I’m trying to make with this is that after trying my best to take full advantage of the “downtime and balance” that was our theme for January, it was a bit jarring to have to hit the ground running. But I’m keeping it all in perspective, so as not to bitch when people out there have real problems. Hell, people close to me have real problems and responsibilities and my biggest concerns in the immediate future are choosing an audition song and deciding which Super Bowl party I’m gonna go to. I’m trying knock out a few quick bios for theatre websites and actually mulling over directing offers. I just wish I weren’t awake at 2am right now with a pounding migraine, sore feet, and a few weeks’ worth of aching muscles.
But make no mistake, I’m excited about what the new year holds and I’m glad that it’s finally underway. It’s the fire in my belly that I needed and I hope for good things in the year to come. If the films and shows I’ve seen so far are indication of what lies ahead, then I’ve got a lot of entertaining productions in my future.
But seriously, go see The Boy Next Door. It’s fucking hilarious and there’s gorgeous nudity of both genders.
San Francisco Theater Pub 