September 2009

1: I was the first to arrive for Indiana Repertory Theatre's Season Auditions, so I was seen about an hour and a half later.  After my two contrasting, the Associate Artistic Director asked how long the drive was.  I ran into Paul Wallace there, so we headed off to get lunch at a nearby Steak 'n Shake and catch up on things.
2: Watched Incredible Story Studios - Star Struck, which I think was a gift from April that I'd had for a while.  I sat through it and then gave it back to her.
4: Watched The Fountain with Justin & Peter.
6: I auditioned before my appointment for a short film (at that time titled The Truth About Lying) that was supposed to film in Wicker Park not long before I'd be moving north.  I read for the role of Eric 1, a sci-fi nerd; the director asked for something "different" on the 2nd read and liked the end of what I presented.
12: I participated in New World Arts' 24/7 Play Festival - that is to say, 7 short plays completely produced within 24 hours.  So I showed up around 9am and rehearsed most of the day for the 2 showings that night.  We were first in the lineup, which meant breathing easy after finishing and getting to truly enjoy all the other plays.  Our show was called Paging Dr. Love and had some great, comedic moments.
15: I auditioned for a couple musicals at Cardinal Stage Company - The Sound of Music & Little Shop of Horrors - which meant a little different selection of material than usual for me.  I was asked what other songs I had considered, what roles I was interested in and then to sing some of "Suddenly Seymour" (which I then wished I was little more familiar with).
20: Finished reading The Merchant of Venice.
21: On the way up to St. Paul, stopped in Chicago for my scene in (what was still titled then) The Truth About Lying.  I had been cast as Eric 2, a similar but slightly less vocal role.  But they paid a little more than they had said in the audition notice.  Lots of fun in the five-hour shoot.  I then hustled over to try to make Lookingglass Theatre's Season Auditions.  I arrived before the end time listed, but at first the Producing Artistic Director said they were done for the day.  But he relented and even gave me some time to collect myself (I had a rather harried time getting there during rush hour) before launching into the one monologue.  He asked who my character was talking to, suggested a new headshot and chronological resume, then asked where Riverside was and what was my most recent credit.
22: Intro to the full company of Othello and then the read-through.  The leads had already been rehearsing for a week or something, but it was the first day for most of us.  I started the day with 0 lines and had 1 by the end - a sailor delivering a message had not been previously assigned.  Yay!
23: Rehearsal for Othello.  I was barely on time, not being very familiar with parking in the area.  We blocked I.i-II.iii
26: Chris emailed me a draft of Fall of Gotham, which I read immediately and got back to him with the roles I preferred.
27: A few days off before the next rehearsal, where we blocked V.ii, blocked and added fight choreography to V.i and then worked on some odds & ends: II.ii-iii; how to portray a soldier in the period we have set the play in, salutes, etc.  Then an hour off to eat before running the whole show!
29: I had intended to crash Guthrie Theater's Season Generals (as I have crashed countless other Equity auditions in Chicago, and a few in New York).  So I arrived about an hour and half before they began, and not until a half-hour later was notified that no non-union actors would be seen, regardless if there were open slots.  I was able to leave a resume/headshot, and was told that the Associate Artistic Director and Artistic Administration Coordinator would be attending Othello.  Even with my bicycle having broken down en route, this left me plenty of time to get to Othello rehearsal, where we worked more on blocking I.i-II.i.
30: At rehearsal, worked on II.ii-iii.

July 2009

3: Swing Dance Party with various folk including hosts Brigid & Sarah.
5: First Much Ado about Nothing rehearsal - a read-through and discussion of the script and production.
6: The next day, went to a partial costume fitting for Much, although my pants were still to come.  Then rehearsal, mostly staging.
7: More staging at Much rehearsal.
9: Definitely finished my own re-reading of Much Ado about Nothing by this date.
11-13: More Much rehearsals, including the first day inside due to rain.  Staging until the last day, when we worked through part 1 (ending after III.2).
14: Up to Chicago to audition for Theater at the Center's Noises off.  I got there pretty early, and they started early, so I got in before appointments started.  The Artistic Director asked if I lived in Chicago.  I get that question a lot.  Then back to Indy for Much rehearsal, staging scenes in our part 2.
16: Worked through part 2.
17: Back to Chicago for Victory Gardens Theatre's season auditions; I arrived about an hour and a half before the next person, so of course did not have to wait overlong (after things started, that is).  The Associate Artistic Director asked if I lived in Chicago (see?); I tactfully replied that I wasn't sure exactly what I'd be doing after Much Ado.
18: Much rehearsal, working scenes.
19: Chicago again, via Oak Brook for auditions for First Folio Theatre's indoor season - no Shakespeare in the season or the audition.  Then a brief meeting/audition with a couple folks from LimeGreen Entertainment to be considered for their 48 Hour Film Project team (backup for me, since I am already on another team).  And more rain, so rehearsed Much indoors at Butler again.
20: Finished reading The Taming of the Shrew.  At Much rehearsal we did a stumble-through of part 1, then notes and scene work.
21-23: Much rehearsal the next night was a stumble-through of part 2, again followed by notes and scene work.  Next night worked III.3 and IV.2.  And then a stumble-through of the entire show (with notes of course).
25: The Chicago 48 Hour Film Project!  I ended up having a small role in one scene of a mockumentary called Inside America.  About four hours for shooting that scene.  We were temporarily awarded Best Use of Line of Dialogue, but since the film was turned in late we were actually ineligible for that award.
26: This night's rehearsal involved talking with the director about my character (Conrade); I also sat in for the Borachio actor's session.
27-28: Run-throughs with notes.
29: First rehearsal (run-through with notes again) at our venue, White River State Park.  (We're part of the park's Family Art Series and go under a couple titles/tags: Free Shows Where the Grass Grows; also Shakespeare on the Canal.)
30: Technical rehearsal for Much.  Microphones.
31: We open Much Ado about Nothing, to a big crowd!

May 2009

2: Auditioned at River Bend Film Festival for a vampire series called Dark Secrets, which involved a cold read for the main character as well as a prepared monologue; noting Quantum Leap: A Leap to Di for on my resume, the director asked if I knew Ed Ernstes (of course!).  Then over to Goshen for an audition for both a) an unnamed, supposedly soon-to-be-created summer stock theatre and b) a short film trilogy called Samuel - A Journey of Discovery.  For the latter, I did a cold read for the Messenger in part III; and for the former, two monologues (the director stopping each midway and asking for more emotion) and two songs.  I haven't heard anything since about the company.  And back to River Bend to audition for various films by Big Hat Cowboy Productions, cold reads with another actor of two roles in two shorts.
4: Short wait, thanks to an early start, for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's season auditions.  The artistic director wanted to know how long I had been in Chicago, didn't ask for a second monologue - and had not seen the production of Midsummer I had done in Cincy.
7: Star Trek Versus Batman was chosen by Fan Cinema Today as "A Top 5 Must-See Star Trek Fan Film".
9: Headed down to Noblesville for a table read of Shoki's Bag - read for Caper and Inquisitors 2 & 3 - with Gavin Rulon in the lead and lots of Indy folks I had acted with, or had been in projects with if not scenes, or knew by name.  Then chatted with various members of the team about editing, role-doubling, casting name actors, etc.  After lunch, hung around for a meeting of a team - a director and several writers - for the upcoming 48 Hour Film Project.
12: Longer, but not unreasonable, wait for Goodman Theatre's non-musical season auditions.  I felt like I really rocked my two monologues that day.
15: My callback at Boarshead for Death of a Salesman ended up actually being for the role of Biff, not Bernard.  Read a scene (from "Did you see the new football" to "This summer, heh?") with another actor as Willy.
16: To Rochester to audition for a feature, Goss Acres, and a web series, In the Box - the latter was to have ongoing single-day shoots (with different casts) through the year.  Did a monologue as well as a couple of cold reads.  One of the auditors requested an extra resume to consider me for a separate project, Leach.
17: Watched Seven Pounds with Justin, Pete, James & Matthew.
21: Waited most of the day for Indiana Repertory Theatre's season auditions.  I even let another auditioner cut as she had a rehearsal as an understudy for Rock and Roll at the Goodman, which cost me an additional half-hour.  This did give me time to finish reading Inherit the Wind.
23: Auditioned for several different indie film projects.  A feature, One Night (cold read of a scene as the lead); a DePaul MFA thesis feature The Waves, plus earlier project Crossing the Lake (a monologue and a chat, questions about Star Trek Versus Batman); a horror short Haunted (monologue and questions about my experience, comfort level with various things, etc.); and an untitled short/music video (monologue and talked about the plot).
24: Watched The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian with Pete, Sarah, Joe, Collin & Matthew.
27: Rehearsal of Haunted (read/discussed the script, rehearsed look/actions, discussed wardrobe)
28: I was the first in line for Timeline Theatre Company's season generals, so I didn't have to wait terribly long - a couple hours.  Spent some of that chatting with Andrew Redlawsk, and some finishing The Drawer Boy.  Then went to do my monologue and remind the artistic director that he had called me in previously to audition for The History Boys (after getting my name from another theatre; I had been on tour with NTC at the time of the audition and into the rehearsal period).
29: The next day, again saw Andrew, and Cristina Panfilio, while hoping to be seen at Actors Theatre of Louisville's Season auditions, and finishing reading Boom.  But I had to leave for a callback in Indy for several of Cardinal Stage Company's productions - Inherit the Wind, Boom & Drawer Boy.  I was being considered especially for Jules and Bertram Cates, read 1 side for Jules, 2 for Miles, 2 for Cates - the second repeated with a couple redirections.  While I was in town, stopped by an open call for a short called Sunday Morning, where I cold read a sides 3 times with various imprecise redirections.
30: Attended the season auditions for Meadow Brook Theatre; while waiting, saw Paul Riopelle, who suggested a Claudio-in-jail monologue from Measure for Measure would be a good audition piece for me.  After a couple monologues, the artistic administrator checked whether I had any conflicts and the managing director wondered whether I had a place to stay in the area.
31: A twelve-hour shoot day for Haunted, with the three person crew (including the director) and one other actor.

January 2009

6: Drove to audition for Shakespeare Festival St. Louis' The Merry Wives of Windsor.  The artistic director asked how I had heard of the company, and where I was from, then said it was worth the trip.  I got down there early enough to lunch with Mary Woll beforehand.
10-16: Rehearsals for The Further Adventures of Louie the Lightning Bug at The National Theatre for Children, with Vanessa Miller.  Vanessa ended up with laryngitis by the end of the week, so we left town without a school preview, though this was after we got to share a run with the company (and see everyone else's varied takes on same and similar (and one different) shows).
14: Earlier, I left the company picnic midway to catch buses over to St. Paul and audition for Park Square's Othello.  The director/artistic director asked about my favorite Shakespeare experience and also the locations of Riverside & Bridgework.
20-23, 26-30: Many performances of The Further Adventures ... at many schools.  We spent some time near South Bend, so I was able to work on graduate school applications as well as a few other things.
22: Brigid & her kindergarten class saw the show when we were at her school in Elkhart.  That night was the 20th Annual Notre Dame Student Film Festival, which included the premiere of Prologue, one of whose directors bought my ticket.  First time seeing the completed film.  Also enjoyed seeing another short by the creators of Through the Window, and one by Joe Gleason with several folks I know.  Mary Claire, two Lauras, Jeremy, and a bunch others were also in attendance.
23: My parents, younger sisters, and my niece Abby (16 months) saw another local performance of The Further Adventures ...  Abby seemed to pay attention well for her age.  Of course, she had already seen one of my Bridgework shows nine months earlier, didn't cry or fuss then either.
29: Being in the area also meant I was able to usher for an Actors from the London Stage production of Much Ado about Nothing at Notre Dame.  I like the format (five actors, no director, little cutting, minimal props/costume) of their shows.
31: I attended the first graduate school audition, for Hilberry Repertory Theatre/Wayne State University.  The panel found my resume "impressive" and interviewed me regarding what I want out of the program.  I did well enough to be invited to the callbacks not a half hour later, which included a lot of snippets of instruction/play in movement, voice, rhythm and improvisation, then a cold read from Waiting for Godot.

Surprise! jaw's edge of a dangerous game, thanks for the picture-window title.

[These dates are from 2008 - sorry for the negligence!]
1 October: Auditioned for Cardinal Stage Company's Treasure Island & Santaland Diaries, which was mostly prepared readings from sides. They seemed to like my outlook on Snowball, and walked me through some imaginiative work on one of the two Jim Hawkins' sides. I guess they're going much older for the pirates, etc.
2 October: Auditioned for FTP Pictures' For Travis Preston, a short 'dramedy'. Cold read for a lead (Cory) and one other mystery role.
Then ushered and watched Pasquerila East Music Company's Edges, a song-cycle lightly-reminiscent of JRB.
4 October: Filmed a couple scenes (9b, 11) of TOW with fellow cast Adam Newell, Christopher Hunt and Michelle Shea Walker - I found out about 9b upon arrival; it was written the previous night. Brilliantly-sunny, apropros for the scene despite the actual temperature. A nice lunch afterwards.
5 October: Readthrough of Out the Window [later retitled Through the Window], and then they took some photos for use within the film.
7 October: Audition for an untitled feature, including cold reads both from the script (the lead, Tad) and a side from Jaws, reinterpreted per a different character description.
10 October: Filmed half of Window. Did I mention I'm starring with a SAG actress (on student hiatus), Lucy Lavely?
11 October: A meeting/readthrough for Prologue [for an ND Advanced Film Production class], then they had me record two takes of the v.o. which runs throughout the film.
That night, watched The Express again, with Kyle, Beka and Marcus. Marcus apparently missed the whole point of our going, at one point, excited and/or incredulous "What? Daniel's in this movie?!", before they all saw my moment of Hollywood fame. Kyle wondered how anyone could miss me 'mugging' up there . . .
14 October: Busy day. First, started filming a then-untitled b/w 'noir' [later: Thanks, I Owe You One] ; then, finished up on Window. Then a meeting about a stage production of The Passion of St. Marcellus for the feast day, and finally another about Prologue, checking out possible costumes and discussing scheduling and several alternate endings.
15-16 October: More filming, eventaully finished Thanks.
16 October: Watched Ironman with Jon, Justin, Dan and Kyle (I think).
20, 25, 27-29 October: Rehearsals for Marcellus, myself in the title role.
24 October: Another v.o. session for Prologue.
30 October: Two performance of Marcellus, one for a school and the public one - part of the anti-war events that day sponsored by The Center for Peace & Nonviolence of St. Joseph County.
Also filmed a scene (2) for Prologue, involving some interesting camera movement and as many extras (mostly other students from the class) as could be wrangled.

informal, heavy puppet express fu

8 September: After the previous late night filming, made my way (via Dayton and visiting my brother and his family) down to Charlotte for the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) fall professional auditions. As usual, the space is quite dry, so that coupled with being in the first group of the morning may have kept my audition from excelling. Still felt pretty good.
I had several callbacks. Jefferson Performing Arts Society asked for my headshot/resume. Then I had another with The National Theatre for Children, whom I have seen before at an UPTA and another time as well (maybe two UPTAs?). Pat remembered me right off and I jumped into some cold reads and a bit of improv. We interview a bit after that, and turns out we had added some more people in common acquaintance. Next was an informal callback with Harold Clurman Laboratory Theatre Company (new professional wing of Stella Adler Studio of Acting). They hadn't cemented their season yet, so just expressed interest in my talent as they could gauge from one short monologue! Johnny had worked with Bridgework a while ago, so we talked about that some, and he also encouraged me to look into their Studio also and forward along any questions.

9 September: On the way home (again with a rest in Dayton), stopped in Indianapolis for a reading of TOW with a portion of the cast/crew. Some heavy hitters among them, at least for Indiana.

10-11 September: A few final rehearsals of Complete Works - a lot of improvements had continued in my absence.

12-14, 16, 18-21 September: Run of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) to mostly enthusiastic crowds. Due to my duties (calls, running a few props, puppeting the Ghost), I couldn't see most of the show, but every night I could watch the Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet-interactive scenes, which were the highlights for me anyway, so that worked out well.

17 September: Got a chance to catch a sneak peek of The Express in Chicago, although they overbooked and I, even leaving right after work, was not near enough to the front of the line. I ended up explaining that I had traveled to be there, had worked on the film and would really appreciate getting in, and a few of the nice ladies from Davis Entertainment found a way to make it happen. They got me into an alternate screening with the Boys & Girls Clubs, which was an experience in itself. Dennis Quaid (flight-delayed) finally came in and gave a stump before they rolled.
The film was better than I had expected; the editing, which was not exactly to my general tastes, worked well for this story, although it did make it difficult to look for myself in the background. Finally saw myself near the climax of the film, laughed out loud at the characterization I had effected in that few seconds (and probably a bit from anticipated surprise as well).

27 September: Saw Kung Fu Panda with Kyle at the dollar theatre. Funnier than I had expected from the previews, which I think were misleading; still sachirine and a falsely-deep 'philosophical' bent.

ghost-private technician

Ongoing: More rehearsals for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), solidifying my involvement as Assistant Director, Stage Manager and Puppeteer (for the Ghost of Hamlet's Father).

27 August: Auditioned for The Swan Repertory Theatre Company's Private Lives. I got to the Equity office early and it was not busy, so I got to do my monologue and then had time to look over an Elyot scene (with Sibyl), and they had time to ask several question about my experience at Cincinnati Shakespeare as well as the locations of Riverside Theatre, The Old Creamery Theatre Company and Southeast Missouri State.

6 September: Filmed my scene (11) in Quantum Leap: A Leap to Di for, with a role as an IT Technician. The real focus of this scene was the impressive set, which had to be completed before filming began. This allowed for some downtime with the always-enjoyable cast and crew. We did a group photo that night as well.

close complete, leap pineapple, ribald fortune

10-11 August: Final performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Felt good, even as it was bittersweet, to see one of the new actors mouthing lines in the audience, to meet another replacer for one brief night before we left the house, to ride over with a new intern getting started on this show, at this theatre and on her path.
We then struck Barefoot in the Park. Odd closure to dismantle a set never-used, to stow our own equipment for additional performances.
I like a lot of the traditions this theatre has, too, for opening, closings and so on.

14, 18-22 August: Over a brew at the local pub, discussed some problems (health and otherwise) the Civic Theatre's production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) has been having, and agreed to join, for an indeterminate period, the ongoing rehearsals. So I have been holding book, taking stage managery-type notes and offering assistant directory-type suggestions and commentary. They have discussed the possibility of me serving as stage crew as well, although I have some conflicts during tech week (and have been auditioning for additional possible conflicts).

15 August: Traveled along with a friend for his scene (6) in Quantum Leap: A Leap to Di for and ended up helping out as a cord wrangler and general p.a. Great energy among the cast and crew!

16 August: Watched Pineapple Express with Kyle. Not knowing much of what to expect from the film, I was reassured by Kyle's assertion that he doesn't really see bad movies (although we had previously watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls). Turned out to be hilarious, unobtrusively-formulaic and slightly subversive, although having a few tone wrinkles. Some good performances by some actors I don't know or hadn't thought about much.

20 August: Auditioned for Lookingglass Theatre's 2008-2009 Season, which includes The Brothers Karamazov (an adaptation of one of my favorite books), Our Town and Arabian Nights. The producing artistic director then asked me some questions and had me redo my monologue, bearing more presently in mind the line that encapsulated my objective. Nice to be able to receive some feedback and take direction at an audition!

23 August: Auditioned for The Sapphire Theatre Company's Lysistrata, the premier production of a new theatre in Indianapolis. This involved, in addition to the monologue, telling a joke. So, of course, I told my favorite, the stupid pirate joke. It was also fun to hear some of the other auditionees jokes, a wide range of joke-style among only a few samples - and all bearing in mind, at least somewhat, the tone/subject matter/concept/bent of the play. I was only able to read an old, somewhat stilted (but in other places quite amusing) translation (Jack Lindsay) of this work by Aristophanes, while the production in question is from an adaptation by the theatre's founders.
I ran into some cohorts there, Nikki (a lead in A Leap to Di for) as well as Lynne (director of all four Bridgework shows), Matt and Emma (her husband and precocious daughter), and then had an amusing lunch with that last three.
Then auditioned for Tow (Grillbust Productions), a murder-mystery feature. This one was a cold read, with which I didn't think I did anything too spectacular, but the auditors appeared to be appreciative. Not sure I'd really like to play the character for which I read, but I will be considered for other roles based on the read.