The Fight for Fight Club

tonight I can safely say that a task of mine has finally been completed.

ok, here's the reason behind it. For my film class I have to write a three page paper on an analysis of a selected film provided on the handout. Figuring that it would be interesting to see and write about, I selected Fight Club for the paper. Now this thing is due tuesday, so the goal is to get my hands on a copy, watch it about three times, then get it done before Tuesday.

Wednesday. Moon plaza shopping center. Both video stores, the nice one and the other one, do not have copies available for rent. And now, let me switch over to a mini-post.

The other video store

You see, in every town everywhere there's always two kinds of video stores: the normal real video store with 20 copies of every new movie, and the "other" video store. The normal store is your stereotypical Blockbluster: the carpets are clean, the people know what you're looking for, and the DVDs and games are in a decent playable condition.

The other video store is where most, if not all, of the video box art is faded to the point of obscurity, there's only a handful of DVDs, the entire place smells like a walking ashtray, and the games they have there to rent are the commonplace $20 bargain basement titles at K-Mart that nobody would ever play. And there's a huge sign that separates the normal from the other: if the cashier is watching a TV afternoon movie on a black and white TV, then you my friend have stepped full force into an other video store.

ok, back to the original entry.

So with a looming deadline of next Tuesday, and both copies being out at the normal and other stores, I looked to friends for a copy and found nothing. Frustration settles in.

and yet, amazingly it was a Russian exchange student that saved me.

Thursday night I called this girl I met online that goes to Bobby Mo. Her and her friends were partying and I called them as Vladamir Kolenshkov, whom TM2 people know from the skit "Vladdy Gras." After seriously making her piss her pants (alcohol was a factor) with the witty Vladdy comedy style, Saturday rolls around. Long story short, I rode with her and the same friends from Thursday to Best Buy and now have a copy of Fight Club.

By the way, excellent movie.

But while I was there I noticed this one clerk wearing, get this, Underarmor underneath his Best Buy uniform. First off, Underarmor is a more manly version of saying "guy's spandex." UA is supposed to be worn for athletics or working out, not lugging boxes at Best Buy. "If you wear Underarmor underneath your Best Buy uniform...you might be a toolshed."

That in an ode to Jeff Foxworthy, circa 1998.

So now that the madness of finding is over, in comes the madness of writing a paper for it. Now that's gonna be interesting.

bah.

Working, Night #5: Revenge of a Superstition

before continuing with this recap of the finale, allow me to share with you a line from the Sunday matinee of Grease back in November:

"One superstitious rule of theater for me is to NEVER, EVER talk to audience members until after the show, Godspell being an obvious exception."

Doug and Courtney, both Colonial Theatre alumns showed up at intermission to visit with the cast. While I can make an exception that they are still Colonial Theatre people, they're still audience people.

Never let audience people visit until after the show.

In the second half the curtain rips during the phone scene, with a long piece draping down near Ashley A. Later on, Mike forgets his lines during his song. Ad libbing in his old man character "You forget your lines when you're older. But then they come back to you."

Wow.

But other than those two huge slipups the show went good and it was a good closeout to the show.

I would like to thank the cast and crew of Working, from ticket sales to stage crew to lighting to "the big 3" to the fellow castmates. More importantly, I would like to thank everyone, required or not, that came out to see the show and support the theatre program.

So where do things go from here? Grease DVD showing Wednesday, practice starts for One Flew Over Thursday, and the cast party (unofficially) is Saturday. Sounds like a busy week still even after the show's over.

Working, Night #4: Family and Cackling Women

Saturday crowd wise was the best show of the 4 nights so far. But it did come with an interesting twist.

During the Charlie monologue, which is one of the more funnier parts of the show that I do, it got a good laughing reaction. In fact, to one women it got TOO good of a reaction. There was this woman laughing, and I mean laughing violently, which everyone else in the theater hears perfectly. And there's me still giving the monologue, trying my hardest not to laugh. Seriously, it was this close to breaking up in laughter. But I pulled through, got a great applause, and had a terrific show.

Cast party in case you're wondering is next week because of the Sunday show. Expect pictures then.

Working, Night #3: Parents and Familes Night!

So why do you ask that this show is "Parents and Families Night?" You see, last night's show was on the same date and time as Fight Night XV. For those not familiar with RMU, it's Intramural Student vs. Student boxing sanctioned under US Ameteur rules. To my immediate knowledge not one RMU student was at the show for obvious reasons. Fight Night annually gets A LOT of people to show up.

Suprisingly was that the crowd was about the same as last night in both response and in population. To all the familes, friends, and people that came out tonight I personally would like to thank you for coming out to see us Friday.

As for the show itself it ran through the usual motions and was very strong with really no slipups. A good taping show if the cameras were in use (they were last night.)

According to the producer Saturday will be a really big show in the words of Ed Sullivan. Something to look forward to, having some people in the left and right wings.

And still no formal plans of a cast party. If there isn't one that's ok, but it would still be cool to have one somehow.

Working, Night #2: A good crowd, a better night

The second night of the show was far better than opening night, because we ironed out a few wrinkles and had a really great crowd to support us. Strangely I've been getting a lot of comments regarding my acting skills, mainly on the Charlie monologue. Though I'm ok at singing and dancing, acting is the best skill of the three that I have. Compared to Footloose and Grease, this and Godspell were shows that made lasting impressions on the audience.

After the show some of the cast went off to Buffalo Wild Wings. I declined, considering how last year's attack of the seasoned shrimp lead to the worst case of the runs ever in my life. So no offense to the cast, but I'm avoiding BW2's for a while.

Working, Night #1: Pot O Gold

Opening night is officially in the books, and while there still needs some touching up it was a very good show. For opening night, compared to Grease, the crowd was fairly light, only filling up the middle section. But that doesn't matter, a crowd is a crowd and a show is a show. Doesn't matter if you perform for 2 or 200, still gotta do it good.

So really overall a good first show that's hopefully bound to get better with a bigger attendance.

POT O GOLD!

Bring on the troops

before I go into detail with this post, my cousin Sharon has been hospitalized with heart problems. I'd appreciate it if you sent some get well soon messages on her blog at http://www.perspectacles.blogspot.com/. Even if you don't know her on a personal level, just send her some good messages. And Sharon, hope you get better and things work out ok for you.

Ok, onto the musical now.

At the beginning of the new semester two questions were raised. One, can a musical be done in less than 6 weeks? Two, "Why aren't you guys doing Hair?" After 6 weeks of working on Working, I can say that it is indeed possible. And if you're still thinking we're doing Hair, then you shouldn't be reading this post. Afterall, do you see any posters advertising Hair?

Working is going to be a unique show compared to previous RMU musicals. The energy isn't from massive complex dance numbers, but instead an energy that comes from within. It's got a lot of meaning and emotion behind it, and hopefully it might relate to the audience and their respective day jobs.

Tickets are $10 ($5 for RMU students) and are available online at www.rmu.edu/theatre. The show is Wednesday through Saturday at 8 pm and a 2 pm Sunday matinee. Tell your friends, family, coworkers, classmates to come see it, because it's gonna be a good show.

Fri...uh, I mean Saturday 5 spot, 2/5/05

due to an impromptu glo bowling outing Friday night the 5 spot is here on Saturday. Go for it.

1) $760 for a box of Apple Jacks with bowl. click the link and you'll understand why.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=25210&item=5160695893&rd=1

2) Leroy Wells. Touring with Gangster Mouse and Compton Ass Gary.
http://www.collegehumor.com/?movie_id=112848

3) The 7 foot tumbling pass in a living room. for real.
http://www.collegehumor.com/?movie_id=110260

4) This is what Brown (and Green) can do for you:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=817&ncid=757&e=10&u=/ap/20050204/ap_on_fe_st/mailing_marijuana

5) The Colonial Theatre presents Working, February 16th - 20th at RMU. tickets available at the link below:
http://www.rmu.edu/OnTheMove/findoutmore.about_rmu?iattr=redirect&ipage=66168