Dreams of Snakes and Rabbits and Music

Dreams of last night (very vivid):

I was in some kind of Survivor show, but it seemed like a goofy one. There was something British about it (no offense to the Brits, it just wasn't gung-ho Americana machoism). We had to climb past or kind or go through a next of baby snakes. They were all pinkisn and had very big teeth. The word Cobra went through my mind.

I picked one up, a pink-ish one, and it bit me on the wrist and arm and it hurt like hell.

I left there and somehow joined a group of amateur musicians. We all played recorders, and I was first chair, and my recorder was shaped like a soft, stuffed rabbit. Another musician, a man, had one that looked like it was made of wooden blocks, and they kept kind of coming apart. I couldn't play at at all - really, not at all - so I was worried that I was in the leading chair, but no one seemed to care. We all tried to make a note or two for about an hour, then called it quits for the day and they all said 'See you Tomorrow!' - it was all very jolly.




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back to work...

I haven't been here in a while. A long while.

But even though it looks like February outside at the moment, spring seems to be working its way into my mind. And my energy.

I saw two shows yesterday - the first with Finn: the Sichuan Opera, presenting Monkey King & the Flaming Mountain, at the last Giant Magnet. Acrobatic wonders, face-changing (which was AMAZING) - just extraordinary performers. Their very fingers were eloquent - they had so much control over their bodies, it was unbelievable.

Second show: Patton Oswalt at the Moore, 9:30 show, with Kenny. Kenny! My husband - OUT of the house, not only at night - for a 9:30 show. Crazy. For anyone who knows me (and really, who else would be reading this) - this is insane. It was like we'd been magically transported to 2003, pre-parenthood, pre-pregnancy - wow.

And the show was awesome. Just awesome - I have not laughed so hard in years, I don't think. Another masterful performer - he was perfect. And he made it look so easy.

And everyone at the Moore was so damn nice! I met a great lady at the door, while Kenny was parking - I told her I'd won our tickets by re-tweeting something and she pulled out an iPod touch and started following me and we talked and talked. The guy at the snack bar made us wait for popcorn until the new stuff was popped, so it would be good and not old and stale - and I watched him give another woman the old, stale stuff. And then we saw Teddy. My old friend, house manager of STG. Looking and sounding wonderful, just the same as ever. All this before the show!

The Moore.

If all goes well, I might get to be on that stage come August - See Me Naked, during the WAA Conference.

Please, gods and goddesses - I really really really want to do that.

Amen.


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A big smile and two big ears - that seems to be me.

I got to write this weekend, for 14/48. What a gift - to write, to have the impetus of a deadline, to remember how to flex those muscles. And 2011 will hold See Me Naked, and by golly I'm gonna write more.

I'd like to write now, but it's 7:33pm, and my husband is talking to me, and my son is talking to me, and I love them both - and I guess I could just transcribe what they're saying because I certainly cannot hear myself think.

Sometimes they talk and talk and talk to me, they can see me typing, but it's like the laptop doesn't exist for them. Sometimes I think I just appear to be one gigantic ear. Two gigantic ears, ready to listen to them forever. Maybe I'm smiling in their imagination - a big smile and two big ears. That's me, that's the mom and the wife.

I need my own goddamn house.


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Two - No. Three. Three Plays. One Week. The Future.

Somewhere, sometime, somehow in the last few years I must have said to myself:

"I want to act again."

Because I have noticed, when I say things like that, they eventually happen.

Tomorrow - Monday - and Tuesday, I rehearse See Me Naked. For the first time in three years.

On Wednesday, I rehearse Belle of Amherst. Thursday, I perform Belle, at the beautiful Womens' University Club in downtown Seattle.

Friday, I tech and dress See Me Naked, at the funky and awesome Open Space for Arts & Community on Vashon Island.

Then, on Saturday, I perform See Me Naked.

Oh - and I forgot something - tomorrow night I actually have a rehearsal for another play - B4, by Kathy Hsieh - for a reading that will go up November 7 and 8.

This is my week.

And sometime in between all of that, I'll write one or two grants and start the fundraising letter for one of my places.

So Kenny and Finn are leaving me alone right now, blessedly. I am hoping for 4 hours, but will likely get 2. See Me Naked is far from my memory, which is odd - for years, that show was one I could pick up in 15 minutes or less.

I'm scattered, internally. Abuzz.

I am acting again. Like, really. The Belle performance on Thursday will be number 36 or 37 or something like that - and may be my last full one. I have a gig to perform a short section of it at a fundraiser November 14, and who knows after that.

See Me Naked? Here's the thing - UMO has started working with a new booking agent. He books a very successful show all around North America - Defending the Caveman. The creator of that show retired to a ranch he bought in Montana. He doesn't have to work anymore. When I heard about that, I thought about See Me Naked, and I said, out loud, "I wanna be the lady caveman."

And Elizabeth said, "You have to do that show again." And I said, "Yeah."

And 10 minutes later I walked across the field to Open Space, and the wonderful director there Karen said,
"Hey - we want you to do See Me Naked here!"

10 minutes.

Life is... afoot, it seems.

I'll have made about 30% of my very tiny income this year from ACTING. On stage. In Seattle. That is mildly astonishing. I'd like to make 60% of a much healthier income next year from acting.

Next year, and beyond. I do. I want it. I wanna be the lady caveman. I wanna do See Me Naked enough more times to have some fun, earn lots of money, and then have other ladies take it over and perform it all over the world. I wanna sit and talk to Oprah at some point. I wanna retire to my own ranch somewhere and think about what kind of work I really want to do next, and not have to worry for a moment about scraping out a living.

Today. This Week. Next Year. The Future.


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Finn Judd's First Screenplay

Finn wanted to know if there was a Devil Duck cartoon movie. I said, “I don’t think so – why don’t we make one someday with the video camera? We’ll have to make up a story for it.” And he dictated the following story.


Finn Judd’s first Screenplay, as told to his Mom.

Title: Devil Duck Land

Once upon a time, a purple Devil Duck came, and she said, 'I love Devil Duck land!'

Then, a big mean Green Duck came and they were fightin'. Then, they said, 'I don't want to fight at each other!'

A big Mean Orange Duck came and he tried to kill Green Duck and Purple Duck. Then Orange Duck said, 'I Don't want to try and kill you!'

Then the big mean Red Duck came and he cried, 'I'm trying to kill you out of control!' Then he said, 'I Don't want to kill you out of control!'

Then a big big big spotted Devil Duck came and he tried to put Red Duck, Orange Duck, Purple Duck and Green Duck in jail. Then, the spotted Duck said, 'I Don't want to put you in jail!'

Then, the great big big Fire Duck came right over to Devil Duck land and he said, 'I want to put you in my mouth!' Then he said, 'I Don't want to put you in my mouth!'

Then a big big Pink Duck came running over to Devil Duck land and she said, 'I want to poke you on my horns!' Then she said, ‘I don’t want to poke you on my horns!’

Then a big big mean Clear Duck came running over to Devil Duck land and he said, ‘I want to put them in my squeaky!’

Then a great big mean Hapu (camouflage) Duck came running over to Devil Duck land and he said, ‘I want to put you in my beak!’ Then he said, ‘I Don’t want to put you in my beak.’

Then, a big big big Pirate Duck came running over the Devil Duck land. He said, ’I want to put you in my pirate’s treasure!’ Then, he said, ‘I Don’t want to put you inside my pirate’s treasure!’

(Cut to Mom writing: “Why are they changing their minds, do you think?” Finn: “‘cause that’s the movie I want to make up for them!”)

Then a Great Big Big Big Ginormous Green Devil Duck came running over to Devil Duck land and he said, ‘I want to poke you on my horns!’ and then he said, ‘I Don’t want to poke you on my horns!’

Then no Devil Ducks came running over to Devil Duck land.



The End.


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Acting, Emily - it's all about the Hair

Finn: what's that mask?

Me: What mask?

Finn: that thing, on your head!

Me: the braid? Finn: yeah.

Me: that's a braid I wear, to make my hair look long.

Finn: and that makes you turn into Emily Dickinson!

Me: Yes. Yes it does.

And therein, friends, lies the secret of all acting. It's all about the hair. Trust me. It is.

thanks to Emily Kight for putting it on my head every night, and to Mohini (aka MangoPowerGirl) for making me look so lovely in these pics.


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pretty, new, old summer sky magic

Do you like my new design?

I do. I love sky. The top photo is one I took, from the deck of Water's Edge, a great little double-wide we rented on the bay in Sequim. If I squinted, I could see the Dungeness Lighthouse off to the left.

The background is, alas, not my photo. But I have seen such skies.

And I want to see more.

I didn't even know I had a summer wish - and suddenly, there it is. Sometimes, writing is magic. It leads me to things that were lurking under the surface of the buzzy, to-do, "is everything gonna be okay" filled mind I usually scurry around with.

This thing - this until-now undiscovered summer wish:

I want to look at the sky.

I want to lay on the ground and just -

Look.
Up.
Quietly.

I think that is the medicine I need.

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