Mainstream

main-stream (v.): to watch an entire series in one go on Netflix, Hulu, and some other streaming service.

So what do you do? You go home at night, exhausted from your day job, wherein you work hard and fumble for the weekend, for the possibility of dreams that can play out over Saturday and Sunday, your chance to finally clean the house, organize your closet, your bathroom drawers, throw away all the junk food (ok, maybe eat all the junk food, and resolve not to buy anymore), exercise, exercise exercise, and...

You stare at your phone. You see that there are people that are enjoying life by consuming media - music and TV and movies and pictures and articles and there is so much, so much, it's all delicious, and you've always wanted to know all these things, have things to talk about, be a smarter person a fuller person a more complete person. And so you set out to absorb it all, like taking a dropper of the ocean and putting it in your own reservoir, drop by drop by drop, and you build your reservoir, and it is not quite as full as everyone else's, so you feel a lacking, a wanting, a need to explore, maybe you should take a trip, clean the house, do all the things you always want to...

But maybe it is just easier to watch Netflix. Find a new show. Watch Fringe. 70 episodes? Oh thank goodness - there is so much to consume. And then you will be the Fringe expert. No one will know as much about Fringe as you. JJ Abrams will overhear you talking about Fringe in a coffee shop and he will say, "Yes. You got it. You. You are the one." And your reservoir will overflow and commingle with the streams from other reservoirs and you WILL be one with everyone.

But that's a silly dream while you're sitting on your couch.

Get up. Turn off your screens. Turn off your phone. Turn off the radio. Listen to your own voice. All of these aspirations are inside of you. You just need to give yourself the time to listen to it. And not just 30 minutes of meditation or an hour of yoga.

Your mind will slow down. You'll lose the need for lists. You will simply know what you must do, and you will do it.

Mission

Create wonder for others in every moment.

Play your ukulele

Stop pretending art is hard. Just limit yourself to three chords and do not practice daily.

Play your favorite Beatles song, and make the subway fall in love.

No more antagonism

That last post was entirely too over-the-top (thank you for the comment all the same, Christian). So I figure, lighter fare from now on. Unless someone riles me again. Whoo boy.

Anyway, my selfish intentions were actually to post links to the reviews for my show, and once I take some time to figure it out, I'll even post a picture of the show up here. It's quite good.

Here are some reviews:

Jeff Recommended (the Chicago Tony’s)

Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times:

"To get straight to the point: Circle Theatre’s revival of Design for Living…is sensational on every level."

Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune:

“Coward's dizzying repartee and discursive discussions of art, commerce, science, love, marriage (and the many reasons to avoid it) bubble and pop like a firecracker in a bowl of champagne punch.”

Fabrizio O. Almeida, New City Chicago, Tip of the Week:

“From the elegant setting to the sparkling and dapper costumes to the persnickety mannerisms, every physical aspect contributes to the production's polished veneer.”

Tom Williams, Chicagocritic.com:

“The comedic timing and chemistry between Lund and Schoeny was smooth and real. These two were terrific…”

Ed Vincent, Oak Park Journal:

“The production is a fine tribute to the pen of Noel Coward and does break most of 10 Commandments, sans murder.”

Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest:

“He presents us with a glossy production that’s neither a mummified museum piece nor a dumbed-down sitcom. [Director Jim] Schneider recreates the era of double intermissions and double entendre with spirit and panache.”

Scott C. Morgan, Windy City Times:

“Circle Theatre’s Design for Living is filled with plenty of skillful fun and full of food for thought.”

Jenn Goddu, Chicago Reader:

“The show bristles with energy, and Jim Schneider's staging ends up coming together smartly…”

Hope everyone is well, come to our house for Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 19th! (I have a show that night, so I'll be MIA from 6 pm - 10 pm) But otherwise, it's the best party of the year (except for maybe Brent and John's upcoming post-Thanksgiving bash).

Oh Dear Oh Dear I've Fallen Off

There's a part of me that believes that no one will actually see this entry, as I have made little headway in post anything to this said blog in the longest of times. I've been pretty damn busy, and my propensity for witty reparte, or even monologuing, has been exceedingly diminished. But here I am, and here you are if you are in fact reading, so I'll make several observations that have come my way in the past two months:

1. I Am Getting Older: My knees have started to go out. I'm 23. I'm considering the purchase of arch supports, and shopped for them covertly while waiting for my friends to arrive so we could see the Aristocrats last weekend. This whole aging thing I fully expected to hit when I got into my thirties. Has my life been so wanton and carefree that I merit a slow physical deterioration. Oh pooh. Pass me the ibuprofen. It's gonna be a wild ride.

2. Don't Argue with a Drunken Mob: Just don't. Take my advice on this. Flippin wankers.

3. Cleansing a la "1984" and "Brave NewWorld" (or "The Giver" what have you): An edict went out last week that, get this, we good citizens must be on the lookout at public transit stations, because terrorists may be posing as homeless men in order to gain information on our transit systems. Report to your local authority whenever you see a homeless person, or someone who could be, on the CTA. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Somehow I find this a little more asinine than the duct tape. Thank you, Tom Ridge.

4. Confidence Is Easy to Come By: I was sucking at rehearsal this past week. SUCKING. And then I realized how little it mattered, and that I knew I could pull off this role, and do it well, and so I went to rehearsal Wednesday and did just that. Come see the show. Warning: I have to show my bum. So now you really have to come see the show.

5. eBay Users = CRAZY: I was going after this book I wanted to give to my sister for her wedding next week, something of sentimental value for both of us that's out of print. I found it on eBay for 3 dollars, which equals about the retail price of the book. Somehow, with seconds left in the auction, I found myself in a bidding war where my final bid was $29, and yet I still got beat out by a bid of $30 because of lagging refresh times. Not to mention the fact that some woman who had outbid me earlier in the week had a bunch of baby items she had bought for her new baby in her eBay listings, right alongside the WEDDING BAND that she bought on eBay as well. I'd love to hear the story behind that.

That's all for now, hopefully everyone is well, much love.

Oh, and my song of the week: Sugababes "Push the Button." Ridiculous and indulgent poppy fun.

News of my demise has been greatly exaggerated

I joked with my friend John this past weekend that perhaps I should make this a monthly installment blog. But that's totally lame. Let's move on, enough about me.

For those of you who haven't experienced the phenomenon of "Ca-brewing," you are sadly deficient in life experience. Of course, much like cornhole, this is probably a closely held Cincinnati tradition, Ca-brewing consists of getting a large group of friends together, renting canoes at a canoe livery on some river, and leisurely floating down said river with a cooler full of beer (or what have you) in the middle of a nice afternoon. You will get drunker than any sailor, and prepare the shock an amazement that alcohol CAN actually impare your ability to operate a canoe. I have the bruises to prove it. But, as I said, this isn't about me.

I went down to Cincinnati last weekend and did exactly what I described above, and happily got to see my family for a bit, as I won't be heading down there again until my sister's wedding in August.

I'm at work right now, and am bored from looking at this computer screen. Perhaps that's why I don't update as often: when it's your job to stare at a computer screen all day, guess what the very last thing in the world is that you want to do when you get home? No, not that. What kind of guy do you think I am?!

But I am alive, though I'm listless. Or antsy. One or the other.

Oh, and I was cast in a show I'm actually getting paid for. Ain't that rich?

I'll update again soon.

Fashionista Shmashonista

Simple question: have any of you been seeing this color an awful lot lately? Now, Paul, as you are in Sri Lanka being an amazing person and helping people that need it (besides ramping up for the introduction of your all new Sri Lankan Diet once you return), I don't expect you to have been washed over by the sea of fashion that each spring brings, but apparently Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Mugatu have all gotten together again to choose the new fashion of the season. Asinine, I tell you. Asinine. I think I've used that word in my blog before. Let's move on.

Yes, apparently there is a convalcade of fashionistas each year (so the rumor goes) that get together and decide upon the colors of the season, so they can all capitalize together on everyone suddenly needing to change their clothes in order to have the latest styles, and therefore keeping the fashion industry alive. I was actually impressed with the color of my friend Natalie's lime jacket when I first saw it. But then I saw another. And another. Now I can't walk down the street without seeing a sea of lime, mostly paired with the pink leftovers of last year. Why do I pay attention to these things? I don't know, an over-active iris perhaps. Regardless, I will now and forever be in blue jeans and a white t-shirt. There's a certain cartoon character nature to my appearance that I like to continue.

Now, for something completely different, I was cast in a new show yesterday. Pretty crazy, but nice, as I was going a little crazy with this new-fangled thing called "free time." The night after Birds closed I was a little lost for something to do. Then the same thing happened the next night. By Wednesday I was near panic at the idea that there were ten thousand things I should be doing but suddenly my creativity had left me. The nature of being busy somehow keeps me busy doing a lot of things. The second my schedule frees up... well, it's just scary.

Last week, however, I got a lot done, I skipped a concert on Monday and cleaned at home instead, saw a movie on Tuesday, went to a play on Wednesday and Thursday, audition on Friday, and then another play last night. Unbelievable how anyone could ever be content just sitting at home and watching TV. Except for the fact that that's mostly what I did today. Well, that, and Tiger Woods 2005. New favorite game. Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

At some point during high school, senior year I think, I went and played a full 18 holes with my friends John, Kendall, and perhaps (not sure) Kate Amburgy. Whatever happened to her, don't ask me. After that experience, I somehow learned to enjoy watching golf on television. Don't worry, I don't think pro bowling is very close behind.

Besides, pro-bowling isn't fashionable, and I'm all about fashion. See, everything comes full circle. Thanks for urging me to update guys, I like to think that my seamless ramblings are a little insight into the things I'm doing. But really, if I ever start to tell you about my teeth-brushing schedule, a la The Daily Calme, just shoot me.