Last week I handed off this poster (24″ x 36″) that I designed up for the Waynesville Public Art Commission’s “Art Connects the Parks” dedication at the newly redesigned mini-park on the corner of Depot Street and Main Street. The park now features that fancy railing shaped like the mountains. Alas, I didn’t draw the illustration at the top of the poster. That was done by the designers of the new railing. The poster was kinda fun to do. It’s always a challenge to make what is essentially a list of names look visually appealing.
Daily
Sooooooooooon!!!
ZOMG … December 17th can’t get here fast enough!!!
Second Best Birthday Present Ever!
Even though my birthday was last month, I received a late gift last night and it is freakin’ awesome!!! I have a thing for propaganda iconography, and this book hits the spot.
Some Theater History
While we were working on “The Little Foxes,” one the fellas who was new to our theater started quizzing me on what shows I had been involved in and just how many total I had done. So, I got curious (as I can’t remember it all off the top of my head) and complied the following list. The acting and tech credits are not in chronological order. And the super sad thing is that I am sure I am probably missing a show or two …
DIRECTING:
Rumors: A Farce (1999)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (2001)
Rope (2003)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Baber of Fleet Street (2004)
Closer (2005)
Little Shop of Horrors (2005)
The Full Monty: The Musical (2006)
Cabaret (2007)
Floyd Collins (2008)
Rabbit Hole (2009)
Seussical (2010)
ACTING:
Camelot (Ensemble)
Witness for the Prosecution (Carter)
Annie (Ensemble)
A Christmas Carol (Ensemble)
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Bazzard)
Charley’s Aunt (Charley Wykeham)
Oklahoma! (Ensemble)
The Rainmaker (Sheriff Thomas)
Annie Get Your Gun (Charlie Davenport)
Diamond Studs (Ensemble)
The Secret Garden (Ensemble)
Lettice and Loveage (Surly Man)
Carousel (Ensemble)
Into the Woods (Jack)
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Brother)
Treasure Island (Ensemble)
The Diviners (C.C. Showers)
Lend Me A Tenor (Bellhop)
South Pacific (Ensemble)
The Elephant Man (Ensemble)
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Ensemble)
A Little Night Music (Henrick)
Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood (Logan)
Children of Eden (Ensemble)
The Three Musketeers (Ensemble)
Titanic: The Musical (J. Bruce Ismay)
The Fantasticks (Bellomy)
Cryano (Ragueneau)
Guys & Dolls (Benny Southstreet)
Parade (Leo Frank)
Oh Coward! (Ensemble)
Ragtime: The Musical (Ensemble)
Orpheus Descending (Dog)
Showstoppers (Ensemble)
Bat Boy: The Musical (Dr. Parker)
HONK! (Drake)
The Producers (Roger Debris)
The Little Foxes (Horace Giddens)
Art (Yvan)
Coyote on a Fence (Bobby Reyburn)
Minor Demons (Deke Winters)
Early One Evening at the Bar & Grille (Shep)
Glengarry Glen Ross (Williamson)
Antigone in New York (Policeman)
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
The Complete History of America (Abridged)
Social Security (David Kahn)
Wit (Jason Posner, M.D.)
Only Human
TECH CREW:
Foxfire (Sound Operator)
Brighton Beach Memoirs (Lighting Operator)
The Diary of Anne Frank (Stage Manager)
The Crucible (Stage Manager)
Steel Magnolias (Sound Operator)
A Streetcar Named Desire (Sound Operator)
Ragtime (Lighting Operator)
The Gin Game (Sound Operator)
Raney (Tech Director)
The Sisters Rosensweig (Lighting Operator)
An Inspector Calls (Lighting Operator)
The Sound of Music (Lighting Operator)
The Women (Lighting Operator)
Working (Mulitmedia Operator)
Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Stage Crew)
Grace & Glorie (Stage Manager, et al)
Painting Churches (Lighting Operator)
Picnic (Lighting Operator)
Ordinary People (Stage Manager)
Blithe Spirit (Stage Manager)
Walking Across Egypt (Lighting Operator)
The Vagina Monologues (Lighting Designer)
Hedda Gabler (Lighting Operator)
Post Studio Stroll (Self-Doubt Edition)
Franke, Susan and I hit the River Arts District Studio Stroll yesterday.
And …. I always feel conflicted after the stroll.
We go and we walk around a lot of studios. We see some really cool art. We see some really overly commercial art. We also see some art that’s just plain bad.
Then I get home and I am looking at the business cards and brochures for the artists who’s stuff I like and I get depressed. Yeah, I get depressed.
I get depressed because 20 years ago I was drawing, painting and making stuff all the time. I don’t do that anymore. It’s maybe (and that’s a big *maybe*) once every six months that grab a pencil and doodle something out. And yet, we spent the day yesterday seeing people that have studios and are doing it … making art on a regular basis.
Could it be my job that keeps me from it? Does that funnel what creativity I have away from doing “art” on my own and into just doing “design” for work? Could it be that I have worked so long moving things around in InDesign and Illustrator that I just don’t know how to get what I want out of a pencil or a brush.
I started a couple of art pieces earlier this year. They each got to a certain point and I just stopped working on them. They looked okay, but I felt like if I somehow managed to actually finish them they would probably suck. And if I ever did work up the nerve to show them to people they would be thinking all the same thoughts I have when I see that really bad art on the Studio Stroll.
Ultimately, what it probably boils down to is my utter terror of failure.
And I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that I should quit whining about my lack of initiative and fear of failure on the art front and just get off my duff and start doing it. And you’d be right.
Annual Studio Stroll Shadows: Chas., Franke and Susan
Day Late, Dollar Short
Sheesh.
Been one crazy week or so here in the mountains. We completed the final week of rehearsals for “The Little Foxes” this past week and opened last Friday. People seem to like the show and it’s great to finally be up and running in front of an audience. Two reviews have popped up so far … one on the Mountain Express Theatre Blog and the other in print today in The Guide (the local cheesy entertainment paper).
I shouldn’t really say “cheesy” as the reviewer had this to say about me:
“A major player in scope and script is the part of Regina’s sickly banker husband, Horace. Veteran HART actor Charles Mills nails it, as usual.”
Talk about ego inflating …
Meanwhile .. in weather news:
We had our first snow of the season over the weekend (November 6th to be exact)!!! Of course, everyone is freaking out that this means we might be in for another super snowy winter.
I say, “Bring it!”
The view from the back deck this past Saturday morning.
Post MoogFest
I had a day ticket to MoogFest this past Saturday and saw some cool bands.
I had never heard Caribou before I saw them live. They kinda knocked my socks off.
Massive Attack played later in the evening and knocked the roof off the Civic Center.
Holy Christmas!!!
Post Florida
I’m back safe and sound from Florida and MonsterFest ’10 with Dr. Phibes and Co.
This was probably the laziest MonsterFest ever! And that’s not a bad thing. The only time we were out of the house was the trip to the bowling alley and then to the shooting range on Friday. Past that we lazed around and ate lots of food, drank a lot of beer and watched a lot of movies.
Movies we watched:
“Troll 2”
“Terror Train”
“Friday the 13th” (Original)
“Night of the Creeps”
“5 Million Years to Earth” (aka “Quatermass and the Pit”)
“These are the Damned”
“Doctor Jekyll and Sister Hyde”
“Ils” (aka “Them”)
“Lifeforce”
“Frozen”
“My Bloody Valentine 3D”
“My Bloody Valentine” (Original)
“Reptilicus”
“Dead Girl”
“The Brain from Planet Auros”
“I Married a Monster from Outer Space”
“Kingdom of the Spiders”
“Elvira, Mistress of the Dark”
“Godzilla vs. Megalon” (MST3K Version)
Big ups to Dr. Phibes and Co. for a super great time!
On Friday Afternoon
We went to the gun range and, after some training, I am now ready for the Zombie Apocalypse.
MonsterFest ’10 is Nigh!
Screw work.
Screw responsibility.
Screw rehearsals for “The Little Foxes.”
Screw colder weather.
MonsterFest 2010 with Dr. Phibes and Co. is nigh!!!
ZOMG! “Macabre” on DVD!!!
Zounds! Look at what very, very out-of-print movie has finally made it DVD courtesy of the Warner Archives Collection … William Castle’s “Macabre” (1958). It’s the movie that was so scary that you got life insurance given to you when you went to see it!
The fact that this is finally available commercially makes me wet my pants!!!
Fall Hike to Hemphill Bald
Tom, Chris and myself romped out in the wilderness yesterday for a spectacular fall hike. We hiked to Purchase Knob (and the Appalachian Highlands Learning Center), saw the Ferguson Cabin, skirted across the property of The Swag and ascended to the top of Hemphill Bald.
Talk about spectacular!!! From Hemphill Bald you can see everything … literally. There are views of Max Patch, Roan Mountain, Mount Mitchell, Craggy Dome/Gardens, Mount Pisgah, Cold Mountain, Waterrock Knob and Standing Indian Mountain (just to name the highlights) … plus Jonathan Valley, Canton, Lake Julaluska, Cataloochee Ranch and Cataloochee Ski Area.
Here’s some pictures …
