Last night I went to see the second of 5 New York Fringe Festival shows I will see this week. The first was decent with fantastic acting, the third I expect to be decent, the fourth and fifth I don't have high expectations for. The second, however, "Almost a Fantasy" written by Michael Aguirre, directed by John Grabowski, and produced by Chelsea Rep LAB, is one of my favorites I've seen at Fringe in the last four years. Aguirre has written a play who's accomplishment seemingly surpasses the playwright's youth. No doubt the thoughtful, skilled direction and remarkable acting performance by Danijela Popovic are quite a boost in the presentation of the work.
The play chronicles the twenty year relationship between a piano teacher and her student. A snippet of early dialogue contains the phrase "inappropriate relationship" and I immediately feared I was going to be watching a Mamet/Harrower homage. Where most playwrights, even those far more seasoned, would go for the highest conflict Aguirre goes for something less sensational and achieves something far more honest and thought-provoking.
If you want more details, see the FringeNYC site or check out the reviews online via Google search. Better yet, go see it. Just go. If you're not moved, I'll pay for your ticket.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Mairzy doats...
"Mairzy doats and dozy doats and little lambsy divey"
Why is that stuck in my head today? Maybe its because I'm searching for something trivial to focus my thoughts on. That's probably also why my walking theme song this morning was "Mah-Na-Mah-Na". That can make for quite an entertaining morning by the way. Walk through the city streets of New York with that running through your mind and imagine it scoring everything you see. The woman fighting with three bags and a toddler becomes much more sadistically funny with a little "do-doo-do-do-do" after every foible. In fact, most of life's little pains-in-the-ass bear much less weight when marked with a hearty Mah-Na-Mah-Na and followed with a playful do-doo-do-do. That it is my exercise for the day, to score my life with a Muppet song.
Why is that stuck in my head today? Maybe its because I'm searching for something trivial to focus my thoughts on. That's probably also why my walking theme song this morning was "Mah-Na-Mah-Na". That can make for quite an entertaining morning by the way. Walk through the city streets of New York with that running through your mind and imagine it scoring everything you see. The woman fighting with three bags and a toddler becomes much more sadistically funny with a little "do-doo-do-do-do" after every foible. In fact, most of life's little pains-in-the-ass bear much less weight when marked with a hearty Mah-Na-Mah-Na and followed with a playful do-doo-do-do. That it is my exercise for the day, to score my life with a Muppet song.
It's stuck in your head now isn't it?
You're welcome :)
do-doo-do-do-do
Monday, August 6, 2012
"Deserve's got nothing to do with it."
When someone tells me what they think they deserve, sometimes I just laugh. When I tell someone what I think I deserve, sometimes I just laugh. Usually, its much later and after hours of introspective consideration. Sometimes it's after a good slap upside the head.
Deserve. Such an interesting word, such a loaded word. What do you deserve? Should you get what you deserve? To quote the man with no name, although some call him Will Munny, "deserve's got nothing to do with it."
Deserve is such a subjective thing that there can never be an absolute measure of what someone deserves. Although, we often have a crystal clear picture of what we feel we deserve from others.
I deserve a pony... and a kick in the ass. Will I get either? Probably not. Most likely just a dream and some verbal abuse. "Deserve's got nothing to do with it."
I deserve to be able to pursue my dreams and the art for which I was trained without having to split my focus with a "day job". Will that happen? Probably not anytime soon. I will most likely have to have a "day job" for quite some time. Most people who are responsible and are able to take care of themselves will have to work. It's the price of being an adult. We all have to support ourselves. "Deserve's got nothing to do with it."
I wish we lived in a world where people got what they deserved, or at least could see more clearly what they deserved. It would be much easier to decide how to treat people, that's for sure. It would also take a lot of the nut-bags off the streets. It would also mean that we lived in a world with rules and order, which we don't. We have laws and morals, but ultimately we live in chaos. We make choices, we live with the result of those choices. Sometimes we can't see how bad or good the choices are for days, years, or a lifetime. All we can do is trust ourselves and act in a way that is best for us and others. The key word in that last sentence, "act". We must act. Sometimes it may be easier to sit at home and do nothing and blame all our problems on someone else. This will never come to any good, for ourselves or others. We must act, we must do things, we must take action within our own lives. If you want something, work for it. Don't expect someone else to give it to you. Act.
Deserve. Such an interesting word, such a loaded word. What do you deserve? Should you get what you deserve? To quote the man with no name, although some call him Will Munny, "deserve's got nothing to do with it."
Deserve is such a subjective thing that there can never be an absolute measure of what someone deserves. Although, we often have a crystal clear picture of what we feel we deserve from others.
I deserve a pony... and a kick in the ass. Will I get either? Probably not. Most likely just a dream and some verbal abuse. "Deserve's got nothing to do with it."
I deserve to be able to pursue my dreams and the art for which I was trained without having to split my focus with a "day job". Will that happen? Probably not anytime soon. I will most likely have to have a "day job" for quite some time. Most people who are responsible and are able to take care of themselves will have to work. It's the price of being an adult. We all have to support ourselves. "Deserve's got nothing to do with it."
I wish we lived in a world where people got what they deserved, or at least could see more clearly what they deserved. It would be much easier to decide how to treat people, that's for sure. It would also take a lot of the nut-bags off the streets. It would also mean that we lived in a world with rules and order, which we don't. We have laws and morals, but ultimately we live in chaos. We make choices, we live with the result of those choices. Sometimes we can't see how bad or good the choices are for days, years, or a lifetime. All we can do is trust ourselves and act in a way that is best for us and others. The key word in that last sentence, "act". We must act. Sometimes it may be easier to sit at home and do nothing and blame all our problems on someone else. This will never come to any good, for ourselves or others. We must act, we must do things, we must take action within our own lives. If you want something, work for it. Don't expect someone else to give it to you. Act.
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