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A quick update– I’ve been doing a show and you should come see it! It’s the People’s History of the United States with the Quest Theatre Ensemble and it runs through August 24th every Friday (8pm), Saturday(8pm), and Sunday(2pm). I have an unlimited amount of tickets to give out to friends… because the show is free (donations accepted, but not required)!

It’s been crazy hard work but a whole lot of fun; only in a Quest show could I play three different presidents, Johnny Cash, and a rain cloud. Yeah that’s not a joke, I play a rain cloud.

Read the reviews (Trib, Reader, Time Out Chicago), come see the show!

Oh and if you are coming. PLEASE make reservations! We’ve sold out every single show so far and we already have some pretty full houses for the last two weeks.

It’s true I probably could but the problem is time. Specifically there just hasn’t been time to blog recently and I apologize for that to anyone who still drops in looking for something new.

A grossly understated summary of what I’ve been up to follows in the form of lists:

I’ve been in some shows

• Feydeau-Si-Deau
• Durango
• People’s History of the United States

I’ve seen some awesome concerts

• The Dresden Dolls
• Billy Branch
• One of the Girls

I’ve seen some terrific theatre

• As Told by the Vivian Girls
• Our Town
• Columbinus

I’ve read some fantastic books

• Gould’s Book of Fish
• Little Big
• Fun Home
• Eats, Shoots & Leaves
• The Neon Bible

I’m soon going to be missing some friends

• Danielle (moving to Montana)
• Glen (moving… somewhere)

I signed up for my third Chicago Marathon

• Here’s hoping the weather is better than last time
• I had to register through a charity because I was slack and didn’t get signed up in time… again

I’m turning 30 in a few weeks

• I’m trying not to feel too old
• It’s not working particularly well

As pointed out in my last post, I’ve been cast as an understudy in Durango with the Silk Road Theatre Project.  This just so happens to be the first Equity show I’m going to do in Chicago; or so I thought.  Last Friday I got a phone call from Theatre Wit asking if I’d like to be in their upcoming production of Chemin De Fer (since retitled Feydeau-si-Deau) which goes up before Durango; they had an actor drop out and needed a replacement.  This is an Equity show as well and what’s even better; Wit takes part in the EMC program so I can earn some weeks towards joining Equity.  Thanks to the generosity of the folks at Silk Road I’ve been able to schedule both shows which will make for a busy but fulfilling summer.

I realize that the 4 or 5 suckers readers of this blog may have no idea how Equity works or even what it is.  Well it’s a bit too complicated to explain fully but in a nutshell Equity (or AEA) is the stage actors union in the US and there are a lot of benefits to joining.  By working with certain eligible theatre companies for a total of fifty weeks I can earn the right to apply for membership in the AEA; this process is called the Equity Membership Candidate Program (or EMC).  Just starting the EMC program gives me a few benefits on it’s own; mainly I’ll be seen before non-Equity members at any Equity audition.

I’m certainly not ready to join up yet but starting to fulfill those fifty weeks feels like a step in the right direction–and I might add, it’s a bit scary; progress always is.

In other news there’s a Lunar eclipse tonight and it’s beautiful.  Maybe it’s a herald of new things; maybe–as most ancient cultures thought–it’s a sign of impending doom.

Only time will tell.

(photo Luc Viatour)