The Unknown

In this strange yet exciting between-show period, I've found myself taking as much solace in the unknown as possible. This is always been somewhat difficult for me. As much as I want to be free-wheeling and devil-may-care, I often fall into moments where I'm biting my nails in the corner of the room, worried about money stuff, job stuff, life stuff, or show stuff. I've always thought it irresponsible to dispense with those worries in favor or letting things fly--but now that notion is keeping sane.

Well...that is...as sane as I ever was.

I may be shooting myself in the foot by even sharing this, but after seeing Dwayne Blackaller's play, re/fraction, I've gotten onto a HYOOOOJE kick about writing a 2 or 3 person piece that shares that quality of fun and experimentation. Knowing me, it'll be some frenetic, ridiculous thing but I don't entirely see that as negative. In addition, I'd like it to have some personal meaning for everyone involved. I've got a lot of extremely talented friends who, I find, don't always have the opportunity to completely show off their chops. We get rockstar shows sometimes, but I'd like to develop something that really comes from THEM. Something that throws them in the fire and stretches the performance muscles a little.

Naturally I have no clue where to begin. There's a lot I want to say, and a few of those things are even RELEVANT! L..like two or three of them.

Also! Life update!

Might be working at the Zooey Deschanel store soon! I'll know by next week. That'd alleviate most--if not ALL--of my job stress. I can kick my feet up and purchase some dinnerware! Y'know...because it's the little things in life.

HEAD rehearsals begin next week. Take that as euphemistically as you will. I can't wait to work with the cast, which includes some of the most awesome people I know.

I'll be teaching CLOWNING at the ANSER center in Boise all next week after school. 1st through 4th graders! It's pretty wild...I have no idea what to expect. I won't hit them with the MOST insane stuff...at least not right off the bat. I'll really have to start with the basics...but children seem inherently less socially awkward than adults, so I'm excited to be surprised by these kids.

I had a "Jeez, I'm putting on a few sweet pounds" moment last week. Thanks to my buddy's bike, I am no longer concerned. In addition, my good buddy and I will be enrolling in fencing classes soon. Yeah, that's right. We'll be bucklin' the SHIT outta' that swash.

Alright kids and cadets. Be good. Live ridiculous.

-Dak Attack

Re-emergence!

WELL--

I'm in Boise now! Officially! I'm a transplant!

So updates...I guess there are several, so I'll break it down into bullet points.

• Doing a show with Alley Underground called 'Voices From The Boise Hole'. It's a new play developed by local playwrights, Jason Haskins and Evan Sesek. It's a series of monologues based on various Boise-ites. HIGHLIGHT: I do a monologue about being black in Idaho while another character does one about having his first black friend.
• Two Gents wrapped up very nicely. I definitely fell into a post-show, "I still have no place to live" "What am I doing with my life?" "Am I a humungous failure?" doldrum, but it's now entirely taken care of. Well, almost entirely...I don't have a trash can in my room... I think that'll solve a lot of issues. HIGHLIGHT: Even after the show closed, I've been getting offers of interest from directors and theatre folks. AND LADIES--that's not true at all.
• Entirely single and pretty jazzed about that. Cuz I don't need no BITCHES EFFIN' UP MY--no no no, that's silly. I'm just really content with myself right now. I think I'll eventually want to be with someone, but I'll just let that part play out. HIGHLIGHT: Saying something extremely geeky or embarrassing, waiting a few seconds, then yelling "WHY am I SINGLE?"
• NERD UPDATE! Not much to say here, really. Marathonned Avatar: The Last Airbender nearly twice in a row, got really into Sherlock, and politely gave Soul Eater a try. Verdict? Avatar is amazing, but you probably found that out in 06', Sherlock is goddamn incredible, and Soul Eater is just plain bad. If I was thirteen, I would've REALLY enjoyed it--but the characters are just too...well...stupid for me to deal with. They aren't even oddball--FLCL was oddball--they're just wholly moronic.

Er...wow, yeah. That's all the main stuff, I suppose! I'm in the process of looking for a second job at the moment, and so far it's working out. I really don't want to jump back into serving, but it's honestly the best money around my area--so looks like I'll be strappin' on that apron again! IF YA KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

More to come as I start updating more regularly again!

Peace out and Pee South,
Deeks and Geeks

Really..? THIS is your update?

Granted, yes...I owe my blog more than a couple-sentence drunk update.

More to come--I saw two gorgeous shows today. I'll extrapolate later.

But right now it's like...listen...it'd be awesome to be super interested in someone who was equally as interested in me. Missing that. In a big way.

I want someone to impress again. Maybe that's why it's not clickin' for me. Am I anticipating? I don't usually do that.

Got an apartment, though (Thanks entirely to my amazing mother.) Movin' in Monday.

MORE TO COME FOR REELZ.

-Dak

Out of Words

I've had so much trouble writing lately--and I've started to think it's because of something...wrong..with me.

Not the case at all. It's just a matter of WILDLY second-guessing the things I have to say. Or want to say. Or GET to say.

I feel like I fell out of love with myself for a while. Reality is: my life is fucking incredible right now, and because its gotten so good--it's become easier for me to dream small. The inspiration, the drive and energy for what I want to accomplish seemed to disappear from me for a very very long time. I stopped caring. Started floating. Doing things the easy way. Stopped laying it all out on the table for fear that my life will just evaporate. Wisp through my fingers like a fistful of smoke. Maybe I snuck and told myself I was too 'grown-up' for big dreams.

How dumb is that?

Especially in the field I've chosen...there's no TIME for me to dream small. No time to think I've succeeded in a few minor roles and now I've got the assurance and ability to approach the REALLY big ones. Confidence? Yes, absolutely. Assurance? No. Definitely not.

Kickin' the mighty bucket might be the only sure thing we can truly count on...so I'm going to stay vigilant about my routines. I'm not going to let myself slip into the easy track again.

Because that'd be easy. I don't want easy. I want adventure.

Love you all, goddammit.
-Dak

Midnight in Paris and 2:40 in Boise

I saw Midnight in Paris with a pal two nights ago, and while I'm not an enormous Woody Allen fan, I really enjoyed it. Titular stuttering intellectual Larry Stu aside, I found myself really feeling a strong connection to The Message of the film.

Okay, maybe the message is "Don't marry a bitch." but that message has been done to death.

More important to me was the fact that in the end, the film made me want to be more me. It made me want to really turn off the censors, take an honest look at myself, and do some organizing. Yeah...it made me want to read more T.S. Eliot and flit through The Sun Also Rises again too...but hey. It was a sort of "Take back your life" in clever overdrive.

Okay so yes, all the characters in 'The Present' were awful people to the point of farce, or ridiculously beautiful and inexplicably attracted to Owen Wilson. Everyone in the past was Quirky yet lovable...typical fantasy fare.

But I don't know, man...it definitely made me think. Of what? I'm not sure. It still kinda feels like I've been flying by the seat of my pants for the past six months or so...but at least I feel a little more directed.

It's all interesting, isn't it?

-Dak Attack

See Tea, F.D.?

I'm not exactly sure what it is I worry about when I get like this. It's certainly nothing real or legitimate...otherwise I could build a box out of perspective and cram it in there. It's human to worry about things that aren't real...things that have never happened. I GET that.

But COME THE EFF ON.

I want to attach a mannequin arm to a spring and mount it in the company car--so I can have a slapping machine for moments like this.

Maybe the thought is--if my life gets TOO awesome, it'll all vanish.

Really, it's a matter of worrying about my ability to bring all of me to the table. It's a lazy, smart, tactic. I'll pour energy into the fear, that way I can blow stuff out of proportion and not have to step up ANYWAY!

Done bitching.

SO!

What have I been DOING for the past few weeks? Well, dear boy, have a seat while I pour another brandy and regale you with the tales of Life On The Stage~!

By the by, if you want to emulate the state in which I'm writing this--pour yourself a mason jar of ice water and blast Tally Hall's New Album. All set? So!

The Two Gentlemen Of Verona opened a few weekends ago to a great response, so I've been doing that every other night. I love the show. I've finally gotten to a place where I've personalized it. No more stigma of being 'The New Guy'....which is great, since that was a terrible movie.

On top of that, I'm understudying for Cabaret and possible The Taming Of The Shrew. Cabaret rehearsals are great..or so I imagine...I usually just hide in a corner and write AS QUIETLY AS I CAN. Those first few rehearsals are always a bit weird, since the actors are figuring it all out themselves. I love the process, but I'm less apt to hang out for those--namely because I know how I feel in those situations. You're not going to invite your party guests to come drink in the kitchen and watch you make pigs in a blanket. Even still it's been fun.

Some pals are also trying to put together a number of other theater extravaganzas in the area. Yours truly is trying to team up with a pal put on The Dumb Waiter at a local venue. In addition, since most of us play instruments reasonably well, we're thinking about writing some Flight Of The Conchords style goofy songs to play at a local bar. What's our HOOK, though? Those guys are from New Zealand! FOREIGNERS = BOTTOMLESS WELL OF COMEDY.

I guess we'll make Shakespeare jokes?

Also, we're going to memorize some monologues, sonnets, and scenes (oh my) to perform at weddings. How much would YOU pay to have someone perform a sonnet or rehearse your groom into a swordfight where he beats the villain and marries the bride? Or vice versa? Or hey, bride n' bride! Groom n' groom!

So those wheels are spinning. We'll see if they catch.

I'm going to go look up some particularly romantic Shakespeare pieces.

Love, peace, and call your Niece,

DAK

Poems in italics because that makes me legit.

Hey so sometimes I write stuff. Sometimes they're poems. It's been a while, but for the sake of revving up that creative engine again, I've decided to start banging out some poetry. I should preface this by saying they'll all be first drafts of varying quality. Okay okay...no more judgment from me, I'll just get em down here and walk away like nothing happened. Here's the first!


She polishes her badges proudly
and pins them through her skin
she screams, railing, in the dark
furious with her own echoes
which only ever sound like the person she used to be.

She makes love to her pain
like a child.
And in the morning she wakes weeping
in her empty bed.
She'll straighten her mask in the mirror
and notice how pretty it looks.
And I will look on her and shake my head
as if we were two different people.


Love, peace, and flocks of geese,
Dak!