Friday's Odds and Ends

This is going to be a short post today as I have been busy the past few days and did not have time to read the news and find something to rant about, which may be a good thing for my blood pressure. Part of what has occupied my time is helping out with a production at the Winnsboro Center For the Arts. Rudy Ramos, an actor from Hollywood, is in town to do his one-man show, Geronimo, Life on the Reservation, and we are so thrilled to have an actor of his talent on our stage.

We have a busy day planned for today. First we are going to a television station where Rudy will be interviewed. I'm going along to make sure he gets to Tyler and back without getting lost. It's almost 60 miles one way, and he does not know his way around East Texas. His friend who is driving has a good GPS, but it doesn't hurt to have a local who knows the shortcuts and has a map come along.

For the production, I am stepping into the role of stage manager, which means I get to help with the set and costume changes. Set change is going to be easy. Between scene one and scene two I put a chair on stage. After scene two I take it off.  After that, there will be nothing else for me to do on stage, as the rest of the show is done with no set pieces or props.

That is quite a challenge for an actor. To make a story come to life with nothing but a bare stage and his or her ability to get into character. Not many can pull it off, and I was impressed with how well Rudy did this during a tech rehearsal on Thursday.

Here is just a sample of the magic Rudy creates on stage. This video was shot in Memphis to kick off the nationwide tour of this show.



We will have performances on Saturday and Sunday, with more rehearsal this afternoon, so you will understand it if I am a bit absent this weekend. No, I didn't say absent-minded. Just absent. So have a great weekend, and play nicely without me.

My joke from the comic strips today is from Heart of the City by Mark Tatulli

Heart is walking down the street with her side-kick, Dean. She says, "Someday when I'm rich and famous, I'll have somebody to do all my cleaning. I'll have somebody to do my shopping, pay my bills, wash my clothes, drive my car, AND feed my cat."

"So what will you do?"

"Apparently walking around L.A. with a water bottle and complaining about the paparazzi is THE job to have today."