My trip to Kansas

I tried to take in as much as I could in the one month I was performing "Of Mice and Men" at the Great Plains Theatre in Abilene, KS. But as is the case when you're busy there's always more you could have seen but you do the best you can.
A highlight was visiting the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library. Since there's only 12 Presidential libraries in the country it's always a treat to visit one, this was was my 2nd having been to LBJ's in Austin when I was on tour in 2004. What made the Eisenhower Presidential Library so interesting was that his childhood home was there right on it's original sight and contained furniture and other items on display. There was also a Place of Meditation where the President, his wife Mamie and their first born son Doud are laid to rest. An 11-foot stature of the President is located right in the center of the grounds. The library is used for research purposes and houses a letter written by Mary Todd Lincoln to Queen Victoria of England thanking her for sending a condolence letter following Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Going through the museum was like walking in a time capsule from the turn of the 20th century to the mid-1960's. There were so many galleries to walk through and absorb, there was The Introductory Gallery, The Temporary Gallery, The First Lady's Gallery, The Military Gallery, The Presidential Gallery and The Education Center which was sponsored by Reader's Digest. Ladies and Gentlemen let me tell you that you've never seen bling until you've seen the jewelry that Mamie Eisenhower wore in her life. Going through the Civil Rights portion of the museum and reading letters from black and white school children of the 1950's giving their opinions about segregation and desegregation was an eye opening experience for me. The last stage of the museum was listening in to phone conversations that President Eisenhower had with then President Johnson concerning Vietnam. I was glad I took a few hours out of my life to go through the life of Dwight D. Eisenhower, it was a fascinating trip.
As far as the performances for "Of Mice and Men" we worked out fannies off as we performed 21 shows in 12 days. We had some really amazing crowds especially from the students who were bussed in from schools in the surrounding areas. During the Q & A section after the shows they asked some wonderful questions. The more I think about it the students were more well behaved than some of the adults who saw the shows in the evenings. During one evening performance a cell phone went off in the middle of a scene and the audience member started having a conversation while still in her seat. There were also lots of nervous laughter from the adults during the dramatic parts of the show. In a time when young people are criticized (and sometimes justly so) for the way they conduct themselves the young people that saw our show were magnificent. As a matter of fact there was one young person, a 17 year old high school junior named Caitlin Shehi who I'll never forget. Caitlin works part-time at the Abeline Public Library and since I'm a library enthusiast I would see her constantly. She had seen the show with her classmates and it was always nice to talk to her not only about the show but about life in general. She would ask me for advice about colleges or peer pressure or some other topic and I would always give my opinion. She has wonderful morals and scruples and is a role models for teenagers across the country. If I ever have a daughter I want her to be just like Caitlin.
All in all I'm thankful for my time in Kansas. From sitting on the porch of the Kirby House restaurant getting my writing on, to going to Manhattan to hang out in Aggieville, from heading over to Maddy's for a $3.25 beef brisket sandwich with a side, to going to the gym and exercising next to 80-85 year old men and women, it was a great time spent in America's heartland and I'm grateful for the opportunity.

Halloween, Steinbeck and Abilene

I haven't celebrated Halloween since I was in 8th grade and went to school dressed as Tom Selleck from "Magnum P.I.", hey what can I tell ya, it was the 80's.
Last week we opened "Of Mice and Men" at the Great Plains Theatre in Abilene, KS. I hadn't done any serious theatre for the past year so I felt a little rusty. I kind of felt that way all the way up until the tail end of rehearsal when everything just kind of came together. I'm a firm believer in the theatre goddess whom I call Theatrelonia, she always comes in when the chips are down and saves the day.
We performed our 1st of 6 matinees for students yesterday and I must say this is one of the reasons why I came to Kansas in the first place. Most of these students haven't seen live theatre before or studied John Steinbeck's work so for all intents and purposes we're the launching pad for them. Not to get on my soapbox but it's so important to lay the seed as early as possible for people to get turned onto literature and live theatre. As corny as it sounds even if it touches one of their hearts then we've done a great service to mankind because there's no telling what that one person will do with their future as a result of seeing our show. I've seen it happen time and time again in my travels all over America.
The Sunflower State of Kansas is just how I remembered it when I last performed here in 2004. The plains are just as visually arresting and there's still lots of interesting places to check out. The town I'm performing in is called Abilene which is where our 34th President Dwight D. Eisenhower was raised and where his Presidential Library is located. There's some neat places to go in this town, so far I've seen a Rodeo practice and visited the Seelye Mansion and Gardens. Seelye mansion contains Edison light fixtures, 25 bedrooms including a ballroom on the 4th floor, gold French furniture and one of the oldest bowling alley's in the country. The bowling alley is so legendary that the Bowling Hall of Fame offered the estate 3 million dollars for it and was turned down! I bowled a couple of games there and it's looks unlike anything I've ever seen.
Tonight I'll go to a bonfire where I'll eat s'mores, drink hot chocolate and enjoy a crisp fall night here in the Midwest. I won't be dressed as Tom Selleck this time but I'll be thinking of 2 great Halloween poems "hist whist" by e. e. cummings and "5 Little Monsters" by Eve Merriam. When October 31st comes around again you would be well served to perform those poems for your friends and loved ones.

Moving

It always seems that in the life of an actor there's a tremendous amount of moving involved; from apartments to hotel rooms it's a constant thespian shuffle, the word transient is stamped into our DNA. Last Sunday I moved from my one bedroom apartment in Orlando to another apartment in town, this one with a roommate. I loaded up my car (which I just paid off, yippee) in less than an hour. If there's one thing you need to know about most actors it's that we travel light, you don't want to have too much stuff when you head to your next job. As I prepare to leave for Abilene, Kansas on October 15th to perform "Of Mice and Men" for a month I realized that as much as I've enjoyed living for the past 13 months in Orlando that I'm a gypsy. I've got to be on the move absorbing the different cultures and bio-rhythms of a small town or big city; it fills my soul, strengthens my writing and makes me feel more connected to the universe. So that's why when I tell people that I can't wait to go to Kansas and they look at me like I have a 3rd eye or something it doesn't faze me, because when they see Kansas they see nothing but fields of wheat and when I see Kansas I see a new adventure.

Nikki Giovanni

On Thursday the 13th I went to Valencia Community College to hear Nikki Giovanni speak, what a thrill. Dr. Giovanni is one of the most widely read and respected poets in the world and while you may (or may not) agree with everything she says you have to respect how committed she is to telling her own truth. If anyone encapsulates the phrase "to thine own self be true" it's her. She spoke on a wide variety of topics including Michael Vick, (who was once her student at Virginia Tech) Bill Cosby, (whose comments on the black community to step up and do for self was something she was none too thrilled about) Rosa Parks, (who was the topic of a book that Dr. Giovanni has written about) and the need for more poets of color to get a postage stamp in their honor.
Nikki Giovanni has been on the front lines for poetry and education for years and when I finally got a chance to meet her and give her a kiss on both cheeks I felt like I was kissing history. Being back on a college campus made me realize even more how lucky all the students are to be getting an education and the importance of getting as much out of that experience as possible. As for her poems I would recommend "Kidnap poem", "Ego-tripping", "Nikki-rosa", "Knoxville, Tennessee", "Alone" and "Communication".
While I'm talking about poetry I hope everyone reads a book called "Immersed in Verse" by Allan Wolf. It should be mandatory reading for teachers and students in all schools. It will change the way you look at poetry I guarantee it.

Submissions

Sending out your manuscripts to publishers and magazines is a lot like being an actor and sending out your headshots and resumes to prospective theatres, film companies and the like. When I first started acting professionally 10 years ago it seemed like a never-ending process and that hasn't dissipated much since. One thing is for certain, I take great comfort in how many rejections writers I adore such as Jane Yolen, Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Allan Wolf (just to name a few) have faced. If there's anything I've learned in my years as an actor it's that it's not the end result that matters as much as the journey and all the lessons you learn on that journey that matter. Last Friday I sent out 6 manuscripts as well 13 headshots and resumes to different places in the country. I have a feeling the twain shall meet like that for many, many years to come in my life...and that's all right by me.

Welcome

This website took a long time to come to fruition, not only in saving the money necessary for such an endeavor but then making sure I had all the essentials (pictures, biography, etc.) for my hardworking and dilligent web designer.
It became obvious to me that I should have a blog when I was touring because I experienced such incredible blessings but better late than never. Besides I want to tour again so now I'll have an outlet for what I experience when that happens.
Everybody reading this just know that if you want a great book to read go out and get "Bronx Masquerade" by Nikki Grimes, it will make you feel less alone in the world instead of more alone.