UPDATE AS OF 18 / 02 / 05
LA05 Report
I think maybe LA is a macrocosm of its own microcosms, in saying this I’m recalling the merging freeway entrances and exits located throughout LA. These areas of intense merging are astounding to behold, especially when you are sitting in what is usually the passenger seat, as is the case for someone like me from NZ, where the driver sits on the righthand side of the car, which happily is where the steering wheel, brake and accelerator also happen to be.
However, in LA as with the rest of the US, you as the driver, are in the left front seat and they are your hands on the steering wheel and your feet riding the pedals, as you merge from the 91 East onto the 110 north. Two lanes of traffic sweeping to the right as the rest of the never ending fleet. The freeway traffic hurls on by at up to 70mph. If you find yourself in the wrong lane, good luck, and god bless.
Anyway I think LA may operate a little like these areas of mergence.
Its like one of the cross roads of human activity. Some people are flying on by. Know where they are going, what time they want or need to be there, and what they are going to do once there. There are also many, as they push the shopping trolley laden with their life's belongings along concrete paths, who seem to be surviving another day as the only direction at hand. Maybe that’s the next reality TV blockbuster.
“ Survivor,…LA” or “Survivor, …NY”
Anyway I fall into the category of those who can be a little unsure of where, what and how, at times. So it was, with my recent spell in the City Of Angels. I went for a known purpose and ended up being swept into a number of turns away from the original journey.
ORC was the primary purpose for getting to LA, thanks to the crew at TORN and Creation for the invite to be part of a great weekend. It is always cool to get invited to these conventions, but the fact that Elijah, Sean, Dom and Billy were there was always going to make this one special. To have some others from the kiwi contingent was also very cool. I had in fact just visited Peter Tait (Shagrat), and his family as I was travelling to and from my family’s Christmas gathering, so to then be with him in Pasadena was wonderful. I get a buzz out of sharing these times with fellow NZers. We are an isolated wee country way down yonder, and it just feels like we have a bond through the shared experiences to be had at these gigs in far off lands.
Raving….!!!
ORC was a fantastic event, probably the highlight for me was being able to play a 4 minute trailer I had produced about the documentary I am making based on Operation Read. What made it extra special was that I was able to call Winnie Jackson up on stage with me. It was a joy to stand there as Winnie spoke to the crowd. She is so full of love. The response throughout the weekend to Operation Read was incredible.
I can tell you now, all the people who approached me over the next couple of days asking about getting Operation Read into their states, cities and towns, ….it was meant to be. The very next meeting I had with Winnie, she informed me that her vision is to evolve Operation Read into a programme that can be transposed all over the USA and hopefully throughout the world. Needless to say we have our work cut out. The CS Lewis Foundation are very supportive of this year's phase of Operation Read, which will incorporate, “The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe” (book and film, once again being directed by a kiwi, Andrew Adamson…think Gattaca, Shrek 1 & 2). So Operation Read is poised to weave it’s magic once again. Already Winnie has secured 18,000 copies of the books and has ensured that the programme will reach as many young people in lockdowns as possible. This is the first time in the history of the juvenile probation system that anyone has been able to integrate the young people who are in the care of the county on such a broad scale. Believe me, Winnie Jackson as president of the USA would be the beginning of a new era for humanity.
Back to the rest of the trip, the two main diversions from my original plan were that I got invited to attend the 10th Anniversary Xena Convention in Burbank the week after ORC. Once again a stupendous affair. My first in the Xena genre and it was a doosy. Part of the deal was that I did a 30 minute one man act on the first night as part of the cabaret set up. Having never before done a half hour solo spot ( I have done almost everything but solo spots! ), this was a freaky proposition. Fortunately for me I discovered that the folk in attendance at a Xena convention are the most supportive audience a first time solo performer could ask for. Thank you so much to all of you, you guys made it such fun. Alexis Arquette was an absolute standout as the MC.
A bonus from this gig was that I got to catch up with someone who killed me years ago in the episode, Ten Little Warlords, Hudson Leick. Folks like Terrina and Linda from New Orleans, and the couple who had their 30th anniversary at the desert function, plus the couple who sent me the note saying "thank you, we enjoyed your balls! “ meant for a lot of laughs, and wonderful dialogue. Again thanks.
My second major diversion, was a trip up to Park City in Utah to stay for a couple of nights with the “Ringers” crew. It was a real buzz to be with Cliff, Carlene, Josh, Catherine, Tom, Jeff and the other Ringers as they delved into the bizarre world of the international film market place. Park City is stunning to behold. A Ringers charity fundraiser for victims of the Asian Tsunami, hosted among others by the very beautiful women (with the odd guy thrown in) of Overstock.com, a concert by Snoop Dogg, and some wonderful walks in the late evening snow made for an incredibly short but action packed side junket.
There are some photos up on the site from the conventions, however these are few as my camera was on the blink (paying up, kaput!!!), there will also be updates for Operation Read as we move along that path.
Till next time I’m outta here, hopefully I will see many of you at another event in a country near you, somewhere in the future.
Cheers
(I’m now in rehearsal for a pantomime being directed by Michael Hurst. He is brilliant at this style, both as a director and as a performer, many laughs already and it’s only the second day.)
LA05 Report
I think maybe LA is a macrocosm of its own microcosms, in saying this I’m recalling the merging freeway entrances and exits located throughout LA. These areas of intense merging are astounding to behold, especially when you are sitting in what is usually the passenger seat, as is the case for someone like me from NZ, where the driver sits on the righthand side of the car, which happily is where the steering wheel, brake and accelerator also happen to be.
However, in LA as with the rest of the US, you as the driver, are in the left front seat and they are your hands on the steering wheel and your feet riding the pedals, as you merge from the 91 East onto the 110 north. Two lanes of traffic sweeping to the right as the rest of the never ending fleet. The freeway traffic hurls on by at up to 70mph. If you find yourself in the wrong lane, good luck, and god bless.
Anyway I think LA may operate a little like these areas of mergence.
Its like one of the cross roads of human activity. Some people are flying on by. Know where they are going, what time they want or need to be there, and what they are going to do once there. There are also many, as they push the shopping trolley laden with their life's belongings along concrete paths, who seem to be surviving another day as the only direction at hand. Maybe that’s the next reality TV blockbuster.
“ Survivor,…LA” or “Survivor, …NY”
Anyway I fall into the category of those who can be a little unsure of where, what and how, at times. So it was, with my recent spell in the City Of Angels. I went for a known purpose and ended up being swept into a number of turns away from the original journey.
ORC was the primary purpose for getting to LA, thanks to the crew at TORN and Creation for the invite to be part of a great weekend. It is always cool to get invited to these conventions, but the fact that Elijah, Sean, Dom and Billy were there was always going to make this one special. To have some others from the kiwi contingent was also very cool. I had in fact just visited Peter Tait (Shagrat), and his family as I was travelling to and from my family’s Christmas gathering, so to then be with him in Pasadena was wonderful. I get a buzz out of sharing these times with fellow NZers. We are an isolated wee country way down yonder, and it just feels like we have a bond through the shared experiences to be had at these gigs in far off lands.
Raving….!!!
ORC was a fantastic event, probably the highlight for me was being able to play a 4 minute trailer I had produced about the documentary I am making based on Operation Read. What made it extra special was that I was able to call Winnie Jackson up on stage with me. It was a joy to stand there as Winnie spoke to the crowd. She is so full of love. The response throughout the weekend to Operation Read was incredible.
I can tell you now, all the people who approached me over the next couple of days asking about getting Operation Read into their states, cities and towns, ….it was meant to be. The very next meeting I had with Winnie, she informed me that her vision is to evolve Operation Read into a programme that can be transposed all over the USA and hopefully throughout the world. Needless to say we have our work cut out. The CS Lewis Foundation are very supportive of this year's phase of Operation Read, which will incorporate, “The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe” (book and film, once again being directed by a kiwi, Andrew Adamson…think Gattaca, Shrek 1 & 2). So Operation Read is poised to weave it’s magic once again. Already Winnie has secured 18,000 copies of the books and has ensured that the programme will reach as many young people in lockdowns as possible. This is the first time in the history of the juvenile probation system that anyone has been able to integrate the young people who are in the care of the county on such a broad scale. Believe me, Winnie Jackson as president of the USA would be the beginning of a new era for humanity.
Back to the rest of the trip, the two main diversions from my original plan were that I got invited to attend the 10th Anniversary Xena Convention in Burbank the week after ORC. Once again a stupendous affair. My first in the Xena genre and it was a doosy. Part of the deal was that I did a 30 minute one man act on the first night as part of the cabaret set up. Having never before done a half hour solo spot ( I have done almost everything but solo spots! ), this was a freaky proposition. Fortunately for me I discovered that the folk in attendance at a Xena convention are the most supportive audience a first time solo performer could ask for. Thank you so much to all of you, you guys made it such fun. Alexis Arquette was an absolute standout as the MC.
A bonus from this gig was that I got to catch up with someone who killed me years ago in the episode, Ten Little Warlords, Hudson Leick. Folks like Terrina and Linda from New Orleans, and the couple who had their 30th anniversary at the desert function, plus the couple who sent me the note saying "thank you, we enjoyed your balls! “ meant for a lot of laughs, and wonderful dialogue. Again thanks.
My second major diversion, was a trip up to Park City in Utah to stay for a couple of nights with the “Ringers” crew. It was a real buzz to be with Cliff, Carlene, Josh, Catherine, Tom, Jeff and the other Ringers as they delved into the bizarre world of the international film market place. Park City is stunning to behold. A Ringers charity fundraiser for victims of the Asian Tsunami, hosted among others by the very beautiful women (with the odd guy thrown in) of Overstock.com, a concert by Snoop Dogg, and some wonderful walks in the late evening snow made for an incredibly short but action packed side junket.
There are some photos up on the site from the conventions, however these are few as my camera was on the blink (paying up, kaput!!!), there will also be updates for Operation Read as we move along that path.
Till next time I’m outta here, hopefully I will see many of you at another event in a country near you, somewhere in the future.
Cheers
(I’m now in rehearsal for a pantomime being directed by Michael Hurst. He is brilliant at this style, both as a director and as a performer, many laughs already and it’s only the second day.)