The next step

Its time to work. And its time to work hard.
After a glorious opening weekend of "dark play," I have had time to digest the praise and the mostly good reviews that have emerged from this production. But now it's time to work. Time to take the next step.
Its great, and I'm very thankful to know great people out here in California. I have good friends to turn to for advice and great co-workers. I have ideas of what I'd like to do next, but what will actually happen is still a mystery...

I saw the movie "Into The Wild" last night and it struck me hard. Sean Penn's movie beautifully displayed the story of Christopher McCandless, who was a college graduate that escaped the real world and found a new way of life in the mountains of Alaska but eventually starved to death. Although he ended up in a place that was quite peaceful and breathtakingly gorgeous, its not so much the final destination that makes this story so compelling but rather the people he encountered on his journey and the relationships he gained. There is something very true in this story that really made me think:
What are we here to do in life?
Why do we do what we do?
Are there things that we've always wanted to do but are afraid to start doing?
Do we convince ourselves that we are happy?
Is there something larger out there in life that we are missing?

The movie was very powerful for me, especially when I'm the exact age as the main character. Christopher McCandless is played by actor Emile Hirsch, who does an amazing job in capturing the free and adventurous spirit that McCandless probably had. Not being afraid of what the wilderness had for him, the college grad who called himself Alexander Supertramp, took his freedom as an opportunity to experience something so amazingly different than most of us in "society" choose to do. This only inspired me to realize where I am in my life, and is helping me realize even more to cherish everything life has to offer.

There are so many things I want to do with my life now, but I have to work, work hard to get there. I could easily drop everything, pack a bag, and hitch hike to the mountains of Alaska, but my adventures will be different than Mr. McCandless'. They will be different, but his story will help me be reminded to find freedom and adventure in life, in a way that hopefully will bring peace and happiness not only for myself, but for everyone else I encounter along the way.

It's Opening night!

It's opening night at The Theatre @ Boston Court. We are opening Carlos Murillo's "dark play or stories for boys."

This is an important day, and it feels GREAT! Everyone has been working so hard, and we are ready to show the public what we've got!
I woke up this morning, and had a similar feeling that I had when I was a kid on Christmas morning. You get up and feel nothing but excitement in the air!
The apartment is clean, the parents are about to arrive, my shirt is ironed, I'm ready to go!!

Let's get it on!

I am anxiously awaiting a very important weekend.
These are probably going to be some of the most important next few days that my life has seen thus far.



We are about to open the show at The Theatre @ Boston Court, and I can't wait! My parents are flying in to be here for opening night, and we are sold out!
It keeps hitting me more and more how fast things are going, and how lucky I really am. Not a day goes by where I don't thank the big guy up in the sky for such an amazing life at such a young age.

It will be an interesting journey, as I embark into this "entertainment biz."
It's what I've always wanted to do, and now it's happening. There are so many things that I am learning while being out here, and it would be hard to describe them all right now, so I'll describe them as they come to me.

Its such an amazing feeling when you can consider yourself an artist. I always have these moments where I step out of the present, and look down on the room in which I'm in. I did it today only to find that the room was full of amazing theatre artists, and I was among them.
It warmed my heart, to know that I was a "fellow" artist and couldn't help but be extremely happy with everything in the world in that moment.
Carlos Murillo, Michael Michetti, Johnathan McClain, Bethany Pagliolo, Danielle Jones, Adam Hunter, Jennifer Epps...were the other people in the room with me.

Let the weekend begin!

I only have five minutes

So, I only have five minutes to start a blog.
I only have five minutes because I am about to get in my 1996 Ford Contour, that has a broken drivers side window, and drive for an hour in stop and go traffic from my Studio City apartment to Pasadena, California for our final rehearsal of "dark play or stories for boys." It is being produced at The Theatre @ Boston Court and we have two more previews, tomorrow and Friday before we officially open on Saturday the 13th.
It has taken me by surprise how quickly my life has changed out here. I am staring face to face with the rest of my life, and I can see right through its eyes.
I come from Chicago.
Before Chicago, I come from a small Illinois town called, Millstadt.
Coming from a small town, I am used to driving for extended periods of time. I would have to drive an easy 15 minutes to school every day in high school.
But now, I am living in one of the countries busiest highway galaxies, that calls itself Los Angeles.
A lot of times, when I am driving....I know this is horrible, but I imagine accident scenarios. What it would be like if one happened right next to me, behind, or in front of me, and the worst case, to myself.
I am a conscious driver, but there are times where the Southern California sun is kissing your face in the late afternoon, begging you to take a moment and close your eyes.
This is a difficult temptation to resist, but I must stay awake.
I actually do see accidents on the highway...tons. But they have already happened.
Well- I'm off to the tangled web of roads!! Wish me luck.