Monday. no work....

at Friends---a good thing? Kind of relieved, as there are a few things I want to do this evening, and without a full day of subbing that will be possible. Still, there is an odd feeling that comes from the "freedom" of not working. Definitely a little different. Well, we will see how it all pays off in this evening's activities. First a weekend report:
Saturday: returned to the Flag project at the Brick---sat through nine monologues, all beginning with the same idea, and many including the same exact dialogue. Quickly felt a sense of exhaustion with the text, nevertheless experienced several really strong and individual interpretations of it. Went primarily to catch my friend Jessie's performance---I had seen several other friends perform last Saturday. She brought her four year old son along, and believe it or not, was able to incorporate him into her monologue. Much needed change from the others. Also got to see my friend Merlin do his for the second time, and it's great to see how much he has grown as an actor in the past few years. Will not return for the final Saturday, which I thought I would---yet it is meaningful to watch actors live through a monologue that really challenges them, and forces them to use endow the monologue with nothing but their own instruments. Not much afterwards, was tired so did not try to stay around Williamsburg or explore a bar. Returned home via subway.
  Yesterday: attended the Friends Seminary Winter play, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Whew! Quite an evocative afternoon! Steve, the director, created an amazing space at the Baruch Center. many different levels with the audience seated in different places. Great use of space, and great collaboration between Steve and his setting, costume and lighting designers. The student actors, many of whom I have been watching for all four years of their time at Friends, basically gave professional performances. Great energy and early nineteenth century authenticity from the all of them  Script, written by a woman whose work I do not know, gets a little hammy at times, but its structure is solid, and scenes are brief enough so they do not get bogged down. Basically, I am awed by the strength of the vision of the piece---something very close to a professional production.
  Did not wait around to congratulate the actors, many of whom I know pretty well---will talk to them when I return to Friends---instead, in the face of many bar choices---headed to Standings, the sports bar on 7th street a little west of 2nd Avenue. I was a regular their in the late 00's, but have been there less recently. Usually I go to one of my two bars in Brooklyn for the end of Sunday, either South Fourth or Cobra, but both only get one game on TV, and at Standings I could watch the two (or even three)  most important football games of the day. Really glad that I did---got a warm welcome from bartenders Aaron and Sam, watched the games in detail, and had really good conversations with a few friends of Sam, who were hanging around the bar. One of them, Jenni, a Seattle Sea Hawk fan, invited me to spend next Sunday at the bar with her, watching the next Seahawk game, a very important one against the Los Angeles Rams, I will certainly try to meet her there. Sounds like fun.
  Nice to be at a bar where I am remembered--maybe I have found another "home". Will see how this plays out in the next couple of weeks, particularly the vacation, where I will have lots of time.
 Anyway, it all looks interesting---will try to catch my friend Zoe's project at the PIT tonight, will report soon.