Oops!

Hi Blog!

Well, I guess I'm just bad at this. Not that the jury had really been out on that before, or anything. But I'm finally admitting my utter lack at dedication to blogging. However, I said that I was going to keep this thing going, and by gosh I shall.

So, to re-cap my life since my last post (a brief pontification on market- versus non-market-based economies), I'll tell you a little about my current employment situation. Ever since 10 x 25 closed and I didn't get picked up by The Magdelene (RIP), I've been working (very) part-time for Atlantic as a House Manager at Stage 2. I'll be honest, it's not the most stimulating work I've ever done, but it is keeping me actively employed in my field, and on the plus side, it's a very low-effort job. The extent of my duties are the vacuum the lobby, make sure the bathrooms are in working order and relatively clean and well-stocked, make sure the a/c is at a comfortable level, and seat the audience. Oh, and check on the the fire safety of the building (but is that really all that important?). I have to stay for the duration of each performance, which can vary anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours (there is a company renting Stage 2 for July that is doing 3 plays in rep, and it is their shows that I'm HMing). So suffice it to say, I have a lot of time on my hands. Much of that time has been spent watching Battlestar Galactica on Netflix (terrific show, perhaps better than Star Trek, dare I say it). I do some productive things like check job postings, write cover letters, and revise my resume. But watching BSG is probably the primary way I spend my time. So, while I may grumble a bit about how unengaging this job can be, at the end of the day getting paid to spend a few hours watching TV isn't all that bad.

As for actual employment, all is quiet on the western front, sadly. (Is that an inappropriate metaphor to use? I feel like it might be, since that would be a positive dispatch to read, even though it's used ironically as the title of the book of the same name - I digress). Hiring in theater (as in all fields, I would suppose) is highly seasonal. I happened to graduate in the beginning of the low point of that season. We are only just now beginning to ascend into a higher rate of job openings (though it is only a very gradually increasing trickle at the moment). So something interesting is bound to come along soon! Actually, I saw a posting on Friday for a company that's looking for Company Managers for a series of national tours this fall, and I'm seriously considering applying.

CMing for a tour is, as I've heard, a daunting and brutally exhausting job. However, I think it also sounds like a fun challenge, and this is the exact right time of my life to do it. In fact, if I'm ever going to do it, now is the time. The reason for that is that going on tour can actually be quite lucrative when you don't have an apartment to pay for or deal with subletting. A CM on tour is paid a salary, a per diem (which allows you to put all of that salary right into the bank), and is usually provided a single room (nearly everyone else has to double up). The downside is that you literally never stop working. You are the babysitter for an entire cast of actors, as well as the various technical people that travel with your show. You're always on call, no matter what, and it's your responsibility not only to make sure that everyone gets to where they need to be, but also that they are well taken care of, and that the producers don't get ripped off. There's a lot of responsibility, but I think it could be a really cool experience (and a great way to see the country on someone else's dime).

Housing news time! So, as you heard before, that apartment in Manhattan didn't work out, so I ended up back at Matt's. However, as of yesterday, Courtney has moved into her new apartment, and I have to say that it looks fantastic furnished. I'll have to take some pictures soon and post it. I was living there last week, but moved back to Matt's for the weekend to be out of the way of the movers, and of Court and her mom while they unpacked. I'm going back tomorrow, and I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to have my own room, and an actual bed to sleep on. Staying with Matt has been incredible, and has afforded me an unexpected level of stability during the most unstable period of my life to date, and I don't think I'll ever be able to repay Matt for it (though I'm going to take him to a Yankees game to begin to attempt to make up for it). Nonetheless, I think both he and I are ready for me not to be living in his living room. He's letting me keep my set of keys though, so I can, in his words, "Kramer him" whenever I want (which I fully intend to do).

Ok folks, that's all for now. I have the start of Fringe rehearsals this week, and a lunch meeting with Aaron Thompson, so I'll have some more to talk about in a few days!

Keep calm and carry on.