Thankful for: Dear Friends

Say Yes to Noe - Fellowship!

I have a dear friend fighting the good fight, and my wife is producing a benefit comedy show this Sunday to help her out.


Here's a bootleg of the cast of Fellowship! the Musical Parody in action:



Hope to see you at the show!

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Say Yes to Noe - Michael Rayner

I have a dear friend fighting the good fight, and my wife is producing a benefit comedy show this Sunday to help her out.


Here's the host for Sunday:




Hope to see you at the show!

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Say Yes to Noe - Robert G. Lee

I have a dear friend fighting the good fight, and my wife is producing a benefit comedy show this Sunday to help her out.

Here's another talent that will be featured on Sunday:




Hope to see you at the show!

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Say Yes to Noe - Cory Edwards

For purposes of this blog, this is comedy week.

It is also anti-cancer week. Which is good, because if it were pro-cancer week AND comedy week, I would be faced with conflicting themes.

I have a dear friend fighting the good fight, and my wife is producing a benefit comedy show this Sunday to help her out. The show includes some of my favorite comedians, including this guy:



Hope to see you at the show!

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Shouldaknown

The art of Breadwig Photography gives me joy.

Like this photo entitled: Shouldaknown.

Kooky Cookery

I collect comic books. My friend Bryan collects meats.

Specifically, canned meats.

Strange canned meats.

See a can of kangaroo cuts, chances are, Bryan saw it first.

And weird jerky. Bizarre baked goods. Foods that may not at first glance seem like it should be food.

He used to have a museum of such food at his office - you could stop by and take a tour.

I'm just saying, the man knows his strange food.

And now that love of culinary curiosities has fueled a book of strange recipes - "Koody Cookery - A campy archive of irregular recipes from yester-year." 

Worth taking a look, says I.

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Zoo Reading

While down under, we went to the zoo.  Cath decided to bring one of her favorite books along.

She was quite engrossed in her book, which was a good thing, as the trip turned out to be rather boring.

Cath didn't see anything of interest on the ferry ride there.

She didn't see any kangaroos that day.

Or any wallabies.

She didn't see any emus.

Nor did she spot any elephants.

No big ol' bears were to be found.

She didn't even see any giraffes.

What a boring zoo! Good thing she had such a good book with her!

Just my thoughts,

Sean

The Big Trip Day One

Saturday night was the flight - 15 hours to Melbourne before a transfer to a flight to Hobart. To help pass the time, I watched "Red" and "The Next Three Days." Cath watched "How Do You Know."

Her flight took 23 hours. 

First day down under was about relaxing. 

Pick up from the airport by hosts John and Ros; driving tour of the area; and a nap (to make it an authentic Aussie experience, we napped in a counterclockwise direction).

We dined in, sharing our time and hosts with their daughter Ruth and her family. (Thank you Caleb for the thoughts on "The Hunger Games.")

In addition to food, we dined on conversation ranging from school discipline (it's hard to convince the kids that racing their wheeled chairs around the room is inappropriate after teacher spends the first day of class on a scooter...) to why Grover is much cooler than Elmo ("There is a Monster at the End of this Book" anyone?")

A delightful, delightful evening.

Tourism can wait for another day; this one is all about hanging with the natives.

Just my thoughts, 

Sean

Year In Review: 2010

We recently uncovered a listing of television shows scheduled to arrive in 2010 – and thought it would be fun to look back and see which shows were hits and misses. 

Thanks to Entertainment Yearly and Gaffney Guide for these descriptions. 

Programming Scheduled in 2010:

THE GUESTROOM  Drama; Friday nights.  An anthology series with a rotating cast of guest stars as they find love, adventure, magic, and cat fur while visiting Sean, Cath, and River.  Famous guest stars include:  Isaac, Beth, Niffer, David & Ann, Irene, Faith & Sarah, Bethanie, Lauren & Scott, Wayne & Jean, Wayne & Pat, Luke and Felicia. 

THE BOWL  Culture; Sundays on PBS.  Exciting adventures as Sean and Cath introduce their parents to the wonders of the Hollywood Bowl.  Spring special focuses on Wayne and Jean attending the Bel Air Pres Easter Service at the bowl, followed shortly with an earthquake.  The Summer special finds Wayne and Pat watching the antics of Bugs Bunny and company as the symphony plays along.

MUSICAL MYSTERY  Suspense; Thursdays.  Detectives Sean and Catherine are on the trail of the missing musical, tracking the slippery song and dance shows throughout the country.  They nearly catch “Guys and Dolls” at a living room read event at Janet and Lee’s (all attendees sit in a circle and pop up to read/sing their parts); they corner “In the Heights” at Pantages; race against “A Walk in the Woods” with Dean and Beth in a Noho theater; then sprint up the coast to catch “Man of La Mancha” red handed at Taproot in Seattle. 

THE AMAZING, WELL WE’LL GET THERE WHEN WE GET THERE, RACE  Reality, Mondays.   Sean and Catherine race (well, mosey) to various locations around the country for prizes (or vacation and business).  They visit Cayucos over a long weekend, and buy seasalt cookies.  Air Force jets buzz by Sean as he watches Isaac’s graduation in CO.  Cath drags Sean for a business trip in Red Rock outside Vegas for a dance conference (special guests Shon, Jodi and Chantal).  Sean faces freezing weather to venture out alone to Nashville to work on a book pitch (no news on the book pitch until 2011). Reality series already renewed for April 2011 trip to Australia and Tasmania.

ENTERTAINMENT THIS AFTERNOON  News, daily.  In depth coverage of the entertainment going-ons of Sean and Cath.  Show includes links to Cath’s breakout series BETTY AND DD (www.bettyanddd.com), her performance in THE KILLERS, and to Sean’s occasional badd videos (www.belairdrama.com).  Coverage also on Cath’s new headshots (www.catherinegaffney.net … yes, that is grey hair!), and audition travails, including exclusive coverage of Catherine signing with a new manager and being sent out to network auditions.

THE VEGAS THANKSGIVING  Comedy; Holiday Special.  After following the directions from a discount GPS machine that Sean buys, a group of friends are forced to spend Thanksgiving in Las Vegas instead of their intended destination of Vermont.  The gang endures comical trials, including viewing a Bill Cosby show, attending a Cirque d’ Soleil event, shopping at the Forum, eating at the Bellagio buffett and shouting AMEN at the gospel brunch at the House of Blues, until finally Mark wins enough poker money to buy them all bus tickets home.  Cast includes:  Joel, Mark, Nicole, Shon, Jodi, Ray, Karen, Bob, Anne, Beth, Sean and Catherine.  (NOTE:  This special received such high ratings that the network is already planning a sequel.)

A VERY REOHR NEW YEAR  Comedy; Wednesdays.  The whacky antics of Trey, Abby, Katie, Paige, Dick and Mary as they ring in the New Year with special guest stars Uncle Cath and Uncle Funny.  Plot to be determined. 

Thumbs up for a great year.  Stay tuned on Facebook, Twitter (cathgaff), Skype (seancath), email, text, phone, or sky writing for a brand new season of wacky Gaffney programming in 3D (no glasses required). 

Behind the Scenes with Betty in a Commercial

Here it is.

How Then Shall We Tell Stories?

Jeffrey Overstreet spoke recently at International Arts Movement; his talk, "How Then Shall We Tell Stories?"  So good, I stole it from his site and embedded it below.

Many of the ideas he presents can also be found in his book, "Through a Screen Darkly."

This is a video that I'll be watching multiple times. 



Encounter 10: Jeffrey Overstreet on the how of storytelling from International Arts Movement on Vimeo.

Fellowship in Concert

As I've mentioned before, my wife and I do not take a road trip without, at some point, blasting the cast album for "Fellowship! The Musical Parody of the Fellowship of the Ring."

Well, they're back! 

Fellowship! is heading to New York City (where salsa is made) for The New York Musical Theatre Festival. 

And before that, they're are doing a concert in Burbank of the music to raise some traveling money, followed by an improv show with the cast.

This Sunday, September 19th, at the new Flappers Comedy Club.

Tap dancing hobbits.   Elves that run on water (and occasionally trip on fish).  Balrogs with cabaret acts.

You know, just like in the movies.

Hope to see you there.  And if you aren't sure you want to go, I have to ask, "Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy not?"

(Come on Sunday, I'll guarantee you'll get that joke!)

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Third Way Mosque Solution

My friend, and good “let’s look at this with clear eyes” debater, sent me a solution to the whole mosque-near-ground-zero thing. David is Canadian, which is perhaps what gave him the distance to not just get caught up in the politics of it all.

The “Third Way” he refers to below is a notion that I keep bringing up; stick around me long enough and you’ll even hear it in my movie reviews.

The idea is that whenever Jesus was given a choice between two options, he typically found a third option, one that confounded expectations while living out true “good news.”

So here is what David sent to me:

“I think I found the Third Way in this dilemma.

“America should not allow the mosque to be built by the Muslim billionaire.

“America itself should fund it and build it.

“On the front will be placed a plaque that reads:

“‘This place of worship and peace was built in memory of the innocent victims of 9/11. It is a gift from the American people.’

“That is carrying the pack the second mile.”

Just David’s thoughts,

-Sean

Betty and DD Get Professional

Two of my favorite acting teachers (east of Las Vegas) are upping their web presence by hiring a professional.

Enjoy.

Ashes and Hope

This is the Theatre where Cath acted and worked for ten years, and I was Managing Director for five years.

Feels like watching home movies.

Longing for Long for This World

I’m a pretty savvy fella.  But I admit I have friends of such intellect, that when I stand next to them within their field, I’m downright Lilliputian. 

(I use the term “Lilliputian” here to try and make me seem taller.  Did it work?)

In the field of film, that’s Jeff.

In robot lore, that’s Cory.

In the world of all things literary, that’s Sonya.

Sonya is a beautiful writer, and her new book Long for This World has been released (Amazon assures me that my copy is on the way).

Check out the trailer:

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Becca By The Book

Having friends who are authors expands my reading horizons, as I take an interest in books that might not have otherwise caught my eye – whether that be a book of wacky quotes (CRAZY JANET) or chick-lit murder mysteries (KILLER COCKTAIL).

And thus it was a friendly author that got me to read BECCA BY THE BOOK, a “Getaway Girl” novel from a Christian publishing imprint.

I trusted author Laura Jensen Walker when she asked me to read the book, because I knew her witty writing from her cancer-survivor novel (RECONSTRUCTING NATALIE), and because she knew me – mostly that I had little interest in chick-lit (unless someone is murdered, thank you Sheryl), romance (unless in comedy, preferably starring Sandra Bullock) or contemporary Christian fiction that has prominent shelf space at Christian book stores.

Laura knows me, and she said don’t worry. And I needn’t have.

Chick-lit? Not so bad, as Becca, the heroine/narrator of BECCA BY THE BOOK is not girly (like her roommate Kailyn).

Mushy romance? Again, nope, as Becca is not defined by her search for a mate.

Christian fiction? Here’s where Laura did me proud: Becca is decidedly not a Christian. The novel does take her into that world, but as an outsider looking in, with plenty of comedic ammunition to prevent this from becoming a “this is for the choir” type book.

It is Laura’s comedic pov that makes this book a delightful read. The Getaway Girl books are about a women’s book club; each book is from the point of view of a different member, this one being Becca’s turn.

Snarky, non-conformist, and “says what I’m thinking” honest, she finds herself in trouble when she makes a bet with her club to prove she can commit: the next guy to ask her out gets three months before being shown the door.

Except the next guy to ask her out is churchy (Becca isn’t), and insists that most of their dates be to church functions. And that’s where the fun flies, as Becca gets to play “guess the famous woman of faith” at the high tea (who the heck is Esther and how come she doesn’t have a last name – is she like Madonna or Cher or something?), spend a long ride in the van with Bible thumper Donald (who just loves to hide Bible tracks in her pockets), and walk through the kitsch sales aisle at the Church Convention (“Blood of the Savior Red” nail polish, anyone? If only such things were confined to fiction…)

As Becca searches for her own sense of meaning, it helps to have a sense of humor along for the ride. And this is an enjoyable ride.

Along the way, Becca makes a list of Christian phrases that she doesn’t understand, so her churchy friends can help translate. The “Getaway Girls Guide to Christianese” is included in the back of the book, and worth the read all of its own.

My favorite: “Be in the world and not of: Kind of like Lucky Charms cereal; there are lots of pretty marshmallows in with the cereal, but they’re not the same. So live with the cereal, but remember: you’re a pretty marshmallow.”

Here’s hoping some smart publisher gets Laura to expand the Guide to book length.

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Documentary Style Acting Class - For Realsies

I'm really finding Betty & DD's School of Acting Arts to be eye-openers -- where were they when I was studying back in the day?

This class is on documentary acting (after their success earlier with hidden camera acting, which was supposed to be documentary style but hit a snag or two).

I still think the first girl is cute -- but man does she have troubles!

Enjoy!

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Taproot Stories

For those tracking the Taproot fire, below is an e-mail we got a few days after the fire from actor/friend Bob Gallaher. I share it with you for the hope and sense of community it offers.

Photo above is of the Taproot upper lobby (just to the right of the fireman is a photo of the original Taproot company). Photo below is a view of the restaurants next door as seen from a hole punched in the balcony. The theater needs a remodel -- complete new dry wall, flooring and carpeting, as well as other damage repair.

The building next door (which housed the coffee shop and three restaurants) will need to be completely gutted and rebuilt.

Taproot is looking for another space for their Christmas show; and are hoping to be back in their own space in time for the new season.

jmt,

Sean


Dear Friends and family:

It is a story of disaster and hope.

On Wed I worked as a “celebrity” wine pourer for a posh fund-raising event for Taproot Theatre. We served Washington grown Italian grapes locally bottled and donated by the case at the request of their friend, Brian Canlis (third-generation proprietor of the restaurant). Appetizers by “Upper Crust” caterers were served by Taproot staff, and it was held in the banquet room above the old Venetti’s. I poured a fantastic Sangovese (sp?). A call for support was answered with checkbooks and pledges. A good time was had by all.

Yesterday, I too awoke to the news of the fire. I contacted my friends and learned that the building was out of commission and I went over to see for myself and help load out the show. They had it done by the time I got there, and I took a heart-wrenching tour. Water and foam everywhere from the basement to the balcony. Holes chopped in walls, ceilings chopped or collapsed from water.

The fire began in the “Eleanor Roosevelt Building” adjacent to the East wall of the theatre between there and the beauty school building. Taproot owns the ERB and it housed three restaurants and a coffee house that all paid rent. The fire appears to have started in the coffee shop and the cause is unknown pending further investigation. Fortunately the fire wall prevented any extensive burning to the theatre, and the fire crews worked tirelessly to keep the fire from spreading.

Sue and I had comps to the matinee today. Seattle Children’s Theatre had stepped up and offered their fortuitously vacant venue for two shows today, along with a crew of technicians to help them set it up.

I got the whole run-down from Mark, the sleep-deprived sound/set/designer/builder/actor/genius/magician/director’s husband/and father of two who got the call at 4 AM Friday and who directed and executed the entire the-show-must-go-on response. His wife Karen, the show’s director, got the actors together to completely re-block for a much larger proscenium stage, while Mark patched in their sound equipment and set all the sound cues and effects and had the lights set and patched in to the board by the 2 PM curtain on Saturday. Unbelievable!

The show, a sell-out hit, was a triumph even in such adversity. The theme of the play has to do with seeking and finding beauty and joy and love even when those things seem inaccessible.

Although the short term response was a success, the mid-term outlook is going to be pretty overwhelming when they wake up tomorrow. There will undoubtedly be opportunities for volunteer mucker-outers and mopper-uppers, and I’ll do whatever I can. Nobody knows at this point what all must be done, but it will likely be months in the undertaking.

One interesting side note is that, originally, the plan was to redevelop the burned property into a second stage and rehearsal/class space. That proved to be too ambitious and was shelved indefinitely. They will get an insurance check to rebuild the theatre, as well as a check for the total loss of the Roosevelt Building and the cost of clearing it. Depending on what they owe on it, it could be a financial start to the expansion dream.

Just looking for the silver lining in what is a real disaster.

Bob