Hammerspace Exitement and my Burned Vampire Eye

Last Friday Hammerspace performed at New Roads High School in Santa Monica. We did two Harolds in the sort of technical iO West style structure. They went very well and the high school kids loved them. They were completely amazed that we hadn’t memorized lines or blocking… that we were truly improvising. It is really satisfying to give young people a great improv experience. Perhaps we inspired somebody. When I was in high school the only improv people who came to perform were fundamentalist Christians who basically did onstage public-service-announcements about Jesus, being saved and the Rapture. I wasn’t inspired, not by that anyway. Nikki Muller performed at the high school with TJ, Brittany, and me. Then in the evening TJ left and Kelly joined us and we did a really cool long form piece in the ADT about dinosaurs. Nikki, TJ, Brittany and I are all in Craig Cackowski’s level 6 class together. That’s very cool. Kelly and I are in Ed’s Friday class together and doing our 2-person improv-radio show as well. This is a very exciting time for Hammerspace. We are making deep discoveries together and really beginning to come together as a group. It’s nice to have Nikki joining us. She’s very passionate about the artistically revolutionary side of what we’re doing and she has great energy and intelligence.

There are 3 November Hammerspace Improv long-form group performances (5 person show) in the Andy Dick Theater. We also have 3 November Hammerspace Mystery Radio Hour performances (2 person show) in the Upstairs Black Box. Kelly and I will be doing the Mystery Radio show in a regular timeslot beginning in December. The Hammerspace Mystery Radio Show will be at 11pm the 1st and 3rd Sat. of the month in the iO West Upstairs Black Box Theater. That is super exciting!

I played a vampire in some pictures for Sick End films this past weekend. It was pretty cool, except… that I totally got what felt like a chemical burn in my eye from a white vampire contact lens. It was so awful and my eye was red and swollen and wouldn’t stop watering. I got a big bottle of Clear Eyes Redness Relief and that totally helped.
I am happy and I’m excited. I was really depressed recently, but now that is over. I am feeling so inspired about life and art and adventure. This is a super cool time to be me.

The Hammerspace Mystery Radio Hour

Saturday night (10-18-08) at 11pm Hammerspace performed an improv show in the iO West upstairs Black Box Theater. The theme of the evening was “radio night”. At the House of Blues on Thursday night I got the idea that we (Kelly Chase and myself) should perform a completely improvised, old fashioned radio mystery drama. We talked about it more on Friday and both were in agreement that it was a good, experimental, risky idea and that we totally wanted to do it… and I am SO glad we did!
The Hammerspace Mystery Radio Hour is truthfully the best improv show I have ever been part of. It was amazing and it was so much fun. We didn’t hold back. We were both fearless and risked it all and just completely swung for the fences the whole time and it paid off beautifully! I am in love with our new show and the new team!

The show was: The Hammerspace Mystery Radio Hour Presents- The Strange and Amazing Case of Lumberville, brought to you by Go-Away (an imaginary household product). The show had teenage lovers trapped in a pickup truck, an artistic and vain Colonel/Doctor and his feminine and soft young male assistant in their military astronomy center, a volcano mysteriously appearing in the center of town, a family of hungry pterodactyls, and a mysterious and drunken hobo who was secretly the greatest ditch digger in the world! It also had the occasional station identification and commercials for Go-Away.
The audience consisted for the most part of two very talented improv teams, The Dollhouse and Whiskerfish, as well as some other people. It was great to have a nice sized house and they loved the show and laughed the whole time. Afterward we got a ton of praise and compliments and felt like rock-stars. It was really cool.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately (and blogging about) improv and creative, artistic exploration. I have been craving new forms of creation and expression. A beautiful discovery was made in the show tonight and it feels incredible. Kelly and I discovered a magnificent comedy treasure and it happened to be inside of us. There is so much more to discover and that is so exciting. Now we can practice and rehearse and just get better, more fearless and take even bigger risks! I love the limitless potential of wonder and glorious magic there is to play with. A genuine breakthrough was made and I’m so happy and thrilled about it. The show was one of the best performances I’ve ever done, anywhere. I’m in love with my experimental two-person improv group and our awesome new mystery radio show!

My Undead Junkie, Experimental Improv, and The Tomorrow Show!

Friday night (10-10) we had a Hammerspace show at the Studio (experiment) in Highland Park. It was sort of a part of a big party/event. The only people who actually performed were Kelly Chase and myself, and our only actual audience was a very supportive Juli Crockett. The door to the room was open and a loud party was going on right outside in the hall. People were walking in and out of the room to get beer and it was distracting and difficult to focus. That being said… it was very fun and a pretty solid and well played little piece of improv. It was a nice long scenic look at marriage and relationships, independence, personal differences within individuals, commitment, family, contractual obligations, and lack of communication. It was the first time Kelly and I had done a 2 person show and it went well. Later on Juli taught me how to do a cartwheel. I had wanted to learn how to do a cartwheel all my life. We went to the iO West Jam on the Main Stage after that and it was really fun.

Saturday night we had a Hammerspace show in the iO West Upstairs Black Box. The show was okay... it felt like it had so much potential and just never actually took off toward what it could have been. We haven't been practicing or rehearsing enough lately. I also don't really know for sure who is a member of Hammerspace and who isn't. I'm never entirely sure who is going to be there to perform with me. Those things are very important and worth putting some thought and work into so that the group doesn't feel so disconnected. I feel so excited and adventurous about the artistic exploration of long-form improvisation. Playing with super intelligent and high reference level scene, character, and environment sounds so exciting and I would love to start getting my hands dirty taking huge risks and failing gloriously onstage. I just know that there are limitless abstract, surreal, spiritual, and philosophical discoveries out there in the infinite expanses of improvisational performance and creation land. The fearless and thorough honest experimental excavation of thoughts, beliefs, ideas, and feelings is going to be necessary in order to start getting to the deep artistic heart and soul of long form improvisational theater. The journey is going to be magnificent. I need to assemble a fellowship of players willing to embark on this quest with me. It is going to be a grand thing indeed to attempt to live and breathe this fantasy vision of truth and beauty and I now begin my search for the creative and insightful comedy warriors I need to join me.

After we left iO West we went to the Steve Allen Theater for the Tomorrow Show. Ronald Lynch (Mr. Lynch from Home Movies) hosts there. His co-host for the evening was Janeane Garofalo (that was a big surprise). My favorite burlesque theater-performance-art-clown, April Hava Shenkman, was there performing a very cool surrealistic gibberish piece that seemed politically themed (I think).
On Sunday Kelly and I went to the 3 dollar movie theater in Pasadena and saw “Ghost Town”. I totally recommend it (Ricky Gervais is so awesome). Then we saw some scripted sketch comedy at iO West that neither of us really responded to.
On Moday we went to the LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art). The LACMA is an incredible museum with lots of Picassos. I need to go back soon. We went from the LACMA to Dave and Buster’s for Travis Dixon’s birthday party and played a ton of ski-ball.

Tuesday was an incredible night. I did some actor/model work with Sick End Films doing promotional pictures for their new horror website. Brittany Disston is a really incredible special effects make-up artist (and I totally mean it when I say artist). She is brilliant and I absolutely love working with her. I love being in the chair and having the blood and gore make-up applied. Bleeding sores, oozing, bruises, scars, grizzly track marks, lesions, open wounds, and puss… I just love it. It’s a very sensory (somewhat erotic) and meditative experience holding still while someone puts their hands all over you creating a thing of terrible and horrific beauty. In the first set of pictures I was an undead junkie. Sana Etoile was playing my evil and sadistic wife. She and I have the same birthday, November 2 (Dia De Los Muertos, we were born on the Day of the Dead, also All Soul's Day). Next I had my eyes gouged out. For the gouged out eyes look I was wearing a prosthetic piece that required my eyes being taped shut. I had to be led around by the hand, helped up and down the stairs, and given water. That was very cool and weird and an extra-sensory experience. Sci-Fi, Horror, Comics, and Fantasy have always been genres I have been a big fan of, ever since I was very young. Thank you so much Bruce Campbell. It is really sweet to be doing so much work in these kinds of projects and it makes me that much more excited to be doing film work in Los Angeles. Sick End Films is quickly becoming an entity that I am always excited to be in collaboration with. I will have the pictures to post soon and that is very exciting.

I had my final level 5B class on Wednesday with Miles Stroth. He said I was a sniper because I wait on the sides for the perfect moment to pop in and do and/or say the perfect thing. He says that I need to start risking not being perfect and be willing to come out at the wrong time, do the wrong thing and fail. I am in total agreement with him. After class I saw an incredibly amazing King Ten show and Laurel Coppock proved once again that she is a comedy genius! I love what she does onstage! She is also so nice. I was also able to confirm that I had in fact seen Jennifer Lutheran (iO West box-office intern and a very sweet girl) playing a prostitute in the Gem Saloon on Deadwood in season 3. That is so freaking cool! I love Deadwood.
I went to the House of Blues for the first time Thursday night to see Ballentine (led by Heather Ballentine). I know Heather from doing outdoor musical theater in Oklahoma at Discovery Land. She sent me free tickets in the mail and the envelope had a PETA sticker on it (good for her).
So much is going on right now. Every day is a new discovery. It is time to get this show on the road. It is time to go for it! I feel full of magic and promise. I feel like a crusader and I seek new creative adventure and want to explore all of the artistic opportunities this bizarre and wonderful city has to offer. Improv continues to get better. Working in film and meeting fellow artists is just so cool. The less I hold back and the more fearless I am the more outstanding the discoveries will be in art, in love, onstage, and in life. This is frightening, fun, groovy, and grand.

Universal Studios, The Eyegore Awards, and 2 Person Long Form!

On Thursday evening Juli and I did our first extended 2 person long-form improv experiment. It was somewhat rough, and somewhat raw, but also very cool. There was no audience there to see it. Kelly came in about halfway through and thought she was watching us have an actual conversation at first (in a weird way we were). It was a very thoughtful, patient, and subtle piece. The reactions were genuine and the moves all seemed to come from a place of emotional and creative authenticity, especially our third scene. It was a very flirtatious job interview between two spies. It was cute, and very real. It wasn’t ever really about espionage. It was about how well you can ever know a person, and how much that ultimately does or doesn’t matter. The excitement of secrets versus the security of believing you know the truth, and how willing we were to embark on the voyage of a meaningful relationship knowing full well we didn’t trust one another at all. The piece felt really good and totally a style and way of performing and relating that I hope very much to explore further in the future. It was really cool and felt good and full of discoveries. It was interesting because I had been having a really raw and emotional day. I didn’t feel like doing improv. I was emotionally exhausted and feeling pretty edgy and strange. Doing the piece though had a weird, somewhat wonderful, and kind of cathartic effect. I felt liberated and had a lot of fun and like an artistic cleansing of the spirit set me right with my sea legs again. I am still searching for the inspired spirit animal of improv to join me on an artistic, philosophical adventure filled vision quest of honesty, comedy and performance-creation-energy. That will be grand and I’m enjoying the quest.

After the improv the Evangenitals all had a band practice, so Kelly and I headed out to the iO West to catch the Dasariski show. Cackowski wasn’t there but it was quite hilarious anyway. I’m glad Kelly got a chance to see them.
Friday was opening night of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. That not only means that the coolest movie magic filled haunted houses and mazes open up, but also that the Eyegore awards happen as well. The Eyegores are an awards ceremony (or scare-a-mony) honoring celebrities who have achieved special status within the horror movie community. I was able to get on the guest list and scored VIP passes too. Last year I played Freddy Kreuger in the commercial. My part wound up on the cutting room floor but I have some sweet connections to this event now. We watched famous folks on the red carpet for a while. Roger Corman, Kate Flannery, Julie Benz, and Bill Moseley were all the people on the red carpet I recognized. Roger Corman is totally awesome and I’ve been a big fan of his since I was a young kid and first saw Death Race 2000. Corey Feldman was the host this year. Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre director) got an award and the original Leather Face did too. There was a great all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet and an open bar. The only thing vegan were some little fried crispy vegetable spring rolls. I had 5 plates of them (they were delicious, especially with spicy soy and sweet and sour sauce drizzled over them). I also had quite a few cherry cokes with lime. Since it was a special event with free food and drinks I let myself get a little crazy with the portion control. I talked to Kate Flannery and she was thrilled to run into a fan of the Lampshades while out at Universal. I love the Lampshades!
The haunted houses and mazes were so cool. We got to cut to the front of every line with our VIP passes. The tram tour of terror is always a treat. The Dr. Seuss Whoville area was populated with rotten zombie face fuzzy white bunnies wielding chainsaws. It was a pretty nightmarishly bizarre sight. The Nightmare on Elm Street haunted maze was probably the creepiest in my opinion. We were at the park over 6 hours and had an amazing time. It was a really sweet experience to have kicking off the Halloween season.

Saturday night I had an 8:00pm Hammerspace Improv show in the Andy Dick Theater at iO West. Nobody currently performing with Hammerspace was going to be able to perform with me so I made some calls and got Ryan and Ken to show up. Kelly Chase arrived at the last minute and the four of us did a pretty funny little piece of long form that involved plenty of gay scenes, cock and ball torture, the Grateful Dead, family road trips, and Army recruiters. After the show I saw Kate Flannery in the iO bar and she recognized me from the night before (very cool).

Juli and I discovered the 2 dollar movie theater in Pasadena today and saw Pineapple Express (it was hilarious). That theater was so freezing cold. I totally think I’m going to start seeing movies again. I really only stopped because the price became so outrageous.
I got an agent on Friday. She says before she can start getting me anything I will need pictures. That makes sense. It is still nice someone wants to represent me. I’m glad I sent those emails out. I need to get about 4 looks shot. The handsome young dad, a rough and scruffy criminal type, a detective, and a well dressed lawyer/business man. Also a good basic head shot that looks like me.

I am in love with Los Angeles and also very lonely. It’s a weird and conflicted way to feel. I am feeling so passionate about so many things right now. I am bursting with the desire to express myself and I hungrily need to create. My life is currently in a crazy state, and I don’t only mean California.

Insomnia, Mo Collins, Disney, Improv, and Me in a Magazine

Last week I stayed awake for 41 hours. I was just too busy and when I had time available to sleep I wasn’t tired. It had been quite a while since I’d been up that long. Thursday Juli and I had a good “Laughter for a Change” meeting with Ed, followed by a Hammerspace Improv workshop-rehearsal-performance with Ed and Shaughn. The topic was weird (the definition of “is”?), but we did a decent little awkward piece about Santa Claus running for president. It was fun, funny, and strange. Keith and Henry (both Evangenitals) were there to see it. Nobody showed up for our improv/music jam, so the Evangenitals decided they would just have a fairly straight forward band practice and I took off to the iO West to see Dasariski. The Dasariski show was quite incredible and those 3 guys definitely lived up to all the hype. They were really smart and hilarious and I’m so glad I saw them. I had been having something of a weird and somewhat uncomfortable evening and I really appreciated the extreme cheering up that I got during that show. While in the balcony audience, Katie Ward (of the Dollhouse) and I got to talking about how funny we both find one another. We decided that it made perfect sense for us to form a new group and that the next step was recruiting our dear friend and fellow improviser Allegrah Hollenbeck to join us. We will begin performing upstairs in the iO West Black Box in November (thanks to Maggy Keegan). Soon I expect to be in at least four or five really great improv groups (perhaps more).

I got home from iO West late and was wired on yerba matte and pomegranate green tea. I watched “Extras” on DVD, read some "Writing Down the Bones", and never actually went to sleep. I did lie in the dark for a while with my eyes closed and drank valarian tea but it didn’t work. Once it was officially morning I had to go to my improv class at PCC. After a 4 hour class I had a Hammerspace workshop-jam in Highland Park at Studio (experiment), and then Kelly and I went out to Hollywood for our 8pm Hammerspace show in the Andy Dick Theater. It was okay, but honestly I was just too tired by then. We had done some great scene improv during our workshop and I would have liked to bring more to the show. Juli and I are really wanting to do some inspired hard core 2 person long-form improv and get to the heart and soul of the spiritual and philosophical possibilities of abstract, honest, dark, light, scary, lovely, and pure comedy-theatre-performance. The surrealistically human honesty and intimacy that we have gently touched upon together so often. We need to bravely plunge headfirst into the swirling improv abyss and hold up our fists together, open our eyes wide, and say "FUCK YES WE ARE READY". There are some beautiful discoveries being made and I feel I’m on the very edge of unlocking a magnificent and mysterious treasure of majestic and artistic improv revolution, revelation, and beauty. I just need to look closer, dig deeper, and be fearless and truthful in the face of all danger and terror.

Kelly Chase and I stayed to watch "Opening Night the Musical" at 9pm, and “Heather and Miles” in the ADT at 10pm. Both shows were very awesome. Heather and Miles both step into the puddle of vulgar and tasteless brilliance every Friday night. I should see that show every week, it's extremely educational. Then we chilled at the bar for a bit and stayed to join in the big Improv Jam (hosted by Pat Keys) at 12am. It was pretty fun but I was delirious and exhausted at that point. I was quite happy that Kelly got to play on the main stage. Everyone who played got a free candy bar (Butterfinger), but I’m a vegan so I gave mine away.
On Saturday a talent agent wrote me back. I had decided to email a few agents last week and see about getting representation. I don’t know much about that though (only what I see on Entourage). I looked up 3 talent agencies with an email address and sent them my resume and picture, and actually heard back from one 2 days later. Not only did she write me back, but she also had a job for me to submit for. I took my package (pic and resume) to drop off at a casting office in Hollywood for a Disney Channel TV show. They are looking for a mime. I took the train to Hollywood on Saturday evening and the security guards let me on the lot with a walk-on guest pass. Nobody from the show was in. I went back on Sunday, and there was still nobody from casting there. Monday was much better. The office was open and people were inside working. I dropped off the envelope containing my resume as instructed (with the agency name, agent’s name, and agent’s phone number as my contact info). She said she’ll call them and call me. Now I’m waiting. I am optimistic and excited. It would be pretty amazing if this worked out... Oh this would be so cool!

Monday night I saw Mo Collins do the Armando show and Inside the Improviser’s Studio. She had some very inspirational advice and kind words of wisdom (she was pretty damn funny too).
The "Best of LA City Beat" magazine featured a pretty fantastic picture of me doing an improv performance on the dance floor while Juli and the rest of the Evangenitals rocked the house on stage (see image above). It is from last Tuesday at the Mr. T’s Bowl Evangenitals show. When I wasn't performing improvised movement art I was filming the band play. I'm posting the super cool "Bad Town" video below.
I also just booked a modeling gig. I will be playing a fashionable zombie (in full gruesome make up) posing with a femme fatale/noir vixen girl in a photo shoot (Hot Women and the Men they Loved and Murdered). It's for a "Sick End Films" promotion for the new horror web site they are launching. Last time I worked with them they gave me a bag of vegan cookies. I will be wanting more of those cookies.

I feel like all these little signs and signals (and some big ones I guess) keep happening and showing me that I am on the right path. The universe is telling me that I am doing a good job, and to keep at it. Enjoy the journey and don’t give up or lose sight. Keep the faith and believe in yourself and the goodness of other people. Love life and take part in the magic the world is offering up.
Thank you…


The Evangenitals Video for "Bad Town" (filmed by me at Mr. T's Bowl).

John C. Reilly, Performance Art, and my Bloody Death Scene.

Monday night I performed in Madame Pamita's "Parlor of Wonders" show. I did my silent movie tribute-mime act (inspired by the work of Stan Laurel, Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplin). The response I got from the crowd was very heartwarming. They really liked what I did.
It is inspiring to be appreciated. Following your dreams can be very discouraging sometimes and Hollywood is an especially tough town. This was a very special event though.
There were ukulele players and banjo players. There was fortune telling and an awesome puppeteer named Eli Presser who had the creepiest little marionette I've ever seen. The show was at The Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena and they filmed the entire thing.
John C. Reilly was there and he told me I was great, and that I had a terrific face. That was very cool and I totally appreciated it. He and I had a nice little conversation about Del Close.

The Evangenitals (the greatest band in California) played at Mr. T's Bowl in Highland Park tonight (Tues. night). It was quite an event. Juli wore a hot pink prom dress, vegan combat boots, and a tiara. Bass player Keith Lubow was wearing a sailor suit. And Elizabeth Swenson and I were there representing IMPROV! We did a whole series of experimental-interpretive-movement-performance-art pieces that were directly inspired by the songs being played by the band. We were raw and fluid and the experience was magical. There was amazing trust and risk and energy. We were physically fearless and did somersaults and we jumped and leapt through the air, rolled around on the floor, and spun each other around. It feels so good to do something that requires such BALLS! It feels good to be fearless and non-self concious. It was strange and special and I felt the creativity vibrations going crazy all throughout my body and shooting out in my performance. The people in the audience seemed to like it as well. They approached me afterward and thanked and congratulated me. It was weird and I loved it. Things have been weird lately. I have been going through strange times and re-discovering myself in odd spots. It is a time of growth, re-birth, and settling into what will never be settled.
Greg Cohen (photographer) was filming the show and I will have that footage soon... fear not!

The footage from the Sick End Films production, "Arkill", is now available to view (as a roughcut). Pay close attention at the end and you will see my ultra-violent blood and gore death scene.

Sick End Films, Erotic Blood and Gore, and Improv!

Saturday night at the iO West we had 2 very experimental Hammerspace Improv shows. At 8pm in The Andy Dick Theater I did a 2 person show with legendary improv teacher Ed Greenberg. It was a really awesome experience. We started with an opening that was a dialogue scene, and it went on for 28 minutes. It was deep and meaninful and I did a lot of meditative philosophical stream of consciousness pondering of the Universe, it was very surreal and poetic. I was so loose! We actually adapted one of my favorite comic books, "Animal Man", into a film, within a long form improv show. It was wild. There were many musings and explorations of environmental and economic issues and problems in today's world all thanks to our suggestion of "Where do Black Holes Go When they Die?".
At 11pm in the Upstairs Black Box I had a 3 person show with Kelly Chase and TJ Gooding. Our suggestion was "Why am I Here?". The show we did is best described as an absurdist southern gothic romantic comedy of errors! It was like an abstractly sophisticated piece of slapstick theatre. Something very meaningful and magical was tapped into deeply and opened up big Saturday night. I am quite proud of Hammerspace Improv. The progress is exponential and growing!

Sunday morning and afternoon I was in a Sick End Films horror movie called "Arkill", filmed in a ballet studio in Alhambra. My improv buddy Ryan Karloff was there playing a role and we were both pleasently surprised to see each other. I was playing a campaign manager and he was playing a coked out speech writer. It was fun.
During my gory death scene I had a semi-erotic experience as a cute make-up girl named Brittany sat over me and massaged fake gooey blood into and onto my face, scalp, neck, and lips. That was really awesome.
When I left the set the director gave me a bag of organic-vegan-peanut butter cookies!

The Dawn of Quixote Radio Drama

This past Tuesday I had the extreme pleasure of performing in The Dawn of Quixote Radio Drama on KPFK (90.7 FM in Los Angeles). This was a radio drama adaptation of an experimental play written and directed by Juli Crockett (personally my favorite writer/director and all around amazing girl). The play is based on the first chapter of Don Quixote by Cervantes, and some of the inspiration and source material comes from Our Lord Don Quixote by Miguel de Unamuno. There is much philosophical exploration and discovery and this piece is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when you thoroughly explore the beauty, depth, and fascination of language, dialogue, and conversation.
Shaughn Buchholz plays Don Quixote. Juli Crockett plays Dulcinea, and I play Sancho Panza. The music is an original score provided by The Evangenitals.
The show premiered this morning at 7am on KPFK. It is now available to listen to online in the KPFK archives. I absolutely LOVED this play! It's our second radio drama (The History of Water was first). Next I believe we might be doing "Or The Whale" (Juli's adaptation of Moby Dick). I am really excited about that!
You can go th the KPFK audio archives and play or download the show. It is listed as Special Programming 7:02am Saturday 9-20-08.
You can also use the link here: Dawn of Quixote Radio Drama.

Brutally Honest Improv: It's Funny!

I recently discovered, in a quite personal way, the very fascinating phenomenon of how funny and entertaining it can be to be brutally honest. Hammerspace has been experimenting with monologue openings in our improv shows this week. I have been using them as an opportunity to really open up and make myself pretty vulnerable. I am going through some heavy life changes. My world feels like it is falling apart. I feel shipwrecked, lost, abandoned, and alone. I am hurting, sad, and in pain. I don’t like it.

I made the decision to be honest when I did my monologue. I made it general and specific, but truthful… very truthful. I didn’t necessarily say why I felt the way I did, but I did say how I felt. That seems more important and ultimately more relevant to what would best enable you to express yourself in both a meaningful and artistic way.
The thing that is most interesting is how funny it was. It wasn’t a joke… it was as far from a joke as it gets. I simply told a short story about what was happening to me today, and how I felt today and as if by magic… it was funny.

We did a Thursday show recently and our audience was very small. At the top of the show it was just Henry Bermudez. He gave us our suggestion: How do you keep a woman happy?
We delved into a series of observations on happiness, how can anyone be happy, what it means to keep anyone anything, and other philosophical musings.
At one point during my monologue I told the audience I was currently experiencing depression… the “I want to drink myself to death kind of depression”. They laughed. It was funny and I don’t exactly know why but I wasn’t surprised that there was laughter. I certainly wasn’t trying to be funny. I was just being honest. I was being painfully honest about being in pain, and it was awesomely cathartic.

The monologues based on the suggestion led to a series of scenes that were very real, genuine, natural, emotional, and patient. It was fun and it was funny. The improv happened with the flow, ease, and grace that you sometimes get in real life. There were a few crazy situations but they seemed real because we were treating them truthfully. The show was deep. We all felt it and it felt like fucking magic. The four of us: Juli, me, Brittany and TJ connected. We connected with our minds and projected that connection outward and it felt amazing. The scenes were deep and philosophical and connected to each other with natural simplicity that all just seemed meant to be. It was incredible and ultimately I believe the gods and ghosts of improvisation revealed some of their truths and secrets to us through the performance of that piece. I felt changed. I experienced some growth during and in the aftermath of that performance. I experience growth as an artist, an improviser and a person. It was our deepest show ever and one of the very best by far.

We did a 4-person Hammerspace show in the Black Box (me, Kelly, TJ, Brittany). The show was so great. It wasn’t quite as deep or as philosophical as Thursday, but it was the closest to it we’ve had. It was a little shorter but it was also very honest. The suggestion was: Do soul mates exist? It was real and genuine and had conflicts of the heart. We did a very good hot-spot monologue opening. I opened up again. I started by saying that I was going through a lot right now so I’m reading a Zen book called When Things Fall Apart (by Pema Chodon). Everyone laughed. It was a sad thing to say and I was as honest and heartfelt in my delivery as I could be and people laughed. They weren’t being mean about it… we were sharing a moment. I spoke of the value and virtue of hopelessness and I was being serious and the audience was laughing and it was wonderful. During the show I wound up playing a girl stuck on the toilet in a bathroom stall at prom. She was calling for help on her cell phone trying to get rescued and scared that she would wind up telling this story her whole life and it would be a horrible prom story to be stuck with. It was really hilarious and realistic. The whole piece was that way and we all felt it. We all knew we had shared an honest experience, and we hadn’t just shared it with each other. We shared it with the whole audience.

The bible of long form improv is called Truth in Comedy. I understand why on a level of personal experience now. We discovered for ourselves that brutal honesty and vulnerability is funny. Audiences really appreciate it when you take the risk by opening up and letting them in. It is a wonderful thing and I am grateful for the experience.

Parlor of Wonders show!

I was invited to perform in this show. It's really exciting and I am looking forward to it. It's very refreshing to know that this many vintage style vaudeville performers are gathering together for such a cool event.

Parlor of Wonders show!

Be in a Motion Picture! Madame Pamita's Parlor of Wonders at the Coffee Gallery Backstage on Monday, September 22nd!
Yes! You the audience will be in the spotlight as we are filmed with the most up-to-date moving picture equipment available! This is a full-blown variety show with audience participation and many surprises to astound and amaze!
A Cornucopia of Varieties Featuring:

Pantomime Hilarity by Patrick Ian Moore
Marionette Manipulations by Eli Presser
Euphonious Prognostications by Madame Pamita, the musical mystic
Ukulele Antics by Ukelear Winter
Musical Merriment provided by Patrick "The Idiot Saw-vant" Weise, Lucas
"Soup Greens" Gonze, and John "The Six String Scot" McDuffie
and more!

And it is all FREE!
Join us for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see acts of the highest caliber and be a part of an actual cinematic record!
Monday, September 22 8PM
The Coffee Gallery Backstage
2029 N. Lake
Altadena, California 91001

I was quoted on a cool Sci-Fi Blog!

Around 2:30am early Thursday morning Juli discovered that I had been quoted on a very cool science fiction blog, "i09: Strung out on Science Fiction" (you should definitely read this blog, it rocks). The Day the Earth Stood Still remake with Keanu Reeves will be coming to theaters in December. The same week it gets released, The Asylum will release The Day the Earth Stopped direct to DVD. If you've been following "Patrick's Quest" you probably know all about my 3 day sci-fi adventure with C. Thomas Howell and Judd Nelson. If not... you can read all about it here in some slightly older posts from a couple of weeks ago. I love the fact that someone read this blog and quoted me. I love that they called me an LA improv geek (because I am). We performed non-verbal improv shows to live music by The Evangenitals tonight at Studio (Experiment) in Highland Park. We also performed a Hammerspace Improv show with Ed Greenberg and hosted our first improv jam. Back to business though... The Day the Earth Stopped. I visited the IMDb page for the film and dicovered... there is an IMDb page for me, Patrick Ian Moore! I had no idea but it sure is cool.

MIME NEEDED? I got the gig!

The post said:
MIME NEEDED
We are having a french theme wedding at Castle Green in Pasadena and would love a Mime to perform for one hour on November 2nd, 2008 from 12 noon to 1 pm.
Although we are paying, we have a limited budget. Please contact us if you would like to discuss further. $100.00

This is on my birthday, and I got the gig.
They responded:
Hello Patrick,
It seems fated that since November 2nd is a special day for both you and us!
We only have $100 in our budget.
We need 1 hour tops to greet our guests, perform for 15 minutes after the
ceremony walk to the reception together two blocks away
We want a procession to the reception of our guests in black tie led by you
to the reception.
How does that sound to you?
It's certainly not a deal breaker but if you have a black and white striped
shirt that would be awesome!
I will e-mail you a contract this week. Please sign and mail back to me.

It's so cool that some people out there like mimes so much!

Patrick in: The Day the Earth Stopped!

The Day the Earth Stopped

What an insanely cool day!
My Wednesday (9-3-08) was a very cool, and surreal day. I went to Sunset Pacific Studios in downtown LA where The Asylum Productions were filming The Day the Earth Stopped (homage to/remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still). This movie is directed by and starring C. Thomas Howell (Pony-boy Curtis himself)! The supporting cast includes the legendary Judd Nelson. I was playing a soldier/SWAT officer in a sci-fi, futuristic film… just like last year when I did my only other feature film Radio Free Albemuth. And just like last year this one involved a car chase. Actually this one involved 4 car chases and in one of them I was the driver! That’s correct… I was the driver in a car chase, I was chasing a car being driven by C. Thomas Howell, and one of his passengers was Judd Nelson! It is all so crazy! Then later in the day, under the close personal direction of C.T. Howell, I did an intimate scene with Judd Nelson where I pointed the barrel of a rifle (M-16) at his face (just inches away). Guns and car chases and the stars of The Breakfast Club and The Outsiders. 3 days ago I didn’t know a thing about this project and now it’s over. That’s Hollywood and it is really cool!
The Day the Earth Stopped will be a direct-to-DVD release in December. Check it out and see me!

C.Thomas Howell, Judd Nelson, The Asylum, and me!

So today I went to be in the film The Day the Earth Stopped, directed by C. Thomas Howell. I sat around forever in a sci-fi soldier’s uniform eating orange slices, drinking coffee, and reading Sexus by Henry Miller. They almost had me change into jeans to play a German guy running and screaming to escape a killer robot, but decided I should stay a soldier. At the end of the day they didn’t wind up using me but they paid me anyway.
I was sort of down about it, but I was also excited because I am going to be part of another KPFK radio drama (just found out today). The Juli Crockett stage adaptation of Moby Dick (Or the Whale) is going to be performed as a radio play and I’m in the cast! I really love this piece (I saw it at Cal-Arts in 2001). That news made me feel quite a bit better.
Then I found out tonight that they need me to come in tomorrow to play a soldier (and get paid again). Not only will I be on the set with C. Thomas Howell, but Judd Nelson will be shooting tomorrow as well! The Day the Earth Stopped is kind of a remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still. It is being produced by a studio called The Asylum.

AUDITIONS in Hollywood this week and next. IMPROV ACTORS (TINSEL TOWN)

The Post says:
We will hold auditions this week and probably next in Hollywood...LOOKING for TALENTED, WITTY,'"QUICK ON THE DRAW' IMPROV ACTOR/ACTRESS for a presentation that may launch your career. You never know ..right? Several LEAD parts being cast: 1) An older Jewish couple and other character IN-LAW TYPES to play the "IN-LAWS"" 2) 21-40 year old sexy , comedic BRIDE. -------------Will SHOOT in LAS VEGAS 3) 21-50 GROOM -- all types with great improv comedic skills.. IMPERSONATORS also wanted.. 2 days in Vegas....
send picture and resume --thanks... cold read...bring material if you want...

This is crazy sounding. Maybe it will be fun? I'll let the readers know anything I find out.

MIME - cirque style (sad and in love) (Los Angeles/ Las vegas )

The post says:
Mime needed for unique live shows in Vegas for upcoming music entertainer.
Please send your reel and contact info.

This is one of those ads that is so vague it's fascinating. I hope they write back cause I am super-curious. My mime gigs so far (all off craigslist) have been very fun and one even paid me pretty well ($50 an hour!). I sent a response email with links to some mime video of me as well as links to my MySpace mime photo album.
Compensation says "To be Determined". I will post any news I get here on this blog.

My Busy Schedule Looks Good!

My Schedule This Week (9-1 thru 9-6)

Mon 9-1-08 4pm Planet Green Audition
Tues. 9-2-08 1-5pm The Day The Earth Stopped film
Wed. 9-3-08 7-10pm Level 5B Class 10-11pm King Ten Show
Thurs. 9-4-08 11am-12pm Sick End Films Cast meeting
Thurs. 9-4-08 2-5pm LFC w/ Ed Meeting
Thurs. 9-4-08 9pm Hammerspace Show at Tre Stage
Fri. 9-5-08 10:20am-1:40pm PCC Improv Class
Fri. 9-5-08 3-5pm Hammerspace Workshop Tre Stage
Fri. 9-5-08 8pm Hammerspace Show ADT
Sat. 9-6-08 8pm Hammerspace Show ADT
Sat. 9-6-08 10pm Hammerspace Show Upstairs BB

This schedule really makes it seem like I am super busy and that my time is filled with auditions, acting, improv, classes, shows, performances, workshops, rehearsals, and cast/crew meetings… and you know, I guess it is. That’s pretty dang cool! There is at least one thing related to performance/entertainment/arts everyday, and on some days there are 2 or 3 things. So far so good I believe.

SCI FI EXTRAVAGANZA DIRECTED BY MAJOR HOLLYWOOD STAR!

Low budget science fiction thriller in DESPERATE need of FEATURED extras September 2nd through the 4th in downtown Los Angeles. Even though this film is low budget it has distribution, and will look great on a CV. Please respond with head shot and dates of availability during September 2nd through the 4th. Pay is 25 dollars a day cash, meals, and credit.

I have a part in this film: The Day the Earth Stopped. It's tomorrow from 1-5pm. I'm plying a soldier and need to bring my own black T-shirt. They say meals... hopefully for my vegan's sake they will at least have apples, bananas, and peanut butter. Still, it's exciting to be in a movie again!

CASTING CALL - Moonlight Productions (Burbank)

This was the post:
Hey guys and gals,
My name is Richard Cabrera, I'm an actor, writer, director, and special effects artist. I'm currently working on a low budget film called, "The Flower". It's a dark story of a young girl who falls into this "wonderland". The film is a dark, eerie film that takes place in almost modern time. The production team on this film is huge and although its a low/no budget film, we take everything very serious.
The film is to be shot in all high-definition and surround sound in various locations including studio lots in North Hollywood all the way up to possibly Lancaster.

I'm looking for a few actors to fit some of my roles.
Looking for an older man that can play the role of both creepy and charming, possibly in his 40's and up.
Looking for a Father and Mother figure. Both in their 30's and up.
The father is a laid back guy, rather careless, always watching tv.
The Mother is a typical "mom" that is always trying to look out for her daughter.
Those are the main people I need to cast, but am also looking for younger actors from all ages.
I'm really looking for specific looks for this movie and talented actors who aren’t shy. Yet, first time actors are also welcomed.
This is - like I said - a low budget film so there is no pay involved, but there will definitely be food and drinks on the shoot days and anything else I could get for my cast and crew. Everybody will get credit, a copy of the DVD and this film will be pitched to big productions companies.
This is a fun project but I can't emphasize enough, a very SERIOUS project.
It's a feature film so it might take a few months of shooting.
I understand that people have work and or school so most of the shoots will be on the weekends and at night if the actors are ok with the shoot dates.
If you have any further questions, please email me, to the craigslist email with your name, age, and a photo of yourself, maybe tell me a little bit about your acting background if any and PLEASE, be yourself, I’m just a regular person just like you... :D
Talk to you soon.
-Richard Cabrera

I sent my picture and resume with a sort of introductory email saying I was interested in the role of "Father". This guy wrote me back and I got the part! He seems quite cool. Exciting stuff! I'm sure I'll have more to tell soon.
In other news... I didn't get the MTV job or the Monster Suit job. Oh well... life goes on.

The Rhino Room Experience

Be A Guest on Our Webcast TV Show (Claremont)

The Rhino Room is looking for unique guests, muscians, aspiring actors, rappers, models. If you have something to sell, we'd like to help.
Help us help you. We are a webcast TV show looking to help promote and get your name out there and have fun while doing it. Come on to our show and be a guest. Please reply with your info, picture, & or myspace.
We are also looking for potential tattoo clients for our show. If you are choosen tattoos will be paid for by the Rhino Room. Tattoos must be able to be completed within a 2 - 2 1/2 hour session. We have a studio in our studio.
*** For your safety and the safety of our other guests and crew, tattoos are performed in a controled environment by a licensed professional certified in Bloodbourne pathogens. ***
...What are you waiting for?! Contact us now! This is something that I did. I responded to the ad and was invited on as a guest to perform mime. There were suicide girl-style models, exotic dancers, rappers, people doing gross-out stunts for free tattoos... and me, a mime. So it turned into something of a strange and spontaneous sketch of sorts. I'm posting the link.
Patrick Ian Moore performing on the Rhino Room Show.

LAST CHANCE TO AUDITION FOR TOM GREEN SHOW! (HOLLYWOOD)

Calling all actors, musicians, comedians, eco-friendly people -
LAST WEEK to audition for new Discovery Channel show with Host TOM GREEN!
Call now to reserve an audition spot for Monday, Thursday or Friday. You can bring a friend or family member too!
Discovery's new channel, PLANET GREEN (24 hr GREEN content) is kickin' up their programming with this never-been-done-before game show that will match your wits against others (and funnyman Tom Green) with eco-friendly questions and the chance to win prizes and trips around the world!
Don't miss this great opportunity to be a part of a cutting edge new show...Plus you can be used in more than one episode since we have 20 to shoot! It's a 1 in 50 chance to win a trip - the odds are amazing!!!
Send a pic (doesn't need to be professional headshot).

This sounds like it has the potential to be pretty fun. I'm going in at 4pm on Monday. I may try to bring a friend or 2.

Actors and Actresses 18+ for Feature Film

Here is what the post said:
"If you are interested in taking your career to the next level by having a role written for you in a feature film please contact us right away!
Pay: Negotiable
M/F
18 +
Los Angeles or surrounding areas
HEAD SHOT AND RESUME TO: new_tv@ymail.com
First come first serve SLOTS ARE LIMITED!!!"

Here is the response I received:

"THE DETAILS:
“N.E.W. TV” is holding an OPEN AUDITION for a “film group”. Owner and Exec. Producer Nathan E. Wheeler (trained by Oscar Winner's in front and behind the camera) is looking to put together a group of actors for which he can customize his NEXT FEATURE FILM(S) AROUND!!
SECRETS that were passed on to Nathan will be shown to actors AT THIS EVENT, think of it as a FREE SEMINAR, but ALSO AN AUDITION as those attending are asked to:
Bring a 1-2 minute dramatic monologue (any subject is allowed)
This is an Exclusive Opportunity, not available to the public before. (invite only) So here is your chance to get your foot in the door to THE INDUSTRY not just “A FILM".

DAY: Sept 2nd. Tuesday
TIME: 7pm please arrive 10 minutes early
AGE: 16+
RACE: All
ATTIRE: Dress Professionally
STUDIO LOCATION: 5566 Pico Blvd Los Angeles CA 90019

*(NOTE: Park on the cross street " Curson Ave " and enter studio through back LARGE WHITE CAR GATE. You will see the studio door OPEN and the cameras & lights inside)
Please respond to this confirming your attendance and how you might be able to be reached for further confirmation the day of.
Look forward to seeing you then."

Kind of sounds like another scam to me. I doubt I'll go.

Dog Actor school seeking actors to promote: (all areas)

"Dogs Provided, seeking talented assertive actors to promote Hi end Pet Acting and training School/ well established. promote our PET biz at local fun events and generate quality leads for us. lots of fun, great pay, must love pets and working with people."

It would be lots of fun to work with dogs. I love animals (as everyone knows). I hope this is a humane business. We will see, I have a phone interview this evening.

Actors Wanted (Downtown Los Angeles)

"Three male actors (sorry ladies just the roles) needed for one day no budget movie shoot. This project is political in nature and supports the candidacy of Barack Obama so if this is uncomfortable for you please do not respond. I will happily pay $200 to each actor upon completion of the project, and take everyone to a great dinner!
For the three roles I need very specific types. If you are interested in this, please respond with a headshot and a resume, and also note which role interests you.
1. Edge 50's-70's. Black. A commanding presence. Smart.
2. Scot 30's-40's. White. Smaller, skinny. Shy yet funny. Perceptive. Actor must be comfortable portraying a gay man.
3. Frankie 30's-70's. Any race but "White" or "Black". Funny. Think Borscht Belt. Satirical, biting. Please do not respond for this role if you do not enjoy doing comedy type characters.

Based on the three actors schedules alone, as everything else is already set, I hope to film on one of the weekend days in mid to late September near downtown Los Angeles.

Thanks for reading this and good luck to you in your creative pursuits."

I responded to this post submitting for the role of Scot. I have a meeting in about 4 hours to see about it. Could be fun!

MTV looking to cast Motivational Speaker

"New reality show for MTV looking to cast motivational speaker for an upcoming shoot. Speaker should be male, any age, race, look the part of a high school football coach. Some compensation. Non union. Please send in head shot, resume if available, and you contact information."

I have a meeting about this job in 10 hours. I'm excited and nervous. It is in Glendale. I shouldn't get too detailed too early, but hopefully I'll have more info soon! I'd love to get this gig.

Audition tonight!in hollywood and highland

OPEN CALL- AUDITIONS SCI FI TELEVISION PILOT (WEST HOLLYWOOD)
"Open auditions this Monday 7pm in West Hollywood. Email for location and parking instructions. Please bring a headshot or at least a photo of yourself and resume if you have one. Dress casual but neat.
Newbies and experienced welcome!"

I went to this very weird audition Monday night. It was at an apartment complex on LaBrea in Hollywood. The post said it was for a "sci-fi pilot". Pretty vague stuff I thought. When I got there I was in a group of about 100 people and everyone had a sheet of paper with a very short set of commercials (4-5 lines), for The Gap, Pepsi, and Burger King. One at a time we were sent in and asked to perform the pepsi speech for the actor we were told was the lead in the mysterious sci-fi pilot. I went in and he asked if I was feeling groovy. After my first reading he wanted me to do it again with CRAZY energy. I was then given a "number 3" (a 3 on a piece of paper). When everyone was done the people who had a 3 were all sent away (they didn't need us but told not to stop trying). I decided since I was in the area and out auditioning I'd go to another one. I saw some of the 1 and 2 people there. They said after I left it was announced that the remaining people were being invited to take acting classes at $75 a class (taught by the guy who asked if I felt groovy). It was something of a scam it seems. The 2nd audition was very cool... and I got a part! All the good stuff is below!

Audition tonight!in hollywood and highland
"Not your typical student film or waste of time if you are an aspiring actor or
a risk taker then come in.
SICK-ENDfilms is casting for a new short film "ARKILL"
A political psycho horror film. There are four parts available including
background. The male lead DANIEL ARKILL, Supporting include a female adviser
and male running mate as well as a victim of mr. arkill.
the age range is 22-35 for all parts
Filming is in two weeks + 1 day of a cast meeting and run through
location is: HOLLYWOOD,ALHAMBRA,PASADENA area
2 to three hours of shooting all night shoots,PAY is negotiable for time and gas (budget is tight)"


"Hello and welcome to the SICK-END FAMILY Pre-production on ARKILL is in stage 2 and I am setting up a cast meeting and run through for the two day shoot coming up in two weeks. The days I am trying to set up is for WED or THURSDAY SEPT. 3 OR 4TH the evening. I will arrange it in hollywood or in the vicinity . The part I have casted you in is a very creepy campaign manager named MATTHEW DOC. He has a strange fetish that involves insects. He likes to get bitten by spiders and have flies all over him etc.. (this is not in the script but something for you as a developing his back story a little) He is killed DANIEL ARKILL and in a way can have a story un to himself. I have attached the script please give me any feedback on it. I hope you still want to be involved with the project and thanks for your time."

ACTOR NEEDED FOR FULL MONSTER SUIT (North Hollywood)

"Non-union feature horror film.

Actor must be slender to fit in full-body suit (including head). Upper-body strength a must as suit is designed to be used with arm extensions (creature walks on all fours). Some stunt work.
Actor should be between 5'-8" and 6' tall. Dance background a plus.
First shooting day August 27 and/or 28, then weekends tbd.
There is some pay."

This ad was something I found when I did a specific search for mime-jobs (because of course, I'm a mime now). I met with these guys this past weekend and then the next day. I saw the very cool monster suit (it's AWESOME). I tried it on a little, moved around. I'm supposed to meet them again this upcoming weekend. I have always wanted to be the guy inside a cool monster/creature suit (ever since I was a little boy). I will also get to destroy small scale-model building like Godzilla (DREAM COME TRUE). I really want this job!