the day after

After a rough night of finally getting to sleep, (friends from all over the country kept texting me and calling me to say "we have a new president! we have a new president!"), I finally got some rest after the exciting news of Obama winning. This morning I got up and I turned on the TODAY SHOW and it was nothing but Obama Obama Obama! As I was going to rehearsal around 9am, people seemed quite tired on the train. Tired, yes, but HAPPY! Every customer that I helped tonight at the coffee bar seemed just a bit happier and revived with hope as they glanced at CNN and MSNBC on the three flat screens over head in the bar. New Yorkers had a little skip to their walk today, and I was not the only one that noticed it. A few others mentioned the jovial aura to me today. I am pleased and ready for change! (oh yeah, and if anyone COULD actually get their hands on an extra NEW YORK TIMES, I will pay double for it. I had about 20 people come in to the coffee bar and ask if we had anymore, and I said "yeah right".) Go Obama/Biden!

my work station

So I don't know how many of you that I mentioned to that I was putting up a shelf in my kitchen this weekend. Actually, the shelf has followed my over all credo in my New York apartment... Found and free items!!! This beauty was actually a piece of 1X6 that was painted brown. I found it in the alley and cleaned it. Took a walk to Home Depot for a few angle irons to hold it up and I have myself a shelf! Pretty rockin'. Since my hobby is cooking, this is a step towards the kitchen being my favorite room in the apartment. Why don't you come over for soup and wine?

my friend marsha and my sister leah-haha

So, what the hell. i will give it another shot. I am all for turning over new leafs... leaves...whatevs. Yet another New Years resolution in October. Marsha of Marma Designs and Leah of MoxiePhotoandDesign tell me constantly that I should blog. I started a blog years ago... oh wait, that was in January for my 4 month tour... Seems like a long damn time ago!

News in my life...

*Went to see the movie BLINDNESS last night with a friend from down under. Had a great time and plan to go to THE DARK KNIGHT next week (yes, we are the only ones in the world that haven't seen it yet).

*I started a new job this past week at NEWSBAR right off of Union Square. It's fun, I guess. I thank God for my 2 years experience as a barista at Starbucks B&N and Cafe Colonial(yeesh!)... otherwise it would prove to be a little daunting.

*I have started a new hobby. Crossword Puzzles. I have never been able to finish one, and in fact in all my 27...28 years, everytime I try to start one I lose interest almost immediatley. But I have found in the recent past that once you stick with them, you get on a role and pretty soon half the puzzle is done! Then you feel smart too! I haven't finished a whole puzzle yet, but I bought a book of them yesterday at the Borders at Madison Square Gardens (don't tell my former employer B&N that I shopped there). I have high hopes. It goes well with a cup 'o joe.

*Today's list of things to do... must find a Tux shirt. I am starting to get catering gigs that require a tuxedo. I know nothing except that I have been in 4 weddings and went to prom twice. Top Shelf Staffing is meeting me half way as far as purchasing a tux. They are getting the coat and pants. I need the shirt and tie. Also, must stop at the New York Public Library and get my jury duty shtuff figured out.

*Tomorrow I get a piece of FREE Broadway Theatre. Nuttin better than that. Thanks to my friend Lila. She got us tix for "TO BE OR NOT TO BE". I'll take it!

long time ago...

Once upon a time, there was a man that decided to blog. However, he was really bad at it and never actually did it! His name was Andrew. Sorry gang, I have no internet. Things are going well though! Our show was cancelled last night b/c of the rain. Cross your fingers for tonight!

the first two weeks

well, i have officially been here 2 weeks tomorrow. everything is going well. I am having a great time with everyone. I had a few days off and then back to work tomorrow. It's getting hot here.... really hot... thank god for the pool in our back yard! Thinking about what I am going to do this fall now that the blow of my tour getting cancelled has blown over. I want to have faith that something will turn up. I hope that I can find a survival job that will let me do auditions now that I have a better shot at Equity Auditions. Well, I don't really have any new news. Hope all had a great 4th!

bad news bonzo!

so i am sitting in a crummy little QUIZNOS in downtown Bridgeport, CT because this is the closest place to me right now that had WIFI. That's right, the condo that I am staying in this summer is beautiful and huge and air conditioned and i have my own bedroom with my own bathroom and a balcony and a full kitchen. the only thing it doesn't have is WIFI, so I don't know how much blogging I will be doing:(

Also, some worse news. I got a call directly from my producer who lives in Florida yesterday. he informed me that my tour for the fall has been cancelled. Shit! Not only my tour, but 3 OTHER tours aren't going out. As of right now 4 out of 6 shows have been booted. He says because schools are cancelling so much because of cutting back on money for field trips, which is a direct effect of the cost of gas! Wow. This is complete crap. 50 actors are now out of work for the fall and I am one of them. Thanks to oil prices, the war, and Bush! Cheers.

sabbatical??

Hello all. We'll try this out again. Now that I am refreshed and ready to hit the ground running again in my next endeavor, I will try and continue with the blogging thing.

I move to Bridgeport, CT one week from today till August 10th or so. I am getting up there a little early to get a few tasks done with a couple of my higher ups before the cast shows up on June 30th. Okay, so the past couple of weeks... I didn't luck out with a temp job and as far as going back to the bookstore for a few weeks, it was just bad timing with my former boss (was on vacation I think). So what I have been doing is having a little "me" time. It might sound lazy to some of you, but you should really try it! I have been doing quite a bit of reading and some writing. I found a subletter for the month of July and met him(and her) the other day. Netflix has also been my friend throughout the past two or three weeks. All the movies and shows I have seen I call it "research", which when you think about it... it really is for an actor like me.

Anyway, I hope the summer is treating everyone of my readers well. If you are a New Yorker friend and like the theatre... i recommend going to HAMLET in Central Park as well as AUGUST:OSAGE COUNTY at the Music Box Theatre. If you just like the theatre, I hope you enjoyed the TONY's the other night. If you just like me... well thanks a bunch for reading my blog and come back in a few days. Ciao.-a

P.S. Professor Candler sent me a few photos from our last night together as a cast at the Tedeschi's. Thanks Augustus! This is us in a nut shell.

to my faithful readers

My faithful readers-
Thank you for taking the journey across the country these past four months with me. I am embarrassed that my blog pooped out in the end. It was time for me to get back into the city and move on. I had a great time and wouldn't trade it for the world. This summer I am going to take an unpaid tech position at Connecticut Free Shakespeare for 6 weeks and will then get 6 equity points that will work towards me getting my Actors Union Card (Equity Card). That is a goal of mine in the near but distant future. Also, I am touring again starting in October with SHORT STORIES. It's a show that plays a bunch of Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, Rudyard Kipling and a few others' short stories. It's only for 6 weeks and I will then get to go home for Christmas! Will let you know when that starts and my blog picks up again. Thanks again!-a



p.s. faithful is not spelled with 2 l's huh??

OMG

So wow... I have not written since Chicago! Woah. I suppose it's because we have entered in the final leg of the tour and that we are in the boring states. I guess not boring, but the part of the country that I live in, so there is nothing REALLY new. Was back in the city last weekend and again this coming weekend. Around Long Island, Jersey, Maryland and Rhode Island til the end. But guess what??? I am doing another tour next fall! It's a different shoe and it's a much shorter tour that only lasts about 6 weeks and we don't go as far. Anyway... thank you to my loyal readers. I left my camera in the city, so no photo this time.

Chicago

Here is a photo of me in Millennium Park in Chicago:)

long time no blog!

so we had our two week vacation and are now in Chicago... well.... Gary, IN ready to hit the last month hard. I don't know if I even have a blog fan club out there anymore since I haven't posted in, like.... years! I got to spend today, Cinco de Mayo, in Chicago with my friends Shauna and Katie. It's Shauna's 24th birthday! It was nice:) Tomorrow we have a double. Sorry no pic on my first day back!!!

Marsha!

Hello! I got to see a dear old friend in Portland on Tuesday morning. Marsha and I have known each other since my first theatre class in college in 1999 at the University of NE. She is now a designer in Portland, Oregon. She gave me 3 knew coats from her company called SOLSTICE. Thank you Marsh and I love ya!

P.S. Today... Friday... we drove from Boise, Idaho through a bit of Utah and to Rawlins, Wyoming. I realized that at this point, I have stepped in 46 out of 50 states! I have missed Hawaii, Alaska, Montana and Arkansas. Cool huh???

YIKES!

A closer look at the blowout.

Quite a day!

Leaving Lake Tahoe Monday, we all knew that it would be a long damn drive to Portland, Oregon, however, we weren't prepared for the additional events that would turn a 10 and 1/2 hour drive turn into a 16 hour drive. First of all, our breaks that we got fixed in Los Angeles started to stink really bad driving down the mountain, so we had to go a few miles out of the way to get them checked out. Then we got stopped in California and inspected for fire ants... yeah really. Then we blew out a tire on the trailer somewhere on 395 in a very windy desert (lucky that I worked a few years at Bergie's filling station in Elgin, and had no prob with changing the tire). We didn't have a lug wrench that fit the trailer tire (Thank god the cop that stopped a little later had one). Then the tire that we had only had 20 pounds of air in it, so we had to go 35 mph for 80 miles. Then we noticed after we aired it up that it had a bubble right near the stem, so we stopped in Klamath Falls, Oregon and got it fixed. Then it started to snow in the mountains of Oregon, so we were driving on ice for a good 70 miles. Finally, we got into Portland about 11:00pm. Quite a day!!!!

To Lake Tahoe, Nevada

Here, driving across Sierra Nevada to Lake Tahoe on Sunday. Quite majestic!!!

Old Blue Eyes

One of many stars I saw on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Mr. Sinatra's was one of my faves though.

Oscar's Home

Hey guys! In Los Angeles yesterday, our company van had to have major breaks work done at Firestone, so we got a nice little (or big) red Dodge Ram pick-up that I ended up driving around Hollywood Blvd. and Sunset Blvd all afternoon! It was sweet! 95 degrees and I got some great photos. Here is me in front of the Kodak Theatre where the Oscar's take place!

Pacific Coast Highway

Today, as we drove back down to San Diego from San Jose on the Pacific Coast Highway, we stopped off for a little lunch on the beach.

Frisco!

The Golden Gate Bridge!!!

BEAUTIFUL!

NAPA VALLEY:)

NAPA VALLEY TODAY!!!!!

The Rock

San Franciso this weekend! Here is ALCATRAZ.

Hollywoodland

Driving through Los Angeles the other day to our Disneyland Days Inn. Will be back next weekend!

paid vacation???

I have mentioned a little while back that there have been a lot of cancellations yielding quite a few days off in some great cities. A few days ago, we found out that in April, there are even more cancellations and in fact there is a two week period where we don't have a show. The producer has decided that after we get done with our Colorado Springs show, that we head back to Connecticut for those two weeks and then continuing with the last leg of the tour. So it's looking like right now that after Colorado Springs, I am going to get dropped off in Nebraska and then fly back to NY at the end of my little paid vacation. Sweet huh? I thought about going back to the city, but my sub-letter is still in my apartment, and I actually may save a little dough by free-loading off my parents for a few days. Plus I will get to visit my nieces and nephews! That's the plan right now. Currently I am in Los Angeles and will be in California for the next two weeks and then up to Seattle! Sunday we're going to Napa Valley!!! My wish is about to come true!

Where is Pecos Bill??

Driving through New Mexico yesterday to Tucson, AZ we saw many of these tornado like sand storms. Didn't Pecos Bill ride these or something???

Bobcat Bite

The other day, going to Albuquerque, we stopped off around Santa Fe and indulged ourselves in the best hamburger in America. Well... best hamburger in America according to Bon Appetite Magazine. Damn good and worth the 45 minute wait. (Oh and Will thought he would be the center of this photo.)

Long-Ass Back Track

So we came from Texas and stayed in St. Louis last weekend, headed to Lexington, KY and Louisville, KY for two show and then drove back to Kansas City, MO today. I didn't get photos of the Arch in St. Louis last weekend, but got one as we drove through today. Tomorrow, I am meeting Mom in Nebraska City to spend two days in Seward at my sister's. Leave for Wichita, KS on Monday. Happy Easter!-a

HAPPY ST. PATTY's DAY!

The Clarks

Yesterday, we were travelling on I-64 through Indiana and I realized that we were going to be less than two miles from my Aunt and Uncle's house, so I asked everyone if we could stop and surprise them and just say hi. They agreed and we did! I forgot to take a photo for my blog. Happy St. Pat's Day. We don't have a show and are going to a local pub here is Lexington, KY:)

Crustaceans and Beer

I ate crawfish today for the first time! They are very interesting, exoskeletal beings that involve an extensive tutorial before you can finally eat them. Unfortunately, I spilled my Bulldog micro-brew while twisting a head off. Very sad sad thing to spill a Red Ale:(

whattsa matta McFly... CHICKEN???

Bon Appetit Magazine's/Food Network's Best Fried Chicken in America!!!! The cast loved me for dragging them to the ghetto of New Orleans and indulging ourselves with some freakin amazing fried chicken:)

the river walk

jazz bar...???

where the hell am i??? oh well!

wait wait wait! this was actually in NASHVILLE at a really trashy hick bar with lawn furniture and a totalled chevy camaro from the 80's in it and $6 pitchers of pabst blue ribbon. classy gent i am!

the french quarter

rue of ill-repute...

...but I can't say I rue the opportunities! Watch out for those hand-grenades and hurricanes. I stuck with the scotch, jack, and beer:) said no thanks to the voodoo, tipped my hat to st. louis, spent a little at the flea market, spent a lot on bourbon st., ate some terrific gumbo, indulged myself on a beignet at the famous cafe du monde, and declared that this weekend was the most fun yet! the weather was amazing, and now we only have three shows this week and then 5 days in Houston!

New Orleans!

Beale Street

Some random bar on Beale Street, the Home of Blues and the birthplace of Rock N' Roll:)

The Famous Ribs Place RENDEZVOUS

Andy-rew, Christine and Stuart

cancellations yield a few days off

A couple days ago we found out that Wednesday's (tomorrow) performance was cancelled, so we got an extra day in Memphis. We stayed in Graceland across the street from the Elvis Presley estate. This photo is of me in front. Today we found out that a bunch of our Louisiana performances got cancelled and so we now have 6 days off in New Orleans and the following week we have 5 days off in Houston, Texas! Tonight we are planning to go to a restaurant that I saw featured on the Food Network. Very excited! It has Bon Appetit Magazine's top BBQ Ribs in America! Driving to Mobile, Alabama tomorrow. I hope it's a little warmer down there. I haven't been able to wear shorts for the past couple days because it's been in the 40's to 50's! I am ready for another sunburn:)

backseat driving... or sleeping

The past two days, driving from Huntsville, AL to Asheville, NC to Knoxville, TN I caved and let some others do the driving. I told everyone that I would agree under one condition. That condition was that I wanted the very backseat of the van to myself! So while riding through the Great Smokey Mountains I chilled, made some phone calls, read a little and listened to my ipod and slept. Tomorrow after our show here in Knoxville, we are heading to Nashville for the weekend. Oh yeah... happy oscars weekend!!!!

ORLANDO! (Well, actually Kissimmee)

So after Friday, which was the most grueling day so far, we got word from the home office that our performance on Tuesday is cancelled and that we have an extra day off!!! Friday sucked because we had to load in and perform as usual, load out and then drive to another venue, load in again, perform and then load out again. It was tough and the Florida heat was not on our side. It's okay though. I think I sweat of a few pounds! Yesterday while some of my cast mates went to Disneyworld, I and a few others went to Cocoa Beach. (I have never felt so fortunate to be catching some rays and waves in the dead of February!) Tomorrow we are heading back to Atlanta, GA and then Tuesday we will be driving for a show on Wednesday in Huntsville(?), Alabama. This time next week I will have experienced Nashville, TN and be on my way to Memphis!!

Macon

MACON, GA

jilly bean

Hey ya'll! We were just in savannah, GA. I spent the entire weekend with a dear old friend of mine from Kearney who lives there now. Here we are getting ready to take an old savannah tour. (Thanks Jillian for letting me do my laundry at your house!)

SWEET BETTY ANN

BETTY ANN WAS A WAITRESS AT A CRACKER BARREL WE ATE AT SOMEWHERE IN NORTH CAROLINA LAST WEEK AND WE ALL FELL IN LOVE WITH HER AND HER HOSPITALITY A LA SOUTHERN STYLE. WE ALL WANTED TO TAKE HER ALONG WITH US ON TOUR!

HAIL TO THE CHIEF (BUT NOT BUSH)

me on pennsylvania avenue LAST weekend in DC. far off in the distance you can see the capital.

"There they are, and there they'll stay."

Yesterday we were in Washington DC for the day. I went to the international spy museum and went on a "mission". It was fun! We later went to one of the Smithsonion Museums and as you can see I got my photo with the real ruby slippers from THE WIZARD of OZ (Okay, so they are just sequins). As Glinda, the good witch from the north says to Dorothy and the Wicked Witch of the West "There they are, and there they'll stay." I also saw things like the real PUFFY SHIRT from Seinfeld, the pole with all the town names from M*A*S*H, Abraham Lincoln's top hat and other really neat stuff. Last night, after a delicious Shrimp Tempura at Bar Louie in downtown DC (and $3 BLUE MOON's !!!!) we took a night tour of all the monuments! Off to Greensboro, NC today!

P.S. DC's metro is so fringin clean! The New Yorker in me was so jealous!

Monday TECH!

Today was our first tech day! It was at the PLAYHOUSE on the GREEN in Bridgeport, CT. LONG ASS DAY!!! Wow... I am tired. The adjunct photo is of me and my Stage Manager, Christine in front of the theatre. Tomorrow, our producers come from Florida! YIKES! I must go to sleep now;)-a

cheap laundry and jetting to Jersey

Last night, a few of my new friends and I had the pleasure doing a little communal laundry. What a pain doing laundry out of a suit case, (get used to it! right?) The laundromat wasn't as scary as the ones in New York and a load was much cheaper.


We are winding down our rehearsals here in the hotel and are preparing for tech rehearsals coming on Monday. The tech rehearsals will be at the Playhouse on the Green in Bridgeport. We just got word that we'll be leaving after tech rehearsal on Wednesday the 30th and be jetting to Jersey for a show on the 31st. Not sure if we'll be coming back to Hartford, CT for a show on February 1st or if that show was cancelled... or what the hell the deal is. Our "official" itinerary hasn't been given to us as of today. Apparently it's par to get the official schedule only a few days before we head out. Also, evidently nothing is set in stone;)

Here is the deal

Hey friends-Here is the deal. I haven't really had any extremely exciting new information to post. I would imagine that when I am on the road, everyday will be a new adventure and I will have news, news, and more news and you all will be enraptured by my posts every single day:) Days have been filled with rehearsals, costume fittings, crash courses in fencing (fighting with rapiers), cart-wheels, French dialects, "Buffalo Wild Wing Night", beer, hot-tubbing, ya know... the usual. Nothing much to take photos of. My day off was last Sunday and I had planned to go home, but decided not to. I will indeed be going back to the city this weekend (probably Saturday night), but won't be there very long. Just to tie up a few knots at the apartment. Other than that... keep the faith in the Andy-rew's blog! It will soon turn interesting!

el primero dia y noche

Today was my first day! It started rather early and is still kinda going... The trains were only a tad brutal. I arrived in Milford, CT (about an hour and a half from the city) a little after 9am. We had our first rehearsal and I must say, there is a lot of work to be done in the next two weeks. Outside it snowed a nice "snow globe" snow with little accumulation. After rehearsal we headed to happy hour and then I did a little hot-tubbing and now I am unwinding (okay, unwinding with a bit o' pinot noir). The rehearsals are in the hotel conference room, so that is nice but not really "theater-y". It might be very difficult once we have to actually project for a house of 1900. Hey, but ya know... touring is all about adapting to various venues. Tomorrow I have a costume fitting early, I get to meet my dialect coach!, (oui mon ami!) then on with the stage combat and more blocking! Sorry, no photo tonight! My photographic muse isn't afoot... either that or there really isn't anything to photograph! Ya'll know what a HoJo* looks like!



*Howard Johnson

a non sequitur, really

(read at lightning speed)have i taken care of what i need to?, have i told my roommate about all the bills?, have i told everyone goodbye?, do i have enough clothes packed?, is my sub-letter a psycho-killer?, does my land-lord really approve?, i get to see Marsha in Portland, Oregon!, am i bringing enough reading material?, how can i go without my Seinfeld DVDs?, how will i be able to have time to myself?, how will i not go crazy?, is this really what i want to do for the next four months?, will my plants die while i am away?, will i be able to save enough $doe?, what happens if i get the flu?, what happens if we get in a wreck?, i hope i don't lose Heather's computer!, will New York be the same when i get back?, what happens if my apartment self combusts?, who will walk the dog... (wait, i don't have one!), who will file my taxes on April 18th? or 15th or whatever the frick!, what kind of roach traps will we be staying in?, i wonder what Idaho is like?! i am going to forget my underwear and my toothbrush, (oh wait, then we can just pull over and get some!), i need to work more on my lines!, I get to spend a weekend with my old pal Jillian from Kearney in Savannah, Georgia!, i get to meet these new people! oh shit! the thoughts just keep running over! it's a non sequitur, really. a potpourri, if you will.

Heather is my friend

Today I went to Pennsylvania to meet with a friend to pick a laptop. (Thanks Heather!!!) Ms. Heather Wight pulled through for the Andy-rew again! She is letting me use her laptop for the tour. Thank God because the Andy-rew has become quite addicted to all this blogging, myface, spacebook, e-mail, sh-tuff. Tomorrow is my last day at my temp job! Woohooo! Working on my script, getting my sub-letter squared away on Friday, saying farewell to a few friends and packing is all that I need to do! Cross fingers now that nothing disastrous happens!!!

Less than a week!

So today is Tuesday the 8th of January, 2008. Might I add that it was above 60 degrees here in the city. What a great day to be outside! It felt like April or May! I know that it was a tease though! Especially for the New Yorkers that I am leaving behind in less than a week!

I am starting rehearsals for my Spring Tour with National Theatre for Arts and Education one week from yesterday in Milford Connecticut! I cannot believe how much my life has changed in the last three weeks. A lot of changes and a lot of planning has occurred. It could not have come at a better time! I was going to be back to pounding the pavement in January looking for another survival job, but instead I am going to be going on a 4 month tour. This tour business though... I am not so sure about it. We will not be back in the city until May and I am a little wierded out by the idea because it's the first time in my life that I am anywhere close to being a carney (carnival person). We shall see:)...