June 25, 2005
Park Slope, Brooklyn is a cool slice of alternative living just southeast of Manhattan across the East River. Thirty years ago, it was a paradigm of urban blight and the backdrop for Sidney Lumet's 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon. Today, professionals and young families line the brownstone blocks, and indie restauraunts and boutiques line the business streets. Great food is everywhere, even great Tex-Mex, which is rare for New York. It seems Texans here have had it with the lack of authentic Mex and are taking matters into their own hands (my wife will be pleased). Even so, it gets kinda lonely and boring here if you don't know anyone. Fortunately for me, I have a dog that takes me out on walks and lays at my feet, and a cat that keeps both of us company.
Yesterday, Chad called in and was sick, so I rehearsed in his place for the first half of the day and prepared to do the afternoon run-through in case his condition didn't improve. Yoko was expected to be there for it, so I was cramming all through lunch. He showed up, still not feeling all that well, but up to the job. So even though I didn't get to perform for Ms Ono, I at least got to rehearse the role enough to give the company a glimpse of what I could do with it given the chance. And I...well I rocked the damn house, okay? I compare it to hitting a homerun during little league practice. It doesn't count, but it's still worth an ice cream. In this case it was a beer, with an associate of mine from Austin named Ron (see video/Screenwriter) who was in town and staying on the same block.
Besides the reassurance that his second string was in good shape, Don was also relieved to learn that Yoko was thrilled with the latest version of the show, and at least for now his rewriting days are behind him. We can all press forward now. Saturday's session involved merely a handful of touch-ups and we were done in less than three hours. This would wrap up our rehearsal period at the Roundabout, a worker's room, old and small, but well seasoned like a cast iron skillet. From here we'll move into the theatre and stay there, hopefully for a long, long time.
I spent the rest of the afternoon downtown in the East Village. It's still my favorite neighborhood in New York, but I sort of had the feeling I wouldn't be seeing it for a while, with my job in Times Square and my family out in New Jersey. I shouldn't feel that way, though. There are no good reasons not to experience everything Manhattan has to offer, whenever possible. I have the next two days off and not much planned. But around here, you don't have to plan much to have an interesting day. There's a million things to do that are a short train away. Just pick one.