Journey…Into The Past (Lives)

Years ago, when I was an undergrad at my first college (a small private that proved to be inadequate for my proper theatre training—hence my transferring to a real theatre program at a real school), I heard this crazy metaphysical thing: how to see what you looked like in your past lives. The method wasContinue reading “Journey…Into The Past (Lives)”

I Hereby Resolve…

A few years back I read an interesting article on New Year’s resolutions. The author suggested that, instead of resolving to do more in the coming year, one should do less. It’s like the scene in the movie Birdcage when they are turning the apartment into a straight-looking residence, and Val says, “Don’t add; subtract.”Continue reading “I Hereby Resolve…”

Whistling Backstage, Dark or Not

There’s an old tradition that one does not whistle backstage in a theatre. Like most theatrical traditions, you don’t question it, but nevertheless  I often wondered about it. And for years I taught the reason for this in my Intro to Theatre course; I don’t know if I read this, or just made it up,Continue reading “Whistling Backstage, Dark or Not”

What’s Your Passion?

I know a lot of people hate their jobs. And I’m sorry for that. A line I used to say to people was: “I love my work, but I hate my job.” There are times when being a college professor could be very annoying,  But the most important thing about that was that I didn’tContinue reading “What’s Your Passion?”

Campuses: WTF?

When I arrived at Berkeley in 1985, I saw a makeshift shantytown on the campus. It called attention to apartheid in South Africa and sparked my awareness of that situation and of politics in general. I mean, the campus was steeped in political protest since the free speech movement decades earlier had ignited a trend—thatContinue reading “Campuses: WTF?”

Hand Me the Whiteboard…

Every time someone starts an in-depth explanation of something, or I need to explain something that requires a variety of steps, I ask for “the whiteboard.” I assume at that point that only a detailed diagram will be able to provide any sensical explanation. I always needed a whiteboard when I covered one of theContinue reading “Hand Me the Whiteboard…”

Don’t Tell Me I Can’t

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? One of the quickest ways to encourage me to do something is to tell me I can’t do it, or to speak the more passive phrase, “it can’t be done.” That’s precisely the motivation I’ve often needed to accomplish a goal. ItContinue reading “Don’t Tell Me I Can’t”

Ahhh, Look At All My Fav’rite People

Who are your favorite people to be around? As a life-long introvert who only recently has said, “Screw it, life’s too short, and who cares what people think?” (as I venture into the local social scene to raise awareness of my non-profit theatre company), I would say that the list of favorite people to beContinue reading “Ahhh, Look At All My Fav’rite People”

A Plethora of Miscellaneous

If there was a biography about you, what would the title be? I wrote that title a few weeks ago and saved it in Notes, because I knew it would come in handy eventually. When seeing today’s prompt I thought it was strictly apropos (which would be a bad title for my biography). Looking backContinue reading “A Plethora of Miscellaneous”

Words, Words, Words…

What books do you want to read? …said Hamlet. When I was a kid I was a voracious reader. I’d get those fifty cent sci-fi paperbacks and devour them like a hungry space monster. The prices would go up but that didn’t slow me down. I read constantly (though it helped to not have friendsContinue reading “Words, Words, Words…”