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As I pulled open the door to the Mexican Heritage Theatre’s cast entrance, I could tell that the mood inside was not only playful, but incredibly positive. I know you are probably thinking “Well, duh!”

So let me backtrack, Tuesday at work was just a funky, junky day, to be brief. So when I got to the theatre after work, I wasn’t in the right head space to feel or “see” that there was some weird energy going on around me. I carried with me all the frustrations and problems of the day as got my costumes on and props prepared for the run of the show. This would be our first true run thru of the show with the lights, and sound and set changes all happening. Because of this important point in the rehearsal process, I had an even harder time finding that calm one usually needs to find the character that you are about to bring to life. So I was still in my own little world even after I stepped onto the stage for the first time. This is always bad. Always. As I walked off stage, I FINALLY began to get into the swing of things. But the mood felt odd. Still. I thought it was something that I had brought with me, but as the night wore on, I realized that there was something more going on here. I couldn’t put my finger on it, though. As we get to the intermission break, I begin to hear grumblings in the dressing room and BOOM!!! Now I know that we are officially in the dreaded Hell Week. Sarcastic Hooray inserted here. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, we loving refer to the week before Opening Night as Hell Week. This is the week where everyone is needed for what seems like forever, as we stand around for lighting cue set ups, and the stop and starts of scenes to test set changes, costume changes that may or may not work due to how fast some of them are, and organizing where you need to have your props set for minimum travel time. While this whole rehearsal process has had it’s ups, it’s also had a few things that have become a habit. Those habits were the foundation of the anxious energy that was in the building. Add the stress from the past weekends events, and the new challenges of the run, and you have people who were seriously on edge, and by Act 2 Scene 8, things had reached the point where people were getting angry. So after the run, the group had a pow-wow and a whole lot of frustration was let out! Luckily the people who voiced their frustrations used well thought out criticisms and made valid points. So as I left the rehearsal that night and drove home, I wondered what the ramifications of the event were going to be on the next few nights.

Before today’s run thru of the show, we all took a moment to get on the same energy and wave length. And even though I was late (What? I have to work.) and made it into costume 15 before places, I was able to share and focus my energy and dedication to the cast and production. So when we hit the stage, there was a few minor hiccups, but things sailed and we made it with a show of 2 hours running time. I did break my bottle of booze, so the props manager had to make a snap choice and gave me a plain old cork to use. Minor crisis averted! Personally, I screwed up two of my lines. One of them, I am supposed to say “Puro vaquero” and it came out more like Puro Cabrone, I don’t even know what that means. The other line I missed was more like I jumped on top of my cast mate’s line.

Everyone who participates in this process is important. Allowing them to the chance to talk openly and constructively made for a positive change, while bringing up those issues that need to be handled. Even more important, as long as the words they use aren’t voiced as personal attacks, the lines of communication stay open and fixes for those issues begin. Just like any other problem.

So even though the last two nights have produced two different performances, I am totally confident that we’ve got a show kids! Woo hoo! Get your tix now, guys. Click on the picture above to order your tickets and there’s an early bird special. If you get them ahead of time and not wait til your at the door, you can save a couple of bucks. Maybe donate it to a good cause. Like Teatro!

How to build character…

Dictionary.com defines character as the following: 1. the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. 2. one such feature or trait; characteristic.

3. moral or ethical quality: a man of fine, honorable character. 4. qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity

In light of recent world events, this is how to build character: HELP THE JAPAN RELIEF EFFORT!

For those Lady Gaga lovers, like myself: Gaga designs a relief bracelet

or you can go the traditional route: Red Cross or Disaster Funding

For all you shoppers out there who need to show that you’ve donated to the cause: Cafe Press has some t-merchandise available

Your actions help to create who you are and the impact you have on those around you. Use that influence to do something good! I used to write “Help Me Do Good” everywhere. There’s never been a better time than now to help!

Thank you.

We’re movin’ on up to the East Side!!

Seriously, the theatre is located on the East Side of San Jose, on the corner of Alum Rock and King Road. It’s a lovely theatre! It has some serious stadium seating. The seats are comfortable.

And they have a great green room, which is not green to my dismay. Although to be honest, I don’t think any of them are. A green room is pretty much the anteroom that the cast usually waits in while they aren’t on stage. And an anteroom is just a waiting room. Long way around, huh?

We worked on spacing and getting familiar with the space. We got assigned our dressing rooms, and met one of the theatre staff. After hanging around the green room for a bit, I finally got to hop onto the stage and work on the scenes with my castmates. I have some chunks of time during the show where I am just picking my nose. Figuratively speaking of course. So as I am waiting, I study my script some more and try and find some more things to play with. I think I am now all done with the trying new stuff. I’ll have to begin solidifying my characters.

One of my cast mates asked me how I create a character. But that is gonna be another post. Maybe tomorrow.

For now, let’s get some sleep!

You can change the world…

or at least help to change the world! On March 12, this Saturday, Yamagami’s Nursery will host a Hope Services Recycled Bike sale.

Now you’re probably rolling your eyes and saying, “Jery, how is a recycled bike sale going to change the world?” And to that my friends, I answer thusly:

First:

Hope Services is a wonderful organization that provides programs and services – including job training, counseling and community living — that assist more than 2,500 children, adults and seniors with developmental disabilities. When you stop by the Nursery on March 12th and purchase a lovingly refurbished recycled bicycle from Hope Services, your money goes directly to Hope Services and they can continue their work in bettering the lives of the people they work with.

Second:

When you buy a recycled bike from Hope Services, you will be helping to save the environment! Yup, you’ll be easing congestion on the road, consuming less of our limited supply of oil, and saving metal from taking up space in a landfill! The folks at Hope Services have put a lot of time and energy into bringing the bikes into tip top shape, and three or four of the display bikes have already been snapped up by Yamagami’s customers! So that’s a great indicator of what we’ll be expecting this weekend.

Third:

Save yourself a heap of money! As gas prices near the $4 mark, how many times less will you need to fill up your tank and what kind of dough does that leave in your pocket? Also, if you do use your car less and your bike more, you may want to check with your insurance agent to see if there’s a lowering of your premium since you use your car much less. I don’t know if it’ll be the case, but it doesn’t hurt you to check, right?

Fourth:

By hopping on your new bike, you are being active and making your body stronger. Bike riding can not only be beneficial as an exercise item, but also a relaxation devise as well. Did you have a stressful day? Ride a few miles uphill and you’ll probably forget all about your problems as you focus on the task at hand.

Maybe your thinking, “Jery, I have three bikes and I can only ride one!” Well, then buddy have I got a great idea for you! Why not donate your other two bikes to Hope Services? I don’t know if they could be utilized as a tax write off, but come on down to the Nursery on March 12 and talk to the people from Hope.

What happens if you can’t make it on the 12th but you still would like to buy a bike? Never fret, my dears, for Hope Services holds a bike sale every Friday in their warehouse in Santa Clara. You can find their address and directions on the Hope Services website at http://www.hopeservices.org

I hope we see you at the Hope Services Recycled Bike Sale on March 12th at Yamagami’s Nursery. The sale will last from 10 am until 3 pm.

If you don’t need or want a bike, then come on down and just walk through the flowers and plants for the fun of it. Help us support the community!

It’s funny when a British person says it…

So I have been listening to KPFA 94.1 a lot these last few weeks and they are in their fundraising mode. So a lot of the programming has had a lot of sound bytes from discussions and documentaries. I tell you the host of the show Flashpoints really knows how to get people worked up!

One of the days that I was listening, I heard a panel discussing essentially the dissolving of the 4th Amendment. For those of you who have forgotten what that 4th Amendment was, (oops a little slip, was!)

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.

One of the panelists was a charming British woman. She began her speech with “I don’t know what you Americans are complaining about. At least you have a Constitution to shred!”

I had to laugh. Sorry. She went on to say that what she has instead of “rights” are called freedoms. There is no privacy and all your information is available on a whim. A whim!

As she continued on, I found myself getting more and more horrified. Of course this new information compiled with everything I have been hearing just made it so hard to trust anything I see that is considered “news.” I was disgusted to learn that while currently, the government can’t on a whim ask for personal information without having to go through the proper channels, they can however simply ask a company and that company isn’t obligated to protect the consumer so they’ll gladly hand it over.

Did you know that Google collects every single search you perform? Every single click is recorded and each thing that you look for, the government can see it if they want to. There is an alternative, though. If there is a search that you would love to keep private, use www.StartPage.com to look it up!

I just wanted to put that info in your ear, because I don’t know if you all listen to corporate-free radio KPFA.