What: public reading of The Last Daughter of Oedipus by Jennifer Mickelson

Where: Prop Thtr, 3502 N Elston Ave, Chicago

When: TODAY at 1 p.m., because I am showing my blonde roots and forgot to post about it sooner

Why: Because you've always wanted to see me wail as Jocasta and torment people as a Fury. You know you have. Also, there are snacks and discussion, and it's FREE!

For me, that is. Have officially decided to skip Polaris this year. Would love to see Claudia Black in particular, but July is shaping up chock full o' performing, including a supporting role in an indie feature. Third film of the year! I'll tell more about it when I can, but for now I can say it's what I call a "postmodern romantic comedy" because I haven't seen a better/offical genre label for movies like Garden State or Chasing Amy. And yes, this means that those of you not wired for Brian Krause chopping people up will be able to watch it! \o/ No idea at this point what the prospects for its being available to watch will be, but they're planning to submit to festivals and seem to have their shit together.

( Details of Schedule Tetris, Summer Edition, behind cut to spare your friends page. )

At least Chicago TARDIS is pretty safe, as I don't really expect anything to come up for Thanksgiving weekend. And I'm back to seriously considering (and examining logistics for) going to Toronto next weekend for andpuff's signing instead. I've been eagerly awaiting her new book since hearing her read the opening chapter at last year's Polaris, while it was still a WIP. Plus there's the benefit of more knocking-around-the-city time than I'd have on a con trip, and I haven't just visited the city in ages.

Closing night had great energy and a packed house (including, to my pleasant surprise, the lovely tylure and a couple of her friends). Alas, when it came time to blow them out, Claudia had no brains at all -- I went to palm my blood pack and it wasn't there. :-( Turned out it had fallen behind the radiator (upon which it was planted because having it on my person earlier in the scene would likely get it prematurely squished in the scuffle). Ah, well. At least nobody had to clean it up.

Now to switch mental gears from "morbid and creepifying" to "fluffy comic opera." And return you to your regularly scheduled levels of morbid and creepifying. *eg*

Let me count the ways. Well, actually there's just one that matters right now: She made sure I got new pants! *whew*

See, the pants I've been wearing for one of the scenes were marked dry-clean-only. Not exactly practical when I'm getting fake blood on them every night, but they were what the costumer could find in my size and (more challengingly) length that worked. Unfortunately, the label turned out to mean it, because they started out baggy and plenty long enough, and the last few shows they've been...well, not so much. By Friday night I had uncuffed them, and the lining (not having shrunk) was still two inches longer. And did I mention, really not baggy? So I was going to call the costumer on our day off yesterday to give her plenty of time to hit the thrift store and get me another pair of pants. Except for the part where I forgot to call her until just now.

And the stage manager, who I didn't even realize had noticed I needed new pants, had already called her yesterday. She's on her way to the space with a new pair as we speak. Yay!

Meanwhile, I am paranoid and checking my throat because of our vampire. No, I haven't lost the line between fantasy and reality. She was feeling crummy most of last week, and it turned out she had strep. She was safely antibioticked up by the time we learned this, which was Friday night, so Thursday's cancellation cut back one possible instance of exposure. As a kid I used to catch it every single damn time it went around, but haven't in years, so I'm hoping I escaped this time too. And that the scratchiness is just my usual change-in-the-weather scratchiness. Which it most likely is. *touch wood* In any case, hopefully she got some rest on our day off yesterday and is feeling better, because she has some pretty demanding stuff and has been miserable giving it her all while sick.

I know you guys are probably sick of them by now, but we're in our last two weeks now, so bear with me. :-)

Forgot to mention that my neck was stiff driving home Friday night, and I'm sitting there thinking "Why is this? What did I do differently tonight?" Then it dawned on me that what I did differently was spend fifteen minutes washing the ceiling. *facepalm* (Figured it was the least I could do. Especially since I'm taller than anyone who usually does the cleanup.) It got all the way in the corner of the room, about five feet from where I was standing. But on the ceiling.

Still boggling over that one, although it hasn't happened again. Last night was actually a bit of a delayed reaction, as the blood pack failed to burst on the first try. Nothing weird with the blood on Saturday night, but I did learn that it's mighty difficult to play dead while convulsing with silent laughter because an audience member reacted to the gunshot by announcing "That was really loud!"

My first, wiggy-with-a-capital-WIG, death continues to elicit sympathy. Which, despite the fact that I keep reporting on the other one (because, really, the game of "Where will Claudia's brains end up tonight?" is just too fun), is actually the feedback that has made me happiest with this show. I'm a firm believer in actually caring that a character dies, and get very bored very quickly if a piece doesn't give me that. (Exhibit A: The Blair Witch Project, which failed to scare me not because I was too jaded by Hollywood special effects blah blah biddy blah, but because I was ready to kill all three protagonists myself by about fifteen minutes in.)

Also, my buds were there! I love my buds! :: waves to iingaartist and mannoftalent ::

We are dark tonight. I get to go home and remember what my house and my brainiacfive look like! (ETA: Ooh, and watch Heroes in HD. Score!)

Is here. \o/

We might get more dignified notices, but I think they'll be hard pressed to be as fun...

"Babes With Blood Spatter" at Killer-Works.com.

Somewhat lower on the list of Things It Never Occurred To Me I Might Do: "Have a show reviewed by Killer-Works.com." :-D

Previews went well. Just enough people to call an audience, and it was nice to have reaction from people who haven't been living with this script for two months. Laughter in unexpected places, but not wrong places. Which is a particularly important concern with this body count. (I live in apprehension of dying with my eyes crossed like Glenn Close in the Zeffirelli Hamlet. Just not good.)

Tonight's opening has been sold out since Monday. Hopefully we'll get some buzz, and some butts in seats prepared to be scared!

http://www.babeswithblades.org/horroracademy.html

HORROR ACADEMY

An all-female, suspense-driven dramatic event featuring 3 one acts, 5 monologues, and multiple styles of stage combat. Vampires, cannibals, and zombies populate the North Lakeside Cultural Center - and they're waiting for YOU.

Featuring: Kaela Altman, Maggie Cain, Amy E. Harmon*, Katherine S. Herrera*, Gillian N. Humiston*, Morgan Manasa*, Chelsea Mauger, Valerie Meachum, Jennifer L. Mickelson, and Stephanie Repin*

Staff: Costume Design - Arielle Augustyn, Lighting Design - Leigh Barrett*, Sound Design - David Bell, Producer - Mary Anne Bowman*, Fight Captain - Gillian N. Humiston*, Stage Manager - Kjerstine McHugh*

PR by Tree Falls Productions. Graphic Design by grumpy monkey graphics & design. Fight Choreography by Babes With Blades with the cast.

* denotes BWB ensemble member

October 13 - November 4 at the North Lakeside Cultural Center (6219 N. Sheridan Rd, Chicago). All shows at 8pm. [NOTE: Opening night, October 13, is SOLD OUT!]

Visit the Babes With Blades website or call 773.880.0016 for tickets.

SPACE IS LIMITED - please reserve ahead of time!

postal@babeswithblades.org
773.880.0016
http://www.BabesWithBlades.org

Special Offers

Previews: October 11 & 12 - $10

Industry Shows: October 14 & 21, November 4 - $12 w/proof of industry affiliation (h/r, card, etc)

Costume = Candy: October 28, 30, & 31 - Wear a costume to receive spooky treats!

Our first 100 patrons will receive copies of Muldoon, donated by Lake Claremont Press.

Video snippet of fight rehearsal now available at the Horror Academy MySpace. Darren's blog says there are also photos, but you need a MySpace account to see them.

(Yes, this would be from the sole one-act I'm not in. But that's cool too, because it means it's the first I've seen any of it...)