The Flaming Ghost of FronteraFest Future

“What are you doing putting your manhood on the sink?”



Helen Allen, Laura Lane, Quinn Walton, Michael Amendola. Photo by  Jack DiBlasi


I am currently in rehearsal for a comedy written and directed by my friend John Boulanger. It is called A Writer’s Vision(s).

The play is a conglomeration of short plays John wrote in college. The story chronicles an aspiring playwright, Jerome, who in three wacky acts, with the help of a muse, an inner child, a mad-house of psychiatrists and a drag-queen, learns how to write, play, live and love. It is equal parts witty, campy, absurd and full of heart. It is certainly a ‘wild romp’. I don’t think I have ever said the word romp out-loud seriously, and could never take anyone seriously that did say it. But somehow I feel it is okay to write it down.  I am Michael am John Boulanger am Jerome am a museinnerchildragqueen. And somehow all of those … ‘people’ need to show up and live harmoniously within my body for the performance. Well … probably not harmoniously.

Most people that know of John will immediately associate him with ‘playwright’ because of his critical acclaim with House of Several Stories (HOSS) but he is truly an amazing director, producer and actor as well. John doesn’t even consider himself a writer anymore, which is absurd to anybody that has read his scripts or seen his productions. It’s as if Christopher Durang, Edward Albee, David Sedaris and Mel Brooks procreated a brilliant Mexican love-child, handed him a laptop, and spawned the future of Austin theatre. 

His writing is quick, his direction is quick, the rehearsals are quick. It’s intense. I feel like a fat three-year old trying to catch up with Michael Johnson. In addition, I am working alongside some of Austin’s most notable and experienced talents, Laura Lane, Martin Burke, Babs George, Jill Blackwood, Justin Scalise, Scott Swanson, Scott Shroeder, Breanna Stogner… and then its Travis, Quinn, Nick, Helen and myself trying to keep up. I am the lead and am on every page of the script. I am the luckiest pinball.



Photo by Jack DiBlasi

Like most productions in Austin, one of the biggest challenges is simply finding a place to rehearse.

We are nomads. So far we have done John’s Living Room, Travis High School and the Austin Playhouse. John’s Living Room was a lovely place to read and drink cheap booze, but did not offer enough room to block without murdering a lamp (especially because of the cheap booze). Travis High School only allowed for a couple rehearsals because of stupid Christmas Break, and we couldn’t smoke on campus, anyway.

The Austin Playhouse is actually a well-reputed Theater in Austin, has a good deal of money (for Austin) and thus a pretty decent playing space (for Austin). So we were all very excited. We gathered down-stage center for our pre-rehearsal banter discussing movies we’ve seen and the odd occurrences of our day when the cast of The Importance of Being Earnest, in their comedy of manners, politely told us to get the fuck out. Communication via e-mail often gets flubbed.

Luckily, there was a medium-sized closet next door that some people confuse for a theater. We gathered our martini plastics and cell phones from 1998 and moved next door where we discovered the set of A Christmas Carol rudely overstaying its welcome. (reference pictures now) It is ironic that we are rehearsing a play featuring three visions, and it is charming to look out a frosted window when it is 80 degrees outside, but it’s like sitting in coach sharing your seat with the left love handle of a super-fatty.

I would like to be in that big spacious playing space with the Earnest cast, discussing cucumber sandwiches in  proper British dialect, when all of a sudden:

“You’re not gay as in happy. You’re gay as in let’s suck some DICK!” reverberates from the wall.

.

The flaming ghost of FronteraFest Future has a home next door, and its name is A Writer’s Vision(s). If you ever wanted to see Babs George describe a pubic hair… 

                        PERFORMANCE DATES:
                        January 21 – 7pm
                        January 22 – 1pm
                        January 28-  10pm
                        January 30 – 5pm

                        @ Salvage VanGuard Theatre.
                        2803 Manor Road
                        Austin, TX 78722
                        Tickets $10 (512) 474-7886

A Writer's Vision(s) (facebook)

Peace, Love and Black-eyed peas,
Dola

P.S. Happy 2011.