Month: May 2006

Sigh… this is what happens when I get too bored during a Shakespeare rehearsal.

SCENE. The Yavin System. Before Death Star

Alarum. Enter WEDGE, LUKE, and various other PILOTS

WEDGE:

Once more into the trench, Red Team, once more; Lest Yavin be destroyed by our delay. I know you all to be the best of men: Right gentle in your hearts, desiring naught But peace and order for this galaxy; Yet since the Empire calls us out to war, Now don the inner aspect of the rancor: Let me hear snarling, raging, fervent roars To cow the hearts of your imperial foes. And know this fierce, portentious Rebel yell Will sound across the blackest reach of space, Pouring into the gaps between the stars To fill this hallowed sector to the brim With bold defiance ‘gainst the tyrant’s press. This Star of Death, so I have heard, is called Sometimes the Emperor’s Eye, whose cruel gaze Might pierce the heart of each terrestrial sphere And so transmute our homes to dust and ash. O kinsmen! Brothers! Hold true to your vows That no more Alderaans might ever fall As subjects to such horrid alchemy. For we alone are left in all the world To be the stalwart guardians of the light, The spears against the enemy’s iron flank, The heralds of a New and glorious Hope.

Keep your formation close to me, Unwavering, even though my purpose holds To skim the surface of this grey sea And slip into the narrow road to hell. I know you sit like riders in your pods, Who strain upon the start. The race is on! Now gun your engines, watch your six, and prep Your targeting computers for the strike. We’ll blaze a path in fire to the stomach Of this beast and leave destruction in our wake. So hearken, war-like, to my call, And May the Force be with you all!

Exeunt

Well, I may be coming to a crossroads I have anticipated for some time. I may well be doing a gig in th ecoming weeks that will get me the opportunity to join the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG).

For the unitiated, SAG is a union that an actor must belong to if he expects to do any on-camera work that will go beyond local videos, low budget films, or training movies. The catch-22 is that one must almost always belong to SAG to get work in these kinds of projects, but that one must be involved in these projects before they are eligible to join SAG.

Well, its my turn, I had a right-place-right-time moment, nailed an exclusive audition and I have the gig.. I will be SAG eligible.

In the long term, very good thing, but I have a lingering concern that I will now be “playing with the big boys” – i.e. I will be auditioning for less work against better people. In many ways, independent films have been my mainstay – and I have that distinct fear that once I can do many fewer indies, I may find myself like some in the DC area after joining SAG – with a dry well, so to speak.

Still, I also feel like its time. I’ve spent 5 years out of college, done 8 films, 4 TV commercials, 4 industrials, 2 Video games, and 5 or 6 training videos, not to mention extra and stand-in work on Major film and TV projects – and well, I know my around a set.. I can find the craft-services table.

If I do join, I will likely be afforded fewer opportunities – but those opportuinities will be to do things on a grander scale.. and that could be really cool.

Its a change, and we fear change – especially with the Baby on the way – and well, this seemed like the place to talk about it.

PS: If anyone wants, they can see me in Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors” the next 2 weekends in Manassas (info at www.vpstartcrow.com ) , and can email me if they are interested in seeing me as a killer in the June 3 Baltimore premiere of “Dead Hunt” (also did the music for that one).