I spent the better part of...

... this afternoon and tonight updating ONE PAGE of the Rogue Festival site. Yes, you read it right ONE PAGE! The Fringe Festival Year page. There were (and still may be) dead links there but I did add several more fringes from around the world. (Though I'm sure I still left some out.) Still, I do take pride that it is probably one of the most complete lists on the web. I was actually going to redesign the entire page... but I figured that updating it would be good for now. The expected response I will probably get from this... "Yeah, OK... so it's cool. But what about..."

I get to receive an award...

... tomorrow for the Rogue. The 22nd edition of the Horizon Awards will be held at the council chambers of Fresno City Hall. (Yeah, it does look like a Klingon battle cruiser, doesn't it?) A pretty big affair and I'm supposed to give a short speech and all. (Lordy, lordy... oy vey!)

OK, this is all pretty surreal to me. (I'm convinced this is going to be like traipsing through a Salvador Dali painting.) Yes, it is wonderful for the festival to be honored like this but dang it's weird. Mainly I guess because the festival was started in a "wait and see" town. There is still a wait and see attitude here... though it is slowly changing. Weird also because I'm not exactly an "award" kinda guy. (Gawd, I'm supposed to dress up for this thing? Can I just wear a sarong?) I suppose I'll blog about the experience on Friday.

We were supposed to have Suicide Lounge rehearsals tonight but the only other person to turn up was my replacement going to Shanghai. So we used the time to hang a bit and chat. Talking about all sorts of things. A very pleasant evening to be sure which took away some of the edge I was feeling earlier.

That's all for now.

I guess it's official now.

A neighbor alerted me to it this morning. Apparently the story was published in the Fresno Bee on the 7th. So much for paying attention to the news. READ STORY HERE.
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EDIT: TIME WASTERS

• Click here to put your face on money.
• Graffiti from the Ukraine.
  

I did mention this...

... from last Sunday, didn't I? Someone was kind enough to scan it for me... since it hasn't been posted online. This was the Central Valley's People's Choice Award for Hidden Gem. Cool, huh? (Go ahead, click it for a bigger readable version.)

Bet you are sick of hearing/reading about the Rogue by now. Though there has seemed to be a never-ending stream of related stories in the local press about it of late. (Yeah Lecram... will you shuttup about it already?!)

For instance today... there was yet another related story in the papers with a huge photo spread in the entertainment section. (Oh Lordy... when will he stop???) I read it this evening and am happy and excited as the writer is about the developments... but I'll take minor issue with a couple of points in it... not here... but over at the TJ Site. Check for it... it may be posted later when I work up the guile to compose it. (Like this wasn't enough.)

Once again... there may be updates or edits to this post at a later time (at least one telling you that the post on the TJ Site is up)... or not.

EDIT: My friend, Generik posted some GREAT PICS of his outing at the St. Stupid's Day Parade.

Stay tuned... there could be more edits to come... maybe.

EDIT 2: OK... the new post is up on the TJ Site.

To quote a line from Tale End... "We are done."

I feel good... better than James Brown. Rogue 2007 went well. There seemed to be a significant spike in audience attendance. Performers from far and near seemed to be on a buzzed high from their participation. In general the caliber of shows was very impressive. After 6 years I think it has finally arrived.

Both my shows did well. Suicide Lounge was quite a popular show. For something that was thrown together as a lark... after our last performance we were offered a 2-3 week gig in a jazz club in Shanghai! How freaky is that? You can read about some of it here at fellow SF blogger Generik who turned up for the final weekend. There are some pictures there too!

Tale End sold out 3 of it's 5 shows. Those who said they would turned up... others didn't... but it's all good. I was especially proud of the last 2 performances. When the lights went out on stage the audience sat in stunned silence for a good 5-10 seconds before the applause rolled high. We all went into this knowing full well that audiences would like it or hate it... and that proved true. Here are some of the reviews and a new post!

New friends were made... old friends reacquainted and it was also time to say goodbye to a friend and fellow founder of the festival. She headed out today for a new life back East.

I'll leave it at that for now and here are some pictures. Speaking of pictures... there are more on this year's fest HERE as well... including a cool Flikr slideshow. Ahh... now back to real life!

Click for bigger versions.

Suicide Lounge (stolen from Generik)

With friends at the Starline

Lines around the block for our final performance.

The Golden Plunger Award (no turds involved)

Tale End (pic by Brad Polzin)

Post final performance tailgate for Tale End with the Green Faerie

Saying good bye to Mama Rogue Jenn.

Da Count - Rogues, one and all... cont.

It goes without saying that many pour their love into this... it couldn't happen without them! Here are some faces and voices from a video put together by The Fresno Bee. If you come back later in the AM... there'll be more links to peruse. In the meantime, enjoy the video.

To find out more about Da Count click the flashing sign.

while I'm waiting for the laundry...

... I thought I'd take the opportunity to write a post.

First off the bat... if you are in the big NO... Tale End plays tonight at 10 PM. If you are in line you may be randomly picked to go in FREE!

Thoughts have been floating of late. Some concerning the Rogue some concerning the show but mostly those concerning how this year has (as I predicted) to be one of letting go.

In one weekend I let go of this festival as well as my play. Yes I am still a promotion demon for both but I have released both of them from my steely grip to where they should be... to the public and to my cast. A sense of melancholy hovered this morning as I thought about this. Not because I yearn for them back but the process will be missed. Now to set out to find some new trouble to engage in.

I have received interesting reactions to the show. Friends who have known me for more than a 5 year span accept it as a natural progression of my own evolution. Friends who have known me for less than 5 years are having reservations about its style and content. They seem to have expected something broader with a touch more razzmatazz. Probably because they are comparing it with some of my earlier works that have encompassed that quality and feel my work should continue in that vein. So, they have walked in with an expectation that has been projected onto the show that does not payoff and have left a little disappointed. People who don't know my work from Adam have come out raving about the show.

I have never been one to stick to a genre or style simply because I get bored when there is no challenge. What is next? Who knows. For now I'm happy with what is. Doesn't mean I'm not going to tweak it but all the choices subtle or garish in the show at the moment are justified and full.

My impressions...

... of the first weekend? Hmmm... this is gonna be an interesting one to write. Do I write this as an ex-producer of the Rogue... as a current independent producer & performer... or just an audience member? Decisions, decisions....

It's probably going to be all over the place... so, bear with me on this one.

First... the picture to your right is the actual line waiting for a 4 PM performance on a Sunday! I heard the line for our opening performance was triple that and chairs were added and that over 30 people had to be turned away. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that.

Opening night was fraught with technical glitches... but the cast pulled through. The Sunday show was good. Audience members walked away walked away with what we wanted them to walk away with. You can read some of the responses HERE.

I have decided that the show that I'm actually performing in, Suicide Lounge, is going to do me in. Each of us average 3 drinks a piece during a 45 minute set... for me it is scotch rocks! But we do have fun... and I think the audience does too. It's sick and wrong with some great songs but they love it.

As an audience member... the festival is going well. It really is. people are teeming and buzzing and walking (in a hurried pace) from venue to venue. This year... there is an extra spark of newness that is spreading like a virus... be it from Rogue regulars to the new Rogue audience members. Our numbers are up... but these are all concerns that I don't have to deal with this year.

You can read about this from them HERE, HERE & HERE. Oh, there is more... but I thought these would give you a taste. Plus a couple of local papers in town have gone out full bore with reviews on their blog.

Am I proud? Yes. Nuff said.

Once again... my blogging may be spotty... but I will try to get it all in. Oh, yeah... pictures too!

Well, here I am.

Just took myself out for a drink and thought I'd post early. (Yeah, I rather enjoy my company and perhaps I'll allow myself to get lucky with me later. lol.)

Oh, sense of foreboding is gone. A good nights rest took care of that. Today was sort of a day off... kinda. Tomorrow it's full bore again with graphics and 2 rehearsals... plus getting things in order around here... OK, at least neater.

I did some laundry today... there's more to do tomorrow. Though while I was waiting for the laundry several thoughts crossed through my mind. However, I'm going to wait to process them before I offer them up here.

The fest is a day away. More madness is up ahead. More headaches and hiccups... but they are (mostly) not mine to worry about. I enjoyed the run I had. This is their run. Hiccups and all... once it is over and the dust is cleared... they should take pride in their handiwork. I know that I will be proud of them.

Yeah... and part 2 of the TJ HNT will also be posted.

EDIT: 1:20 PM
Damn, I'm slammed with even more web/graphic work than I want.

On another note. THIS SITE is so cool with Lost Cities!

It's been a whirlwind of activity...

... this weekend. Lugging equipment and setting up venues for the Festival. A flurry of activity as the Rogue begins to take over the Tower District for the next 2 weeks.

I have to admit that I am getting excited with the upcoming openings of my shows in it. I have a pretty tight schedule on Saturday as 2 of my shows are playing back to back. At 7:30 Suicide Lounge plays and then I have 15 minutes to book to another venue for the premier of Tale End. It's gonna be both a rush and exhausting. But I am looking forward to it.

You should be able to catch updates and pics of the fest right here... with with more of the Rogue Experience found HERE and HERE. Blogging from me is probably going to be a little spotty but I will attempt report my reactions and observations as best I can.

wanna poster banner for this year's fest?

CLICK HERE!

BTW... if you want to see what happened at the wrap party 2 years ago... CLICK HERE! Warning!!! Mutant frog warbling ahead!