Aspen Day Two... One More Thing

Kevin's observation on us being the only Black people in Aspen: People look at us here in Aspen when they see us walking down the street the way you'd look at a midget.

- Kevin

"He was a good little monkey, and always very curious..."

Aspen Day Two

No, the bear wasn't really eating Kevin. There are a lot of bear statues out here... in hotels, on corners, in parks. There are more bears in Aspen than colored people.

So, yesterday we walked around quite a bit. We got snowed on quite a bit. And we ate quite a bit. We picked up our "welcome packets," which included our passes. Man, that was a good feeling. When we walked in, the festival people recognized us and smiled and waved and hugged and whatnot. Of course they would recognize us -- they've had our pictures for a while now -- but it still felt kinda rock star. Even at the airport in Denver, there was someone there with an HBO sign with our names written on it -- and spelled correctly -- who was just there to make sure we walked from one gate to another to make our connecting flight. Kinda rock star.

These may seem like little things to you, but I've spent my entire life having my name misspelled, mispronounced, and just not called at all. Too much sentimentality for a kevINda blog... sorry. My point is, it felt good. And the pass even has my designation in bold letters: ARTIST. Kinda rock star.

- Inda

Aspen Day One

We had to take a picture next to this truck we passed. It is the most accurate description of Aspen. We are the only Black people here. Katt Williams gets in later in the week. Then there will be four of us. And his hair stylist. That's five.

It's beautiful here. It has been snowing for about three hours. You know, those big, white fluffy flakes that you can actually catch on your tongue and they don't taste like chemicals and piss. No, not the snowflakes you find in Chicago. These are mountain flakes. They're good for you. Apparently we got into Aspen just before they cancelled all of the flights out of Denver. Whew. We walked around, carb loaded, and now Kevin's napping. The itis set in. Niggas. Niggas in Aspen.

- Inda

Going to Aspen... and other stuff

6 days til ASPEN!!! Lots to do 'til then, and a lot has happened since I last blogged.

AFTRA
Became AFTRA yesterday. Finally. They gave me a file cabinet full of stuff that I hope I will read, but I will just probably ask people that have been doing it longer than myself -- I mean I will definitely read about the stuff I get for free.

Blaxploitation 2: You know How We Deux!!!
That's been going really well. It's a good show. The first half is funny and the second half is funny and hits you in the face... and people have been saying that it's funny, angry, hard. And makes you think. NIIIIIICE. The cast and crew have done a fabulous job. Come out and see it before you are one of those people that everyone says, "You didn't see Blax 2, ah shit, you missed out, what was you doin', damn, now THAT was a good show!!!" Don't wanna be that person, or the person I just quoted. I also heard that this guy saw the show and the next week he had people in town he said they wanted to see WICKED, but he said NO you got to see this! Not to say we are better than Wicked, but we are BLACKER!!!!

First Full Radio Interview
Inda and I did an interview yesterday on CRIS Radio, and it was about us and Blax and MPAACT and it was like a half-hour long. It went pretty well. We had done NPR before, but it was short. Cool, but only like five minutes. This was a half hour. We were like -- wow, what if we run out of things to talk about -- but it flies by. Man, it was quick.

Aspen
Finally, six days 'til Aspen. Got our itinerary. Our tech guy Marshall the Great is able to come, thank God. Speaking of God, man He works, He is never late but He is always on time. I am not worthy, but thank you for your grace and mercy. Excited about Aspen. We get three performances and we go second out of three groups FROM THE CHI!! CHI TOWN REPRESENT!!! YEAH YEAH!!!! I will be writing in a journal everyday if I am not drunk. Actually I will be writing in a journal EVERYDAY IF I AM DRUNK!!

All that stuff about God, and I end with that. Lord knows I am a work in progress.

- Kevin

Blaxploitation 2 Review

Time Out Chicago / Issue 104: February 22–28, 2007 Review Blaxploitation 2: You Know How We Deux

MPAACT at Victory Gardens Greenhouse. By Inda Craig-Galvan, Kevin Douglas, Carla Stillwell. Dir. Terry Cullers. With ensemble cast.

Shepsu Aakhu’s backdrop of blackface images, recreated from turn-of-the-20th-century advertisements, sets the tone. The second round of comedy sketches from the team behind Blaxploitation: The Remix visits the expected themes, but with a heavy emphasis on internalized racism—the ways in which old-time minstrel show stereotypes have been incorporated into modern African-American culture. There are indictments of BET and reality television, and there’s plenty of material about the black community holding itself back by supporting the wrong elements. The enemy these days, the authors seem to be saying, is more often ourselves than The Man. One extended bit has spin doctors touting a politician named Doger (hint: rhymes with Stroger) insisting that he’s fit to hold office even after an accident leaves nothing of him but his big toe. Another finds a hypocritical DJ caught on tape buying crack at the Bud Billiken parade, and the caller who condemns him is vilified as a race-hating lesbian for not “supporting our folks.”

Not all of the material is so on-the-nose; some sketches are more abstract, like the woman who’s afraid her man is “on the down-low” and wishes she’d been right when he turns out instead to be a “plushophile.” The six performers are engaging and almost frighteningly committed, but when the material goes over the top, it’s unnerving. Sure, we’re wincing at Flavor Flav in his VH1 stage, but did Chuck D really just order his execution?—Kris Vire

In Character

I have learned a valuable lesson. And that's what makes it okay to make mistakes. You learn from them.

So, I'm doing this play. And there's a kissing scene toward the end. The other actor and I have been very professional about it. It's a lovely, moving scene. Great acting moment. And bonus for the old married lady -- kissing someone new is like a mini-vacation from the husband. (Don't tell the husband I wrote that part.) One particular night, however, there was something a little different. The blocking was the same. The number of kisses the same. The intent and emotion of the scene... all the same. But there was a moan. And it didn't come from me. He moaned. Right after the final kiss, dude let out a moan that was audible only to me. The audience couldn't have heard that. And if it isn't for the audience's sake, then who is it for?

Here comes the lesson. If an actor you're kissing on stage lets out a moan of pleasure loud enough for only you to hear, just ignore it. Don't ask. Don't tell. Ignore it. Doesn't matter how curious you are. Doesn't matter if it seems completely out of character. Doesn't matter if you're driving yourself batty wondering "Who did I just kiss?" and "Who was that kissing me?" Doesn't matter. Let it go. Do not... repeat... DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ASK THE ACTOR ABOUT WHAT JUST HAPPENED.

But if you do... or if you are me and can't go back in a time machine and undo what you did last night... here are the only two possible outcomes: He'll immediately deny it, repetitively announcing that it was just the character, and then he'll walk away from you; or he'll take a moment of introspection and then deny it, repetitively announcing that it was just the character. And then he'll walk away from you. Either way, you look like the asshole who's accusing him of some impropriety. Either way, the next time you have to kiss him on stage it's probably going to be a little more awkward than usual. Either way, you have to stay in character.

- Inda

EXCUSES

Inda and I had a recent discussion over e-mail about making excuses based on race. Me, being Canadian and ignorant to the United States and you all's culture (or y'all as your Southerners say), Inda informed me of a few things and here is what I learned:

1. You are not allowed to make excuses based on race.
2. If you can't get somewhere because the CTA does not run in your neighborhood, okay that's VALID. But if you can't get to wherever you were going because you didn't feel like riding the CTA, that is INVALID.
3. If you have responsibility for a child legitimate (or illegitimate) and you can barely take care of them, but you are making all the payments and are there for them and you are trying to put that child first -- COOL. But if you know it's yours and you would rather not take care of it and pretend it doesn't exist -- UNCOOL.
4. If you commit to a group of people and you say you are going to do something and that group of people are depending on you otherwise the project will be compromised, but then you die -- that's ACCEPTABLE. Now, if you renig on your commitment because of an unspecified family emergency for the fourth time in two weeks -- you're a lying ho and that's UNACCEPTABLE.
5. Finally, if you lived through the Civil Rights Movement and have tried your best and protested like hell and were willing to die for change and were still oppressed and studied up on the legal system and tried to evoke change, and influenced other Afro-Americans in a positive way -- you deserve respect. But if you complain about White people and are not doing anything to change your situation, and you pretty much invalidate what those during the Civil Rights Movement did -- that is DISRESPECTFUL!

But I'm a rational Canadian. What do I know?

- Kevin