It’s
Spring. Les arbres sont en fleur. There is a robin nesting 2
feet from our living room window. One daughter is in college in Montana,
and the other with a friend’s family in Mexico for Spring break. Elizabeth
and I are getting a preview of the empty nester syndrome. We decided
to take a couple days for ourselves to drive up to the Olympic Peninsula.
On
the trip, near Dungeness Spit, we popped into a cool looking little
neighborhood store, where we engaged the owner in conversation about
walking dogs. Hang on! I used to work with this guy at Yancy Derringers’
Restaurant) in Juneau, in 1978 a good guy - and a link to a dozen people
with whom I had lost contact. We reminisced, and the words I take with
me, which were meant as a compliment, are, I saw you on TV a number
of years ago, and I said Ya, I knew Matt could do that!. I thought you’d
get a lot farther than you did. (Note the finality of that statement)
This
was followed by an email from another lost-but-not-forgotten friend
from the same restaurant. I thought you’d be working with Jack Nicholson
by now! This comment was also well intended.
This
stokes the embers! This wakes me up. This prods the sleeping bear.
Last
year was my busiest year ever, but it was followed by 2 months where
I spent all the money hidden in my sock. In those 2 months I studied
Japanese, walked the dog, napped, I lived the life of the retired newsletter
writer.
But
Spring has come. With that, and the gentle encouragement of my wife,
I’m starting work on a new piece, participating in a web based cooking
show with Cynthia Lair and Brad Huskinson, called Cookus Interuptus,
making calls it takes courage to make, and all that. Here’s what’s
up:
Improv workshops
Advanced
class at Freehold.
It’s
not that advanced, really. It requires that you’ve taken one improv
class. It will get into performance games and
an
intro to long-form. It starts soon!
Wednesdays
6:15 9:15
April
18th June 6th
Call
Freehold 206-323-7499
Fee:
$315
Week-ender
Basic Improv Workshop:
May
26th & 27th, (Sat 9:30 3:30, Sunday 10 2) At The Valley School
in Madison Valley (I hope). $100 This is a great, non-threatening way
to get acquainted with the principles that drive improvisers. No experience
required. Typical class includes:
·
One 27 year old performance artist
·
One person there with his/her spouse
·
One grade school teacher
·
One very young Stand-up comedian
·
One ready-to-retire corporate trainer
·
One software developer
·
One person sent by their therapist
·
One actor
·
One recent empty nester ready to see what else may be
available in life
·
One person who received the class as a gift One Life Coach
there to steal my material (to which they are welcome)
·
One 34 year old getting a Masters in Organizational Development
And You
Auctions
Recent
and Spring auctions include:
Salish
Expeditions, Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Madison park Pre-School,
Sweet Pea Pre-School, Alliance Francaise, Bellevue Rotary, U.W.
Architecture
School, Northwest Film Forum, NW Network, St. Lukes (my first Catholic
School auction ever) Seattle International Children’s Festival, Freehold...
And
You
Outsourced
Alert
This
is the film I went to India to be in. This one counts. It fulfills
my ambition to call myself a film actor. In the past I’ve had teensy
weensy roles in huge films, or large roles in features that don’t find
theatres.
This
is a small but substantial role in a really great movie. I saw it in
Palm Springs and it blew me away. My guess is that it will show at
SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival), and probably have a regular
run in Seattle later in the summer. Just a guess. Ill let you know
if there’s a run.
Soon
to Shoot
David
Russo’s Little Drizzle is the winner of this years NWFF start-to-finish
grant. I’m preparing for a nice part in it, to be shot in May. This
is particularly rewarding because I’ve been part of the fund raising
events for NWFF for years, and David is a great choice of directors
to support.
Training
Recent
and Approaching clients include:
