2010: The Year of the Amish Wizard

I blinked. I just blinked.  It was January 1, 2010, I was sitting around a table at Ben's Next Door on U St., in DC, with my girlfriend and a group of people.  One of which was comedian, Sinbad.  I just blinked, and BOOM, here I am staring 2011 in the face--its big, mysterious, veiled face.

Hello there, beautiful stranger.

I grew up watching Sinbad from Day 1 of his career.  My parents and I would faithfully watch him slaughter other comedians in the early-to-mid-80s on "Star Search," week after week.  As an impressionable child who was already under the Cosby influence and dreaming of a life as a comedian, Sinbad became one of those fuels that ignited my dream.  As the years went on, I followed him on "A Different World," his various HBO comedy specials, his comedy cassettes, etc.

So last December, I was in a show at the Kennedy Center, called "Teddy Roosevelt and the Ghostly Mistletoe."  I just remember a lot of snow had recently fallen. We were in our final days of performances, and an excited stage manager came backstage after a show and told us that Sinbad was in the audience with his family. I was SO GEEK'D.  I'd been following him on Twitter, so when I went home, I tweeted him a "thank you for your support" tweet.  He replied with an invitation to lunch--that Friday--January 1st--Ben's Next Door.



Sonal and I with Sinbad

I could not have thought of a better way to start off a new year!  It felt like another instance of something coming full circle in life.  If we pay attention, a lot of things come full circle in life, almost daily. . . but this was one of the bigger "full circle" things.  Not only did I have a chance to entertain one of my comedic influences, but I got to sit down and break bread with the brotha. (Life is so cool like that!)
February rolled around, and I was unemployed in the acting field.  I did the Equity Liaison Auditions like a good actor, that month, but nothing lay on the horizon.  Fortunately, my good buddy, Stefan Latoure, hit me up with 2 film projects that he was casting: "When Life Gives You Shoestrings" and "Indigo Heart."  Both were set to be directed by 2 female Howard alumnae.

On the day of the auditions, we had just endured the 2ND blizzard of the winter season.  I was on the Metro which was being driven by somebody's grandmother that day, because it took FO'EVA (not "forever") to get to Metro Center.  I was originally going to try to get to National Archives, but was running so behind, I decided to hoof it in the snow from Metro Center to Woolly Mammoth Theatre, where the film auditions were being held.

I walked in with only 5 minutes to spare.  So NOT enough time to prepare as I like.  I am anal about punctuality.  I barely read through the first side, before I was called in to audition.  Now, in my opinion, I completely flubbed the audition for both films.  I was unfocused, not on my breath, blah blah blaaaah--patooey!  I walked away feeling like I could've kicked a paraplegic parakeet.

Fortunately for me, though, Stefan had seen some of my previous work. I received an email days later, offering me roles in both films.  What a relief! 

Work!

(Actors love that word.)

Work!

I hadn't done any film since "Too Saved," at the end of 2006, so it would be good to return to the camera.  Both films were shot within a couple of weeks, from the end of February to early March.  We had to completely reshoot several scenes from "Indigo Heart," because of a bootleg cinematographer.  They dropped him and hired Chad Cooper, the One-Man Band.  Then a couple of days before the "Shoestrings" shoot, I was offered to upgrade to the male lead which I gladly accepted.  (Then I realized there was no way I'd be fully memorized by the shoot date).  I literally was on set memorizing each scene before we shot it.



Lynn Bandoria and I in "When Life Gives You Shoestrings"



All in all, both shoots were incredibly fun!  These were the directors' first films, and both films have since gone on to several film festivals.  Very proud of those 2 gems.

This was also the year of my crazy hair phase.  After "Teddy Roosevelt" closed in January, I continued to let my little afro grow, but at the suggestion of my own mother, I stopped combing it.  I just let it be, in all of its Morgan Freeman/Don King naturalness.  I'm glad I did it, because for the few films that I did during that period, I think it added a little extra. . . quirk!

Add in the goatee, and I became what Sonal (the girlfriend) likes to refer to, as an "Amish wizard."



The Amish Wizard as Travis in "Indigo Heart"

June proved to be a great month.  A 3rd film popped up in 2010, "The New N Word." This short was directed by "Too Saved" alumnus, Sowande Tichawonna--another Howard graduate. 

Just like on January 1st, I found myself in another "full circle" moment.  The film also starred Rain Pryor ("Head of the Class"), daughter of the one and ONLY Richard Pryor.  As the son of a preacher, my parents forbade me to watch R-rated films as a child, but for some reason I remember seeing ALL of Richard Pryor's movies (save the stand-up concert films) at a young age.  Even my sanctified parents could not resist the pull of Pryor.  Beyond that, I was a fan of "Head of the Class."  It filled my head with ideas of what high school would be like, much like how "A Different World" prepared me for college.

*smirk*

Anyway, I always digress.  I got a chance to sit across from Rain and watch her work.  We had a scene, one-on-one.  It was the coolest.  The best part of it was that it didn't take long to realize that her father did not have to be who he was.  She alone was one of the coolest, most down-to-earth--hilarious--people I could've cared to work with.

To make matters even better, Erik Todd Dellums also stars in this film, as my best friend, Raymond.  To just have a chance to sit in his presence and hear his stories of "Homicide," "The Doors," "The Wire," and Hollywood in general made it all worth it.



Pictured with Rain Pryor in "The New N Word."



This was yet another experience that made me want to high-five God. (YOU ARE THE DIVINE ENTITY!)



Sonal trying to intimidate a statue in downtown Detroit



On a personal note: at the end of June, I flew out to Michigan to meet Sonal's parents for the first time.  The trip was spectacular!  They have such a beautiful home in West Bloomfield, which is about 30 miles outside of Detroit.  They are surrounded in nature and peace, so it made for such a nice get-away.  For a few days, I got to experience Indian food and culture.  Her father, a retired architect, showed me the Jain temple that he designed. I received a crash course in Jainism, as well.  On the day of my return, my flight was cancelled by DELTA (still a bit salty), so I had to stay an extra day.  I was actually happy to stay an extra day, because I really needed the vacation.  Sonal and I even managed to get in some quality time with the city of Detroit.

The final week of July, I found myself engaged in an incredible opportunity at the Kennedy Center.  Several local actors were asked to be a part of the MFA Playwrights workshop.  Several playwriting students from various universities across the nation had their plays workshopped by directors and actors, and at the end of the week--staged readings!  I was so enamored with the 2 pieces on which I got to work: "King Nigga" and "The Last Pair of Earlies."  Plus I got the chance to work with an old hometown girl, from Winchester, whose father owns the Afro-Centric clothing store, Jordan's, that I frequented as a teen and youngER man.



Sis. Gloria Lomax and Sis. Betty Williams of the Scott White Family.



Each year, during the 3rd week in August, is my time to reunite with my church family--from Pennsylvania to Virginia.  The 2nd National Ketoctan Baptist Association always convenes for a full week of worship and fellowship.  This year, we were in Winchester.  I was only able to make it from Friday through Sunday, but I have always always ALWAYS enjoyed attending, even when I was a kid who thought church was boring. There is just such a familial joy along with the praise and worship.  So much so that I'm always left with a void on those final Sundays, as the week comes to an end, and we all must part our ways.  I am thankful, though, that these days Facebook allows us to stay connected throughout the year, unlike in years past.

The very end of August began the rehearsal process for my one and only theatre production in 2010. . . BUNNICULA!  Directed by Nick Olcott at Imagination Stage, this family-friendly romp featured the talents of MJ Casey and Tia Shearer, as the 2 main characters.  I'd been wanting to work with MJ for years, so I was completely disappointed to find out he was such a jerk.

LOL! Jokes! 

Seriously, love that guy!  I really had a blast with the whole cast and crew.  The coup de gras had to be Josh Sticklin attempting to Roger Rabbit backstage, while the show was going on.  I had to flee through the backstage doors, before I burst into a fit of laughter which would've pissed MJ and Tia completely off, I'm sure. 

Here's video of Josh attempting the Roger Rabbit, after our last show.  (Fast forward until you get close to the end, before the 15 minute mark).

Somewhere around September, I decided to purchase a Playstation 3.  I had not had a gaming console in over a decade, so I had plenty of time to convince myself, "Hey! If I get a PS3, I'll probably just play a game here and there, but mostly I'll use it to watch blu-ray dvds."

WRONG!!!!!

Let's just say that by this point I am fully able to admit that I have a problem.  I'm exhibiting all signs of addiction.  Some days I lock myself in my room and just play. . . all day.

It started with the first "God of War."  Then came "God of War 2."  Defeated those, so then I went on to defeat:

Bioshock
Assassin's Creed
Unchartered: Drake's Fortune
Batman: Arkham Asylum

One of the first games I purchased back in September was "Dragon Age: Origins," a role-playing game, featuring dragons, dwarves, elves, rogues and mages.  Didn't take to it at first. Preferred all of the other games over it.  Then a few weeks ago, something clicked, and I fell head-over-heels in love with the game.  After playing it for 3 months, the seemingly infinite possibilities that your character is allowed suddenly struck a chord in my heart.  Last week, I finally defeated the game with a Level 21 Human Mage, that I named "Tinsdale."

The day after, I was right back at it with a female Dwarf Rogue, named "Fera."  She's now Level 10, but we are making our way back through Ferelden for a 2nd go-round.

Other games that I am currently enganged in:

Assassin's Creed II
Borderlands
God of War 3
Civil War: Secret Missions

Just ordered "Dragon Age: Awakening".  I got it BAD.

Oh, I do watch blu-ray dvds too.  I just watched "Kick Ass" last night, as I took a break in between games.

Recently, I asked for prayer for a cousin of mine, Larry Carter.  He's a 21 year old father of one, with another only a couple of months away.  A couple of weeks ago, he fell asleep at the wheel and was in a serious accident.  Did quite a bit of damage to his spine, but he's alive.  He's in INova Fairfax Hospital.  I've gone up to see him on several occasions and he's making progress daily.  His father, Larry, is sparing no expense to make sure that "Little Larry" receives the best care possible.  We've always called him "Little Larry," but the irony of it, now, is that he stands at 6'6".  Probably the tallest member of our family.

At this point, we do not know if he will be wheelchair bound or if he'll regain full function of his limbs.  We just want God's will to be done.  He seems to have a motivation to heal.  So please continue to pray for him and for our family.

Looking back at 2010 has made me realize once again how truly blessed I am. I do what I love.  I'm surrounded by the people and a God that I love.  I just hope that I can continue to let people know how much they mean to me.

I took on a project back in February, called "Making History," which highlighted various members of the local theatre and film community--one per day.  It ran on Facebook from February through September (with a break in April).  I learned so much about the people in our community. If no one else was blessed, I sure was. 

Also on Facebook, as I'm sure with many of you, came many surprises.  Many old friends--some that I thought I'd never see again, re-emerged.  For that, Facebook, thank you.

2011 holds some promise.  I have 2 film projects lined up.  One is a short, directed by Demetrius Parker, Sr., called "The Favor," a sharp comedy dealing with 2 best friends and race.  The 2nd film project is a feature--the 2nd feature from Nubia Filmworks, "Nocturnal Agony," starring Deidra Lawan Starnes as the lead.  The film will also feature many actors from Nubia's first film, "Too Saved," and actors, Vernee Watson-Johnson ("Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and "Welcome Back, Kotter") and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs ("Cooley High" and "Welcome Back, Kotter").

I'm itching for the next theatre project, so stay tuned for that. 

I know in reflecting over the past year, I've forgotten something, so don't be surprised if there's a follow-up blog entry. . . or two.  . . or three, maybe.

Peace and love in the New Year!