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I had my first rehearsal today to play the role of Dr. Jim Bayliss in a production of All My Sons, the great Arthur Miller play. More info will be forthcoming, naturally, but since today was my first rehearsal and since I speak first in the play, I thought I’d type up a snippet from the top of the play, including the last bit of prefatory stage directions into the first lines of dialog:

DOCTOR BAYLISS is nearing forty. A wry, self-controlled man, an easy talker, but with a wisp of sadness that clings even to his self-effacing humor.
AT CURTAIN, JIM is standing at L., staring at the broken tree. He taps his pipe on it, blows through the pipe, feels in his pockets for tobacco, then speaks.

JIM. Where’s your tobacco?
KELLER. I think I left it on the table.

I may wear a bow-tie. Stay tuned!

Careful readers of this blog know that I finished shooting my lead role in the indie film Look in the Mirror. Careful readers of this blog clearly have too much time on their hand, anyway, so I do not cringe to report that this weekend, we are spending two more days shooting some new scenes for LITM. These are scenes that were deemed necessary after months of ediiting to really make the movie work. Fine by me! Fun group, and I want to the movie to be as good as possible.

Today’s work is being overseen by this ever-vigilant butler, at the Calabasas house. He’s always been here, every day, at the house “I” own, but to be honest, I’m not sure he’ll be seen in the final cut. I wouldn’t want him left out, so you go, Mr. Butler!

As an actor, I audition a lot. Most parts, I don’t get. Most often, they don’t say anything and that’s how I (eventually) know I didn’t get it. I’m okay with that process. Sometimes they let me know I didn’t get it in a way that I very much dislike. I’m not okay with that, but I’ll save that for another time. Today I want to say that sometimes, every now and then, they let me know I didn’t get it in a way that I do like. Got one of those yesterday via email, after a couple of fun auditions for a local theater:

Hi, Kevin –

Joe Blow from Project XYZ, here.

I just want to take the time to let you know that you were not cast; but it’s basically because of the usual minutiae and not your work, which was nothing less than first-rate.

There were a fist-full of people like you we saw who really knocked us out, whose resumes we’re keeping on file — the idea being that we’re already planning where we can use you, we liked your work so much. I hope we get to work together then, because you really were terrific!

Thanks again for coming in not once but twice!

See you soon!

Best,
Joe

Thank you, “Joe,” for the kind message, and the fun auditions!

For the last 64 days, my life has been sweetened — literally — by an amazing honey that I just finished off. It’s the end of an era. Thank you, Emily!

You see, 64 days ago my sister Emily and her family brought me 3 lbs. of Wonderful Wyoming Honey, when they came to Anaheim to visit some large theme park or something. The honey comes from the hives of Milt & Peggy Miller, who live in the shadow of the Tetons and make the world’s best honey. I’ve eaten it by the spoonful for 64 days now (but who’s counting), and I miss it already. If you find this honey, buy it.

It took about 8 minutes and 26 seconds by my clock to figure it out, but Michael Slovis, the talented director of photography for Breaking Bad, has his name spelled with an actual element this season. That’s right, at 8:26 into the new season, his name appears as MiChael Slovis. C is for carbon. Carbon is a much better element than the non-existent one he had previously. (Ch = Chemestrium?)

Also, by 8:26 I had been astounded and had shed a tear. I love this (horrible) show! Catch up! Watch! Break! Ing! Bad!