An Actor Prepares

So anyway, what's been happening over the last few months since I've been away?

Sadly, not much. But I did get to make that trip out to Los Angeles on the first week of June. You know, the one where I was screaming about seeing The Misanthrope for, like, ever? I couldn't afford it at the time, but I wound up taking a business trip for my father so he was able to pay for airfare and accommodations (hotel, rental car, etc) through his company because he wanted me to take some pictures of a new restaurant being built out on Silver Lake Blvd. whose floor he might be installing (my father owns his own company of a sort of marble-chip epoxy flooring of his own innovation). Plus I got the sense that my father also noticed now depressed I had been lately whenever I was over to visit. He knows that I'm not an intrinsically depressed person so it must have been pretty obvious to him, because he was like, "Have you thought about taking a vacation? Maybe go to L.A. again? See that play from that actor you like so much?" That actor, by the way, is Jack Stehlin and the star of The Misanthrope, one of my favorite plays by Molière which I had been pretty vocal about wanting to see in my last blog. So dear ol' dad hooked me up and west I went.

It was my first time in L.A. by myself, and I have to say it felt great. Not that I wouldn't have loved the company or anything. I really wished Joe could have been there to enjoy it with me but problems at work kept him home, and heaven knows I wasn't in exactly good standing with a few of my friends at that moment, so there really wasn't much of a choice at the moment. But being all the way out there, far from home and the issues that were plaguing me here -- it felt incredible. It made me realize that this was probably the first time in years that I could remember going anywhere completely by myself, having no one else to talk to or hang out with, being completely and utterly alone. And I forgot how much I missed just taking care of nobody else but myself, even how out of practice I was at it. I think being out there alone was the most salutary thing I could have done for myself considering the fragile state I was in. I got to get up at 6:30am and work out hard in the gym room, have a leisurely breakfast in the hotel restaurant, then spend my day as casually as I could. I got to cruise around Hollywood all night, comic shop at Meltdown on Sunset, pop into curious new places here and there (ironically it was too cold and rainy that week for the beach). Didn't get to see Dave Attel at the Comedy Shop or the sold-out Raveonettes shows, but the whole trip was heaven just the same. Nothing to do and not a care in the whole damn world.

Not that I didn't get any work done while I was out there. The restaurant owner picked me up and brought me out to his still-being-built new Mexican restaurant, which is going to be very small but extremely beautiful when it's done (hopefully in September). I took gobs of pics but I also managed to get a few of the lovely patio in the back. The floor out there was going to be all mosaic-style patterns so my dad won't need to do anything there, but I have to snap some shots of it because it all just looked so nice, with a fountain and some ornately decorated trees and a big sound barrier of a wall to keep the traffic noise away (they were right off the 101 exit). My photos don't quite do it justice, and it was still a little cluttered from all the work being done on it.


And of course I couldn't exactly go that long without complete human contact, could I? I met up with Brett, a friend that I made from over at my old blog who lives and works in Los Angeles who was willing to accompany me to see The Misanthrope on my last night in town (actually I had seen it the night prior but I was just as desperately wanting to see it again with Brett as well). He took me out to a yummy little Italian restaurant on Pico Blvd. and I had an enjoyable time in his company. Brett is extremely intelligent and funny and we seemed to have a lot of things in common, but he knew a considerable more about theater that I did and he was able to school me on a lot that I didn't know (which is in itself a lot -- a lot that I don't know, that is).

After dinner we saw The Misanthrope, which I thoroughly enjoyed despite how high my expectations were. Typically when they are that high I'm usually a little disappointed in some way, but I was thrilled by this production in the way that strangely enough, the direction, the characterization, etc. pretty much matched how I had always pictured the scenes to move and flow in my own mind whenever I read the play. Jack played Alceste almost precisely how I had imagined him to be, and there were moments when he was standing off the side of the stage observing the other characters in the scene that felt almost like my own mental image of how the scene would look had it been projected onto the stage. And the semi-civil verbal catfight between Eliante (Catherine O'Connor) and Arsinoe (Jeannine Stehlin, Jack's wife) was a real highlight, leaving Brett and me giggling to ourselves. In fact it was great to see the entire audience getting so thoroughly into the production. There was such a great, happy vibe amongst us that I couldn't help but get swept up into it. Jeannine was wonderful. This was my first time seeing her perform and I was thrilled to see that she had now taken over the role of Arsinoe just in time for me to catch the production. Jack, of course, was as marvelous as only Jack can be. I have seen this man perform so little and yet the little that I have seen has made him my favorite actor in... well, possibly the world right now. I know that's pretty broad, but at this point I wouldn't call it hyperbole. There are amazing actors all throughout history (Olivier, Brando, Bernhardt, etc.) but right at this moment in my life Jack Stehlin is the one that brings me real, true joy whenever I get to see him, and there just ain't no hyperbole when you feel that kind of nourishing joy in you. That right there is enough to make him my favorite actor in the world.

The bestest thrill came later, when Brett encouraged me to stay after and meet Jack in the theater lobby after the show. I was shy and nervous as hell, but I admit I was elated to learn that Jack had already known who I was because he had read my old blog too! Well, elation mixed with a wild streak of mortification, because anybody who had read my old blog would know what a complete fangirl crush I have on this guy (but in a purely innocent way, I want to make known! :-)). But Jack was an absolute gentleman, even more impossibly handsome in person, and so sweet and kind to me that it was overwhelming me with happiness, and whatever depression I had been feeling that week just seemed to sort of melt away that night in his presence. I got to finally have the great pleasure to meet the very personable (and gorgeous!) Jeannine Stehlin, whom I have spoken to a few times via email before, and Jack was indulgent enough to let me pose with him in a few pictures. A great way to cap off a great week; great company (Brett! {{{kiss}}}), great theater (if you are ever in L.A. please do yourself the favor of checking out any of the Circus Theatricals performances), and a whole lot of much needed stress-free relaxation.


This trip really helped set me on the "road to recovery" and gave me the mental strength to start putting things right in my life again. Well, not like THAT'S ever going to happen overnight, folks! But I feel better prepared. Better amped up and ready to make things happen again. I know it sounds corny, but L.A. felt like a place where I could study my own part in my own play, prepare behind the wings, waiting for my cue to go on. Or at least brace myself better for when the rotten tomatoes get tossed my way.