These images probably tell the story better than anything. First – as Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Photo by Jordan Kubat
Then, as Josh the Deputy in The Tavern:
Photo by Jordan Kubat
Lastly, as this guy:
Director of Photography, Kyle McConaghy
That guy is “Dale Dailey”, a character in the independent comedy/drama feature film Reclaiming Friendship Park, which wraps production today after a whirlwind two-week schedule under the leadership of writer/director Daniel Holland. I was on for five days, and it was a major step up in the camera side of my acting career, both in terms of the size and complexity of the character. It is exceedingly difficult to know if I did a good job; all I know is that the cast and crew were happy. My final shot was on a sunset-painted rooftop in Venice, and it’s hard not to get a little old pinch of that feeling that you’re living a dream when that’s going on.
Dale’s an odd one – and as the movie gets closer to completion and exhibition I might talk a little more about him; but at one point I was filming him, performing Peter Quince, and rehearsing Josh simultaneously; which requires a certain dexterity (also, a fuel-efficient car).
We’re entering in to a more relaxed phase now. Josh is the only character to keep in my head – and I don’t mind admitting he’s not on-stage all that much. I spend a lot of the play backstage, working on writing projects. And I think those obligations are going to move into the forefront now that there are no more rehearsals in the immediate future. There’s a show that starts rehearsal in October for which I might audition, and I still submit myself for on-camera stuff; but I am sort of looking forward to a little vacation from this summer; a chance to give some more emphasis to writing, to rejuvenate, and to find some perspective on what this crowded year in acting has meant to me. I’m attending an acting class for the first time since college, and some good study and self-discovery will probably do me more long-term benefit than just jumping into another show.
I know I’m going to look back on these months and wonder how I kept so much straight – while simultaneously keeping my novel-writing pace steady as well as my Earbud work and tending to my screenplays. Those pictures will be there as proof, though. Three faces – the same in many ways but different in the ways it’s my job to make different.