Author: Will Dao

i am definitely going through some sort of hormonal cycle because i am eating EVERYTHING i see in front of me. well, maybe that’s not true. maybe i just feel that way because i’m eating a whole lot of junk and get hungry so quickly that i then consume even MORE junk. i was so ravenous just now that i ordered takeout from a thai restaurant and ate more than half of what would normally feed both me and MGS for two days. no joke.

i wrote in my notebook instead of on here yesterday while sitting in dolores park people watching and reading plays. i found a clean patch of grass that was far enough from the tree to not have to deal with the potential dog pee/poo that’s been lain on it, but close enough that i could sneak under the shade of its leaves if it ever got too hot (which it never did). i was actually wearing SHORTS. now i probably have a bit of a farmer’s tan though because i am in no shape to take my shirt off. i cannot believe that summer is only a few more months away and my belly is sitting on my lap whenever i sit down. yes – i’ve been slacking on my keep healthy goals.

i am the worst multi-tasker ever. given the choice between sleeping in and working out, of course i’m going to choose sleep! i actually really admire people who literally schedule in exercise like it’s an important meeting that can’t be missed. whenever i slack off from exercising too long, i have this horrible habit of working out, then stuffing my face “because i deserve it.” clearly i have very unhealthy habits that need to be broken.

yeah — i’m kind of entering super red zone in my finances and need to find a job QUICKLY. wish me luck.

i kind of freaked out this morning while on the muni when i realized i didn’t post anything yesterday while at my temp job. i had the blog open and ready because by 1pm, i finished all the assignments given to me. when i mentioned that i was done, my supervisor then gave me another project that took up the rest of the afternoon. unlike my other temp gig, days go by so much quicker when i have projects to work on!

then i had to run out and meet MGS for dinner before we headed off to ashby to see beardo, a pretty amazing new musical by the shotgun players. shotgun has produced consistently great theater. their branding is really strong — you think shotgun and automatically the words “cool” and “edgy” come to mind, which is how this show was. it was a musical retelling of rasputin’s life. i always get rasputin confused with nostradamus though that’s understandable since they were both kinda freaky deaky mystics. the music was great – really catchy, rock, spoken word, doo wop, everything mixed into one. and the cast was spot on — not a weak moment or member in the group.

the same can be said about songs of the dragon flying to heaven, the new production co-produced by aatc and crowded fire. i really encourage folks to see it, especially my asian american friends. the playwright is no joke: she whips out every stereotype possible and kills it with sharp, piercing words and imagery. i was cringing and laughing throughout the whole play because the material is just so unfiltered, honest, and smart. it’s like she expresses everything that i’ve thought about in terms of race and media and relationships and religion and power dynamics — all rolled into one. there were times when the play bordered on commentary, but it was almost necessary considering the audience that might be watching it. she really got me thinking about who and why and what theater is for and who i am as an asian american actor/writer. i’m still trying to process everything that this play touched upon and really hope you guys catch it so we can talk about it!!!

thank god it’s friday friday friday. oh my god. i woke up close to 7am, had a bowl of cereal, and waited at the bus stop! i am rebecca black. i hate that i think about her EVERY FRIDAY NOW. when will this madness end?

seriously, the companies i’ve been temping for are getting me for a great discounted rate. i’ve been doing layout work for this one and it’s like, uhh, people charge 3x as much for these services. oy!

there is nothing like waking up to the smell of commitment! woke up and learned some really happy news about a certain couple whom i adore. i cannot divulge anymore than that, but goodness if every morning started off that excitingly (is that a word?), i’d never need coffee again!

i had to then rush off to KT rehearsal, which coincided with my audition, both at the same location. i was running in-between the two for the whole day. my adrenalin is running pretty high right now. apparently i did a decent enough job to be asked back for a callback. when i got home, i emailed the artistic director of both theater companies who are producing this piece to thank them. one sent an immediate response saying i was in contention for one of the roles. i’m not too sure though — seems like the who’s who of asian american actors were out there today reading and who am i but a fleck of sand in the performance universe. but isn’t that the worse — thinking that you might have a chance? i counted my eggs before they hatched with the tides job and now this! i’ve learned … don’t expect anything good and always expect the worse. that way when something good happens, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

i learned that it takes me reallllly long to digest a script. to really work a scene to death and find all the little nuances. it’s definitely a drawback that’s hurt me in the past. gah – i just wish folks would give me more of a chance!

during the KT rehearsal, we really worked through a lot of the logistical issues that have been bothering me for awhile. i finally suggested we set up a time for writers to meet BEFORE rehearsals so that we could be more ready to tackle rehearsing scripts on our feet. problem is that we might now be combining KT writing with my personal writing time with MJ. agh. which means i have to be more on top of my own writing, too. let’s see how this all pans out.

tonight’s the last evening NI and AL will be in town. boo! let’s hope for cancellations for all flights to japan!