From Gina ...

Urine Test May Predict Pregnancy Preeclampsia

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

By Jennifer Warner

A substance in a pregnant woman‚s urine may help doctors determine whether she‚s likely to develop preeclampsia later in her pregnancy, a new study suggests.

Preeclampsia is a common cause of high blood pressure during pregnancy, and also causes elevated levels of protein in the urine. Potential complications of preeclampsia include seizures, brain hemorrhage, uncontrolled bleeding, and kidney failure as well as premature delivery. There is a greatly increased risk of death in babies delivered early.

The condition develops quickly and makes it hard for doctors to spot it in time before these dangerous complications develop.

But in a new study published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that reduced levels of a substance known as placental growth factor (PIGF) starting at weeks 25-28 of pregnancy were associated with a higher risk of developing preeclampsia later in the pregnancy.

If further studies confirm these results, researchers say screening for PIGF may offer a new way to predict preeclampsia risk and prevent complications.

Urine Substance Tied to Preeclampsia Risk

In the study, researchers studied urine concentrations of PIGF in 120 pregnant women who later developed preeclampsia and 118 women with normal pregnancies.

They found that levels of PIGF were significantly lower beginning at 25 to 28 weeks of pregnancy among the women who subsequently developed preeclampsia than the other women. This difference between the two groups became more pronounced at 29 to 36 weeks.

In the women with normal pregnancies, the levels of PIGF were increased during the first two trimesters, peaked at 29 to 32 weeks of pregnancy, and then decreased.

In addition, among women with the lowest PIGF levels at 21 to 32 weeks of pregnancy, the risk of developing preeclampsia before 37 weeks, or during a pregnancy that produces a small size infant for its age, was markedly higher.

Researchers say if further studies confirm these results, screening women for PIGF may identify those who would most benefit from early diagnosis of preeclampsia and potentially help prevent preeclampsia-related complications.

By Jennifer Warner, reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

SOURCE: Levine, R. The Journal of the American Medical Association, Jan. 5, 2005; vol 293: pp 77-85.

Happy Holidays

Following performances of I HATE THIS people often ask what impact the play has had on my relationship with my family. The answer is, my relationship with them is fine, better to ask what impact the show has had on them.

For Christmas this year, my father made a contribution in Calvin's name to the The Heifer Project which helps hungry families around the world by giving them livestock or other farm animals in hope they may become self-reliant for food and income. He bought a hive of bees. I loved that. He also gave a flock of ducks in Zelda's honor.

In late 2001 he originally offered to dedicate a pointsetta for Calvin at his church, and there were those in the family who didn't get it. Toni and I have greatly appreciated his remembrances, they mean an awful lot.

Happy New Year's, folks.

Farewell From Bad Epitaph Theater Company

After five years my company, Bad Epitaph, is calling it quits. Not a major event in the history of Cleveland theater, but it is bound to be some kind of downer to a lot of theater fans around here, if only for purely symbolic reasons.

The state of theater in Cleveland kinda blows. The most daring theaters are petering along as best they can. Small companies like ours pop up for a bit, do some refreshing work, and then either disappear or ... well, no that's about it, they disappear.

Most of us are already involved with other companies, that's part of the reason for the split. Again, no big crying shame. It's kind of a relief. But I know I will miss the autonomy of doing whatever the hell I want after a short while. I always do.

Bad Epitaph Theater Co. 1999 - 2004
"I have tried so hard to do the right."
Cleveland, Grover (1837-1908)

Little Boys

We found last week that the Fish (as we call him) is going to be a boy. Or rather, he already is, but now we know it.

This news came strangely to me. I think I had assumed I really did want a boy, but wouldn't admit it to myself, for fear of being disappointed. And now I am not sure that was ever the case. My standard line was, "I just want it to be live and healthy." And I think that was true.

Boys are weak, you know. Boys are fragile. Zelda could get hit by a train and get back up again, she's tough. But little boys? Little boys die. At least, that's been my experience to date.

Angle 17

Fringing It

My personal take on Fringe Festival culture, and my experience in NY. Okay, not just my take, I interviewed a lot of people for it. I like it a lot better in print than when I wrote it.

For Mother and Child, A Lurking Danger
NY Times, 11/23/04

Nice article. A little background info on preeclampsia.

And here is the dangerously unhelpful Parents Magazine: Emergency Guide mentioned in my last post.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Parents Magazine, November, 2004
from their "Pregnancy First Aid" guide

... If you're close to your 20th week and your face or fingers are swollen - or if you've gained excessive, unexplained weight - you might have preeclampsia (high blood pressure.) If it's not treated, the condition can cause convulsions severe headaches and vision problems.

No. Preeclampsia does not mean "high blood pressure," it means "before seizure." If it's not treated, the condition can cause the death of the child and/or the mother.

I understand the fact that there is a philosophy that giving mothers this information is counter-productive, as it is an outside risk and will only make them worry. I understand it, but I do not condone it.

It's like that chapter of "What To Expct When You're Expecting" which says, in its own way, do not read this next section, because you will no doubt find your symptoms in it, and these things can't possibly happen to you. We went back and read that section after Calvin had died, and that was where they warned of preeclampsia.

With permanent marker I retitled that chapter "Do Not Read Until Your Child Is Already Dead."

And you can dance ... for inspiration!

Yes. I am totally gay.

But, it has been an inspiring couple of days. I have been slow off the mark in following up on the contacts I made at last week's event (though I did finally get Kelly her check in the mail) but there has not been much time since then. At least, no time I can make work for me, if that makes sense to any of the other parents of small children out there - and Brian, that's for you, because you are no doubt the only one still reading this.

But two things came my way in the past two days. First off, check out the pictures of this stud-muffin running the New York City Marathon. May I admit I am actually a blood relative of someone who looks like that. My family tends towards the chinless, pale and flabby, but check out my cousin JT!

Can't remember if I wrote about this when I was in Maine ... we had arrived too late to participate in "Friendship Days" and the morning when we did arrive was the 5 K or 5 mile run they have, and my cousins JT and Amy were on the front page of the local paper in the race. If I'd known better I would have tried to get us all there the night before or something, I was really jealous. That would have been fun.

Not that those two would not have left me in the dust - in NYC last weekend JT came in 6th in his age group. Isn't that nuts? I mean, that's it - last summer I made a pledge to run a marathon before I turned 40. I have got to keep up with this or its never gonna happen.

Meanwhile, just today, I had another little surprise. I am sitting in my little cubby at work when Daniel calls me and says come downstairs, Suzan-Lori Parks is about to give a private talk to some students from Early College.

Yes, things like this happen to me all the time.

She had just come from an interview on a local public radio affiliate, and was to give a talk for a much larger audience in the Ohio tonight. But this was for a half-dozen or so young women ... and folks like me who happened to be in the right place at the right time.

photo: Must I make that face?

It was real informal, but Ms. Parks just said some awesome stuff I really needed to hear right now. There's a new play (my third? - is that all?) I have been struggling with for ... oh, hell, nine years ... but it's just starting to come into focus as a result of the election.

She said she wasn't sure there was any such thing as talent, just love. A love of writing. And if you keep at it, maybe that's "talent." Something like that. And a lot of supportive words about keeping at it.

No, without direct quotes, it sounds like a lot of the usual advice for aspiring writers. But even writers need to tell other writers these things, or I think we'd all just stop.

I Have a Headache

The fact is, I have had a headache every day for the past several weeks. It may be the climate change - I thought it was going to pass after the election was over, but then the sun refused to come out. Maybe Zelda coughing all night had something to do with it. I was really hoping that once this performance was under my belt it would release its grip on me. That happens you know, I will begin a show with a headache, but it is gone the moment I start.

It didn't. I did a show with a headache. Having said that, it was a good show. Shame I don't get another crack at it, there were some weird spots but by and large I think we were all having a special time.

Yes, there were 150 attendees. It was a relief to look into the crowd as we were setting up and see that everyone - I mean everyone - was a woman. What can I say, it's a different vibe. You know, the weirdest thing about my first performance in New York, was I could clearly see the first row, the row full of critics - they were all guys.

Guys don't openly weep during my show. Especially guys from the NYC media establishment. They cross their arms, the way guys do, and stare at you. They laugh when I use the word "cunt."

Anyway, as I said, it was a good show. Kelly was perfect - the auto-stop on the CD player didn't work, exactly. I mean, it worked, but what that meant was when you reached the end of a track - it stopped. As in, it was like you hit the stop button, not the pause button. Koesters would have figured it out, Kelly just used the pause button and never blew a cue.

For the record, the event was the 19th annual Current Challenges in Newborn & Women's Health Nursing conference, sponsored by Mead Johnson Nutritionals. I met a number of wonderful people there, picking up a number of contacts - a lot of them asked about a recording, either audio or visual, and several gave me contacts to persue in regards to getting one financed.

That would be good ... I have been hesitant about making a professional video. I just don't know if it would beas effective as a live perf. But then, they were suggesting that a video could be sold to hospitals all over the world, something so many doctors and nurses could use as a training tool. It would be irresponsible of me not to follow up.

I will get photos from the event on the photo page soon. It was a good day. But my head still hurts. I blame Bush.

The Room That Ate My Head

First off, let me apologize to the technical coordinator at LaCentre, who was very, very helpful today. This is a weird situation for everyone involed, I am sure. Now I have a much, much better idea of the kind of things I need to be specific about when this show is produced again.

Kelly and I got two hours in the room. The ROOM. A big, long banquet hall - it's actually a much larger room divided in half. The audience will sit at long tables, all facing one direction, maybe eight across, with an aisle down the middle - and strecthing back some fifteen rows. The event organizer says it will be full, 120 people - the largest audience I have ever played to.

Now, the stage - and there is a stage, a platform that gives me about as much room as I had in New York - is set to one side, directly in front of half of the audience.

The other half of the audience has in front of it THE SCREEN.

This screen is bigger than the one we used in Minnesota. It's bigger than my garage door. It's about one storey high. Crazy. They will, oh yes, be able to read the slides in the back.

And the sound distribution is wild, too - I hear the sound at the same volume as they hear it in the rear of the hall. Only I will be smaller. And to this end, I will have a wireless mic. A really good one - the stuff they have at this place is pretty good, let me tell you.

No light cues, just lights up at the beginning, lights down at the end. And Kelly and I got to run all cues.

I hope I can get some pictures. This may be the future of this show - special events catering to the medical health profession. I can live with that.

Doctor, Doctor

This Wednesday, November 10th I will have a performance at 10:45 in the morning as part of a newborn and women's health conference in Westlake. I'd have sent a press release for it, but you know, it's a private gig.

In October, 2003 I staged this show for the first time in a lecture hall setting, for a conference of Nurse-Midwives, and it turned out much better than I had hoped. Unlike a theater setting, there were no internal light cues, just sound and slides, and I could see my audience perfectly. But the response, during the show was very strong - the doctors and nurses and midwives didn't have any problem openly expressing their shame at the behavior of a small number of their bretheren.

This time I would be feeling more confident, if it weren't for the fact that my main technical contact at the facility has been ... unhelpful. Kelly is stage managing again, and we had an appointment for last Thursday morning. This guy was a half-hour late, and showed us the wrong room. On top of that, when I said our specs hadn't been met (we were promised rear projection, an accessible CD player) he started quoting prices at me for different eqipment.

The kicker was that we were shown the wrong room. The performance is in two days, and Kelly has no idea what kind of set-up she'll have - and this man is difficult to get hold of.

And you know, this may be the largest audience I have done this show for, something like 120 or more. I'd like this to go off the way it's supposed to.

Things That Make You Go Hmmmmmn ...

On the good news front, we are expecting again. There was a time when we thought we only wanted one child - but that child was Calvin. We don't want Zelda's only sibling to be a dead older brother.

What is awkward is when we are expcting - May. Early May, perhaps, but Calvin's was at the end of May, which puts us on a near equal pregnancy track as we had with him. This will be difficult, especially around the holidays.

We back-tracked and found that the "fish" was conceived around August 14th. IHTBlog fans will note that on the day in question I was in New York City.

Overall Excellence Award: Solo Performance

Amazing. Thanks, NY Fringe. You really knocked me on my ass.

AIDSWALK:CLEVELAND - Sponsor My Run!

AIDSWALK/RUN 2004 is Sept. 19 at Edgewater Park. I need your support, please visit my donations page and throw your weight behind my efforts for this worthy cause, which raises much needed cash for worthy Cleveland-area HIV/AIDS assistance and prevention organizations.

I ran seven miles today. I hope to kick last year's pathetic time on its ass.

And another thing ...

I did not mean to give the impression in my last entry that I will never perform this show again, there is nothing further from the truth. I just meant that I needed a little breaky-breaky.

Keep the job offers coming.

Notes from the Fringe: Day Nine

What's On David's iPod?
Dilemna
Nelly w/Kelly Rowland
Nellyville
(Shouts out to the boys in THE PRECINCT.)

The Fringe continues. We went home. Sarah arrives in New York today (or maybe it was yesterday) and her run begins on Wednesday. 4 MINUTES TO HAPPY. Do not miss it.

I believe this is the first time I have left New York City in better physical condition than when I arried.

Toni and Simeon went off to catch DOG SEES GOD, upon my orders, and Liz, Harris, and Zelda and I went to the Carousel. Could I spare some time, before heading Downtown, alone, to run lines before the matinee, to ride the carousel once with my daughter? And what kind of father would I have been if I hadn't?

We attracted our requisite fifteen audience members for our closing performance. It was a good show. They were with me, as I was with them. The set was struck with a minimum of fanfare - the rocking chair and monitor returned to Harris' place of work.

And we left. Brian and I drove nine hours, pretty much non-stop, to get back here by 3 am. I will pick Toni and Zelda up at the airport this afternoon.

And how do I feel? Hmm. Good question. I was asking Toni in the kitchen yesterday whether or not this entire experience had been worth doing, and that should give you an idea of how much I had lost perspective.

If there is a mission with this play, it is to share the story of child-loss, a story no one wants to hear, with the widest audience possible. And so I have, in three major cities now. And people came, and they heard it.

... Why is he telling an audience about this? My guess is that Mr. Hansen, who laments that there is no term in the English language for the father of a dead child, believes that the best way to handle tragedy is to talk about it. And it is to his credit that he makes you listen.
-The New York Times

After Minnesota I spent my last days lamenting the lack of press in spite of good attendance. Here I have been lamenting the lack of attendance in spite of outrageous press. A pack of blessings light upon my back.

I tell everyone what a joy it is to perform this show, and it is. What's hard is everyone's reaction to it. Last year I resolved to do something light and funny after the MN Fringe, and I did, and that helped. I don't think I have time for that now.

And next year? Well, we have a new show in the works called THE BIG GAY NUDE VAMPIRE MUSICAL. We think it's going to be a hit.

I began this summer overwhelmed by all the different events I had on my calendar ... staging THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, participating in and reporting on the Spencer Tunick installation, walking around Cleveland dressed as William Shakespeare for Great Lakes Theater Festival, taking a road trip to Maine, and finally this. Actor-teachering begins again in a few weeks. I get a couple of free days with my family before it starts all over again.

Yes, I should be depressed. Another great adventure has reached its conclusion, and that deserves some reflection.

I have to thank Kelly for being a spot-on stage manager, especially during a personally difficult time. Josh's grandfather passed away, and she headed down to Baltimore for the funeral on Saturday, and came back on Sunday - with Josh. It was great to see him there.

And Harris wasn't even aware he was getting paid for this. Thanks for being our Guy In New York, for getting that chair, the monitor (or two) and for running those slides.

And Brian? What can I say? You totally rock, man. So much work, and once again you get to stand in the background. I was spending afternoons relaxing my voice, whining, drinking tea, taking jogs in the park, and just being a total diva, while Brian charged around the Village, putting up posters, handing out postcards, spreading the good word ... and he spent the first several nights on the couch at Erin's so I could sleep in the bed.

And thanks for all the dirty stories driving home last night. Those really kept me awake. I won't tell Donna.

Thanks to all of those who made the FringeNYC trip possible, with your donations, your time, and your kind words of support. Once again, we have been overwhelmed by all the goodwill towards this project, and to our theater company.

And thanks to you - for reading all of this. I hope I gave some realistic impression of what we did there. It has been an awesome adventure.

New I HATE THIS Photo Gallery

Transatlanticism

What's On David's iPod?
Transatlanticism
Death Cab for Cutie
Transatlanticism

Ran roughly four miles. Man, Sunday it is a free-for-all, everyone running in every direction. Keep your head up.

I ran the route twice, alone, and then past the East 72nd Street entrance so I could walk around the Bethesda Terrace. And then that song came on my iPod, as if on cue. An anthem of isolation in the crush of humanity. A 21st century version of Peter Gabriel's Here Comes the Flood or something.

Walking around that stunning fountain, keeping my eye on the angel, squinting in the sunlight. I want to say something profound about New York, but I can't. Brian and I were having a conversation earlier this week about how self-referential this place is, how bored he gets with plays or movies that feature NYC as a character. I used to feel like that.

Listening to Simeon, Harris and Israel last night, arguing about the sainthood vs. damnation of Robert Moses, and the innaccuracies of Queens in the Spider-Man movies ... I mean, I thought I was self-involved.

But how many wonderful, awful places can be concentrated in such a small area? How can you not be overwhelmed? When I look outside my home, I see a street, a tree, a sidewalk. Children who can play in the street. I do not see speeding cars, or garbage, or skyscrapers, or angels, or madmen or geniuses or fantasy or danger or dreams.

How can you live here? How can you not?

Notes from the Fringe: Day Eight

I was catching the 6 train home tonight, by myself on the platform at 14th Street - Union Square. A middle-aged Asian man in shorts was on the platform playing electronic sax, a very melancholy tune - he's the first busker I tipped this week ... the right tune in the right place at the right time.

I have not been thrilled with the way things have fallen out. That sounds ridiculous, I know. I have plenty to be grateful for.

I am thankful for all of the people whose support made it possible for us to do this work. The folks at Fringe Central have given our show a great deal of positive word-of-mouth. Ron Lasko at Spin Cycle deserves my eternal gratitude for convincing the New York Times that my show was worth paying attention to.

In spite of all of this, attendance has been weak. We know the show isn't weak. And we know the promotions were not merely the best we could afford. When I was at the Minnesota Fringe last year, there were plenty of pissing matches on the message boards about getting critics to your show.

And it appears as though all other shows which have received favorable notices in the Times have fared extremely, extremely well.

We attracted fifteen audience members this evening. And we had a great night, all of us. You can't blame the people who do show up.

And you can't blame people who read about it and said, no, thanks, sounds great, I don't want to see that. (Well, no, okay, maybe those are exactly the people to blame.)

If there is anything I am truly disappointed in, it is the lack of support from the other fringe artists. Perhaps one or two have attended, if so I haven't seen them afterwards. It's a shame. I know we are all very busy and whipped and there are so many shows to see, but I have met with a large number of the folks here, especially after taking in their shows, but from what I can see, none have returned the effort. It doesn't speak well for the community, especially to a guy from out of town.

But I can deal with that. I still have a great love and respect for the City, and will miss it a great deal once we depart tomorrow. I will miss our friends here, and all of the places where we have been hanging out.

Tomorrow I will go running one last time in the Park, this morning we did the lower circuit, I did it twice, it was over 3 miles. Not as lovely as running the reservoir, but it's still a great track. Harris went with me today, and Liz did some in-line skating.

Toni and I did some shoe shopping with, or rather for, Zelda. After her nap (during which Toni went out to Shakespeare & Co. and got totally drenched in a big, freak rainstorm) we spent a few moments at the Met before I left to prepare for this evening. God, those girls are fun anywhere.

By the way, it was my goal to attract 100 audience members to this show, which I thought, with 5 performances, was modest. I am still short 52 people. If you are a fan of this blog, and there are a couple, please join us tomorrow afternoon at 2:15. You can find all of the necessary info at the Bad Epitaph website.

Notes on the Fringe: Day Seven

Zelda slept on the flight in, and so was totally wired by bedtime. Where are we? What is this? Look at all the wonderful, dangerous stuff Harris and Liz have left out for me to play with! She fell asleep by one a.m., the morning was a slow affair.

This was our girl's first visit to New York, and our first with a small child. It's a different world. Of course, I never took into account how much there is for children to do here, and how many playgrounds. We went to the Central Park Zoo - stopping by the childrens' zoo first. We had last been to the zoo when we visited Harris in July, 2001. Then we had pointedly avoided the childrens' zoo.

Zelda has been delighted. After a nap in the early afternoon (I took one, too - not much sleep the night before and a 10:30 show ahead of me) we visited Harris at work. His office is in the Chelsea Market, a place which is too cool for words. I mean, its let's send up the fact that it used to be a warehouse asthetic is very early 90s but it's still a beautiful place to hang out or shop or eat or work in. We had cardamom ice cream and sat around in the delightful air conditioning.

Oh that's right - the weather. It's been rainy and relatively cool the entire time we've been here, until today. It was suggested we walk from the market to the East Village to meet Simeon for dinner, but I vetoed that. Taking the bus make take as much time, if not longer, than walking ... but it isn't walking. Besides, unlike the busses in Cleveland, New York City busses are pleasant to sit in.

We ate at a decent Italian place (no hot tea? what the hell?) but I was distracted and headed off early to get my head together for the performance.

After last night I was dedicated to putting on a good show. And expecting a low turn-out, which is what happened. We had fifteen people, which was an improvement - and a very lively crowd for a late-night show in a hot theater. They were definitely on top of what was going on, and it made me quite loose and free with the delivery. I can't tell from Brian's reaction, but maybe I was a little too cheerful, I do not know.

And yes, I did the show in a t-shirt, forgoing the sweater. You could not have blamed me.

Notes from the Fringe: Day Six

You would think a positive write-up in the largest paper in the universe might affect turn-out. Alas, we had another - as we say in the business - intimate audience.

But it was a 5 o'clock show. On a weekday. And it's still about stillbirth.

It was such a long night Wednesday night, I woke late and feeling poopy, and resigned myself to not doing nothing all day. But I thought better of it, and went running anyway. That, my friends, was a good idea.

And we headed downtown, Brian saw a show and I ate raw fish and squatted in another cafe, sipping tea and not talking, which is always a challenge.

photo: Grundik and Eliot at the Next Stage - thanks, guys!

The performance was not one of my best. I felt comfortable on Tuesday, and perhaps too comfortable on Thursday. I imagine I was disappointed by the size of the house. But I was thrilled to see Jason M. show up, an old friend from Cleveland who has been living here since 2001, acting, bartending. He looks the same. And my cousin Charlotte came from Philly and brought a friend. And yes, there was at least one couple who came just because of the review. They are, as we say, members of the club. I thank you, and hope you enjoyed the show.

After dinner at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame (where we all, Harris, Liz, Brian, Kelly and I shared our individual marriage proposal stories - Liz and Harris' kind of overlap) it was off to Laguardia to pick up Toni and Zelda.

I have relocated to Liz and Harris' place with my family. Shouts out to Katie and Tom (woo. woo.) for letting me stay there these past few nights. Not sure how much "fringeing" I will be able to do in the next couple days, I am back in parent mode.

What's On David's iPod?
Big Time Sensuality
Bjork
Debut
("I don't know my future after this weekend. And I don't want to.")

An anniversary which passed unacknowledged yesterday was how on Aug. 18, 1994 I flew to NYC for the first time to visit Toni on my own. And today she is flying in to see me, little girl in tow. It has been quite a decade.

I am still reeling from the Times review. "Hey Dave - your fans want to know how you maintain that lanky body of a teenager and the somber, cavernous face of an old man."

Thanks for asking, that would be a crappy diet and a whole lot of worry.

Notes from the Fringe: Day Five

"I Hate This" in performance at the New York International Fringe Festival

Okay, I have to try and make this quick ... I am a little in shock. First off, I am beginning this at 2 am, when a boy like me should be in bed. And secondly, I just read my review in the New York Times.

Yes. I have already cried. Now I want to vomit. I can't imagine what my reaction would have been if it were negative.

It has been another long, eventful day. There was more jogging in Central Park, yes, Brian and I did laundry, bickering like an old couple, yes. We split off in the late morning so he could visit old girlfriends and I could visit the Met.

I had hot dogs on the steps, and took a nice two hours, giving myself a "best of" of my favorite things (Dendur, Manet, the Studiolo) but I also found myself lingering over every single classical sculpture. There was something about the freely flowing motion of frozen marble that struck me today.

The Studiolo di Gubbio was disappointing. When I first discovered it (in 2001) there was music playing, I couldn't tell you what kind. I'd say "baroque" but I used that word recently. It was the only part of the museum with a soundtrack, and in such a private space. There was no music today. I asked a guard and she said, "there's never been music in there." To which I replied, "Oh, it must be me."

On the rooftop garden I indulged in one of the world's most expensive glasses of wine. I knew there was a reason I skimped on the entrance donation.

I want a hat like that.

Now, earlier in the day Toni urged me to do some p.r. around the Village - she knew I would be antsy if I didn't, that I might blame myself later on for wasting time. And she's right, that's the way it was in Minneapolis.

So I did a little homework, and figured out four theaters I could hit, one after another, and catch people as the shows ended. At the very first, the Cherry Lane Studio, I ran into Caroline, who was in the cast of ANGST:84 in the 2001 Fringe. She's already got tickets to come on Friday! It was very nice to see her, though she's just the kind of person (college student, living in NYC) who makes me wish I had moved here myself a decade or so ago.

Want a flyer?

Brian, Kelly and I met up to see AN ACCOUNT AT FIRST HAND OF THE BATTLE LATELY WAGED IN AND AROUND THE TOWN OF GETTYSBURG (PA.) AS RELATED BY MAJOR GENERAL ISAAC RIDGEWAY TRIMBLE (RET.), ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA (C.S.A.) I wish my dad could have been there, I think he really would have liked it. A short show, less than an hour. The actor, one George Rand, had the charm and demeanor of a really good history teacher. And, in fact, for a time that's where I thought I was, in class. But it was an enjoyable education.

After tramping all the way to Katz' deli (yes, we did, and wouldn't you) for dinner, we caught a 10:15 performance of - drum roll, please - DOG SEES GOD: CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE BLOCKHEAD.

Crowd outside "Dog Sees God"

Oh my. This is why we do this. I almost wept. Experiencing that show made the entire trip worth it. I am not exaggerating, I liked that show so much.

It is a parody of "Peanuts" ... sort of. That just makes it sound funny. "What if Charlie Brown and the gang became teenagers?" Sure, lots of yuks there. But the playwright, Bert V. Royal wanted more than that. It is a tribute to the spirit of Charles Schulz. I poop you not. It's dark in places, very funny, never sticky sweet ... like "Peanuts."

And even more than that, the actors were, every single one of them, so excellent, so in character, so comfortable with what they were doing, there was never a false moment. There was a big old party going on onstage, and we were invited.

And it's moving. And upsetting. And very, very funny.

* Sigh. *

It's been a long day. And I have a stack of newspapers to buy tomorrow.

UPDATE: Playhouse Square presents the premiere of the video adaptation of "I Hate This (A Play Without the Baby)" by David Hansen, directed by Chennelle Bryant-Harris and performed by James Alexander Rankin, in the Westfield Studio Theatre on Saturday, October 15, 2022. 

Notes from the Fringe: Day Four

Sporting my new FringeNYC cap.

What's On David's iPod?
Brand New Colony
Postal Service - "Give Up"
(A long distance dedication, going out to the one I love. Awwwww yeah.)

It feels as though we have been here forever. And yet, only today has the Fringe truly begun for us.

It was a good morning. yesterday was depressing. Yes, it was good that I stayed home. I needed the rest ... and today was not without its additional stress. 

But I felt like I was missing the party. Brian returned late last night to report he had seen two awesome shows. Meanwhile, I had discovered, much to my horror, that when I eat alone ... I talk to myself.

Okay, okay, let's move on. This morning I ran the reservoir. Me and a million others, it was liberating, actually engaging in exercise, I don't think I have ever done that in New York. Not just walking, but running. My entire body thanked me.

Kelly our stage manager (SM)
Harris, our General Organization Director (GOD)

Tech Rehearsal

Our tech rehearsal was scheduled for 12:30. We had two and a half hours to run through all of the cues and get everything straight. It's a simple show, this has never been a problem.

Today, it was a problem. I won't say what was the problem ... okay, to be honest, there's some confusion as to exactly what the problem was. 

It was enough to say we put Grundik in the awkward position of having to kick us out at 3 p.m., with a lot of questions in the air as to how it was going to look for our 5:45, premiere performance.

Kelly and I limped back to the Village to check Fringe Central and which shows were sold for the evening, and to relax in a rather baroque cafe, sip tea, and count our blessings as regards to our significant others.

Sunflowers for Calvin. Thank you, sweetheart.

Opening Performance

Brian warned me it would be a small house. And indeed, it was. Every show I have seen at the Fringe so far has attracted a respectable crowd. But I have the show no one sees without being urged to see it by someone who already seen it. You can understand the Catch-22 involved.

The bad news is we only attracted 10. The good news is that half of them were critics. The people who run the Fringe - the people at SpinCycle - are obviously in my corner.

Yes, I was very tense before it began - I kept hitting my head on the ceiling of their subterranean dressing room. But I thought it might be a good show when Grundik, the venue director, introduced it in his somewhat broken manner:

"... The exits, in emergency are there and there ... you can get in shows for free by volunteering ... once again we thank you all for coming ... I hate this."

And then he just walked off the stage, getting a big laugh. I want him to introduce the show like that every single time.

Too hot for the sweater.

I flubbed some lines, and I wonder how the revised Sept. 11 scene goes over with a critical New York audience. But the response was strong, I felt good, relaxed ... and Brain said I did my boy proud. That was probably the sweetest thing he could say.

So. One down.

After we had some celebratory pub food at the White Horse, and then Brian and I dashed off to see the only show we could possibly catch in the vicinity - the boys from Elephant Larry performing their new sketch show, THE PRECINCT. People who know me know how I am not a big fan of improv of sketch humor. 'Cause it's not usually funny. These guys are funny. We laughed a lot.

And now I have a day off. Should I go into the Village, sell my show, pass out flyers? Should I visit the Cloisters, the Met, do laundry? Run, sleep, play?

I don't know. And tomorrow, I think that will be okay.

UPDATE:  Playhouse Square presents the premiere of the video adaptation of "I Hate This (A Play Without the Baby)" by David Hansen, directed by Chennelle Bryant-Harris and performed by James Alexander Rankin, in the Westfield Studio Theatre on Saturday, October 15, 2022.