A New Phobia

Quick. We are rehearsing for Oedipus at Heliocol (where most of the rehearsals for Rocky Horror took place). Heliocol is this weird factory/warehouse that produces...something. Something to do with pools. Or pillows? Anyway, it's this weird building in Altamonte Springs. And it is like a wormhole, Rubik's Cube, Chinese Puzzle Box, Escher painting, quantum physics equation all rolled into one. Now this will sound strange -- but this building is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Impossible, you say! No -- somehow, whether through a temporal rift in the fabric of space/time or unholy pact with The Devil Himself - the building is vast on the inside and small and nondescript on the outside. There are miles of rooms, even though the building barely takes up a block.

And we aren't the only cast rehearsing there -- the shadow casts for Rocky Horror and Moulin Rouge both rehearse there as well -- some of their props are left out, including Dr. Scott's wheelchair. Now, I have discovered a strange new phobia -- I've always been afraid of being paralyzed (waist down, neck down, any form) -- so I won't sit in this wheelchair -- I will barely look at this wheelchair. Other people sit on, play with, mess around with it -- not me. I know that it's strange but I almost feel like if I sat in the wheelchair -- some...force...some evil malignant force would work it's power over me and make sure I end up sitting in one for real, for good. Silly, stupid, I know. But I can't do it -- you couldn't pay me enough to sit in that thing. Even when we were doing Rocky....I never even touched Ward's automatic wheelchair. No way.

On a different front -- or back -- I have a nice pulled muscle in my back this morning. Good stuff. Middle of my back, just to the right of my spine, and hardcore enough that even moving my neck hurts a little. Time for a hot shower and then some Icy Hot (or as I like to call it, The Balm Of Gilead).

Tonight is the preview of Everyman. Sarah had two comps -- so I'm seeing it tonight with Tyler. Sarah has more comps for Thursday and Friday too -- so, if anybody is interested in going, give me a call (I'm going again on Thursday). Thursday is the whole opening night free champagne thing. I'll give some of you guys a call.

Oh, and this is also Todd's opening weekend as well -- I need to call and give him a "break legs" and a "Go Team Venture" from me -- maybe I'll see his show on Friday, if I can.

And speaking of Friday - it looks like I'll still be able to drive David to and from his Lasik surgery -- maybe I can apply those miles to my own Lasik surgery one day.

I bought my underwear for Oedipus - the underwear that's going under my lioncloth (to make sure nothing, umm, slips out -- that should be our tagline, "Come for the blinding of Oedipus, Stay for the cock!!") And Sarah lost her shit last night as a practiced a little prancing around in my Champion Stretch boxer briefs, or as Wilson (another male Chorus member) calls them 'nut-huggers'. He ain't lying.