Friday, August 11, 2006

Tradin' Paint

Is it even possible for Catherine Bush to write a bad play? I'm beginning to think not. Today was the last day of the AFPP at Barter's Stage 2 and ended with a reading of Catherine Bush's Tradin' Paint. A story about racing stock cars and self esteem issues. The play centers on Darla, a shy girl whos father left her and her alcoholic mother at a young age and she has since blamed it on herself, throwing herself into a bad relationship with her not-so-bright boyfriend and ultimately holding her back. This is until Darla has a flat tire when she meets Lucky Tibbs, a female pit chief for Skeeter Jett, who shows her how to fix the flat tire and inspires her to overcome her self esteem issues and gain more confidence. So on goes Darla as she signs up for classes to get her GED at the adult education center where she meets her teacher Mr. Smoot (or something like that), a gay black man who loves NASCAR. All of this goes on unbeknownst to her boyfriend Coty, who, we find out, is only after her for her fried chicken. Needless to say Coty thinks that women shouldn't be in the pit crews, that the government has a conspiracy and is out to get him with medication, AAA and cell phones, and belives that Col. Sanders is a "fag" who tries to poison him with his "secret" KFC recipie. By the end of act one, all is revealed by Darla to Coty and act one ends with Darla being hit on the head by an Everlast car battery from a disentegrating stock car, which she believes is her destiny.
SO, with that teaser, I won't go any further because I wouldn't want to spoil it for any readers out there. It's just a great, hilarious show with great character and an ingenous structure that weaves in and out of realities. The play was filled with great monologues too, some of which I would like to read and possibly use. Now if I could only get my hands on a copy of that script...

Today I spent with my friends Elizabeth Oliver and Lindsey Fisher, Lindsey is in from Ohio for a visit and I just love her. A fellow theatre major, she's doing very well at her school: Ohio University. She had to audition for and was accepted into the theatre department there and also got a role in one of their season's shows. I'm very excited for her, she's such a lovely actress and so sweet. Very deserving. We started the morning off by seeing The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe at Stage 2. A player production, childrens theatre. And I have come to the conclusion that I'm not a fan of childrens theatre. There was something about someone or group the a friend of mine in NYC once said to me, and if that person happens to read this: I TOTALLY AGREE NOW, AND THINGS DO HAPPEN FOR A REASON. So after seeing that show we had a nice lunch at the Baja Cafe then Lindsey and I said goodbye to Elizabeth who had to leave for some business. So Lindsey and I purused the Arts and Crafts portion of the festival, looking at all of the junk that will soon be someone's clutter and having to remind myself no to buy anything because in feng shui one cannot have clutter or risk bad ch'i, which I don't want. So I saved and was able to not buy. Around one thirty-ish we headed to Stage 2 again where we watched the reading of Tradin' Paint with our friend Megan Kennedy, who by-the-way, is a player and lovely actress as well. A nice day spent with friends and my two lovely actresses. Now I'm in Java J's Downtown Bristol and waiting for call time for my show tonight. Which is only in fifteen minutes! Gotta run!

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