tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126773922011-12-01T02:40:56.526-05:00The continuing saga of an independent actor from NYC in the Pacific Northwest. Formerly "There is No Pay." Life as a indpendent actor in NYC.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00872881519483064515noreply@blogger.comBlogger461100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-13271295947706204212011-08-09T17:45:00.003-04:002011-08-09T18:12:07.745-04:00

I was in a garden watching a production of Romeo and Juliet last Friday. During the Lark & Nightingale scene, they dropped in a sound clip form a song that I knew, but couldn't identify straight off. In fact, I couldn't identify it for the next two days. Frankly, there isn't much about my life that I can identify--nothing is very familiar right now. After spending 10 years working a full time

Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00872881519483064515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-21168575996251888112011-07-14T21:45:00.002-04:002011-07-14T21:47:15.885-04:00

I recently thew this up on a message board as a lark and the response was so positive that I decided to put it up here. Enjoy.The wife is in SF for another week, which means it's time for...LONELY MAN CURRYServes one miserable bastard for 3 daysStuff:1 1/2 lb boneless/skinless chicken thighs (bawk! bawk!)14 oz can of coconut milk1 large onion, thinly sliced with a big ass knife1 large carrot,

Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00872881519483064515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-8907953196098490372011-07-08T11:06:00.008-04:002011-07-08T11:57:53.731-04:00

So obviously there have been some changes. They started about 3 years ago. My girlfriend at the time (now wife) and I decided that, glorious as life in NYC was for both of us, neither of us were particularly happy. With each other, sure; with our friends, of course. But life in the biggest and baddest of cities had us stressed out, crabby, and feeling frankly trapped. We were occasionally living,

Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00872881519483064515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-91573515911371952592011-03-09T14:10:00.002-05:002011-03-09T14:24:11.411-05:00

Or as I used to say it, Calvacade. Yep. This from a guy who scored perfect on his verbal SAT.Anyway.I'm in a new show. There is no pay, but I'm acting in a very fun piece and directing another one. So. Come next Monday, March 14th, the good folks of Dysfunctional Theatre Company and myself will be presenting the following to East Village discerning audiences: THE DYSFUNCTIONAL THEATRE

Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00872881519483064515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-67116859043017816152011-03-01T14:21:00.003-05:002011-03-01T14:32:55.260-05:00

The adage in theatre goes that 90% of good directing is casting. I'm not sure what the other 10% is. Perhaps it's the preparation I was moaning about, or the ability to know how to manage a group of people. In any case, I find that adage held true last Tuesday when I held the first rehearsal for the short play. In fact, I learned a few things.No battle plan survives first contact. I had in

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-62959728331372386292011-02-15T14:35:00.002-05:002011-02-15T14:44:56.495-05:00

I have a play to direct. Not a long one. 8 pages. I have the staging set, intro and outro music picked out, and am hammering down rehearsal space today. Reading that sentence one would assume that I am prepared to go into the first rehearsal organized and ready to work.Nothing could be further from the truth. Preparation has always been my greatest stumbling block in theatrical endeavors.

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-85908242900713241152011-01-25T15:50:00.001-05:002011-01-25T15:51:09.894-05:00

Big things. Good things. Career changing things.

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1751303875676221672011-01-24T12:50:00.003-05:002011-01-25T16:17:25.336-05:00

May 2010 started in Sedona, surrounded by friends, and marrying my best friends. At some point a whole different post has to be dedicated to the act of getting married, the unrelenting wave of love and validation one feels, and all the little things one can focus on to potentially ruin their experience. The day after saw us begin a 9 day wine tasting tour of AZ and CA (yes, they grow grapes in

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-26761856194108839582010-12-07T17:56:00.002-05:002010-12-07T18:26:17.097-05:00

2010 draws to a close, the Yule celebrations loom large in front of us like the Colossus of Rhodes; the impending icy reality of winter and having to spend long periods of time with your family in close quarters force us (well, me) to take stock of what we've (I've) accomplished in this, the first year of the second decade of the 21st century.In years past I was loath to look back--seeing another

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-22171461622817992852010-07-12T12:03:00.004-04:002010-07-12T12:24:55.867-04:00

I seem to deviate rather regularly from using this blog for its intended purpose, i.e. chronicling the struggles and triumphs I experience as an indie theatre actor/producer/director. So to go back to one, lemme tell ya about the show I'm doing come October. A long time back, a young transvestite with a boatload of ambition and marginal talent put together what is categorically the worst zombie

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-65446610596640223412010-07-10T13:19:00.000-04:002010-07-10T13:24:52.099-04:00

I have been awakened, far too early for my own good, by birdsong. Dawn and I have come down the coast to (cue ominous music) The Jersey Shore. Later today we shall troll the boardwalk with cocoa butter and tasers in hunt of that most dangerous game, the North American Guido. We expect a successful endeavor, and look forward to mounting the deeply tanned carcass above our street facing window as

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-20283124794099145372010-06-08T13:40:00.003-04:002010-07-12T12:37:30.823-04:00

In my previous post I said that I would like to write a play before the year is out. I still have no idea what the subject should be. It stands to reason that I could mine my somewhat unique childhood experiences into drama but this is where I run into the A.R. Gurney problem.What's that you ask?Well.A.R. Gurney wrote a play called the Cocktail Hour. It's about a playwright who goes to his

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-54658958659085887512010-05-21T17:03:00.003-04:002010-05-21T17:15:54.433-04:00

I have been married for three weeks. Most people who are in committed relationships for a number of years before they get married tell me that it changes nothing in the relationship. I find this to be false. If anything I feel a stronger sense of security, a deeper bond with my girlfriend-now-wife, and a general sense that while things are tough in areas of my life I have a strong base to hold

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-87557366216455984812010-01-13T17:09:00.002-05:002010-01-13T17:18:39.155-05:00

I'm getting married on May 1st. Hopefully for the first and last time, to a woman I deeply love, who understands me in ways that I was sure were not possible. All this is good and right and makes me happy. However.There are certain sacrifices made in any relationship, and in the short run up to the wedding this year, one of the main areas of my life that is requiring the most sacrifice is the

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-54816213500320538452009-10-29T11:46:00.003-04:002009-10-29T11:55:12.275-04:00

The fear of statues. really the completely unrealistic fear that statues will suddenly come to life and pounce on you. It's a very real fear, one I've had since childhood, though I can't quite remember what caused it. Might have been the Haunted House ride at DisneyWorld. They really shouldn't put quiet, overimaginative kids on those things.Why did I open with that? Well I've been doing some

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-88637242081835366282009-08-19T11:24:00.003-04:002009-08-19T14:03:56.009-04:00

Way before we got into pre-produciton for Arsenic and Old Lace, myself and the good folks at Dysfunctional Theatre Co were conspiring together to bring one of my favorite shows back to NYC.From 2004 on and off thru 2007, I had the opportunity to play Titus Andronicus in Shawn Northrip's Titus X: A Punk Rock Musical. Shawn is a former DC punk rock kid who went off to NYU to get a degree in writing

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-3301520865176189912009-08-05T16:17:00.002-04:002009-08-05T16:24:15.818-04:00

There's been a dearth of posting, and I'll tell ya why.WE'RE PLANNING OUR WEDDING.Pardon the allcaps but sometimes I just want to shout it from the rooftops. So far we've gotten over the major hurdles of venue, caterer, hotel, band, and website.(debuting 9/1/2009) I've got some theatre related stories to tell, and those will be coming in short order. In the meantime, feast on a little Ned's

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-44800898157345393672009-06-17T16:21:00.002-04:002009-06-17T16:40:14.088-04:00

Below are the links to the great reviews we've recieved after the first week of Arsenic, and below the link, the nice things they had to say about me in particular (It's my blog after all):Backstage.com: Adding solidly to the lunatic fun is Peter Schuyler's Teddy Brewster, Mortimer's brother, who believes he is Theodore Roosevelt, frequently bellowing "Charge!" as he rushes upstairs.Nytheatre.com

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-47889844905098177422009-06-10T12:37:00.005-04:002009-06-10T12:50:41.471-04:00

What's more fun than an evening with the Brewster Family? Nothing.Horse Trade presents a Dysfunctional Theatre Company production ofArsenic and Old LaceBy Joseph KesselringDirected by Eric ChaseStarring:Ron Bopst*, Rob Brown*Michael DeRensis, Marilyn DuryeaGreg Engbrecht, Jennifer GillKurt Kingsley*, Vivian Meisner*Craig Peterson, Justin PlowmanMike Roche*, Peter Schuylerand Yanni Walker Buy your

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-82184428979275894322009-05-05T13:41:00.004-04:002009-05-05T14:13:46.510-04:00

Here's what I've been listening to lately.Manchester Orchestra - Neither from Manchester nor an Orchestra, it's five piece of some young fellas from Atlanta, Georgia. The lead singer has a really unique voice, and an ear for some even more unique harmonies. The sound lies somewhere between Nirvana's Nevermind and The Jayhawks Tomorrow The Green Grass. This is my favorite tune off the album so far

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-62824651236768899442009-05-01T15:31:00.002-04:002009-05-01T15:58:45.940-04:00

My father once asked me many years ago what it felt like to have a crowd shower you with some well deserved applause. "There's no other feeling quite like it Pop" was my reply, which made him happy as the man is very big on his children doing something that they love.What I didn't get to tell him is that though there is nothing quite like being on the receiving end of thunderous applause, hooting

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-86696456404860216482009-04-28T13:26:00.002-04:002009-04-28T14:54:12.089-04:00

I've been cruising around youtube today in lieu of work, watching Peter O'Toole doing Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell at the Old Vic (what a gift) and just clicking the associated links. I came across a couple of great vids of great actors speaking of the respect they have for the craft, and more specifically the stage.It's heartening to see things like this, especially with the current reality of the

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-12057922128065757262009-04-28T13:19:00.002-04:002009-04-28T13:25:51.251-04:00

I keeping with the delusion that anyone reads this blog, I'm plugging my show that opens this week. It's a adaptation of a 19th century British play about an 18th Irish Brigade in France. You've got Kings, Dukes, Counts, Soldiers, children, mistaken identities, high comedy and broad farce, and me in a kilt. So come one come all to King O'Neil. info below.King O'NeilApril 30 - May 9, 2009 Medicine

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-14594459354874619102009-04-10T11:32:00.002-04:002009-04-10T11:46:03.636-04:00

That's right. I bought rendered duck fat.I, who a scant 10 years ago could not cook a fucking thing to save my life, have a container of rendered duck fat in my fridge.Why? I'm glad you asked.I made my first foray into quasi French cuisine last night, a chicken liver pâté which is now a (hopefully delicious) brick in my fridge. I took my Uncle Jean's recipe and added some spices and a few

Petenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-44679308145616918242009-04-06T17:42:00.002-04:002009-04-06T17:44:32.798-04:00

New background.It's closer to a wooden deck than a stage deck, but it's far more visually interesting than plain white. I'm trying smaller posts to begin with in hopes that daily posting will suddenly become a habit.

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-87159375054171886682009-03-30T16:23:00.002-04:002009-03-30T16:32:42.973-04:00

I'm getting married. I know this, though I have no idea when or where. I've been pouring over wedding sites and reception sites, the nyc parks websites, all in a fevered attempt to clarify the date and time.I thought popping the question was hard. Woof.It seems I spend more time choking back bile at the prices caterers set per plate than anything else. I've found some solace in reading the

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-25963579753297348732008-12-19T11:08:00.004-05:002008-12-19T11:15:40.613-05:00

Today seems to be chock full of them. As I sit in my office on the last working day of the year (1), I look at my window and find that it's snowing so hard I can't see the Empire State Building (2). I've received all the holiday presents from my famil for Dawn and myself (4). And I'm going to share with you all the thing that has been making me laugh all week:Happy Holidays folks.

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-3779461798710149652008-09-02T18:14:00.003-04:002008-09-05T17:05:14.201-04:00

This past weekend I watched as two very dear friends made a lifelong commitment to one another in front of friends and family. It was a short, but sweet ceremony, followed by the mother of all receptions. That I nor the other people I was traveling with can remember the latter half of the evening is the sign of a good afterparty. I did happen to get some great shots which I may add to this post

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-60791849092372497432008-08-06T16:13:00.002-04:002008-08-06T16:19:24.374-04:00

Or some such nonsense. It's been a few years since I remembered I had a blog and was feeling self centered enough to post long rambling paragraphs about my life. Looking back on the last entry in 2006, I can see exactly why that was. At that time, I had been working at a soul-sucking desk job for a NYC arts college that shall remain nameless. I had been doing this for 5 years, gaining weight

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1149086703260770892006-05-31T10:14:00.000-04:002006-05-31T10:45:03.300-04:00

I've been working with a start up theatre company for the past few months, and while their hearts might be in the right place, they are making a lot of classic mistakes that will inevitably lead to a hasty demise. In thinking about them I came up with a little list.Notes on things NOT TO DO when starting a new Theatre Company:1: DO NOT start a company where one or more of the people on the board/

Petenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1146668942685657432006-05-03T10:52:00.000-04:002006-05-03T11:09:02.713-04:00

It's 5 days until I open a new show, 3 weeks until I open the next one, and I signed on to understudy 3 male roles in a six person show. I am insane. Top that off with just starting a new relationship, and not being to the gym in a week, and my body has decided that now would be the absolute perfect time to show me what an ulcer might feel like.The year has been cruising by at breakneck speed.

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1141669751251595702006-03-06T13:22:00.000-05:002006-03-06T13:29:11.266-05:00

So the showcase went down last week. The crowds were not what we had hoped for, but when you put up a gig in a month and a half with no publicist, odds aren't in your favor to begin with. Of those that did show up, most of them had a good time, a few loved it, and even fewer hated it.I knew going in to this that I wasn't going to make any cash or get any longstanding connections from it, and that

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1138379448890347502006-01-27T10:48:00.000-05:002006-01-27T11:30:58.276-05:00

So I picked up the contract for the impending gig yesterday. I have now officially left the class of the actor. I am now dual classed, an actor/producer! I think my THAC0 is still twelve. I'll have to check the Player's Manual.With my new status come new headaches. I now have to do all the "fun" things I've always gleefuly entrusted to others. Setting rehearsal times. Designing the flyer for the

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1137606542789511092006-01-18T12:34:00.000-05:002006-01-18T12:49:02.803-05:00

The first few months of the year are normally dead time for me. I go out, I audition, get shot down, lather rinse, repeat. Then, like some dust-moted underserviced clockwork, I get a show in April. But now all that has changed.Last year around February, some friends and I began hosting an open mic at THE shitty midtown bar. We threw a couple of showcases out in the summer, the first being far

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1130800136444929412005-10-31T17:35:00.000-05:002005-10-31T18:08:56.490-05:00

Finally, things to write about.I've fallen back in with a company I worked with earlier this year. Strange how much changes in 7 months. earlier in the year, (and anathema to the title of said blog) there was pay. Earlier this year, there was sizeable role in an original piece that, though it had certain faults made for a solid, sometimes touching night of theatre.None of this is the case now. No

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1127756588809519072005-09-26T13:34:00.000-04:002005-09-26T13:43:08.813-04:00

Not that I was posting with any great regularity before, but I've been dealing with life for the past few weeks. I'll hopefully start writng on a regular basis in October, as I have 2, count em 2 shows lined up for the winter. thanks for reading.

Petenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1124390165493862412005-08-18T14:15:00.000-04:002005-08-18T14:37:13.520-04:00

I've never been great at accepting compliments. I had something of a violent childhood, and as a result have always had to struggle with my own sense of self worth. Suffice it to say those that raise you should never hit you, physically or emotionally.I'm not trying to elicit a "oh poor Van" sentiment here, far from it. My point is that I work every day to try and be appreciative of the people

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1123611558592660232005-08-09T14:17:00.000-04:002005-08-09T14:20:38.070-04:00

In the course of human events, certain patterns emerge. You can dictate things in the future by looking at the past, and get a pretty good handle on where you need to be in order to avoid any potential shitstorms. Most people fall into this first category, but there are at least two other important ones.There are those few who believe that history has no bearing on the present or the future, and

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1122578456578693462005-07-28T14:45:00.000-04:002005-07-28T15:41:40.993-04:00

I don't know how many of you were around for the thunderous cultural death knell that was The Real World Season 1, but if you didn't recognize it for what it was then you need to pay better attention to your surroundings.This over-hyped load of pre-scripted pap was nothing less than the clarion call of the doom of American Entertainment. I was in High School at the time and even I recognized that

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1121365647128128892005-07-14T14:26:00.000-04:002005-10-31T18:17:37.863-05:00

I was just on my lunch break. Walking along St. Marks place, keeping myself to myself, when I happen to glance ahead and see this woman who looks strangely familiar. Not that "Hey I've seen that girl in the movies" familiar, but the "Hey I dated that girl for 2 years" kind.ANYWAY.I get closer and I start thinking my ex-girlfriend has dyed her hair blond and moved to the EV without telling me. I

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1120666822761380812005-07-06T12:15:00.000-04:002005-07-14T14:16:58.430-04:00

The girl I'm currently "dating" is of to the West Coast for the week. I use the term loosely because I have been guaranteed that this relationship will never go anywhere. How did I get this guarantee?She told me.Since I don't subscribe to her family's particular brand of religious nonsense, she can never get serious about me.It's a common occurrence among actor's. The Showmance. Basically you're

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1120155948343744442005-06-30T13:59:00.000-04:002005-06-30T14:39:42.250-04:00

I'm a tad depressive. Not manic by any means, but because of circumstances in my early days I have grown into a raging cynic. For some, this is hard to swallow. I'm not big among the sunshine and joy brigade. You know the type -- the "Why don't you just smile?" Nazis. The people who mistakenly believe that encouraging me to grin will somehow alter my entire worldview and turn me into a member of

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1117647611098906542005-06-01T13:18:00.000-04:002005-06-01T13:40:11.103-04:00

I've always believed (well in my years as an adult anyway) that you control your own reality. If you want something consciously or subconsciously, you will generate circumstances that will lead you to that thing/idea/goal. This of course suggests that one must generate a considerable amount of energy or action to get from A to B. Imagine my joy when I realized this rather productive formula

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1116949999388854152005-05-24T11:17:00.000-04:002005-05-25T16:31:02.573-04:00

It looks like I'll be posting to this thing once a week, which considering my current schedule, suits me just fine. I seem to have two speeds to my social/professional calendar: Full Throttle and Dead Stop. I submit for your perusal, this past Sunday.I awake at 7am after a robust 2 hours of sleep. I'm a sailor on the USS Insomnia you see, so I'm lucky if I pull down 5+ hours of sleep on any given

Petenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1115746622780388952005-05-10T13:14:00.000-04:002005-05-13T14:34:33.523-04:00

I've recently rediscovered that I enjoy being ridiculously busy. I thrill to the Durdenesque lifestyle, going full bore on all cylinders with little to no sleep. Take this past week: On May 3rd, I packed in a full day at the survival job, then a band rehearsal, an audition, and two shows in 13 hours. I'm bragging to be sure. I don't know many other people who would attempt to punish themselves

Petenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677392.post-1115319676445068292005-05-05T14:19:00.000-04:002005-05-05T15:01:16.453-04:00

Welcome. I've started this blog for two reasons.My day or "survival" job provides me with an inordinate amount of downtime, and writing a blog makes it look like I'm actually working. Sneaky? Certainly, but also absolutely necessary. Were it not for little distractions like this, I'd be poking myself in the arm with a letter opener out of boredom. I'm a actor in NYC. A non-equity actor. Hence the

Petenoreply@blogger.com0