New York!  You’re crazy, demanding, and suffer from bouts of violence, but I have to say, “I love ya!”  On the way out from Confession, Bernard at the “meet and greet desk” by the entrance of St. Vincent Ferrer Church on the Upper East Side (a stone’s throw away from Hunter College) told me that there were Stations of the Cross at 6:00 p.m.  Turns out two of my classmates from my Thomas More College days were present as well!  For those who don’t know,  Thomas More had about 80 students total (that means freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior classes combined) when I attended, so when I run into alums it is something of a miracle.

New York City is funny how it churns out these kinds of encounters.  About a week or so ago I was walking home on West 10th Street, and intersected with the stage manager for the last show I acted in, Antigone.  The photo above is one that I took of Kick Kennedy, who starred as Antigone.  The seemingly random encounter on West 10th Street led me to see “The Standbys” at the Quad Cinema that very night.  The stage manager, along with the woman who played the Queen in Antigone, and two musical theater people made great company.  Slight aside.  Have you gone to the Quad?  Save for a few exceptions, I am a fan of smaller theaters, and this is on my list of favorites in New York City.  Back to “The Standbys.”  At the end, one of the stars from the the film came right to the front of the theater and asked if we had any questions.  Turns out she was a friend of the stage manager, and we got to talk with her after the Q & A.  For any theater people out there this documentary gives an honest and entertaining look at just how hard it is to make it to Broadway.  Speaking of theater, a friend and the first person I acted with on stage, is starring in Nothing on Earth which was just reviewed by the New York Times.  I saw it on opening night with a friend, and really enjoyed it!  Another friend and fellow cast member is also performing in it.

One more thing.  About that exception to small theaters.  I came across this trailer for Stalingrad via a suggested post on Facebook.  I hardly have the time to go to the movies, but if I did make it I would want to see this it at one of the IMAX theatres where it is currently showing.  Tomorrow I wake up bright and early for a photo shoot in Brooklyn.   I am photographing the paintings of Matthew Kirby who found out about me via a blog post by writer and friend Heather King.  Then after the shoot it is off to rehearsals for the next show, “Our God’s Brother” by Karol Wojtyla (better known as Pope John Paul II).

Here is Matthew Kirby’s artist statement:

Mortality represents a form of limitation on life, art, and knowledge. On a personal level, this inherent restriction tends to raise certain questions about the role of art, God, society, and my own function within the status quo. In turn, my paintings become a way for me to attempt an answer or simply meditate on the plight of humankind in light of mortality. At times, I doubt whether art even matters. My work will not inspire world peace, I will not paint my way to a cure for cancer, and the practical function of pigment on canvas hung on a wall is negligible. In fact, the oil paints I use are often toxic so for all intents and purposes, art is shortening my already brief life. However, the mere fact that my work continues to be produced implies that there must be some motive, hope, or faith. I want there to be a sense of the brevity of life and a stillness, like a held breath, to exist in my images. My paintings have become a visual representation of this penultimate thinking without losing a sense of uncanny optimism. Life is cyclical and maintains hope for even those facing the end and it is my challenge to explore how humanity copes with mortality.

Alvederzane until the next post!

For someone like myself who professes to be a Christian, I spend a painfully small amount of my “alone” time reading Scripture in order to get to know Jesus better.  At the advice of a priest friend who coined my arbitrary and occasional skimming of the Good Book “Bible Roulette,”  I am making a more earnest attempt to read the Gospels.  These past two nights I read the Gospel of Mark.  Since the Gospel readings at daily mass are from Mark I figured he would be a good one to start with.  This man Jesus who confronts me in the Gospel of Mark is, in a word, difficult.  I would also describe him as an insanely popular man.  He set the region of Galilee and probably all of Israel aflame with his very presence.  I understand why the men and women in power saw him and his friends as a threat to their rule.

Going back to why he is difficult.  First there is his personality.  He just shows up in people’s lives and all of a sudden the whole world changes.  Simon and Andrew were doing their jobs, and he comes up to them and says follow me.  They are expected to drop everything and do just that.  He continues this unsettling pattern with all of his soon-to-be followers.  Then, in a section of the Gospel conveniently located under the heading of “The Conditions of Discipleship”  Jesus states, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”  In an apparent attempt to poach any Zen Buddhists in the crowd he adds this Eastern mind-melder, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”  On a certain level I get it.  Jesus is offering eternal life, and his disciples are expected to give up (in some cases literally) their lives for this Good News.  Yet this personal denial and carrying of a cross is not simply a mental exercise.  He expects his disciples to actually go out into an oftentimes hostile world and preach.  He even gives signs to distinguish his followers:

Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.  These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.  They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.  They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

All of these things definitely up a Christian’s cool factor by about 100%.  Unfortunately I can’t claim to possess any of them.  Given my fear of snakes I am totally fine not testing that one out either.

Where does all of this reading and reflection leave me?  Despite his uncompromising nature and the dismal prospect of carrying a cross I confess that I do believe him when he says that he is the Messiah.  I can’t say that I have done a particularly good job of following him, but since part of his message is the forgiveness of sins I guess that means I am in luck.  Onward to another Gospel to try and figure out more clearly why I take him at his word.

It’s 10:59 p.m., and I am dog-tired.  Hoping to get up early to catch the city blanketed in snow.  I chose this photograph of a man and his modest home because I seem to be hearing all sorts of house-building projects lately.  First it was my cousin Ben who purchased a book on building a compact house.  Then I saw this amazing story posted on Facebook by my photography classmate, Stacy Swiderski about a woman who built her own home for $11,000: Architect’s Dream House: Less Than 2o0 square feet

Today a friend from work told me about his dream house that he hopes to build in his native Haiti.

As for the title,  the conservative radio broadcast legend Bob Grant died today, and he was famous for proclaiming, “And let’s be heard.”  I had my share of disagreements with the points that he was making, but he was entertaining and informative to listen to.  Rest in Peace, Bob.

It’s now 11:10, and with a 5:00 wake-up alarm as well as a scheduled closure of my day tomorrow being 2:00 a.m. I am going to bed.  The reason I may be up so late is we are setting up the lights for the play that I am performing in: Antigone.