Work was pretty shitty, but not for reasons expected:
Phone was still set on "Apple H!Q" time based in California. WHY is this the start to a crappy day? Well, it was just fine until the Daylight Savings Time switch, when the phone DID it, but Arizona doesn't. This meant I woke up an hour late to work. And, when I got there...the HUGE halloween rush after hours simply didn't happen. Instead of making $300+ on a non-descript Sunday like I did last week, I only made 100 on what was considered to be the busiest night of the year for the company in 3 YEARS! It seems us day drivers got the shit end of the stick. That and I had to deal with some "Juggalos" who were toting a sawed-off NEF single shot 12 gauge who tried to get in the cab! It was a tense standoff...literally! I had my jacket off, they were doing some sort of posturing thing with all sorts of white trash getto talking. I think the only reason they ran off after throwing their "40" at the cab is because their gun didn't have any real ammo, and they weren't going to chance I DID. (This is Phoenix after all... and cab drivers have earned a bit of a stigma...so why fight it)
But, that wasn't the shitty part of my day.
As I was checking my email during a slow bit at work, I saw a Facebook Post from an actor I know who went to see a preview for Actor's Theater of Phoenix's preview of their touring show "Androcles And The Lion". In it was a mutual friend of ours and former co worker, Scotty Jeffers. He's a brilliant comedian who just landed the 8 month or so contract with the company, and was so excited that he put notice in at the theatrical supply company he worked for to do this show. Everyone who knew him was excited for him, and agreed it was about time he got the full-time treatment he deserved! Extremely talented, full of energy and TOTALLY a company man, he's the guy you'd cast and you KNOW he'd be there, script highlighted and nearly memorized by the first read-thru already thinking about side bits to workshop.
But, the post was "I'm sure glad I got to see Scotty J one last time...."
Now, I know they weren't touring until their run was up in Phoenix in a few weeks, so I was confused to what the hell he meant by that. I messaged him back asking what was going on, and it's as if he were dead or something and if we're talking about the same Scotty.
Then, it started coming in from everyone else. Other actors, producers and agents who are on my friends list started filling in the blanks. Then the other actor messaged me back on my wall:
"Yeah, man. I'm afraid he's gone."
It took a while to sink in. I mean, he was a healthy late 30's dude with no habbits, rarely drank more than a few beers on the weekend and who had a fairly regular work habit (not like the 60 to 90 hrs/week I'm forced to do!). Turns out, they think it was a pulmonary embolism... just out of the blue over Halloween weekend.
Scotty was the typical geek: Could go on for HOURS over the intricacies of the Joker's personae in various film and comic book adaptations depending on what artist was on the project. But, at the same time he was so sociable and friendly, you just liked him from the get go, like I did. So easy going, and the energy he had was *just* right. Never too hyper, never too reserved. When he was excited about something, you got excited too! He was a fellow geek who appreciated the little things like being the first guy to notice the Stage Manager (me) was a "closet" comic book geek by my Hellboy Beltbuckle, and how a blank legal pad and a sharpie I left on stage after some set work became a bit that sealed a show's chances for a state theatrical industry award that is talked about by EVERYONE who saw the sold out shows!
And it showed with his friends...some who had known him from the get go!
Within a day, there was a fan page on Facebook with over 100 friends and tons of testimonials, pictures and well wishes. A few of mine were on there too because damnit he earned them!
But, it got me thinking: I will never have that kind of tribute. I'm not Scotty: Not lovable, jovial and easy going. There are many who don't like me, and I've had so much go on in my past, only two people that I associate with have known me for more than 5 years. I keep telling myself it's because I've worked with some very shitty theater companies and I've had to be a confrontational hardass because I'm the guy who puts it "out there" when no one else will say it, and I do the extra work for no pay because that's the only way everyone else can get done what they need to get done.
But, I will never have this kind of "instant" accolade. And in a way, I wonder what I did that was so horrible to not get it?
Personality flaws are abundant in everyone, but it seems I've aquired my own share. I don't know how to fix it, and I'm pretty sure it cannot be reversed. But, sometimes I just wish for a tenth of the friend network Scotty earned and had. He was truly a blessed man, and while I only got to know him seriously this season, I will miss the chance to work with him again and grab a beer or two after rehearsal....
...if only to learn how he did it, and why I can't.
Rest in Peace Scotty. While I know you'd rather be at another late night rehearsal.... you have a part in a greater show now. We'll see you when we get cast up there the next season an opening comes up brother.
Phone was still set on "Apple H!Q" time based in California. WHY is this the start to a crappy day? Well, it was just fine until the Daylight Savings Time switch, when the phone DID it, but Arizona doesn't. This meant I woke up an hour late to work. And, when I got there...the HUGE halloween rush after hours simply didn't happen. Instead of making $300+ on a non-descript Sunday like I did last week, I only made 100 on what was considered to be the busiest night of the year for the company in 3 YEARS! It seems us day drivers got the shit end of the stick. That and I had to deal with some "Juggalos" who were toting a sawed-off NEF single shot 12 gauge who tried to get in the cab! It was a tense standoff...literally! I had my jacket off, they were doing some sort of posturing thing with all sorts of white trash getto talking. I think the only reason they ran off after throwing their "40" at the cab is because their gun didn't have any real ammo, and they weren't going to chance I DID. (This is Phoenix after all... and cab drivers have earned a bit of a stigma...so why fight it)
But, that wasn't the shitty part of my day.
As I was checking my email during a slow bit at work, I saw a Facebook Post from an actor I know who went to see a preview for Actor's Theater of Phoenix's preview of their touring show "Androcles And The Lion". In it was a mutual friend of ours and former co worker, Scotty Jeffers. He's a brilliant comedian who just landed the 8 month or so contract with the company, and was so excited that he put notice in at the theatrical supply company he worked for to do this show. Everyone who knew him was excited for him, and agreed it was about time he got the full-time treatment he deserved! Extremely talented, full of energy and TOTALLY a company man, he's the guy you'd cast and you KNOW he'd be there, script highlighted and nearly memorized by the first read-thru already thinking about side bits to workshop.
But, the post was "I'm sure glad I got to see Scotty J one last time...."
Now, I know they weren't touring until their run was up in Phoenix in a few weeks, so I was confused to what the hell he meant by that. I messaged him back asking what was going on, and it's as if he were dead or something and if we're talking about the same Scotty.
Then, it started coming in from everyone else. Other actors, producers and agents who are on my friends list started filling in the blanks. Then the other actor messaged me back on my wall:
"Yeah, man. I'm afraid he's gone."
It took a while to sink in. I mean, he was a healthy late 30's dude with no habbits, rarely drank more than a few beers on the weekend and who had a fairly regular work habit (not like the 60 to 90 hrs/week I'm forced to do!). Turns out, they think it was a pulmonary embolism... just out of the blue over Halloween weekend.
Scotty was the typical geek: Could go on for HOURS over the intricacies of the Joker's personae in various film and comic book adaptations depending on what artist was on the project. But, at the same time he was so sociable and friendly, you just liked him from the get go, like I did. So easy going, and the energy he had was *just* right. Never too hyper, never too reserved. When he was excited about something, you got excited too! He was a fellow geek who appreciated the little things like being the first guy to notice the Stage Manager (me) was a "closet" comic book geek by my Hellboy Beltbuckle, and how a blank legal pad and a sharpie I left on stage after some set work became a bit that sealed a show's chances for a state theatrical industry award that is talked about by EVERYONE who saw the sold out shows!
And it showed with his friends...some who had known him from the get go!
Within a day, there was a fan page on Facebook with over 100 friends and tons of testimonials, pictures and well wishes. A few of mine were on there too because damnit he earned them!
But, it got me thinking: I will never have that kind of tribute. I'm not Scotty: Not lovable, jovial and easy going. There are many who don't like me, and I've had so much go on in my past, only two people that I associate with have known me for more than 5 years. I keep telling myself it's because I've worked with some very shitty theater companies and I've had to be a confrontational hardass because I'm the guy who puts it "out there" when no one else will say it, and I do the extra work for no pay because that's the only way everyone else can get done what they need to get done.
But, I will never have this kind of "instant" accolade. And in a way, I wonder what I did that was so horrible to not get it?
Personality flaws are abundant in everyone, but it seems I've aquired my own share. I don't know how to fix it, and I'm pretty sure it cannot be reversed. But, sometimes I just wish for a tenth of the friend network Scotty earned and had. He was truly a blessed man, and while I only got to know him seriously this season, I will miss the chance to work with him again and grab a beer or two after rehearsal....
...if only to learn how he did it, and why I can't.
Rest in Peace Scotty. While I know you'd rather be at another late night rehearsal.... you have a part in a greater show now. We'll see you when we get cast up there the next season an opening comes up brother.
i don't know of anything else i could say that wouldn't sound trite.