The Coolest Thing I've EVER seen!

Check out this homage to "Empire Strikes Back" - the Tauntaun sleeping bag. Complete with a lining designed to look like GUTS. Oh, man oh man. How cool is THAT?

Ok, ok: so it's an April Fool's Day hoax and it's not really for sale.... YET. Apparently the folks at the website had so many people attempting to buy the fake Tauntaun that the bloggers are now trying to get it licensed by Lucasfilm. So I still have hopes of sleeping cuddled up in a dead Tauntaun someday. Email ThinkGeek and tell them you want one, too.

Nitey-night, Young Padawan.

File Under "Things I'd Never Thought I'd Say"

Meant to tell you - the new "Star Trek" movie is AWESOME. (Yeah, I never thought I'd say that. I'm by no means a Trekkie, to say the least. I turned the show on a few times as a kid, thinking it was gonna be like "Star Wars" - and it so, so wasn't.)

But this movie kicks BUTT. I love that director JJ Abrams and screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci found an ingenious sci-fi reason to reinvent the nature of the characters and the relationships between them, and their very reason for being together. Now Chris Pine's Kirk is a hellraiser (and surprisingly funny, to boot!) and Zachary Quinto's Spock is the emotional heart of the movie.

Oh, there are a few quibbles here and there: Eric Bana's villain starts out strong and creepy and becomes almost an afterthought.

But I have to say: overall, it's a thrill to see this creaky old franchise from a fresh perspective... and it's a joy to see a summer blockbuster that's actually well-written, well-acted, funny, heartfelt, smart, and full of fists-a-flyin' action.

If you haven't already seen it... go boldly where, say, millions of moviegoers have gone before.

"The Creative Habit"

Hey, this post's for my dear friend Jenny, who is a fabulous choreographer - and an even more fabulous human being. But if you're NOT Jenny, you can read this post, too. (Please do!)

I've just started reading a fantastic book: The Creative Habit by noted terpsichorean Twyla Tharp (cowritten by Mark Reiter). And I want to tell you about it today.

To be honest: I'd sworn off buying or reading more productivity/self-help/creativity books, since I found them to be unproductive, unhelpful, and a waste of daylight hours. But Tharp's book is different (or at least, that's what I surmise from from the first couple of chapters, and from what I've skimmed).

Tharp offers tough love for those of us who want to be more creative and more productive. Some of the advice at the very beginning isn't terribly earth-shattering: for example, Chapter 1 is about making rituals of creativity, and clearing space for creativity to happen. But they're good reminders, and from flipping through the chapters and exercises ahead I know that there's lots more original stuff coming.

Bottom line: for some reason I'm really responding to the practical tone and the hands-on action Tharp brings to bear on the topic. For her, creativity is a habit to be fostered, a muscle to be strengthened, and a craft to be practiced. And she's not just writing for dancers (and I'm most decidedly NOT a dancer) - but for anyone who has creativity inside them that wants to get out. And that's all of us, really, isn't it?

I'll post more here as I read more. If you're interested in a fuller review by someone who has... y'know... actually finished reading the book, please check out this post at Self Reliant Film Blog. (That's where I heard about "The Creative Habit" in the first place.) And please post a reply if you check out this intriguing addition to the creative library - I'd love to hear what you think of it, too.

This post carries the Sasquatch seal of approval.

3-of-a-Kind's One-Acts: including my play, "SNOW!"

I'm delighted to report that North Hollywood's own 3-of-a-Kind Theater Company is producing

• My short play:"SNOW," in a production directed by Tony Christopher.

At a polar bear cage in a big city park… at the site of an unspeakable tragedy… a Mayor, a Cardinal, a Socialite, a Reporter, and an Activist gather to put their self-serving spin on events. But when a grieving mother finally has her say, will she force these Very Important People to move past their glib words to a far deeper understanding of life, death, and grief?

I've seen the rehearsals. Tony's doing fantastic work and we've got 8 powerhouse actors in this never-before-seen piece.

Also on the bill, two really wonderful plays by two really wonderful playwrights, directed by two equally wonderful directors. I am proud to be in their company:

• "FAIRYTALE WEDDING" by Ben Caron, directed by Corey Chappell
  
• "RE-UNION" by former Nickelodeon Fellow Itai Grunfeld, directed by Brett Erickson. (NOTE: this picture may NOT be safe for work!)
  

THE DEETS:
Secret Rose Theater / 11246 Magnolia Blvd / North Hollywood, CA 91601

FRIDAYS - June 5th & 12th @ 8PM
SATURDAYS - June 6th & 13th @ 8PM
SUNDAYS - June 7th & 14th @ 7PM
Sunday - June 14th @ 3PM

Tickets on sale now. Get 'em while they're hot! Call (818) 377-4379, or just BUY 'EM HERE!

PS: Check out the ice cave in the postcard for SNOW. If you squint at it juuuust long enough, it looks like a polar bear's face. (Which, in the context of the play, is chilling - in more ways than one.)

Disney - Oh My.

Well, THIS should make my next Disneyland visit more interesting!

(Seriously - just kidding. I would NEVER. But who knew rampant toplessness was such a problem that The Mouse had to hire Propriety Police?)

Malibu Saturday Afternoon, with Horse.

Well, if you DIDN'T hear my friend Louise's concert last night in La Mirada, CA, you really missed out!

Louise played the famous (and famously tough) Beethoven Triple Concerto with her father, Marlin Owen, on cello, and pianist Menahem Pressler. Behind them: the excellent Biola Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Shawna Stewart. I drove down with Lori to hear the concert -

MAN what a night! And what a triumph for Louise.

I had a whole day of cheering people on, in fact. Kerri, who I've written about here in this space, had her very first LIVE show taping yesterday for Nick Jr. - so I went up to the studio and watched the filming of the show (and the music video).

Now: concentrating on some writing of my own here at the Malibu Starbucks. Oh wait: just looked out the window to see... a HORSE. A big white horse with a shaggy equestrian, who must have ridden up the highway. Ok, weird.

I'm refocusing this blog on my own writing, as well. So you can check back here to read updates about my writing work and writing life - which is the same thing as my LIFE-life, of course, so I figure it's a legit catchall for pretty much anything.

But please do check back here frequently, for updates and changes. Expect a WHOLE lot of cool new stuff coming in the next few days and weeks.s