(written en route to)
Green River, UT

Finally, friends, the glorious interstate highway signs read,

"EAST"

We are on the way to Utah, heading southeast out of Idaho. We were in Twin Falls ID last night; home of a beautiful, vast canyon, where the Snake River runs through. It's impossible to think of the strength and power and volume of water must have once run through there, to create such a canyon. I didn't get to see Soshone Falls, which was about 5 miles away; but some of the guys went to see it last night, and said it was phenomenal.

The mountains here are beautiful, wetting the appetite for the Rockies. It'll be fun to see Paul desperately trying to take photos at every turn, thinking he's going to "miss it"... when, inevitably, every turn you make in the Rockies reveals another stunning vista, more majestic and awe-inspiring than the last.

Hopefully, too, if everyone agrees, we may be taking a small detour into Arches National Park, near Moab, UT. I'm dying for just an hour or two of hiking...

Lunch at Sizzler yesterday left something to be desired... but we did learn a valuable lesson: DON'T EAT AT SIZZLER. Even if your only other options are Wendy's and Taco Bell... it's just not something ya do. That place ain't right. Rivaled in awfulness only by this joint Warren and I wandered into in Denver, once, thinking we might find old-fashioned home-cooking... and instead they literally served canned "green" beans (brown, really, thank you very much) along side luke-warm instant mashed potatoes and something I don't want think about that I believe they touted as "meatloaf".

Now, I must draw your attention inward, dear reader... to the inside of this passenger van we've been driving around in for three months. Slowly, and selectively, we have amassed a collection of ...what-nots. Knick-knacks. Brick-a-brack. Flotsam, if you will. It's quite an impressive little collection that we shall be donating to the Smithsonian once the tour is over. So far, we have:

> Three miniature Curious George figurines (one is playing hula hoop; one is swinging from a tree-branch; and a third is dressed in a space-man outfit).

> A little asian baby (or Native American? tough to tell) in a plastic pink hooded onesie. With the help of a little knob on top of her hood, you can turn her face around from "sad" to "happy" to "angry"... it's brilliant.

> A green monkey --not George, but some cheap knock-off-- hanging upside down from the rear-view mirror.

> Martis Gras beads, naturally, also on the rear-view mirror.

> A miniature orange road-work cone; a warning, written on the side, reads: "CAUTION: CHAOS ZONE". I should take it for when I have kids...

> A miniature dream-catcher with what looks to be Bill Clinton in the center. Actually, it looks like... Tim says it's a cheap knock-off of a Jedi Knight (his light saber has been busted off, thus my confusion). Greg says that if Bill Clinton and Luke Skywalker had love child, that's what it would look like. But I digress...

> A Shakespeare finger-puppet, who's expression looks as if to say, "I'm not impressed, at all, with what you do..." --he's actually from my aunt, and he's going home with me at the end of the tour. And everything he says is in iambic pentameter.

> A grey, stuffed Armadillo (named Salvadore) that Laura got in Texas as a gift for someone, but decided to keep for herself.

Keep in mind, this is just what's on the dashboard. There are also stickers we've collected from elementary schools (of the "hello, my name is" variety), head-shops, and various roadside attractions. (Laura's favorite is "My other car is a piece of shit, too"). Laura also purchased mini-pillows for the bench-seats; they're not very servicable, but they do have embroidered sayings on them, like "Princess" and "High Maintenance". Also scattered about: a virtual sea of empty water bottles, gooey Drumstick wrappers, and a box of bandaids that exploded back in, oh, Waterville, Maine.

Basically, this van is a-rockin'. From the outside, it looks like an old, grey nothing, a Dodge prison van with enough miles on it to make a Volvo go "Damn!"... but inside... it's our little slice of heaven, our home away from home.

Aw, who am I kidding...?
NO SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN!!

Portland, OR

Our venue today in Salem OR -- the Elsinore Theatre -- was really awesome. First of all, it's an old vaudeville house (built in the 20's), but it was restored by this company out of New York that specializes in restoring old theaters. The dressing rooms were all renovated, too, so we weren't in some scabby dungeon.

As the name implies (Castle Elsinore, from "Hamlet"), the theatre is designed to look like a castle, complete with stained glass windows, arched doorways, windows and walkways, and medieval-looking light fixtures. There are beautiful murals painted everywhere of scenes from the Scottish Play, Romeo & Juliet, Tempest

The theatre also has a beautiful, big pipe organ, and as it turned out, the house manager also doubles as an organist. So during load-out, he fired up the organ and played us selections from "Phantom" (silly show, but perfect organ music) and "Star Wars"! It was so awesome; the sound was just phenomenal, and the organist was so pleased to show us all the bells and whistles (literally!) of the pipe organ. It's even hooked up to play a remote player piano! The organist's talents weren't just wasted on us -- they actually play a lot of silent movies, there, too.

Anyways, the drive up to Portland was uneventful; and THEN... we drove straight through the city of Portland to the north side... which is all rail yards, water treatment plants and the occasional sex shop. EW! We are at the sketchiest Travel Lodge in creation -- sorry, Lindsay, but it's true -- with no internet, no elevator, no fridge or microwave... basically, it's crap-TASTIC!

But, we only have one quick show tomorrow morning, and then we start the beautiful drive to Denver! We'll be going through some gorgeous areas (like Arches National Park)... and of course the Rockies, which, well... rock.

One thing at a time, though.
Portland, first.
...LIVE IN THE NOW!

(written en route to)
Eugene, OR

Fabulous time had by all, here in Ashland/Medford, OR. The venue in Medford was really nice; a great and helpful crew, they gave us snacks and juice and coffee; and as we were loading out, several cars stopped on the street to tell us how much they loved the show. It was like having groupies... without the sex, drugs, or rock-n-roll.

The motel, too, was really cool. While rustic and homey, they also had good internet access, microwave/fridge, and were very close to downtown, and next door to a health food store... if you're ever in Ashland OR, I highly recommend The Timbers Motel. Cheap, too.

But if you're here in Oregon, chances are you're here to enjoy the great outdoors, so you probably won't care what your motel is like. More good scenery as we pull out of Medford.

So, for those who are wondering... now that I have a battery that works in my laptop, I am more able to write blog entries... and as a result, I often will sit and stare at the screen for twenty minutes, thinking, "Don't waste battery power! Write something!" And, of course, nothing comes and I'm back to daydreaming.

"Welcome to the Jungle" is playing on the radio, which is just such a distinctly city-inspired song, so it feels weird to be listening to it with the beautiful Oregon mountains as a backdrop. Very incongruous.

Valley of the Rouge State Park, just passing the entrance to it. Looks glorious. Wish I could stop the caravan and get out and hike.

I just have to ask this... what, exactly, is it about putting large, white letters (single letters, like "R") on the tops of hillsides? All across the country, I've seen these. There's one in Golden, CO, as I recall -- an "M" I think? Here, about 5 miles shy of Grant's Pass, it's an "R". What is that about? If you took a satellite photo of the U.S., would all those big letters spell something? Probably something like "Christ Is Awesome!" or "Drink More Budweiser". Ah, the great mysteries of the American Road. (Maybe that's what it spells... "The American Road"... CHEEZY, but ultimately just as likely as any other possibility.)

More later...

(written en route to) Medford, OR

The scenery in northern California and Oregon is hard to beat. Snow-capped mountains, teal-green lakes, rushing rivers, against a backdrop of lush fur trees. It is a distinctly Northwestern scene, here today.

Greg reported on Chuck's tour, which is in Florida at the moment... apparently they were staying in a hotel that had a bar right next to their pool. Everyone (but me) groans with envy; but, seriously, if given the choice ... mountain-glory of Oregon, or the hot sun of Florida... I gotta say, this white-girl would pick Oregon any day. (Sorry, Florida. She's just not that into you.)

Greg, Patrick, Laura and I had some yummy beer and pizza/sandwiches at a great little joint in Ashland, OR. There's some good theatre, here, and so some peeps went in search of some culture: Greg's seeing TICK TICK BOOM at the Oregon Cabaret tonight; and Tim went to see something at Oregon Shakespeare this afternoon. Not to be outdone, Briana and I went to Blockbuster, popped some popcorn, and had a little movie-night in our room (A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT -- hey, it was subtitled! That's culture!)

Today was just a travel day; and then only one show tomorrow. So, sort of a light weekend!

Looking forward to getting up a bit early tomorrow and exploring Ashland.

(entry written en route to) Stockton, CA

Well, kids... BACK TO THE SALT MINES!

Everyone has regrouped, and we're getting prepared for three more weeks of The Road. The break did wonders; all of us got to spend time with friends and/or family and/or lovers, which has lifted everyone's spirits. Morale is high, ladies and gents! Morale is high.

San Fran has been good to us. How can you go wrong, really, in the land of brown rice and coffee houses? Gay Pride flags fly everywhere, and women dress funkier and freer here than pretty much anywhere else I've ever travelled. There is a laid-back, party atmosphere, even on a work-day, and even on Easter Sunday. I spotted several "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence" yesterday-- drag queens in their finest, with bearded and painted faces, roaming the streets after their yearly celebration of all things queer (and 'blasphemous')! It's a funny feeling, to feel at home someplace that's 3,000 miles away from where you began.

Tomorrow we have two shows in Stockton, and then I have no idea what happens next. Laura has all of our schedules with her!

Anyways, the drive up to Stockton, very beautiful. The bay, San Fran from a distance, the mountains, and blue sky... even the weather seems to have cleared up for us.

And in less than three weeks -- 19 days, actually-- we should be back in New York. Not the end of the contract, just the end of The Road. A lot of fun has been had, and no matter what, acting is ultimately what all of us really want to do. Sure, there have been tough spots, dark days. In every choice you make, there are sacrifices you have to live with, disappointments you didn't foresee... there are very few people who can say that everything in life lived up to their exact expectations. But it's the little bumps in the road, the little imperfections, that bring into sharp focus all that IS perfect in our lives.

Santa Clara, CA
I don't want to spend a bunch of time writing, today, as it is a DAY OFF (whoo-hoo!) ...but I did want to share with everyone where we performed yesterday:

http://www.villamontalvo.org/index.html

The grounds at Montalvo are just stunning, and it's a really interesting, amazing place with a rich history. No wing space in the Carriage Theatre... but... pshaw, who needs wing space?! Hard to complain when there are such beautiful surroundings.

When we go back (in a couple weeks), I'll try to get photos, and post them for you guys...

Santa Rosa, CA
...at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts... formerly known as the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts...
and it ROCKS! They have a kick-ass set up for us back stage -- a full breakfast with cereal and bagels and donuts, tea, coffee, ORGANIC jam and PB from Trader Joe's, freakin' SOY MILK, for the love of all that's holy. Not to mention a great crew, a nice space (although limited wings, but WHO'S COMPLAININ'?), and plenty of famous people's pictures on the walls to worship/oogle/make-fun-of.

Yesterday, we drove through Napa and Sonoma Valley -- just beautiful. I'd love to come back here someday and explore, maybe find a nice villa, stroke 'em a check, move in and just never leave.

So, haven't written in a while. Sorry, sport's fans. We are POOPED. The last couple weeks, well... there was nothing to write about! No one has wanted to lay EYES on each other, let alone go off and have adventures and say funny things back stage. It's been a physically and emotionally demanding few weeks. You know it's bad when you sit down next to someone at lunch, and within seconds be on the verge of saying, "Why do you have to CHEW so LOUDLY?!" "Can't you just stop BREATHING, for a while!? I'm trying to EAT here!"

"BUT...we're all fine, here... now... how are you?"

Not that I'm complaining. Noooo... goodness, no. Me? I love my work. We all love our work. It's very rewarding, and much better than working at Wal-Mart, or being a cater-waiter or a corporate attorney. That said... we are with the SAME six people (or seven, if you include oneself, who can also become tiresome)... day in and day out... 24 hour a day... well, it can make you a little... BBWBWWBWAAAAA! Looney.

Not to mention... things like...
1. Never knowing what day of the week it is (unless it's LOST-day, in which case, it's Wednesday).
2. Traffic in LA.
3. No sex.
4. The van.
5. No sex in the van.
6. In the van, stuck in traffic in LA, not knowing what day of the week it is, or if you'll ever get to have sex ever again.

But, the closer we get to our mini-break, the better we feel. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, or at least see the tunnel, from here. The break is really going to rejuivinate all of us, (and also improve my spelling). REJUVENATE. That's better. Yeah, so, most of the sick people are feeling better (except for Paul, who can't breath, today); the weather's clearing up; we all had a good time in San Fran; and in no time at all, we'll be home again in NYC, where it will finally be spring, and some of us will even get laid on a regular (or semi-regular) basis. Ah... spring.