The Alchemist

I just read this posting from a noted security expert on the terror now gripping our country and world:

What the Terrorists Want

He makes the very valid point that we are giving the terrorist exactly what they want:

The point of terrorism is to cause terror, sometimes to further a political goal and sometimes out of sheer hatred. The people terrorists kill are not the targets; they are collateral damage. And blowing up planes, trains, markets or buses is not the goal; those are just tactics. The real targets of terrorism are the rest of us: the billions of us who are not killed but are terrorized because of the killing. The real point of terrorism is not the act itself, but our reaction to the act.

And we’re doing exactly what the terrorists want.

So, I’d like to pull out a small part of Franklin D. Roosevelt first Inaugural address in 1933 as a potential perspective on this. He was addressing another crisis at the time (the great depression), but I find the words are quite moving when put into today’s context:

This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.

I deeply yearn for a leader that could again do justice to such powerful prose and ideas.

We wrapped “314″ last weekend and my work as Evan is done. Now you might think that after 2 very long days of shooting in a cramped, hot motel room with only a couple hours of sleep between them that I’d be glad it is over. Not so, my friend! Not at all. In fact, I miss it already.

First of all, Jake was a joy to work with. Even though he was writer and director, he was very open to character and dialog discussion and even asked my opinion a couple of times. Also, he provided (for me, anyway) just the right amount of direction to set blocking and the scene while letting me provide him with the character that I’d developed. We’d then tweak anything that he felt needed it and off we went. It was a very positive experience.

Also, I thoroughly enjoyed working with the crew - the camera, the sound, the lights, the hair and makeup, everyone! They were fantastic troopers and I can’t even imagine how difficult it was for some of them to get through this grueling shoot. And somehow they remained upbeat and friendly! Oh, they were even asking me if I was doing ok! Wow. You guys rock.

And, last but not least, it was a pleasure working with the cast. I appreciated the opportunity to work with you and learn from you in the shoot - whether we were together on screen or not. I know it was sometimes a bit awkward, but I appreciated the professionalism that you held and the work that you did. As always, scenes are about the ensemble, and I appreciated your help making the scenes work. Thank you.

Now, if you’d read my previous blog entries, you know that I was finding Evan hard to deal with early in the character development process. In fact (although I haven’t mentioned this before), I had initially even declined attempting the character at an audition because I had such a difficult time connecting with him. Thankfully, Jake not only convinced me to audition but to take the part, because I have to say that Evan has been the most fulfilling character I’ve played on film.

It would have been easy to write Evan off as a villain and find him unredeemable. But of course that would not have done justice to the character at all - Evan was much deeper than that. Certainly, he mistreated his family, but he also felt deeply for them. He hurt those around him, but not through malice. He failed his wife, then too late realized his mistakes… and tried to repent without success. Then everything started coming down on him. He was, as we all can be, a victim the choices he made and met a tragic end because of them. Perhaps his life can be an object lesson. Good bye, Evan.

The New York Times reported yesterday on a Science.com poll:

In surveys conducted in 2005, people in the United States and 32 European countries were asked whether to respond “true,” “false” or “not sure” to this statement: “Human beings, as we know them, developed from earlier species of animals.” The same question was posed to Japanese adults in 2001.

The United States had the second-highest percentage of adults who said the statement was false and the second-lowest percentage who said the statement was true, researchers reported in the current issue of Science.

Only adults in Turkey expressed more doubts on evolution. In Iceland, 85 percent agreed with the statement

But the summary of the Science.com article got right to the heart of the matter:

The acceptance of evolution is lower in the United States than in Japan or Europe, largely because of widespread fundamentalism and the politicization of science in the United States.

Saying that this is disappointing doesn’t even begin to cover my feelings here. Are we really going back to claiming that Adam was literally made from bits of clay and Eve was grown from his rib? Should we agree that Galileo deserved to be punished for his heresy, too? Unbelievable.

Last Sunday I auditioned for American Cabaret Theatre’s Big Band Holidaze show. And last night I found out I’ve been cast! How exciting! Singing and dancing to 1940’s music with a big band… it really doesn’t get much better than that!

And… wow… while it doesn’t seem like it - with all the filming I’ve been doing this year - it will have been one year since I’ve been on stage when I make my return at ACT! I’m thrilled!

(Thanks, Bob!)

Well, we wrapped Pit Stop last night and I’m feeling good about what we did. The actors and crew were solid and the direction was clear… I’m really looking forward to see the results of this one. Best of luck, George!

Speaking of Pit Stop, the role of Charlie was my first role as a murderer. Playing a serial killer was certainly a novelty in itself, but what I found most interesting, is that I grew to like the character I was playing even so - just as I always do with all of my previous roles. Now, certainly, I do not fancy myself a murderer by any stretch of the imagination and that part remains abhorrent to me. However, I firmly believe that in order to play a role, you really must find a way to understand the motivations of the character you will be playing. And once you really understand and internalize what he loves and fears, you come to love the character despite his flaws.

My Charlie was a man sentenced to death and driven to avenge his own murder. Thus, he set his trap for those he felt were guilty and alleviated his guilt through a carefully crafted deception he designed to allow those he felt were innocent to escape and kill those that were not. Of course, like any character of this sort, he was a danger to all those around him and it is better for the world that he met his end sooner rather than later. Good bye, Charlie.