Nick and Mark Present Nick and Mark and Everybody Else's Blog http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:06:39 GMT http://bandzoogle.com I Know What You're Thinking ...Well Sort Of. http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=3444412 Ah how long the silence. And yet if you pay close attention you'll notice that it is not silence! No, for there is the careful click clack of keys being struck upon a computer. Given the mundane nature of my night job I have recently taken to a new game to amuse myself. This new game is of course radically set apart from my other game which is to make all my co-workers believe that I am completely out of my mind. My new game is a mental exercise that I have set myself to keep my mind engaged and active during those hours where I might be subject to the distinct attributes of depression and life questions. I'm sure you are all familiar with the state of mind to which I am referring. "Why the hell am I doing this?" "I'll never make it!" "I wonder which came first, chess or checkers... I should look that up." Of course you never do look it up. Cursory research indicates that checkers came first by the way. At any rate, my new game involves the crafting of scenarios, from the ordinary to the completely absurd. Being me they mostly tend to be absurd. But it has been a very interesting venture, which has resulted in several new scripts, and let me tell you I'm just itching to start getting some of these filmed! It might sound strange but I feel like if I can get even one of these put together in a way that is satisfactory it will make putting the others together easier somehow. I don't know why I feel that way, but in any case I'm very eager to see these new ideas come to fruition! In other news I just opened a show, The Miser, with Parson's Nose Theatre Company here in LA. I'm working with an amazing cast of very talented actors and it's been a blast. Our first two shows went very well, and we've got four more to go which I'm pretty sure are going to kick ass. You know, moving to LA, I think I can put that down as a good idea. I'm glad to be able to add this to my list of life experiences. "The unexamined life is not worth living, but the unlived life is not worth examining." - Company
Ah how long the silence. And yet if you pay close attention you'll notice that it is not silence! No, for there is the careful click clack of keys being struck upon a computer. Given the mundane nature of my night job I have recently taken to a new game to amuse myself. This new game is of course radically set apart from my other game which is to make all my co-workers believe that I am completely out of my mind. My new game is a mental exercise that I have set myself to keep my mind engaged and active during those hours where I might be subject to the distinct attributes of depression and life questions. I'm sure you are all familiar with the state of mind to which I am referring.
"Why the hell am I doing this?" "I'll never make it!" "I wonder which came first, chess or checkers... I should look that up." Of course you never do look it up. Cursory research indicates that checkers came first by the way.
At any rate, my new game involves the crafting of scenarios, from the ordinary to the completely absurd. Being me they mostly tend to be absurd. But it has been a very interesting venture, which has resulted in several new scripts, and let me tell you I'm just itching to start getting some of these filmed! It might sound strange but I feel like if I can get even one of these put together in a way that is satisfactory it will make putting the others together easier somehow. I don't know why I feel that way, but in any case I'm very eager to see these new ideas come to fruition!

In other news I just opened a show, The Miser, with Parson's Nose Theatre Company here in LA. I'm working with an amazing cast of very talented actors and it's been a blast. Our first two shows went very well, and we've got four more to go which I'm pretty sure are going to kick ass. You know, moving to LA, I think I can put that down as a good idea. I'm glad to be able to add this to my list of life experiences.

"The unexamined life is not worth living, but the unlived life is not worth examining."
- Company]]> Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:06:39 GMT 116695EAD679B627F4C0EF39CB8760A0 Oedipus and LIfe http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=3395655 Hey All, I know it may seem as if Mark, Corey and I aren't doing anything, but that is definitely not the case. Work and life has slowed us down a bit but we are still working on Oedipus. We have been trying to juggle the schedules of eleven cast members, which you can imagine is very hard. That eleven cast members has become more like seven at this point. Oedipus will be grand. We are sending the script to Corey and she will be doing way more pictures. On top of that, she'll be doing color and there will be backgrounds and stuff. Exciting. On the home front. I have been working my new job at a local clinic. Working sucks, but this job doesn't. It's full time and I'll be getting my first pay check in a couple weeks, and I couldn't be more stoked. It's a clinic though, so there are some bad times as well. Things went missing yesterday, and I can only see that meaning bad times ahead. There was also a patient whose HIV seems to have turned to AIDs. So, very real stuff. As for the lighter side of life, I am looking at renting a house with Kristen and we're finding some awesome ones. We're keeping in mind the needs of Dogtheatre and it looks like the dogstudio's Florida branch is going to actually be of decent size for a change. There ya go. An update. A blog. Nick

Hey All,

I know it may seem as if Mark, Corey and I aren't doing anything, but that is definitely not the case. Work and life has slowed us down a bit but we are still working on Oedipus. We have been trying to juggle the schedules of eleven cast members, which you can imagine is very hard. That eleven cast members has become more like seven at this point. Oedipus will be grand. We are sending the script to Corey and she will be doing way more pictures. On top of that, she'll be doing color and there will be backgrounds and stuff. Exciting.

On the home front. I have been working my new job at a local clinic. Working sucks, but this job doesn't. It's full time and I'll be getting my first pay check in a couple weeks, and I couldn't be more stoked. It's a clinic though, so there are some bad times as well. Things went missing yesterday, and I can only see that meaning bad times ahead. There was also a patient whose HIV seems to have turned to AIDs. So, very real stuff.

As for the lighter side of life, I am looking at renting a house with Kristen and we're finding some awesome ones. We're keeping in mind the needs of Dogtheatre and it looks like the dogstudio's Florida branch is going to actually be of decent size for a change.

There ya go. An update. A blog.


Nick
]]> Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:12:46 GMT 2509FB4BA3C57E58DC06EB3BF5DA106F Busy Signal http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=3364561 So it's been crazy here lately, and needless to say between all the this and that Nick and I have been swamped. Nick's picked up a new job, and I'm cast in a show while sound designing for another show and still managing my "part-time" job at Target which has me working 40 hours a week. I think by "part-time" they just mean that I'm only there "part" of the time. You know, because they do let me leave for a little while after every 8 hours of labor. All that said we're working on getting you guys some new comedy sketches. Not to mention our work on Oedipus which is turning into a far larger project than originally intended, but that's good! You guys are going to love it! In the mean time look forward to some new Alan Explains segments as well as other original skits! Okay, so that's the business stuff out of the way. I broke down a while ago and started a Pandora account, wanted to vary up what I was listening to but I'm not a huge fan of the actual radio. It turns out that this was probably the most dangerous thing I could have done. Well dangerous for my wallet anyway. It's also helped me rediscover a ton of songs and artists that I really love, but haven't heard in ages and had sort of forgotten about. Oddly enough several of them are 90's bands/songs... Now I'm not music connoisseur, mostly because I don't do a lot of con-ing. When I was younger I had very little hope of even being able to name what band played what song, but I've always loved music and that love has only grown over the years and there are some truly moving pieces out there. Most recently the one that I've been hooked on is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSBFehvLJDc Simply moving. "Some times we just need something to lift us up when we're down. That's why I ride the escalator." - Me

So it's been crazy here lately, and needless to say between all the this and that Nick and I have been swamped. Nick's picked up a new job, and I'm cast in a show while sound designing for another show and still managing my "part-time" job at Target which has me working 40 hours a week. I think by "part-time" they just mean that I'm only there "part" of the time. You know, because they do let me leave for a little while after every 8 hours of labor.

All that said we're working on getting you guys some new comedy sketches. Not to mention our work on Oedipus which is turning into a far larger project than originally intended, but that's good! You guys are going to love it! In the mean time look forward to some new Alan Explains segments as well as other original skits!

Okay, so that's the business stuff out of the way.

I broke down a while ago and started a Pandora account, wanted to vary up what I was listening to but I'm not a huge fan of the actual radio. It turns out that this was probably the most dangerous thing I could have done. Well dangerous for my wallet anyway. It's also helped me rediscover a ton of songs and artists that I really love, but haven't heard in ages and had sort of forgotten about. Oddly enough several of them are 90's bands/songs... Now I'm not music connoisseur, mostly because I don't do a lot of con-ing. When I was younger I had very little hope of even being able to name what band played what song, but I've always loved music and that love has only grown over the years and there are some truly moving pieces out there. Most recently the one that I've been hooked on is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSBFehvLJDc

Simply moving.

"Some times we just need something to lift us up when we're down. That's why I ride the escalator."
- Me]]> Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:02:23 GMT F10BB80EA83E91944E1BE2AF10890262 Christmas http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=3198788 Hey everyone. Christmas is upon us. I'm with some family at my grandparents' house in Ocala, FL. They're good, good people. I hope you are all having a great holiday. I have spent the past couple days playing Farcry 3 and Civilization 5 (when I can get my PC to run it) to my heart's content. While it's not official yet, it looks as if I may be getting a new job in January 2013. Should be a move up, but will miss my old boss. As far as bosses, go, I had one of the best. So that's what I've been doing. I survived the end of the world. I survived the ridiculous traffic driving down here from Pensacola. I plan on surviving 2013, too. I'm looking forward to finishing up/releasing Oedipus soon. It's been a long time coming, and is very good, if I do say so myself. Merry Christmas Nick "Ho, Ho, Ho!" - Santa

Hey everyone. Christmas is upon us. I'm with some family at my grandparents' house in Ocala, FL. They're good, good people. I hope you are all having a great holiday. I have spent the past couple days playing Farcry 3 and Civilization 5 (when I can get my PC to run it) to my heart's content.

While it's not official yet, it looks as if I may be getting a new job in January 2013. Should be a move up, but will miss my old boss. As far as bosses, go, I had one of the best.

So that's what I've been doing. I survived the end of the world. I survived the ridiculous traffic driving down here from Pensacola. I plan on surviving 2013, too. I'm looking forward to finishing up/releasing Oedipus soon. It's been a long time coming, and is very good, if I do say so myself.

Merry Christmas
Nick

"Ho, Ho, Ho!" - Santa
]]> Tue, 25 Dec 2012 05:14:20 GMT DFC67E7D1D153C92F9A26D09116FF87B The Hobbit: An Unexpected Pleasure http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=3154704 Those who know me could tell you, with a sigh of exasperation and a look of disgust, how I feel about the Lord of the Rings movies. The phrase “don’t get him started” might be used as well. I’m a huge fan of the books and in spite of my over dramatic raving I do have legitimate reasons why I don’t like those movies very much. That said you can imagine my mixed feelings regarding the release of The Hobbit. Particularly when I found that Peter Jackson was planning to make it a trilogy as well, and include story points and elements from the extended work of Tolkien such as the Silmarillion. And while he did rewrite certain plot points and change things that I felt he didn’t really need to change, I was shocked to find that there were few things that really frustrated me. One of my biggest reasons for having issues with the LOTR movies was that Peter Jackson made changes not just to events, but to characters. Much to my surprise I found that there were very little in the way of character changes that were drastic enough to catch my attention. Martin Freeman as Bilbo was excellent casting. While I don’t think he embodies the slight pompous attitude that Bilbo has at the beginning of The Hobbit, he certainly captures the uncertain and adventurous side of Bilbo which is the most important aspect of the character. There are several moments that are iconic within the realm of the book, and not the least among them is the Riddle Contest between Gollum and Bilbo. I don’t think I can express how brilliant I thought that scene was. They captured in a near perfect picture, what I had imagined for that scene and I cannot say enough how pleased I am with it. As with the LOTR trilogy, one thing that this movie does brilliantly at without question is its amazing visuals and amazing score. The landscapes, both real and fictional, are fantastic. The fabricated locations such as the Halls of the Lonely Mountain, and Rivendell are beautiful pieces of work that I think successfully capture the imagery in the books. And to go with these stunning visuals is an amazing score. The music in the LOTR trilogy was mind blowingly good, and The Hobbit is no different. The music is simply fantastic and very moving. We catch a glimpse of the Dwarven song The Misty Mountain in the trailer, and that is truly just a small taste of the great music within this film. All in all I very much enjoyed the movie and I’m extremely interested in what the next installment will bring us. Will this be like the LOTR? Will I enjoy the first movie and then curse Peter Jackson’s name after the second? We shall see. In the mean time, if you’ve not seen the movie I’d suggest that you do. Be you a fan of Tolkien’s work or no, it’s a great movie and good time. If you enjoy high fantasy style stories then you’ll very likely enjoy The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Mark “Far over the misty mountains cold To dungeons deep and caverns old We must away ere break of day To seek the pale enchanted gold.” -The Hobbit
Those who know me could tell you, with a sigh of exasperation and a look of disgust, how I feel about the Lord of the Rings movies. The phrase “don’t get him started” might be used as well. I’m a huge fan of the books and in spite of my over dramatic raving I do have legitimate reasons why I don’t like those movies very much.
That said you can imagine my mixed feelings regarding the release of The Hobbit. Particularly when I found that Peter Jackson was planning to make it a trilogy as well, and include story points and elements from the extended work of Tolkien such as the Silmarillion. And while he did rewrite certain plot points and change things that I felt he didn’t really need to change, I was shocked to find that there were few things that really frustrated me.

One of my biggest reasons for having issues with the LOTR movies was that Peter Jackson made changes not just to events, but to characters. Much to my surprise I found that there were very little in the way of character changes that were drastic enough to catch my attention. Martin Freeman as Bilbo was excellent casting. While I don’t think he embodies the slight pompous attitude that Bilbo has at the beginning of The Hobbit, he certainly captures the uncertain and adventurous side of Bilbo which is the most important aspect of the character.

There are several moments that are iconic within the realm of the book, and not the least among them is the Riddle Contest between Gollum and Bilbo. I don’t think I can express how brilliant I thought that scene was. They captured in a near perfect picture, what I had imagined for that scene and I cannot say enough how pleased I am with it.

As with the LOTR trilogy, one thing that this movie does brilliantly at without question is its amazing visuals and amazing score. The landscapes, both real and fictional, are fantastic. The fabricated locations such as the Halls of the Lonely Mountain, and Rivendell are beautiful pieces of work that I think successfully capture the imagery in the books. And to go with these stunning visuals is an amazing score. The music in the LOTR trilogy was mind blowingly good, and The Hobbit is no different. The music is simply fantastic and very moving. We catch a glimpse of the Dwarven song The Misty Mountain in the trailer, and that is truly just a small taste of the great music within this film.

All in all I very much enjoyed the movie and I’m extremely interested in what the next installment will bring us. Will this be like the LOTR? Will I enjoy the first movie and then curse Peter Jackson’s name after the second? We shall see. In the mean time, if you’ve not seen the movie I’d suggest that you do. Be you a fan of Tolkien’s work or no, it’s a great movie and good time. If you enjoy high fantasy style stories then you’ll very likely enjoy The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Mark

“Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.”
-The Hobbit
]]> Sat, 15 Dec 2012 12:19:19 GMT 2A4B260941B38394AA775FC930F043CC Putting off what needs to be done http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=3112978 Procrastination is a delicate art form, one which I worked hard at over my many years of schooling. That careful practice of putting off what one must do until the last possible second but still have enough time to get the job done and have it be a solid piece of work. It's not easy to gage the time it'll take to accomplish a certain task. After all these years I've developed a pretty good sense of what it takes to get the job done while delaying as much as is physically possible. In fact it's that sense of putting off what I should be doing that brings you this post! I should be editing our next skit, but I'm putting it off just a bit longer so that I bring you the latest in my thoughts and ideas about the world! As I've mentioned on several occasions my day job... or night job... My regular money making job, is within the world of retail. This week I've been slammed with a 40 hour work week and the same goes for next week. Thankfully, I work at night so my path does not largely cross with customers. Of course in the past this has not always been the case and I've got solid customer service skills, I just hate having to use them is all. So when my new boss comes to me and says "Would you mind working backroom dayside?" It was all I could do to control my overly strong negative reaction to that idea. Retail is a crappy job to work on a regular day, but you put it into the world of the holidays and you can forget it. People freak out over the stupidest stuff! So of course now that I've got a solid over night work schedule I've been reveling in the fact that I don't have to deal the public at large. I mean seriously, people are freaking crazy! Mark "Customers are a symptom of the horrible disease called retail." -Lucus (CAD Comic)
Procrastination is a delicate art form, one which I worked hard at over my many years of schooling. That careful practice of putting off what one must do until the last possible second but still have enough time to get the job done and have it be a solid piece of work. It's not easy to gage the time it'll take to accomplish a certain task. After all these years I've developed a pretty good sense of what it takes to get the job done while delaying as much as is physically possible. In fact it's that sense of putting off what I should be doing that brings you this post!

I should be editing our next skit, but I'm putting it off just a bit longer so that I bring you the latest in my thoughts and ideas about the world!

As I've mentioned on several occasions my day job... or night job... My regular money making job, is within the world of retail. This week I've been slammed with a 40 hour work week and the same goes for next week. Thankfully, I work at night so my path does not largely cross with customers. Of course in the past this has not always been the case and I've got solid customer service skills, I just hate having to use them is all. So when my new boss comes to me and says "Would you mind working backroom dayside?" It was all I could do to control my overly strong negative reaction to that idea. Retail is a crappy job to work on a regular day, but you put it into the world of the holidays and you can forget it. People freak out over the stupidest stuff! So of course now that I've got a solid over night work schedule I've been reveling in the fact that I don't have to deal the public at large. I mean seriously, people are freaking crazy!

Mark

"Customers are a symptom of the horrible disease called retail."
-Lucus (CAD Comic)]]> Fri, 07 Dec 2012 07:41:08 GMT 1D0C12604FD6E753729FF40027A7AF4E Party! http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=3085162 Hey Everybody! My girlfriend, Kristen, works at a non-profit social work company. They do some really great things and I am proud of her. Last night they had an end of year company party. Kristen asked me to dress up for the party. I can clean up pretty well, I think, so I got my best pair of jeans, a button up shirt and a nice sweater. I thought that'd work. Oh how horrendously I was mistaken. We get to the party and there are women in cocktail dresses, sparkly sequin things. The men were wearing suits and ties. I hated myself. At least Kristen looked good. I wondered over to the bar to toast my wardrobe woes only to find that a mixed drink was 8 dollars. I considered wine briefly before noticing a glass of wine was 7 dollars. Good god, everyone had a drink, and this is what they paid for them? For a non profit, they sure seem to have made a lot of money. I settled on a diet coke. I figure the $3.25 I paid for it was at least going to a good cause. That cause being that I was thirsty because I had no drink. The party was overall enjoyable. There are some great people in her organization and they all do worthwhile and meaningful work. I even was persuaded to dance horribly when they opened the dance floor. To be fair, I was persuaded to dance, the horrible part was all me. I was grateful that I was able to go to a party while my good buddy Mark was stuck at home piecing together our first Christmas Story Time piece. We love what we do, but the process of editing everything together and then applying Corey's pics is a real pain. I'm glad it was his turn. It was a good night. I'll be going back to the party next year if I am able. Only next time I'll wear a dress jacket with deep pockets filled with cans of soda. -Nick "Nothing is Sacred" PS- I'm attaching our Frosty the Snowman song from last year for no particular reason other than it is awesome and it is now December, Enjoy!
Hey Everybody!
My girlfriend, Kristen, works at a non-profit social work company. They do some really great things and I am proud of her. Last night they had an end of year company party. Kristen asked me to dress up for the party. I can clean up pretty well, I think, so I got my best pair of jeans, a button up shirt and a nice sweater. I thought that'd work. Oh how horrendously I was mistaken. We get to the party and there are women in cocktail dresses, sparkly sequin things. The men were wearing suits and ties. I hated myself. At least Kristen looked good.

I wondered over to the bar to toast my wardrobe woes only to find that a mixed drink was 8 dollars. I considered wine briefly before noticing a glass of wine was 7 dollars. Good god, everyone had a drink, and this is what they paid for them? For a non profit, they sure seem to have made a lot of money. I settled on a diet coke. I figure the $3.25 I paid for it was at least going to a good cause. That cause being that I was thirsty because I had no drink.

The party was overall enjoyable. There are some great people in her organization and they all do worthwhile and meaningful work. I even was persuaded to dance horribly when they opened the dance floor. To be fair, I was persuaded to dance, the horrible part was all me. I was grateful that I was able to go to a party while my good buddy Mark was stuck at home piecing together our first Christmas Story Time piece. We love what we do, but the process of editing everything together and then applying Corey's pics is a real pain. I'm glad it was his turn. It was a good night. I'll be going back to the party next year if I am able. Only next time I'll wear a dress jacket with deep pockets filled with cans of soda.

-Nick

"Nothing is Sacred"


PS- I'm attaching our Frosty the Snowman song from last year for no particular reason other than it is awesome and it is now December, Enjoy!
]]> Sun, 02 Dec 2012 00:20:00 GMT DC5C15431C1CEACEB9370878CEAC2A7A Is it Christmas Yet? I can't tell. http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=3069095 Working in retail, particularly around this time of year, is probably one of the worst jobs ever. I say this because while customers are in general an unruly lot, around this time of year they manage to become even worse. If you've ever wondered what it's like to herd cattle, just try working a Black Friday at any major retail store. Of course a lot of us, probably most of us really, have seen the footage of the mobs. We've seen their mindless visages desperately groping for that last Smartphone on sale whilst fending off the vicious fiends from the pits of hell that are their fellow shoppers. And most people are content, to either stay home and avoid the materialistic shuffle, or to be one among the teaming horde of ruthless "special deal" hunters. However, those people who, for one reason or another, find themselves employed by those major retail giants, they must withstand the brunt of the holiday shopping assault. Building up to Black Friday the store is bolstered, it's foundations strengthened. New stock is brought in. The storage room is bursting with supplies, everyone moves with a feverish attitude doing whatever they can to make sure they're ready. Specialty items are set up and ready to be doled out like rifles to the troops. The slightest sign that someone is becoming upset and BAM! Fire away with a "This is on sale!". But even as they make these preparations, they know they don't have enough ammunition to fight the coming onslaught. Even the over night team isn't safe from the battle, as reinforcements are required to stem the tide of angry shoppers, who's need for on sale items is outweighed only by their need to survive and sometimes not even survival ranks high in their minds. For that day alone it's almost like we're welcoming the zombie apocalypse with open arms as people rush around madly, willing to metaphorically consume one another in their mindless attempt to reach their desired goal. And sometimes literally I'm sure. I've been on the front lines. Four years now I've been forced to fight in the trenches of retail as the army of holiday shoppers lay siege to the store. This year the horde marched early, no longer satisfied with their single day of unrelenting consumerism, they have pushed back into Thursday. Thanksgiving day itself is under siege. Black Friday... called such because on that day there is no hope, you may live through it but you'll hate every minute of your life as you do, and it only gets worse as the years go by. And now the troops don't even have the day before to rest and mentally prepare themselves for the tides of horror to wash away any remaining humanity they may have had. No, the call to battle goes out now on the very day of giving thanks. And as I stood there, looking out at the teeming masses, who would break down the very doors if they could, I could think only one thing. What have I to be thankful for? That I am not one of them. Nor shall I ever be. Oh and that I hate my job. That's in there too. Mark "You were once shoved head first through someone's vagina. Why are you acting so dignified?" - xkcd.com
Working in retail, particularly around this time of year, is probably one of the worst jobs ever. I say this because while customers are in general an unruly lot, around this time of year they manage to become even worse. If you've ever wondered what it's like to herd cattle, just try working a Black Friday at any major retail store. Of course a lot of us, probably most of us really, have seen the footage of the mobs. We've seen their mindless visages desperately groping for that last Smartphone on sale whilst fending off the vicious fiends from the pits of hell that are their fellow shoppers. And most people are content, to either stay home and avoid the materialistic shuffle, or to be one among the teaming horde of ruthless "special deal" hunters. However, those people who, for one reason or another, find themselves employed by those major retail giants, they must withstand the brunt of the holiday shopping assault.

Building up to Black Friday the store is bolstered, it's foundations strengthened. New stock is brought in. The storage room is bursting with supplies, everyone moves with a feverish attitude doing whatever they can to make sure they're ready. Specialty items are set up and ready to be doled out like rifles to the troops. The slightest sign that someone is becoming upset and BAM! Fire away with a "This is on sale!". But even as they make these preparations, they know they don't have enough ammunition to fight the coming onslaught. Even the over night team isn't safe from the battle, as reinforcements are required to stem the tide of angry shoppers, who's need for on sale items is outweighed only by their need to survive and sometimes not even survival ranks high in their minds.

For that day alone it's almost like we're welcoming the zombie apocalypse with open arms as people rush around madly, willing to metaphorically consume one another in their mindless attempt to reach their desired goal. And sometimes literally I'm sure. I've been on the front lines. Four years now I've been forced to fight in the trenches of retail as the army of holiday shoppers lay siege to the store. This year the horde marched early, no longer satisfied with their single day of unrelenting consumerism, they have pushed back into Thursday. Thanksgiving day itself is under siege. Black Friday... called such because on that day there is no hope, you may live through it but you'll hate every minute of your life as you do, and it only gets worse as the years go by. And now the troops don't even have the day before to rest and mentally prepare themselves for the tides of horror to wash away any remaining humanity they may have had. No, the call to battle goes out now on the very day of giving thanks.

And as I stood there, looking out at the teeming masses, who would break down the very doors if they could, I could think only one thing. What have I to be thankful for? That I am not one of them. Nor shall I ever be. Oh and that I hate my job. That's in there too.

Mark

"You were once shoved head first through someone's vagina. Why are you acting so dignified?"
- xkcd.com
]]> Thu, 29 Nov 2012 06:50:00 GMT 9050BB2E3320EA90AA3180631D679EB0 I'm so lazy I can't even... http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=3014315 You know, if I thought for a minute that people actually read this blog... I probably would still be just as bad about updating it. Well maybe not, my natural need for attention would probably kick in and I'd be on here every day. I will say that in my defense I've been really busy lately. "With what?" I would like to imagine you asking. Well the big one is I've moved and no longer reside in the dead zone of Pensacola, Florida! That's right I got out! I kept saying that I was going to and by the gods I did it. Now I just have to keep it that way. This of course raises the question of where, then, do I now live. Well in my madness and need to escape Florida I may have gone a bit over board. I sort of high tailed it for the opposite end of the country. I basically got on I-10 going west and found my way to Los Angeles! That's right, I'm livin' in LA. Woo hoo! Now as you've seen Nick and I have had some really awesome recent developments, not the least of which is adding Corey Stano to the company. She's an increadibly talented artist and we're lucky beyond reason to have her on board to help us with the various projects we come up with. Obviously the fact that I'm on one end of the country and Nick's on the other isn't stopping our work at all! Not to mention the fact that Corey isn't even in the US at the moment. I just gotta say, I think it's really cool that with technology these days we can accomplish crazy stuff like having an artist in Korea, and two co-artistic directors who live on opposite sides of the US. I know we took a break for a while, but I think it's fair to say that Delusions of Grandeur Theatre is making a very strong return. Mark Duggar "Time is an illusion. Lunch time doubly so." - Ford Prefect

You know, if I thought for a minute that people actually read this blog... I probably would still be just as bad about updating it. Well maybe not, my natural need for attention would probably kick in and I'd be on here every day. I will say that in my defense I've been really busy lately. "With what?" I would like to imagine you asking. Well the big one is I've moved and no longer reside in the dead zone of Pensacola, Florida! That's right I got out! I kept saying that I was going to and by the gods I did it. Now I just have to keep it that way. This of course raises the question of where, then, do I now live. Well in my madness and need to escape Florida I may have gone a bit over board. I sort of high tailed it for the opposite end of the country. I basically got on I-10 going west and found my way to Los Angeles! That's right, I'm livin' in LA. Woo hoo!

Now as you've seen Nick and I have had some really awesome recent developments, not the least of which is adding Corey Stano to the company. She's an increadibly talented artist and we're lucky beyond reason to have her on board to help us with the various projects we come up with. Obviously the fact that I'm on one end of the country and Nick's on the other isn't stopping our work at all! Not to mention the fact that Corey isn't even in the US at the moment. I just gotta say, I think it's really cool that with technology these days we can accomplish crazy stuff like having an artist in Korea, and two co-artistic directors who live on opposite sides of the US.

I know we took a break for a while, but I think it's fair to say that Delusions of Grandeur Theatre is making a very strong return.

Mark Duggar
"Time is an illusion. Lunch time doubly so." - Ford Prefect

]]> Sat, 17 Nov 2012 12:10:00 GMT 5643A5942DE6E34E090F5921B7B518AD Experience and Stuff http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=2023500 The time has come! For what you ask? Well you probably don't really care but either way. I'm going off on a trip to see the world... or parts of it that I've not seen yet. Next week I begin a journey with a few friends of mine to explore the east coast and beyond or something cool sounding like that. We're going to Atlant, DC, New York City, and then Canada! I know what're thinking "Canada? But isn't that like leaving civilization?" It is, but what I am doing right now is investing in my artistic future! You see, as artists we pull from our personal experiences to create our work, and I'm about to leave for two weeks of potential skit material! It will be awesome!!! Or something along those lines. Mark "Nothing Is Sacred"
The time has come! For what you ask? Well you probably don't really care but either way. I'm going off on a trip to see the world... or parts of it that I've not seen yet. Next week I begin a journey with a few friends of mine to explore the east coast and beyond or something cool sounding like that. We're going to Atlant, DC, New York City, and then Canada! I know what're thinking "Canada? But isn't that like leaving civilization?" It is, but what I am doing right now is investing in my artistic future! You see, as artists we pull from our personal experiences to create our work, and I'm about to leave for two weeks of potential skit material! It will be awesome!!! Or something along those lines.

Mark

"Nothing Is Sacred"
]]> Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT 2DD3A4F740585C52E7CA1C50CEBBC32C Weird Day http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=2004164 Hey So today I was nearly arrested during my day job. It was the first time since high school that such an event occured. Every day all of the people I work with during the day ride in a single van out to various places and do our work and then return the same way- together. I realized today, as we all joked and laughed on the way home about the near arrest, that my day job is pretty sweet. It is a bunch of guys, and one girl, telling dirty, completely inappropriate jokes to one another and then doing work for brief periods. It is very similar to Delusions of Grandeur Theatre in that respect. The biggest difference is that since there is at least the one girl in my day job, that group of coworkers averages out to being far better looking that my fellow dogtheatre cohort, who will remain nameless. So, the hours are long, and I flirt with the possibility of being arrested, but it is a pretty good life for this half of Delusions of Granduer Theatre. Nick
Hey

So today I was nearly arrested during my day job. It was the first time since high school that such an event occured. Every day all of the people I work with during the day ride in a single van out to various places and do our work and then return the same way- together. I realized today, as we all joked and laughed on the way home about the near arrest, that my day job is pretty sweet. It is a bunch of guys, and one girl, telling dirty, completely inappropriate jokes to one another and then doing work for brief periods. It is very similar to Delusions of Grandeur Theatre in that respect. The biggest difference is that since there is at least the one girl in my day job, that group of coworkers averages out to being far better looking that my fellow dogtheatre cohort, who will remain nameless. So, the hours are long, and I flirt with the possibility of being arrested, but it is a pretty good life for this half of Delusions of Granduer Theatre.

Nick
]]> Sat, 21 Apr 2012 10:25:00 GMT B1062B5576D0D4F601ACCD6A8ED68065 Sleep Oh Sleep http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=1934983 Sleep, Oh Sleep You make me weep For I both love and despise you When it is you cloud my view. I have work to do, and games to play Books to read, and I simply must say That in my way you often are Even when I'm behind the wheel of a car! So sleep I'm asking nicely Because I believe that honestly You really ought To leave me the hell alone! Well I've been a bit busy as of late, and as such I've not had time to make any updates myself. So here one is! I know it's shocking. My jobs at Target, UWF, and Ballet Pensacola claimed a very great majority of my time for quite a while. For those of you who've been keeping up with us you know that we're once again taking the time to set about using our camera again. I don't want to give a way too much but Nick and I might just have ourselves a free space that isn't Nick's living room in which we can expand our ideas for film! I'm very excited about the possibilities. Out side of the world of DOG Theatre I've been catching up on some other things like reading and such. A friend of mine just lent me the comic book series Promethea by Alan Moore. I've just started the 3rd book and I'm really impressed with the series. I've read work by Alan Moore in the past, and I've always found anything he's done to be rather interesting. This series in particular deals with a character whose realm of dominance is that of dreams and creativity. Her point and purpose is to inspire man to be more than what he is and to seek out the fantastical rather than settling for the mundane reality. Obviously you can see where I find this interesting. If you get a chance you should check it out. It's well worth the read. "Nothing Is Sacred"
Sleep, Oh Sleep
You make me weep
For I both love and despise you
When it is you cloud my view.

I have work to do, and games to play
Books to read, and I simply must say
That in my way you often are
Even when I'm behind the wheel of a car!

So sleep I'm asking nicely
Because I believe that honestly
You really ought
To leave me the hell alone!


Well I've been a bit busy as of late, and as such I've not had time to make any updates myself. So here one is! I know it's shocking. My jobs at Target, UWF, and Ballet Pensacola claimed a very great majority of my time for quite a while. For those of you who've been keeping up with us you know that we're once again taking the time to set about using our camera again. I don't want to give a way too much but Nick and I might just have ourselves a free space that isn't Nick's living room in which we can expand our ideas for film! I'm very excited about the possibilities.
Out side of the world of DOG Theatre I've been catching up on some other things like reading and such. A friend of mine just lent me the comic book series Promethea by Alan Moore. I've just started the 3rd book and I'm really impressed with the series. I've read work by Alan Moore in the past, and I've always found anything he's done to be rather interesting. This series in particular deals with a character whose realm of dominance is that of dreams and creativity. Her point and purpose is to inspire man to be more than what he is and to seek out the fantastical rather than settling for the mundane reality. Obviously you can see where I find this interesting. If you get a chance you should check it out. It's well worth the read.

"Nothing Is Sacred"


]]> Sun, 01 Apr 2012 13:35:00 GMT 9CBB2729832E3E6D7811787D0783E286 A Very Special Word From Nick http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=1882487 Hey Saint Patrick's Day seems to be all about enjoying the negative stereotypes of the Irish people. It's really kind of racist. Don't get me wrong, as long as it's in good fun and nonviolent, I love joking around with stereotypes and racism. My thought is this, how well would it go over to have a day where we all make fun of the negative stereotypes of blacks, asians, hispanics, gays, bisexuals, transgenedered, jews, women, catholics or muslims? So, this St Pattie's Day, dress like a leprachan, drink whiskey and enjoy your racist good time, just imagine how many more good times there are to be had, or jokes to be heard, if we as a society learn to not let everything offend us and just accept that making fun of race, religion, orientation and negative stereotypes can be just that- fun. Nick Hey
Saint Patrick's Day seems to be all about enjoying the negative stereotypes of the Irish people. It's really kind of racist. Don't get me wrong, as long as it's in good fun and nonviolent, I love joking around with stereotypes and racism. My thought is this, how well would it go over to have a day where we all make fun of the negative stereotypes of blacks, asians, hispanics, gays, bisexuals, transgenedered, jews, women, catholics or muslims?

So, this St Pattie's Day, dress like a leprachan, drink whiskey and enjoy your racist good time, just imagine how many more good times there are to be had, or jokes to be heard, if we as a society learn to not let everything offend us and just accept that making fun of race, religion, orientation and negative stereotypes can be just that- fun.

Nick]]> Sat, 17 Mar 2012 09:50:00 GMT 86DF15FBD4DAB77E6381EF1E6897E014 Exciting News http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=1827302 Hey! So today we filmed a short film. I know we've a few little videos before when we were doing Hamlet rehearsals, but this is different. We wrote the script with the intention of filming it. While Mark and I have both had plenty of stage experience and we both have performed in film in the past, having done Delusions of Grandeur Theatre for so long, it isn't too often that we have to memorize our script anymore. Again, there is an exception. We both had plenty of lines to learn for the live version of Hamlet, but this film was different. Mark and I had weeks to memorize Hamlet. We were at it every single day. That was the only thing we really had going on at the time, dogtheatre-wise at least. This script was far shorter, but we also had zero time to really memorize it. So while that is frustrating, it made for an interesting recording today. It harkened me back to the time we were running lines for A Christmas Carol that eventually led to our forming Delusions of Grandeur Theatre. It's a fun film and our first real attempt at it. It is in editing now, but I think you guys will enjoy it when it is released. Hmmm.... I wonder, how many people actually read our posts. I bet alot of people just see we posted something and then click on the link to whatever it is we're releasing. Either way, let's see if anyone notices that I am still typing. I finished sharing my view of the filming, that was my goal, but here I am still typing like I have more to say. I really don't. I am Jesus Christ. Ooops. Did I just type that? Yes I did. We all know that whatever is written down in a blog is true, so I guess it's time for you guys to eat my body and drink my blood. Wait. That doesn't sound very fun. Also, I think the odds of it killing me or doing me harm are high. Jesus survived. That must of been a huge stroke of luck. How likely is it that such an improbable thing as surviving being eaten alive would happen again? Am I tempting fate? We'll see. If I don't make it, it's been a blast. If these are to be my last words, I would like them to be monumentous. Ummm. Ok. Here goes. Everyone remember our illustrious "sound guy?" No? Well, he made appearances in the Crucible and the first Christmas Carol. Well, few people know this, but his name is actually Sam and he is a real person. At least, he was a real person. That is until I accidently ran him over with my van. It was horrible. I had had a few drinks, so we couldn't go to the cops. We buried him. There. Now you know my dirty secret. If I don't survive being eaten alive, please tell the authorities. If I do, ignore that. You shouldn't feel too bad about him though, we actually based our characterization of Toto in the Diary of Anne Frank: A Musical Comedy after Sam. Ok. Here goes nothing. I will see if writing I am Jesus Christ in a blog allows me to survive being eaten alive... See Ya! Hey!

So today we filmed a short film. I know we've a few little videos before when we were doing Hamlet rehearsals, but this is different. We wrote the script with the intention of filming it. While Mark and I have both had plenty of stage experience and we both have performed in film in the past, having done Delusions of Grandeur Theatre for so long, it isn't too often that we have to memorize our script anymore. Again, there is an exception. We both had plenty of lines to learn for the live version of Hamlet, but this film was different. Mark and I had weeks to memorize Hamlet. We were at it every single day. That was the only thing we really had going on at the time, dogtheatre-wise at least. This script was far shorter, but we also had zero time to really memorize it. So while that is frustrating, it made for an interesting recording today. It harkened me back to the time we were running lines for A Christmas Carol that eventually led to our forming Delusions of Grandeur Theatre. It's a fun film and our first real attempt at it. It is in editing now, but I think you guys will enjoy it when it is released.

Hmmm.... I wonder, how many people actually read our posts. I bet alot of people just see we posted something and then click on the link to whatever it is we're releasing. Either way, let's see if anyone notices that I am still typing. I finished sharing my view of the filming, that was my goal, but here I am still typing like I have more to say. I really don't. I am Jesus Christ. Ooops. Did I just type that? Yes I did. We all know that whatever is written down in a blog is true, so I guess it's time for you guys to eat my body and drink my blood. Wait. That doesn't sound very fun. Also, I think the odds of it killing me or doing me harm are high. Jesus survived. That must of been a huge stroke of luck. How likely is it that such an improbable thing as surviving being eaten alive would happen again? Am I tempting fate? We'll see. If I don't make it, it's been a blast. If these are to be my last words, I would like them to be monumentous. Ummm. Ok. Here goes. Everyone remember our illustrious "sound guy?" No? Well, he made appearances in the Crucible and the first Christmas Carol. Well, few people know this, but his name is actually Sam and he is a real person. At least, he was a real person. That is until I accidently ran him over with my van. It was horrible. I had had a few drinks, so we couldn't go to the cops. We buried him. There. Now you know my dirty secret. If I don't survive being eaten alive, please tell the authorities. If I do, ignore that. You shouldn't feel too bad about him though, we actually based our characterization of Toto in the Diary of Anne Frank: A Musical Comedy after Sam. Ok. Here goes nothing. I will see if writing I am Jesus Christ in a blog allows me to survive being eaten alive...

See Ya!

]]> Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:50:00 GMT 6D259F2DF35AC4932ECBC15B1998BF45 Been A While http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=1748058 Hey there everyone! It's been a while since I posted on here and I thought it was about time to change that! I've been really busy lately, got myself involved in a bunch of side projects. Which is partly what I wanted to talk about actually! So for those of you who don't know, Nick and I recieved a camera for Christmas as a gift from my folks. This was a really exciting development because we could now explore the option of short film and video skits. So of course I began thinking about possible uses for the camera and as a test run I began shooting a short film with my sister which is entitled "The Last Cookie" Now this is where I hit a snag. When I attempted to edit the footage for the film, I made a rather annoying but hardly surprising discovery. Niether my desktop computer, nor my laptop, possess the processing power to render film. Well I was not about to let a good camera sit around and go to waste just because I didn't have the equipment I needed, hell no! I, with the help of a friend, put together a computer that should not only be able to handle what we need for the video, but last us for quite a while as well. I ordered it not too long ago and I'm excited to say that I should have it within the next week or two. As soon as it is in my posession I will begin putting together "The Last Cookie" and hopefully have that test film out for you all to see! With that I leave you! As always remember... "Nothing Is Sacred" Mark Hey there everyone! It's been a while since I posted on here and I thought it was about time to change that! I've been really busy lately, got myself involved in a bunch of side projects. Which is partly what I wanted to talk about actually!
So for those of you who don't know, Nick and I recieved a camera for Christmas as a gift from my folks. This was a really exciting development because we could now explore the option of short film and video skits. So of course I began thinking about possible uses for the camera and as a test run I began shooting a short film with my sister which is entitled "The Last Cookie" Now this is where I hit a snag. When I attempted to edit the footage for the film, I made a rather annoying but hardly surprising discovery. Niether my desktop computer, nor my laptop, possess the processing power to render film. Well I was not about to let a good camera sit around and go to waste just because I didn't have the equipment I needed, hell no! I, with the help of a friend, put together a computer that should not only be able to handle what we need for the video, but last us for quite a while as well. I ordered it not too long ago and I'm excited to say that I should have it within the next week or two. As soon as it is in my posession I will begin putting together "The Last Cookie" and hopefully have that test film out for you all to see!
With that I leave you! As always remember...

"Nothing Is Sacred"

Mark]]> Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:50:00 GMT BEB0FDD0026B6A53664200C880142047 Got Organized http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=1694512 Hey Everyone, It's Nick here. So, we have sucked at keeping our files organized and streamlined. If you'd download Hamlet, for instance, each episode might have a different artist tag or album name. It was annoying and we recieved a few complaints about it. So now, a year later, we've finally figured out how to fix it all and actually seem like we're on the ball! From this point on, mere mortals, downloads from Delusions of Grandeur Theatre will be clean, spiffy and proper- with the album art imbedded (if we have it at release) and everything!! Spread the word, this will change the world. Nick Hey Everyone,

It's Nick here. So, we have sucked at keeping our files organized and streamlined. If you'd download Hamlet, for instance, each episode might have a different artist tag or album name. It was annoying and we recieved a few complaints about it. So now, a year later, we've finally figured out how to fix it all and actually seem like we're on the ball! From this point on, mere mortals, downloads from Delusions of Grandeur Theatre will be clean, spiffy and proper- with the album art imbedded (if we have it at release) and everything!! Spread the word, this will change the world.

Nick]]> Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:15:00 GMT A686592DD5EB479C1F305E7DEA5B9AC9 We made it out alive... for now. http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=1541738 Well it's been a very busy and crazy past few weeks, and being on the other side of it all now I have to say I'm very pleased with how everything has been going. Nick and I have, as most of you know, finally started getting the live show of Hamlet out there for people to see and we're learning a lot about the show and how it works and how audiences take it. So far we've had a lot of really positive feedback which is encouraging. So now having said all that I could go on to talk about what we're working on now and what's coming up down the line... but I'm not gonna. We'll discuss that stuff later. No at the moment I would like to deviate from DOG related matters to speak of other wonders. Like Zelda Skyward Sword for example. My roommates recently purchased a copy of the game and have been playing it almost nonstop, and I've managed to get a short trial of the game in there during the brief time where my roommates required sleep. After my excursion into the game, and from what I have seen watching my roommates play I have reached several conclusions regarding the game. As far as game play is concerned I have to applaud Nintendo on this game. While the motion sensor isn't perfect and can sometimes be annoying, in general it's not bad and the fact that Link actually swings his sword the way you swing the remote is really cool and has added another layer to the game which I think is really neat. On the other hand the style of the game disappoints me just a little bit. Essentially this game feels like a cross between Windwaker, and Twilight Princess. And don't get me wrong, I actually did like Windwaker... even though it took me a long time to come around to that fact; I just don't feel like it needs to be mixed in with the other games. It has its own style and while still a serious Zelda game, it takes a more lighthearted approach to the whole adventure. Where as Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess allowed us to see a darker more serious approach to the story, and I personally enjoy that. In either case though, whether you like the combination of the two styles or not, I would say that Skyward Sword is a solid game and most certainly worth playing. "Nothing Is Sacred" Well it's been a very busy and crazy past few weeks, and being on the other side of it all now I have to say I'm very pleased with how everything has been going. Nick and I have, as most of you know, finally started getting the live show of Hamlet out there for people to see and we're learning a lot about the show and how it works and how audiences take it. So far we've had a lot of really positive feedback which is encouraging.

So now having said all that I could go on to talk about what we're working on now and what's coming up down the line... but I'm not gonna. We'll discuss that stuff later. No at the moment I would like to deviate from DOG related matters to speak of other wonders. Like Zelda Skyward Sword for example.

My roommates recently purchased a copy of the game and have been playing it almost nonstop, and I've managed to get a short trial of the game in there during the brief time where my roommates required sleep. After my excursion into the game, and from what I have seen watching my roommates play I have reached several conclusions regarding the game. As far as game play is concerned I have to applaud Nintendo on this game. While the motion sensor isn't perfect and can sometimes be annoying, in general it's not bad and the fact that Link actually swings his sword the way you swing the remote is really cool and has added another layer to the game which I think is really neat. On the other hand the style of the game disappoints me just a little bit. Essentially this game feels like a cross between Windwaker, and Twilight Princess. And don't get me wrong, I actually did like Windwaker... even though it took me a long time to come around to that fact; I just don't feel like it needs to be mixed in with the other games. It has its own style and while still a serious Zelda game, it takes a more lighthearted approach to the whole adventure. Where as Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess allowed us to see a darker more serious approach to the story, and I personally enjoy that. In either case though, whether you like the combination of the two styles or not, I would say that Skyward Sword is a solid game and most certainly worth playing.

"Nothing Is Sacred"]]> Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:50:00 GMT 5278FD7EA57860B7EDAFEE91CBBFFD21 Exciting News!! http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=1326565 Nick and I are excited to announce that we will be performing our Hamlet the Comedy live November 12th at 12:30pm as a part of the convention FAN:DOM which is held on the UWF Campus! We will be performing in the commons auditorium after the opening ceremonies. I can't tell you how freaking stoked Nick and I are to be able to announce this news. Having said that, now he and I are in the process of revising the show for stage and gathering costumes and props for the show. We've already assembled several costume pieces and we have some pretty cool plans for the things we don't have just yet. I want to give a big thanks to Glenn Breed, the costume designer at UWF. Glenn not only helped Nick and I with ideas for costume pieces but he also donated a good number of vests and other items that we needed for our show. Thank you so much Glenn for all your help! Over the course of the next month keep your eyes out for updates about the live performance of Hamlet the Comedy, and we hope to see you all at Fandom on November 12th! "Nothing is Sacred!" Nick and I are excited to announce that we will be performing our Hamlet the Comedy live November 12th at 12:30pm as a part of the convention FAN:DOM which is held on the UWF Campus! We will be performing in the commons auditorium after the opening ceremonies. I can't tell you how freaking stoked Nick and I are to be able to announce this news.
Having said that, now he and I are in the process of revising the show for stage and gathering costumes and props for the show. We've already assembled several costume pieces and we have some pretty cool plans for the things we don't have just yet. I want to give a big thanks to Glenn Breed, the costume designer at UWF. Glenn not only helped Nick and I with ideas for costume pieces but he also donated a good number of vests and other items that we needed for our show. Thank you so much Glenn for all your help!
Over the course of the next month keep your eyes out for updates about the live performance of Hamlet the Comedy, and we hope to see you all at Fandom on November 12th!


"Nothing is Sacred!"
]]> Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:40:00 GMT CFBBF9326124F30249059C438EC30CD0 Starting a New Chapter http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=1223802 So with the starting up of school for the fall it officially marks the end of the "summer" as it were. And I can't say that I'm sad to see this summer fade into the past. Not to say that there weren't good times, because of course there were. But it was one hell of an experience, and it certainly seemed for a while like I could do nothing without screwing something up. At last though things have started to level out and get back on track. Now I just need to bide my time, gather my forces, and prepare once more to lay siege to the world beyond Florida! In more relevent news, now that we've finished Hamlet, Nick and I have been working constantly to bring you all new material! I hope you all are ready for what we've got coming. If you thought we were terrible before then you're in for a shock that's for sure. Wait a second... That phrasing didn't exactly sell us did it? Ah well, you all know what I mean! So stay tuned for more antics from Delusions of Grandeur Theatre! Mark "Nothing Is Sacred" So with the starting up of school for the fall it officially marks the end of the "summer" as it were. And I can't say that I'm sad to see this summer fade into the past. Not to say that there weren't good times, because of course there were. But it was one hell of an experience, and it certainly seemed for a while like I could do nothing without screwing something up. At last though things have started to level out and get back on track. Now I just need to bide my time, gather my forces, and prepare once more to lay siege to the world beyond Florida!

In more relevent news, now that we've finished Hamlet, Nick and I have been working constantly to bring you all new material! I hope you all are ready for what we've got coming. If you thought we were terrible before then you're in for a shock that's for sure. Wait a second... That phrasing didn't exactly sell us did it? Ah well, you all know what I mean! So stay tuned for more antics from Delusions of Grandeur Theatre!

Mark

"Nothing Is Sacred"]]> Wed, 24 Aug 2011 03:45:00 GMT C1FC0317AC09DF620DB9F24E2B474381 Down the Path http://dogtheatre.com/home.cfm?feature=2243534&postid=1003806 What up everyone! In general I've not spoken a great deal about things unrelated to the site and our work. But at the moment I feel like venting a little bit and this seems like a good place for it. I've never really been a manager before, though I have managed small crews before, and I also know that I possess several skill sets that are important to managerial positions. I've worked with some great managers and some really crappy ones, and I while I will admit I don't have the years of experience that some people have I think I've had enough experience by now to know the difference between good and bad management. One of the worst things I have ever heard a manager say is "Well this is how we've always done it." Because it shows a closed mind to new ideas and ways in which things can be run. I've also had managers who've refused to allow small changes, even when they didn't matter, simply on the principle that they wanted the final say. I find this attitude frustrating, particularly when I am told how to do my job by someone who knows less about my job than I do, or when I'm not given the opportunity to show that my methods might prove just as effective, if not more so. I don't really like being management, it's not something that I particularly strive for or have a vast interest in doing. That said, I know what good management is, because I have seen it. Good managers are organized, decisive, and open to change. They know how to work with a multitude of personalities and keep up an open and clear line of communication with their employees. And most important of all, a manager must earn the respect of their employees. I hate to admit it, but if I don't respect my boss then I find it extremely difficult to work with/for them. I know that I can do those things when I have to, because I have done them in small scale situations. And every time I get a really crappy manager I can't help but think of all this. Well anyway, Nick and I have been coming up with a ton of ideas lately. If you've not been keeping up with our latest stuff we had the very successful release of The Fall of the Round Barn trailer. Again a huge thanks goes out to Summer Sluder for her artwork, and to Kaylyn Witt for helping to ink in some of the drawings. The both of them really helped to make that as awesome as it was. You may be surprised to know that I am actually working on a full version of that idea. Not sure how long it's going to take to get it down but I will certainly keep you all updated as it progresses. Then we just released the Failed Rapture, which was an amusing skit written by our good friend Nicole Dickson. And now Nick and I are working on The Short Passion of the Christ. And if you know us at all you know what that means for The Passion. Next week will be my last week at Amish Acres, and then I'll be headed back down to Pensacola. Things here didn't pan out as well as I would have liked and frankly I refuse to stay in a bad situation any longer than I have to. I have been in terrible situations before and let them go on for far too long, and I just won't put up with that kind of thing anymore. With this change in my summer plans I think you can all expect to see an increase in the amount of work that Nick and I will be putting out. That's all I've got for now. Laterdays everyone! Mark "Whether or not you find your own way, you're bound to find some way" -The Whether Man from The Phantom Toll Booth What up everyone!

In general I've not spoken a great deal about things unrelated to the site and our work. But at the moment I feel like venting a little bit and this seems like a good place for it. I've never really been a manager before, though I have managed small crews before, and I also know that I possess several skill sets that are important to managerial positions. I've worked with some great managers and some really crappy ones, and I while I will admit I don't have the years of experience that some people have I think I've had enough experience by now to know the difference between good and bad management.
One of the worst things I have ever heard a manager say is "Well this is how we've always done it." Because it shows a closed mind to new ideas and ways in which things can be run. I've also had managers who've refused to allow small changes, even when they didn't matter, simply on the principle that they wanted the final say. I find this attitude frustrating, particularly when I am told how to do my job by someone who knows less about my job than I do, or when I'm not given the opportunity to show that my methods might prove just as effective, if not more so.
I don't really like being management, it's not something that I particularly strive for or have a vast interest in doing. That said, I know what good management is, because I have seen it. Good managers are organized, decisive, and open to change. They know how to work with a multitude of personalities and keep up an open and clear line of communication with their employees. And most important of all, a manager must earn the respect of their employees. I hate to admit it, but if I don't respect my boss then I find it extremely difficult to work with/for them. I know that I can do those things when I have to, because I have done them in small scale situations. And every time I get a really crappy manager I can't help but think of all this.

Well anyway, Nick and I have been coming up with a ton of ideas lately. If you've not been keeping up with our latest stuff we had the very successful release of The Fall of the Round Barn trailer. Again a huge thanks goes out to Summer Sluder for her artwork, and to Kaylyn Witt for helping to ink in some of the drawings. The both of them really helped to make that as awesome as it was. You may be surprised to know that I am actually working on a full version of that idea. Not sure how long it's going to take to get it down but I will certainly keep you all updated as it progresses. Then we just released the Failed Rapture, which was an amusing skit written by our good friend Nicole Dickson. And now Nick and I are working on The Short Passion of the Christ. And if you know us at all you know what that means for The Passion.

Next week will be my last week at Amish Acres, and then I'll be headed back down to Pensacola. Things here didn't pan out as well as I would have liked and frankly I refuse to stay in a bad situation any longer than I have to. I have been in terrible situations before and let them go on for far too long, and I just won't put up with that kind of thing anymore. With this change in my summer plans I think you can all expect to see an increase in the amount of work that Nick and I will be putting out.

That's all I've got for now. Laterdays everyone!

Mark

"Whether or not you find your own way, you're bound to find some way"
-The Whether Man from The Phantom Toll Booth

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