It's Friday...Robin Takes on Shakespeare, Hollywood, and the Lack of Irony in Cosmic City!

Happy Halloween Eve everybody!

Cousin Fred and I are taking the day off from working on our concept for a TV reality show. We got to the step on that web site about how to sell your concept that requires you to call every stinking Hollywood producer listed in a book called the “Hollywood Creative Directory.”  Mostly, we got hung up on.

The idea of a Hollywood Creative Directory seems kind of odd to me. Have you been to the movies or watched TV over the past fifteen years or so?  It’s all the same crap.  Seriously.  Movies that are re-makes from as far back as 1920. There is a dearth of creativity in Hollywood, me thinks. Nobody has any fresh ideas. I figure that’s where Cousin Fred and I can come in handy.  We’re always full of ideas, fresh and otherwise.

I’m also stepping out of my shell (and comfort zone) and will be doing some acting here in the area.  I’ve agreed to play the part of a Baptist preacher on Oklahoma Statehood Day in a re-enactment (there we go, same old stuff) of a very short play performed on the eve of the day Oklahoma became a state.  I’ll be marrying Mr. Oklahoma to Miss Indian Territory.

For anyone who knows me well, the idea of me playing a Baptist preacher should raise a few snickers. When it was offered to me, I recalled the lyrics from an old Son House blues tune called, “Preachin’ Blues.” My favorite line of that song goes, “Yes, I’m gonna get me religion, I’m gonna join the Baptist church. You know I wanna be a Baptist preacher, just so I won’t have to work.” 

In fact, maybe I should perform that song just before or DURING the statehood play?!

Unfortunately, I think the organizers of this event are planning to do it on the grounds of one of the elementary schools so no one but kids will be able to see my return to the Woodward stage.  Oh sure, you could try to get in, but then you’ll likely have an angry vice principal spraying pepper spray in your face with one hand as she screams about breach of security and dialing OSBI on her official school cellphone with the other.

I’ve also volunteered to play a part in an upcoming local production…more on that later. 

I suggested to some local artsy types that perhaps someone in this town should consider doing Shakespeare, but with a twist. As an example, I suggested doing “Henry V” with an all-female cast. 
Upon hearing my suggestion, I was met with blank stares. Finally, one of the artsy types said, “Oh. Irony. He’s being ironic. We don’t get a lot of that around here lately.”

Hey! Speaking of Henry V…I FAILED miserably in alerting everyone to and wishing them a Happy St. Crispin’s Day, which was October 25th.

I apologize.  Here’s a link to the Crispin’s Day speech from the movie “Henry V”…it’s so cool. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1Ulz-Qwnx8

To bring you to this point, King Henry V of England has invaded France.  He’s won a few battles in his quest to unseat the King of France.  Now he meets the King’s forces on a field known as Agincourt, where he finds himself outnumbered 5:1. His speech, known in literature as the Crispin’s Day speech, spurs his men into battle despite overwhelming odds. 

Why this is relevant:  It perhaps gives us a hint as to what spurs a soldier to keep moving forward in battle.  Just a thought.

Cousin Fred and I will be at the Twisted Horror Picture Show festival at the Woodward Arts Theatre downtown.  The $5 admission gets you inside for a full-day of movies, two of which were filmed here in Woodward. See you there!