In a strange series of coincidences, I mentioned the name of a missed actor-friend of mine (see previous entry) and was promptly rewarded with not only an out-of-left-field comment from somebody else I knew in college, but I swear that, yesterday evening, I saw a girl who I’d once directed in college eating at the McDonald’s I walked into [1]. I elected not to speak with her, in part because I wasn’t 100% sure it was her at the time, in part because she was with somebody, and I didn’t know if my intrusion might make things awkward, and in part because she didn’t seem to recognize me. What I find interesting about this is that about a month back, I could have sworn that I’d biked past another one of the actors from that play, “Fading Echo,” a show about cloning ethics. What I find extra interesting is that these two actors–Dave and Devon, both of whom were acting for the first and last time, and both of whom did a fantastic job–were never very good friends of mine outside of the show, and that the other two actors with leads in the show, Vince and Anne, were in fact very good friends of mine who I simply no longer see. In a footnote, an actor named Parvesh, who had a walk-on part in the piece, is currently doing well for himself, by all newspaper accounts, having recently appeared in a production of Tom Stoppard’s “Indian Ink.”

Speaking of British playwrights, I’m losing confidence that i will be called back to audition for the part of Robert in “Betrayal.” This is unfortunate, as since the meeting I took with the director, in which we seemed to hit it off, I have been rehearsing monologues and my London accent, and rereading the script, hoping to muscle my way in. The director mentioned that I would be called back along with whoever else he wanted to come in, but this may have changed, or I may have misread him.

I’m leaving work in twenty minutes. After several thwarted attempts, I will finally be able to pick up my new supply of contact lenses. I find that even though I have new glasses, I’m not wearing them.

“Disconnect” opened Wednesday night to a full house. It was adequate, but not great, and several other shows in the festival outshined it in acting at least, often in writing. My lead actor, unfortunately, did not do all of his homework, and was unready to handle stage fright when it came for him. His line delivery was nervous and unsure, and it hurt the whole, ultimately. I missed Thursday’s performance, but I do believe he can get better, and he has ten more nights to try. I still desperately need an ensemble of my own, like the Coen brothers.

[1] I had walked into McDonald’s against all better judgment because yesterday was “Outrageous Value Day,” when hamburgers were twenty-nine cents, cheeseburgers thirty-nine cents. I bought five burgers [2] and ate four, and paid a mighty price for it later. I re-swore not to consume fast food. [3]

[2] When “Batman Forever” came out, McDonald’s [4] introduced what it called the “Hero Burger,” which was four, count ’em, four all-beef patties stacked onto a single sandwich. Essentially, it was a combination of two Big Macs. One of my more vivid memories of high school was going to a McDonald’s with Scott and Brady to devour one of these monstrosities. I still don’t know why I did that. [5]

[3] Looking back over my last twenty journal entries, I realize that I adopted and got rid of a vegetarian pledge in so little time I’d completely forgotten it had ever happened.

[4] I discovered, while reading a book on the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals that we’re publishing in fall, that the former Cards catcher Darrell Porter started an organization designed to teach Little Leaguers how to compete with sportsmanship and enjoyment, instead of the ugly competitive stuff that makes fathers deck umpires. What I found quirky was that the organization is funded in part by McDonald’s, and gives a free Happy Meal to any child who exhibits the principles of Enjoy the Game. I find it quirky that the reward for a budding athlete is terribly bad-for-you fast food.

[5] On a related note, I still don’t know why I downed that entire small package of garlic butter that came with the Papa John’s pizza, freshman year of college.

Current music: Sugar, “Copper Blue”