On Directing Children's Theatre...

Elementary school kids are the best thing in the world!
So full of life, hope and potty humor.
Every now and then they will astound you with wisdom or truth-
They hug and love and laugh...
They are wonderful.
Just wait;
Life will beat them down soon enough.
...Ever heard of Junior High?

Dinner Party Pain

Throwing a dinner party while in extreme oral pain isn't recommended-
However, if you're a professional... like myself;
All you need is four Advil, three glasses of cheap red wine, and the funniest friends you know!

I"M IN PAIN!

I'm in so much pain I can't even see straight!
My wisdom teeth are pushing through my gums, and because of it, my entire jaw feels like it's on fire...
Sending me reeling out of control on a self-doubt hate spiral!
I hate allowing negative thoughts or fears to enter my mind.
Making my eyes well up with tears, and my heart feel like it's breaking.
I have to "make it" soon-
If not just for the burning desire inside of me;
Then for better health insurance and more money!

A Tropical Heatwave

What is going on with the weather in Los Angeles?
And please don't say Global Warming-
I'm a believer! But really?
Fall is my favorite time of year in LA...
The crisp fragrant smell in the air combined with the layers of sweaters, tweed jackets and light scarfs-
It's amazing!
I walked outside in my favorite new fall layered look and nearly passed out!
Is it too much to ask for the seasons to be the temperature they're supposed to be?
It's ruining my entire fashion plan!

Pool Day in September

One of the most amazing things about living in Los Angeles, is the weather.
So why not take advantage of the fact that it's going to be 105 degrees today?
It's Sunday.
It's Hot.
and I have a friend with a pool!
You know what that means:
Pool Party!
Sometimes I worry that I might not ever grow up...
Then I realize: Why would I ever want to do that?
Happy Sunday!

Four People In A Car...

Go Little Mini-
Small and compact, parking on Beechwood is going to be a breeze!
Too bad I can't feel my legs in the "back seat"
Is this a clown car?
Nope-
Clown cars have more room.
But hey, I can't complain...
Luigi got us all there safe!
Sure enough, we found the perfect parking space.
In the hills of Los Angeles, that's a miracle!
Amy your car rocks.
Go Little Mini

I Hate Bars.

What's the point in going out to a bar?
Loud, smokey, drunk ass people-
In over-crowded outdoor areas.
So many people with a false sense of;
confidence,
charm,
beauty.
It's sad how many people rely on "looks" they think they have,
instead of being able to articulate or even maintain a conversation-
Everyone just looking to be discovered...
But who wants to discover an uninteresting, average looking person, with no personality?
I hate bars.
I wish my friends would have their birthday parties, going away parties and whatever other parties...
At a nice home or delicious restaurant!

Art Is Fun!

Stark white Hollywood sound stage brilliantly lit-
Killer artwork-
Excellent music.
Reese Witherspoon and Jon Hamm... So cool!
Top notch food and alcohol-
All donated-
All to benefit the nonstop battle against cancer.
Live Strong!
I'm proud of my friend Brooke for making magic happen for an excellent cause.

Too Tired To Think...

Ever have those days, where no matter how much coffee you drink or how hard you try...

You can't wake up from a foggy haze?

Well, I've spent the entire day going through the motions of life and everything feels like a cloudy dream.

My head is going to hit the pillow hard in T-minus 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Six Word Essay On Technology...

I'm completely over my damn computer!

Check Out The Latest Parody!

I grew up loving shows like; In Living Color and Saturday Night Live...

So it makes perfect sense that I NEVER get tired of dressing up in crazy costumes and putting sketches together with my creative and talented friends!

This is the latest in our The Real Housewives of New York City parodies...

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did shooting it! And pay attention for a very special reality star cameo!

To view this parody full screen please click HERE.

Dinner Party in The Hollywood Hills...

Amazing house;

Wonderful people.

The wine is poured;

Dinner is delicious!

Half finished Domino's game-

The foyer makes an excellent stage for a Sound of Music singalong;

Which blows up into a full Broadway review show!

Brilliant personalities fill the decadent home.

I love this group of people!

What an exceptional evening...

I Did Nothing...

Lazy.

I feel fat and gross;

Sat on the couch most of the day watching television...

I LOVE cartoons.

Hung over from last night-

I sure can't party like I used too!

Thank God for pancakes.

Note to self:

Self, you cannot continue to waste your weekends...

You're getting older, and life isn't slowing down!

But I've got to be honest, I really had a lovely day of nothing.

Saturdays rock.

They can be anything you need them to be.

I Love Production Days!

I love days like today...

I woke up in my beautiful house,

glanced out of the window from my bedroom to see a gorgeous sunrise over downtown Los Angeles, and continued to follow the horizon all the way out to a picture perfect view of Catalina Island.

Walked into my office and sat down to write the final touches on our next parody of The Real Housewives of New York.

Walked out into my living room, which has been turned into a temporary sound stage with Green Screen and all...

and we're getting ready to shoot our final scene!

Then, this afternoon, we'll edit the footage together in the comfort of our home office / recording studio- and by this time tomorrow, we'll have another episode of our Real Housewives of New York City Parody!

I'm truly grateful that I'm fortunate enough to spend my life creating the things I dreamed about when I was a kid!

Technology... Ain't It A Bitch?

I woke up today, and my computer decided that it didn't want to wake up with me...

Every day starts nearly the same for me:

I wake up.

Splash cold water on my face.

Do a quick workout / stretch / meditation routine.

Grab a cup of coffee.

Finally, around 10 am, I make my way into my office to; check emails, update my Facebook and Twitter accounts, write my daily blog post and work on my creative projects...

This morning was no different...

That is, until I walked into my office and sat down at my desk, and realized that my computer did not feel like waking up!

I have a very nice MAC book computer- and though it's several years old... there isn't a scratch on it! I take extremely good care of my possessions- Especially the expensive electronic ones!

There was no sign of malfunction in the hard drive, and no reason for it to stay locked in "sleep" mode.

Of course I have all of the information stored on my computers hard drive backed up on two different external hard drives, and a wireless back up floating somewhere in space.

So I'm not concerned about losing any of my information... I am however totally bummed that I'm not able to follow through with my morning ritual! Plus, I have a ton of writing to do...

I decided to take my computer to the Apple store and have them run a diagnostic test.

Luckily, I was able to get an appointment today, and was in the store within thirty minutes.

After arriving at Apple and explaining my situation, the Genius behind the counter headed to the back to run a complete test-

Several minutes passed, and when he returned, he had a big smile on his face. He informed me that everything checked out "A okay!" on their diagnostic, and continued to tell me that he reset the "motherboard" so everything should be "good to go!"

So I did just that. I walked out, relived that this trip didn't cost me any money, and I was assured that there was nothing wrong with my computer. It was just a matter of resetting the system...

I came home, plugged my computer in and sat down ready to get on with my social networking and online creativity-

...only to have the damn thing go to sleep in the middle of my blog entry!

Thankfully, I have access to another computer when it's not being used... Sadly, my blog entry was lost, and I had to write a new one (which is what you're reading now!)

What's worse- I have no idea what's wrong with my computer...

and neither do the "Genius's" at the Apple store!

It makes me really hate technology!

Directing Is Fun Too!

My life's ambition is and has always been about the creative process.
As much as I love to act and perform on stage, screen or living room-
I'm also deeply passionate about directing.
As an actor, I get to focus on the journey of the character I'm playing. I get to pretend to live in this imaginative world. I get to explore emotions I might not ever experience in my real life. I get to play out a fantasy, and people watch as the story unfolds...
Where as a director, I get to blaze further into the fantasy. I enjoy building an entire world on stage or screen and collaborating with actors, writers, set, costume and lighting designers to craft an artificial reality- It really is an out of this world experience!
Especially for an artistic control freak with big ideas, like myself. Directing is about bringing a writers imagination on the page, to life on stage or screen...
It is an exhilarating, frightening, (at times) overwhelming and wonderful process- but when everything comes together, for better or for worse, it's always an amazing feeling of accomplishment!
So I hope you'll check out my latest directing adventure...

Maggie Miguel ...a corporate american employee
Written by and starring the magnificent and talented Maggie Miguel.
It's a sexy, dirty, hilariously honest show that I'm extremely proud of in every way!

It's All About The Process.

It's tough remaining positive during the creative process;
Idea after idea, shot down.
Stretching your imagination for any hint of a fresh concept.
Focusing on active thought-
Weaving your way around road blocks along the artistic path.
To make matters worse, I'm dealing with a computer that freezes every fifteen minutes like clock work...
Nothing is more damaging to the creative soul, than technology.
I want to throw my computer out the window and stomp my feet like a child.
I know that won't solve anything-
But God, the rage that I could release!
That would be creative wouldn't it?
... almost like Performance Art!

Health, Health, Health.

I exercise because I have to!
Not because I enjoy it!
In fact, I really despise that very idea that in order for me to stay thin and "healthy" I'm required to keep my heart rate up for twenty minutes and stay active;
Anyone who knows me can attest to the point that I would much rather spend my day watching television or lounging by a pool- in either scenario I'd be sipping on wine and over-eating...
Nevertheless, I force myself to get up off my tired, flabby ass and workout. At least four times a week.
Today, I decided I should push myself-
So I took a twenty minute hike up a steep, but scenic road in the gorgeous Hollywood Hills.
I was so inspired by the landscape and the idea that I live and work in La La Land... that I decided to run/jog on the way back home.
I thought I was going to die. Right there on Sunset Boulevard.
I pushed through the pain and made it home...
My knees want to kill me! My back is twisted and torn, and my ass still feels flabby!
Sometimes you just have to ask: "What's the point?"
...But I trust that when I'm old and grey, I'll be happy that I stayed active.

Dear food,
I'm sorry I have to eat you less.
Counting calories isn't as much fun as gorging on you...
I made a promise to myself to remember that my health is more important than a second helping.
Not to mention I just love the way I look in my favorite jeans;
...vain I know, but honest.
So you see food, I just have to see less of you.
It's nothing personal.

Your friend,
Matthew

Peace

Today, I remember;
I pray for the victims, survivors and the men and women still serving to keep our country safe.
I celebrate our freedom.
I honor my responsibilities to contribute to a brighter, more peaceful, evolved global humanity.
I give thanks for the opportunities provided to me as a United States citizen-
I strive to encourage tolerance among people who continue to hate.

Rehearsal

Long hours working for perfection.
Creative juices flowing,
Emotions are high,
Tempers rage from people you'd least expect-
Drama, drama, drama!
The life of an artist is bitter sweet,
Giving one hundred percent of your passion, sweat and tears,
A lot of tears!
The end result is always worth it,
A beautiful masterpiece,
Over too soon.

MAC

Mad
At
Computers tonight!

Two Random Thoughts...

I can't believe how fast time goes while on vacation...
...and how slow it goes while sitting in the lobby of the doctors office.

I wonder how many times I'm going to re-learn the same "life" lessons, before I just trust that it always works out..

The Beauty of Water

Peaceful and mesmerizing-
I love the calm still feeling that surrounds me.
Floating on a zen cloud;
The deep blue blanket of night sky above me.
At first glance a bright star catches my attention;
Gaze deeper, and thousands of twinkling lights appear from nowhere;
Magic!
The water is nourishing;
It cradles me like a baby,
Careful though- water can be breathtaking.

Labor Day

Alas, the time has come;
The grill was used a lot this summer,
Too many hamburgers, chips and French onion dip-

Children everywhere are bummed;
Time to swap swimsuits and trips to the mall,
For backpacks and long hours in the library.
Remember the smell of a classroom?
Or back to school shopping?

I do love the aroma of fall though;
Wearing layers of clothing-
Football games.

Why do we get a special holiday for working anyway?
Isn't that what weekends are for?
Whatever. I enjoy any excuse for a three day celebration!
Even if it means that yet another summer is over!

Selfish.

Today is my sisters thirtieth birthday;
I'm sad I couldn't be with her-
When I turned thirteen she spent all of her allowance on me;
Balloons and banners, she hooked up our house.
She was only eleven at the time,
She was so excited to throw a huge party to celebrate my becoming a teenager-
I didn't even send her a card for her big 3- O...
To be fair... We both stopped exchanging birthday cards and gifts several years back.
Still- Turning thirty is a milestone.
My only excuse: selfishness
I promise I'll make it up to her.
Who doesn't like a surprise?!?

Vacation!

Two hour car trip;
Checked in early and unpacked my bags.
Quick trip to the supermarket,
Delicious dinner in the suite.
Late night lounging poolside-
The ceiling of twinkling stars was breathtaking!
Time to relax, enjoy, and regain some perspective-

Insomnia...

It's five o'clock in the morning...
I have not yet gone to bed-
My eyes are burning and will hardly stay open.
Yet each time I attempt to sleep, my brain starts working overtime!
I hate insomnia!
It's going to be a long day...

Six Word Essay on Happiness.

Staying positive is really tough sometimes.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

Let's go Dodgers!
Sadly, the Los Angeles Dodgers did not win their game against the Phillies-
Happily, I won my game of: Eat as much stadium junk food as you can!
"Buy me some..."
Peanuts- check!
Nachos- check!
Garlic French Fries- check!
Super Footlong Dodger Dog- check!  (Times two!)
...and of course no trip to Dodger Stadium would be complete without at least two beers- check plus!!!
It was a fun day all around.  Even if the Dodgers couldn't get a run to save their lives...
We had a blast!
Now I'm in a major junk food coma-
And I fully realize why we have an obesity problem in this country!!!
Americas favorite pass time is NOT Baseball-  It's FOODball!