 Beauty is in the arms of the Rikker |
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a brand new show in town. We’ve been running it off and on for a few weeks now, tweaking it, and slowly making changes. It’s called Captain Morgan and the Island Queen a.k.a. our Pirate Comedy Show, and so far we’ve seen a modicum of success with it.
We’ve been wanting put together a new show for years, our meager efforts leaving behind a score of false starts in their wake. There are even a few ¾-written scripts already in existence with working titles like Kid Macaroni, Spamlette, Cheez (a.k.a. Vinny and Velveeta - a Tortuga love Story) and Snow White and Bubba Dwarf to name a couple. And let’s not forget the wonderful work we’ve done on Tortugapalooza (and the upcoming Tortugapalooza 2: SPIES). This time, though, we found a more concrete reason to put a new show together. The producer of the Carolina Renaissance Festival approached us with his idea for the Boo & Brew - an adult-themed show set at around Halloween-time, beginning in the early evening and running until midnight - and asked if we could come up with a show written specially for the occasion. Somehow we wound up not only saying that we would, but stating the fact at a TV promo advertising the event. And thus we had locked ourselves into writing, learning, rehearsing, and performing a brand new show all in the span of one week.
Oh, and did I mention that we also had three student days to contend with that week? Not too busy a schedule for your too-smart-for-their-own-good Tortugas, huh!
 A trio of Trouble |
 The Pirate King and his Zombie Minion |
 Our hair-braider friend, Carrie Sanko |
Working a new show is kind of like giving birth... but without all the messiness. There are the pangs of memorizing a script, running lines with your partners, and then working in the blocking before actually bringing it to the stage before a live, as opposed to a dead, audience. Performing the work adds a whole new dimension entirely. That’s where you find out whether the spaces you have left opened for laughter are actually necessary or not. If you’re lucky, you might need to add one or two more. If not, then a couple spots must be cut and the dead space surgically sewn back together. Favorite lines that are found to not be working so well must be cut, while new improvs, born on the sperm of the moment, must be jostled in until the fit is smooth as your baby’s momma’s behind.
And, that’s about where we are in our personal "birthing process."
We’re not completely "off book" yet, but we have finally reached a point to where we’re comfortable enough to "play with it." By that, I mean that we’ve begun to throw in those tender morsels of improv instead of strictly sticking to the script we’ve written. It’s a good place to be; a couple weeks ago it was a lot further down in the funny department. But, that’s how it goes... at least for us anyway.
A few other things have happened since my last journal. I’ve been to Colorado to visit a friend of mine, I met two now very famous movie stars - both in the same place at the Carolina festival, can you believe it? And Ronn and I even found time enough to kick it at yet another Funky Formal. This one was entitled Politically Incorrect, as it happened the night of the election. Did you vote? I did. Remember, you don’t get to bitch for four whole years if you didn’t take the time to cast your opinion in the first place. Them’s the rules here in Tortugaland.
 Ronn at the Carolina Funky Formal |
 See, I do know famous people! |
 Me & Ali G |
For me it’s about the Louisiana Renaissance Festival and cruising Bourbon Street with my friends. And, speaking of which.... Tonight Jef and I are off to the Big Easy for four days of fun and frolic with wife Sharon, our Minnesota friends Sarina Stone and Jill Hansen, and anyone else who happens to make our acquaintance along the way. Don’t worry; I’ll try to get some pictures along the way.
 Jill, Sarina, Jef & Sharon on Bourbon St. |
 The Casa Bonita Restaurant in Denver, CO |
 Movie-poster Jef |
