Unexpected forms.

I went to college in Boston to become an actor.  I dreamed of lighting up a stage and giving a commanding performance to an enthralled audience.  The college I chose to attend (and accepted me) caught my interest because I was told they allowed actors to perform original monologues.  That combination of creativity sold me, and off I went to become the greatest writer/actor the world had ever seen!

As I’ve said in previous blog entries, it did not work out so well.  I was, by all accounts, terrible at both of those things.

Given time and experience, I became a better writer.  Eleven years writing and drawing my previous webcomic, Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire, and the success it achieved is proof of that.  Am I good?  That’s still up to you to decide.  I’d like to think that if you’re here and enjoy Star Power, you think so!  Regardless, I’m most certainly better than I was in college.

But I still had the itch for live performance.  Doing panels at conventions was a nice fix, to be up in front of a crowd and doing my best to entertain them, but it was still just me talking to a bunch of people.  It was public speaking, not acting.

Fast forward a few years to the formation of The Slaughterhouse Sweethearts, the Boston horror-burlesque troupe.  I was asked by the troupe’s founder, an old friend of mine and a fan of my writing/public speaking, to help write the script for an original story-based show she had come up with.  I was the unseen narrator for Revenge of the Robot Battle Nuns, and it lit a fire in me that had thought would never be rekindled.  After a number of performances I was asked to be an official member of the troupe, acting as host and occasional participant in burlesque numbers.  A few more performances and I was not only an unseen narrator and a host, but a character in their shows.  The unseen narrator became Joe Newsroom, Channel 5 in Revenge of the Robot Battle Nuns.  In the Batman villain themed show, A Dark Knight in the Asylum, I played Doctor Arkham last year, and just this past weekend my role changed to Drury Walker, a.k.a. Killer Moth.  I was, in a most unexpected form, acting again.

Thanks to the trust and love of the Slaughterhouse Sweethearts, I am also writing for them!  I was originally tasked with writing the narrative for Revenge of the Robot Battle Nuns, but after a few years they trusted me to modify the script (but not change the story) into what was arguably its most successful form.  The story and script for A Dark Knight in the Asylum was given a complete makeover, and the changes were met with great praise this past weekend.  But I cannot take all the credit.  Much like my collaboration with Garth for Star Power, other ideas shape and improve the first drafts of stories.  The input and feedback of my fellow troupe members are vital, and their guidance for the scripts of both shows is what truly made the finished product great.

It came in a form I never imagined, but I’m finally acting in front of an audience again.  Keep your mind open to new experiences and maybe what you’re seeking will come in an unexpected fashion.