Week Five 7/7 to 7/13

At one point this week I looked around the rehearsal site and thought to myself,

“Is this really happening right now?”

Hamlet rehearsal was going on the stage. To the left of the stage the green show was rehearsing an old Elizabethan song. Hana was on her harp. Andy was practicing his sword fighting. Dane was learning to juggle.

AND all this was happing on the very green and vibrant grounds of Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, where we perform.

I thought to myself, “Am I at the mother fucking Renaissance fair? What the fuck!”
No, no, no, I only jest. It was actually very surreal and quirky. Made my day.

This past weekend we closed 2 Gents to amazing and huge audiences. It was so much fun. On Saturday, closing, I got entrance applause. Entrance applause from people I don’t personally know. It was very flattering.

On Friday, after the show, a group of women made me promise to come to Ohio and act every summer. 

On Saturday, before the show a woman saw me walking up to the stage and said to me. “Oh my god, You Rock!” This same gal came up to me after the show and said, “I hope you know that you’re my new boyfriend,” I hugged her and she said, “Oh My God, I’m Blushing!” 

Today, just about 45 mins ago, I was at Applebees with my buddy Eric C. and a very old white lady came up to me and asked me, “Do you do Shakespeare at Stan Hywet?”

I said, “Yes”

She said, “Are you Ernie Gonzalez?”

OMG, she new my full name! She was very nice. Anyway I say this because it happened to me this week. I’m not full of my self, but if I don’t give my ego a boost who the fuck else will.  And I will more than likely not even get recognized for Hamlet at all. 

“You were in that?”

I thought I was extremely happy about 2 Gent’s death. But I guess I wasn’t. I was a little sad. A little.

However, one must always look and more forward.

I’m excited to act Rosencrantz in Hamlet. I’m not doing any physical comedy or any of my usual shtick. Actually, even though it’s a minor role and minor story line, I think this is the first show in which I have a character that changes so drastically.

 
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern go from being one of Hamlet’s best’s friends to being the king’s dudes and getting killed because of Hamlet. That’s quite and arch.

Once Hamlet opens I start work on Othello. I’m excited about Othello because it will be short, sweet, and Roderigo is a fun role. He’s a bit of a bumbling idiot. Many productions miss that.

I am currently in negotiations for a production in October. If it happens that means that I would have missed my 2 favorite times of year. Pride and my favorite holiday, which I love more than Christmas, Halloween.

I don’t remember if I’ve shared my love of Halloween and although this has nothing to do with Ohio, Shakespeare, or what I did this week I'm going to run with this  tangent I'm on because I’ve learned to follow my impulses….

Halloween 2005


Halloween 2006

Halloween 2007

Okay, now I feel better.  Back to this week.... Oh yeah

here's something extremely cool that happened this week. On Thursday during the day at rehearsal and my agent called me to ask if I was available to audition for a Clint Eastwood movie. Clint Eastwood!!!

I said, “No, you know I’m out of town doing theatre..I let you know right?” She was very nice and said, “Yes, I know, I know, I’m sorry, I just thought we could work around it.” Apparently, she was excited as well. 

Anyway, we couldn’t work around it, to which she said, "Okay, maybe next time, call me when you get back."

This week went by like lightning. 

Really fast. 

I went to Hip-Hop night at the Interbelt on Monday and didn’t almost get into a gay fight, that’s always good. 

Tuesday was raining so we did Hamlet with umbrellas. 

Wednesday we cooked out with Tim.

Thursday we went to Adams Street Bar. 

On Saturday after closing we went to The Square and played more Wii Bowling.

There was also a private part that night catered by Subway. So, I took Dane’s bag, Chris’s hot friend Jim created a diversion and I stuffed as many 6 in. subs into the bag as I could.

I also noticed that if these subs were really 6inches I’ve been lied to in the past.

We all stuffed our faces when we got back to the actor-housing and I have still been eating subway today. Should I be worried that the bartenders at Adams Street, The Interbelt, and The Square know me now? Nahhhhh!

The best part about this week, even better than the great performances, the partying, my adoring fans, was that Ben came in Fri, Sat, and Sun to see the show and spend the time together.

Damn, I love him.

I know he’s reading this and just today I heard a song, which I listened to like 7 times in a row (he knows how I do this), because it reminded me of him. 

For you baby, from me.

(well okay actually from Christina Aguilera) 

 WITHOUT YOU

Have I been blind?
For the first in my life
I feel I've opened up my eyes
Since you have arrived
Like an angel from the sky
I am on a spirtual high

So don't you ever go away
I could never face
Losing you would kill my faith in a higher place

What kind of world would it be without you
I couldn't breath without you here
What kind of world would I see without you
I can't dream without you here

Beautiful boy
How on earth did I do something worth deserving you
My better half
How I cherish through and through every part of you
I do

Loving you's made me whole now I belong
I found my home
Promise me we'll always stay
The way we are today

What kind of world would it be without
I couldn't breath without you here
What kind of world would I see without you
I can't dream without you here

I can't ever imagine, if this never had happened
I thank God every day
Almost lost you forever, but now I'll always remember
That you're my saving grace

What kind of world would it be without
I couldn't breath without you here
What kind of world would I see without you
I can't dream without you here