This was the view from the stage we were on for the panel on acting I was a part of. There were 5 actors on the stage with me and at the next platform were 3 directors. The panel was moderated by Sean Rourke. Each year he does this he gets better at it and more sure about the information and how to say it concisely. As we sat up there we were cracking jokes and making comments to each other as we waited to throw in our 2 cents worth. It was a lot of fun and the actors each had a chance to share what it is we go thru as actors when working some low budget projects.
Now I get nervous talking in front of people. Well, nervous as me. I can be other characters and say memorized lines like they were the first time I'd ever said them, but me saying what I'm thinking as I'm thinking it? Fucking scary. I find I think too fast to get a coherent sentence out sometimes. I stumble over words or create whole new ones. Sigh.
As I was on the panel I kept getting called by a friend of mine, my old roommate Mark. I couldn't take the call. I'm on a panel, talking. So I let it go to voice mail. He texted. I replied and gave him a number for the person who might be able to get him in. My friend Zack who I have been hanging out with was in a meeting and had a pass for him. Mark was waiting in the hot sun for 30 minutes. Zack met up with him outside and was on the phone talking to his publisher. Mark turned white as a ghost, his lips were blue and he was sweating profusely. He said he felt dizzy, walked into the shade and collapsed against a wall!
Zack sent security to get medics. It turns out Mark had heat stroke, basically, but because of other things (liabilty of the convention and his health issues), he was sent to the hospital. 10 hours later he joined us for dinner. Not a good day for Mark, but I'm glad he's ok.
I spent Saturday walking around the halls after my panel dressed as Captain John Hart from a BBC series called Torchwood. My friend Bill was Captain Jack Harkness also from Torchwood. Since we both are good costumers and look like the actors in the show, we had our picture taken a lot. It was fun. As I was walking around in this costume I had a number of people pass me and tell me the actor who played the part, James Marsters, was signing at a booth "over there." So I found where he was signing and his manager noticed me and pointed me out. I walked over to him and we started chatting. He liked the costume and said he hadn't seen many people do it before. He also stood up and looked at the boots I was wearing. As he did I said, "the boots aren't right. They are almost impossible to get right." His manager asked if he could take my picture for James' Facebook page. I said yes. We chatted a bit. It was cool. I didn't get his autograph, or a photo at the professional photo booth. The cost was more than I could justify. He was nice. I did get my picture with him as I leaned over the table talking to him, someone took the photo.
Oddly again, I don't have a picture of me and Bill in these costumes. Again, no pockets...
Bill had to leave around 5 pm. He was done with the crowds and had a real life to return to. So I went to change into street clothes and catch up with Zack and Joanne. We had gotten tickets to Flynn's Arcade again this year. Disney set up and arcade and event to plug Tron Legacy. It was very cool to see how they changed and expanded it from last year. After Flynn's we went to find food. We walked by this Chinese place, Red Beach? But what drew Zack in was the chance to eat at a table in the kitchen. It was just going to be 3 of us but Zack's Army employer called and joined us. The food was really good and it was interesting to eat in the kitchen. Mark showed up around 10 pm after spending 10-11 hours at the hospital. He took a cab to get back to downtown. He was okay, found it embarassing to have such a thing happen. But he would come the next day to see the convention.
It was midnight and I went back to the hotel to crash...
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