TWO NIGHTS AGO I STOOD ON A MOUNTAIN, BETWEEN THE SUN AND THE MOON.

AS I FELT THE SUBLIME, MY HEART BEGAN TO POUND, BEGAN TO BOOM.

THE ORANGE, BLUE, PURPLE AND PINK SKY, THE COLORS DANCING ON THE ROCKS SO DRY.

I FELT A BEAUTIFUL ALONE, BY THAT LIGHT THAT SHONE.

MY BEING SO SMALL, AGAINST IT ALL.

THE WIND BLEW DOWN THROUGH THAT DEATHLY VALLEY, AWAY FROM THE RHYTHMS OF THE CITIES.

THE MOMENT WAS BEAUTIFUL, YES IT'S TRUE, BUT IN MY SOLITUDE I WAS REMINDED OF MANY OF YOU.

TO DANCE ON SANDS, WITHOUT A BAND, A LONELY MAN, THE EMPTY LAND...

LATER THAT NIGHT, BY THE FIRE SO BRIGHT, MY HEART DID MEND, BECAUSE YOU ARE MY FRIEND.

TMO NOV. 30, 2012

This weekend I traveled to Death Valley Junction for the second time. I was accompanied by the lovely Julia Giertz and Emma-Cecilia Ajanki of THE MOB, friends I made this summer in France whilst performing "GONE FOR GOLD". We joined two more L.A. companions (Johanna and Anne Guro), and met up with a group of students from the HBK in Braunschweig (where I performed "G4G" for the first time after leaving Los Angeles: my Euro-premiere)... We stayed at the magical Amargosa Opera House and Hotel, home of the amazingly unique, endlessly inspiring, ultimate desert diva, Marta Becket. 

After seeing Marta perform her "sit down show" one year ago, I was inspired to write "GONE FOR GOLD", and even penned the line: so feck it! I'll be like Marta Becket... into the rhyming monologue. I arranged a meeting with her today at her humble adobe home behind her famous hand-painted theatre. I told Marta about my show and recent tour, how her opera house has generated many new ideas for my work, and that I find a kindred performer spirit in her life, song, and story. She asked, "when will you come perform here?"... only time will tell!
She signed my copy of her autobiography "To Dance on Sands" and we parted ways with a sweet au revoir. 

Before our meeting, I had a photo shoot around the Opera House and Hotel.

All images by Emma-Cecilia Ajanki.

EMANCIPATION OF THE SIGN: POETRY AND FINANCE DURING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY BY FRANCO BERARDI BIFO

I saw Barbra last night at the Hollywood Bowl and was reminded of this: 

 

YOU SHALL BE FREE INDEED

 LUCIANO CASTELLI

April, 2012

setting up 

STAGED: THREE CRIMES IN THREE ACTS

with the super talented Jonathan Kitt