October 2013

I saw it was coming. I pushed the idea out of my mind when it popped in from time to time, but those knocks at the door of my brain are louder now, and more frequent, so I’m letting it in. I have become Elizabeth Heffron’s husband. She’s the famous one. There.
I feel, now, having said it, like I’m skinny dipping, the heavy garments I’ve been lugging around collapsed in a pile by the car. An effervescent sensation. Not so bad.

Was I the last to know? Was it like that? I’ve seen it happen to other guys, but I never thought it would be me. So I have a choice. I can worry that someone will steal my clothes, or I can enjoy the swim.

Here’s a big part of the plus side: Since I haven’t screwed it up yet, half of everything she makes is mine.

So… this is a pitch for my favorite Elizabeth Heffron play so far, Bo-Nita, now playing at The Rep. I’m telling ya, go see it. It’s really great. Buy tickets here and watch the preview. If you’re south of Kelso, wait see it at Portland Center Stage in February. Or sample them both!

As much as I’d like to be on FaceBook all day and let my wife support me, I’m just too excited about the following!

Live Performance! Yes, that’s right! Live!
My Last Year with the Nuns
Saturday, November 9th 7:30 pm
Bainbridge Performing Arts on Bainbridge Island
Tickets $20

Hanford Challenge Bingo November 20th.
Raise money to save the Columbia, save our hides, and win, win, win! I’ll be calling the Bingo game, which is a major check off of my bucket list.

Movie: My Last Year with the Nuns
We’re close to “locking”. I like telling people I’m involved with a film. I prefer it to, “Still living in my mom’s basement”. But I haven’t been active with it for a while. Turns out efficiency rose dramatically when I left the editing room. My part (writing, acting, raising money) is, astonishingly, small. There are so many specialized people, so good at what they do, It’s humbling in the right way. I still get to parade around with it though. We are entering it in festivals: Sundance, Berlin, Rotterdam, SXSW (Austin), Palm Springs, SIFF, Tribeca, Lincoln Center …. Not sure what we’ll get into, or how we’d swing Berlin, but we’d find a way. I was last there in 1977. I hear it’s changed.

Workshops:
I’m hatching a plan. A year from now I plan to teach demographic-specific, one-day improv courses, i.e., Improv for Lawyers, with CLE accreditation, for Real estate agents, Food Bloggers, Undertakers, Teachers, Physicians, Pastors, etc… The application will be more acute that way, and I can reach more people. If this interests you and/or your group, please contact me. 206-551-4622
matt@matt-smith.net.
As for now, here’s what’s coming up. Lots! Most of them are one-day workshops, on Sundays, but not all. Please forward this!

Excavating Lost Memories
Sunday, November 10
9am – 3pm
The Valley School (309 31st Avenue East – enter on Thomas)
$95
There’s something amazing about doing exercises that engage your memory — it sets off a litany of reactions. The exercises access the scattered, misplaced moments, faces, relationships and images that don’t fit into that Cliff’s Notes version of our own stories for which we often settle: all kinds of crazy/serious/sweet parts of our lives.

Character
Sunday, December 8th
9:00am – 3:00pm
$100
The Valley School (309 31st Avenue East – enter on Thomas)
Actors, writers, and storytellers — this one’s for you. You’ll work to find and develop new characters by diving into exercises that mine your speckled past, family, body, face, and imagination to bring them to life. Limited to 12

Spontaneity NOW
January 5th, 2014
9:00am – 3:00pm
$100
The Valley School (309 31st Avenue East – enter on Thomas)
In this foundation class you’ll learn to identify that which keeps you rigid and/or blocked and replace it with simple guidelines that’ll set you free so you can risk more. Break down the structure of what you habitually do and build up new ways to move within it.

Create Stories That Stick
Sunday, Feb 2nd
9am – 3pm
The Valley School (309 31st Avenue East – enter on Thomas)
$100
Hello writers, storytellers, teachers, actors, or “others” reaching for scintillating material… interested weaving narratives that’ll make your audience lean in and take notice? Feeling blocked or squirmy? Then take this entirely narrative-focused class where you’ll jump into exercises that’ll put you in the mindset to uncover good, sticky narrative where it hides. Even if you don’t write, lives have narratives, let’s breathe new life into ours.

Dynamic Groups
January 12th
9:00am – 3:00pm
$100
The Valley School (309 31st Avenue East – enter on Thomas)
How can 2-4 or more people function as one? A group must first cultivate trust in order to find the way to cohesive forward movement. We’ll do exercises designed to create trust, allowing egos and expectations to fall by the wayside, and open the door to truly collaborative creativity. You’ve seen it happen. Lets try it, for one day.

8-week class @ Freehold
Freehold is at 2nd & Bell, in Seattle. I’ve taught this basic class there for 20 years. It’s a great place to study acting. Call Freehold 206-323-7499.
Monday nights, 6:30 – 9:30
January 6 – February 24

Auctions
It’s a bizarre job! Somebody grabbed my mic last week, mid-auction, and I calculated that this has happened dozens of times, and it’s nothing compared to when someone threw up all over my stage. It occurred to me, in that moment, that I am a man of vast experience. Not my first choice. I’d rather be young. But having called hundreds of these crazy things, with hundreds of wrinkles, I am actually having more fun than ever. Most of that comes from knowing what to prep for.
Coming up is Snowball in Bend, NARAL, Goodwill and The Assistance League.
And I’ve got to plug the coolest art auction of the year, even though I’ll be in Oregon that night. COCA! You can get fresh, fabulous art for a great price, and it’s a blast. COCA! You’ll be in good hands with the stellar David Silverman.

So that’s that. If you’re still reading, you have gone beyond the call. Thanks. Secret Code (to let me know that you go this far): “Mr Heffron”.

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