In the Mix with Aaliyah Miller

Anton in Show Business had a stellar opening this past weekend at the OddFellows Playhouse in Middletown, Connecticut. Both nights was almost sold out, which is always a relief for actors, since we crave audience response. The New Haven Independent, http://www.newhavenindependent.org/ , an online New Haven-focused newspaper also published a favorable write-up, New Theatre Breaks Legs, http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2008/10/new_new_haven_t.php%20 . I probably already sent it to you on Friday, but here it is again just in case. While I was backstage I kept peeking through a crack in the curtain to check out the audience. I was lucky to have friends and family come both nights. I wanted to see where they were sitting so I didn't look directly in their direction when I was on stage. I had a bunch of nervous energy, I worried I would forget a line or maybe flub on the blocking. Earlier in the week I was still finding my bearings in the theatre space. Right up until the...

I'm getting down to the wire. I can't believe Anton in Show Business opens next Friday. It seems like it was just yesterday when I blogged about joining the cast. I'm finally starting to find my characters and that has been a real boost to my confidence. For a while I didn't think I was cut out for it, however, I stuck with it, took in the directors comments, practiced, practiced, practiced, and now I'm starting to see the fruits of my labors. This week I have full run- throughs on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week. It's going to be tough. My body finally decided to say check mate. Last week I came down with a sinus infection and my voice is just starting to come back. Now I have to pace myself and make sure I take my meds and get the rest I need, which means going to bed by 10 p.m., no exceptions. Otherwise I won't recover like I need to. On Sunday rehearsals will move to the Oddfellows Playhouse in Middletown , Connecticut. I'm excited ...

September 1 through 30 marks the holy month of Ramadan, for the non-Muslims of the world, Ramadan, is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. The Month of Ramadan is also when it is believed the Holy Quran "was sent down from heaven, a guidance unto men, a declaration of direction, and a means of Salvation". It is during this month that Muslims fast. It is called the Fast of Ramadan and lasts the entire month. Ramadan is a time when Muslims concentrate on their faith and spend less time on the concerns of their everyday lives. It is a time of worship and contemplation. During the Fast of Ramadan strict restraints are placed on the daily lives of Muslims. They are not allowed to eat or drink during the daylight hours. Smoking and sexual relations are also forbidden during fasting. At the end of the day the fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the iftar . In the evening following the iftar it is customary for Muslims to go out visiting family and friends. The fast i...

This last week I've been eagerly waiting the results of the American Gem Literary Festival ( http://www.filmmakers.com/contests/short/ ) and the results are finally in. Out of the Box , a script I co-wrote with Lawrence King came in thirteenth place. It was not the stellar finish I hoped for, I really would have liked to finish in the top ten. Oh well, it just reinforces that I've still got a ways to go as a screenwriter. There were 25 finalists in total and this was my first time making it to the finals, so I'm still proud of my effort. Now where to go from here. Right now I'm in the midst of rehearsals for Anton in Show Business , the play will open next month October 10, 2008. The work in this play is definitely challenging me and at times I've felt discouraged, the cast is a group of seasoned thespians, which I'm not and I feel like the little fish in a little pond. But then I tell myself bad rehearsals are part of the learning process and that I can do thi...

Hello all, Outside of my blog, here's my latest writing assignment published online. Scroll about half-way down to find my write-up. http://by143w.bay143.mail.live.com/mail/mail.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0&n=1671660707

Is it just me, or are the nights in Connecticut, and for the Northeast in general, a little cooler than usual. On Monday Morning, I opted to go for a jog in my neighborhood rather than to the gym and boy did I feel the fall chill. The temperature was around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Yikes. I'm so not ready for winter. I know I still have to make it through fall, but something in my gut tells me that if we have an Indian summer, it will be short-lived. Regardless of what the weather brings I will be a busy bee this fall. At work, I'm gearing up for one of the agency's signature events, the 2008 Foster Parent Conference. After that, I'll be working on media publicity for National Adoption Month, which also might mean plans for a local event on National Adoption Day (November 22, 2008). Outside of work, I'm in rehearsals for Anton in Show Business (opens October 10 at the Oddfellows Playhouse, Middletown, Connecticut for the first weekend and then moves to the Little The...

On Saturday, I helped out the Dark Embrace Film team with the production of The Short Con , written and directed by Elvis Diaz, a resident of New London. This weekend marked the second week of production for the cast and crew. Initially, I was suppose to show-up Friday night, but Lawrence, founder and one of the producers of The Short Con , forgot to send me the location information. It worked out in the end, I was physically spent and needed to go home to recouperate. I haven't gotten much sleep this week, I've had rehearsals for a play, a staged reading (which I had to learn an African accent for, I was a refugee from Darfur), and had to set-up a pre-production meeting for the film I plan to shoot in November - all this plus my nine to five. It was a lot. After the staged reading, I called Lawrence to remind him that he forgot to send me the information and that I couldn't make it to the shoot. I told him that I could be there most of the day on Saturday and he was cool w...