My Interview

Uncle Mike at Big Orange Michael has decided he wants to interview me. Heh heh. Ok, pal, do your worst...

1. Over the years, I've recommended a variety of shows to you from The Simpson to Quantum Leap to The X-Files. (But yet, you've never given into the Buffy thing). This question is two-fold. Of all the various shows I've recommended for your viewing, which one have you enjoyed the most? And besides The West Wing, what is one show you'd say I should give a try to?

I would say The X-Files, certainly. It had a lot more staying power, and I followed it religiously from week to week beginning about season 4 or so. We both started watching Babylon 5 at the same time, right?

As for a recommended series: well, The West Wing, sure, although I'm finding out that the current "live" season is not as good as several earlier ones. Catch the Bravo reruns if you can. You know, I don't think there are any other shows I watch that you don't....

2. I knew Barry before he married Laura and they had BrainyBoy and GiggleGirl. (One of the coolest moments in my life was Barry calling me to tell that he and Laura were expected BB. I was so happy for them.). Tells us the story about the first time you met Laura.

I was in my (first) senior year at the University of Tennessee and was a member of the U.T. Chamber Singers, and also was a member of the singing group, "Cantabile" at the U.T. Wesley Foundation Methodist Student Center. When Laura came to U.T. as a grad student, she joined Chamber Singers. The director of Cantabile, Lynne, was also in Chamber Singers and we began to conspire to get the "new girl" into our singing group. As it turned out, she did, and I was able to see her several opportunities throughout the week.

Eventually I asked her to go with me to the U.T./Duke football game, which was our first date.

3. What was your least favorite "Theta game"?

Oh. Great. So you're leaving it to me to explain what the heck a "Theta game" is? *sigh* Ok, here goes:

At the aforementioned Wesley Foundation, there was also a very....special and interesting young woman named Theta (not pronounced "thay-ta", as in the Greek letter, but "thee-tah", as in...um...well, it rhymes with cheetah). Native North Dakotan Theta was the president of our student board, if memory serves, and the self-proclaimed social director of our tight band of students. Occasionally we would go on retreats, and there would be a bevy of "Theta games," as they were known - games to break the ice and foster communication between us and newer students.

So, to make a short story impossibly longer, my least favorite "Theta game" was the one where you put an orange into a pair of pantyhose, tie it around your waist and attempt to maneuver the orange around like a croquet mallet and knock other oranges around. You can just use your imagination as to what that looked like, especially for a guy....

Ah, Theta, we miss you. Last we heard she was a Methodist minister in the midwest somewhere, serving several churches. This, dear readers, is an image that is nigh impossible to visualize.

4. What is the worst episode EVER of Star Trek (any series)? Share with us why it's just so unwatchable.

There are two:

1) Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Imaginary Friend"
This dreck of an episode involves a little girl on board who befriends another little girl, who is actually an evil alien. Really, my main beef is with the alien girl - I'm sure she grew up to be a lovely young woman - but that was the most obnoxious looking and acting little girl I'd ever seen on TV. The plot was dumb, it was way too cutesy even for TNG and was just an pain to watch.

2) Star Trek: Deep Space 9 - "Profit and Lace"
There's one and only one way to describe this episode that is necessary to get my point across.

Quark in drag.

'nuff said.

5. Barry was a theater major at UT. He's directed and worked on a lot of great shows over the years. What is your favorite show you've worked on and why? And is there a show out there you yearn to work on?

My favorite, by far, is Into the Woods (see a couple posts down for some pictures). The first time I worked on this play I was working as an Assistant Stage Manager in the summer of 1990 at Seaside Music Theatre in Daytona Beach, FL. A few years later I was the Music Director of the show here at the Oak Ridge Community Playhouse. It's a tale combining several familiar fairy tales and telling their stories through music.

Ok, now I need five folks who'd like me to interview them (although Mike's already claimed about half the potential audience...). Just leave a message in the comments and I'll let you know.