Inspired by a friend who played a little song and chucked it up on facebook for all to see as a thank you for coming to her also very successful Fringe show, I decided "What the hell? I have this video-camera collecting dust and a 25-pound cat ready to duet with me, let's do it!" So here is my thank you to everyone for coming out to see Logic, Luck and Love over the past couple weeks. I'll be sure to let you know when we inevitably do the show again.
Sunday night. Fifth show of five in our run. We’ve been sold out since Tuesday but 8 standing room only tickets are made available because so many people were upset they couldn’t see the show. They sell out with little to no marketing efforts. And I know it’s just 8 tickets, but it’s still awesome the way it happened. Good Joe flew into town from Boston to see this show, which I would like to address further in another post later this week since it is likely the single greatest act of friendship I’ve ever had the fortune of experiencing.
This would be the last night I would spend with Logic, Luck and Love for the foreseeable future, though there have already been conversations about setting up some more dates. Jenn, Kevin, Amy and pretty much everybody involved in the show but me are in charge of figuring that out. So if you missed it and you’re reading this, there will almost definitely be other opportunities to check it out sometime in the future.
For whatever reason – maybe all the people I knew in the crowd, maybe because we hadn’t performed in 3 days or maybe because it always happens – I was just as nervous as Opening Night. I had the extra added pressure of needing to project with a partially-wounded voice. While I was smart enough to not play in my football game that morning, I was not smart enough to remember not to yell. I remember leaving the field thinking “Oh crap. I yelled my throat sore again… HOLY SHIT!” But it turned out fine. The whole night turned out fine. Great, in fact. From the hustle to get this show prepared to the after-party at the Fringe tent. This has been the most incredible experience in my performance career thus far. Well, probably. I’ll let you all know after the mandatory 10-day cooling off period. Until then, you can count on me writing a lot more about it. You know, now that I’ve freed up some time in my schedule.
The show was thrown its first curve ball tonight. Smart money was on me throwing the first curve ball by falling off the stage during my Douchebag Dance. Kevin was a close second.
The crowd wasn’t as lively tonight as Saturday or Wednesday night’s crowd during the first 15 minutes of the show and we could all feel it. This is partly the design of the show, as the beginning is more analytical and interesting than it is gut-busting funny. But as a comedian, I know the importance of starting strong, as laughter will snowball once the first big laugh starts it down the hill. I had prepared to hit them with some energy when I got the chance to get to Brick Street. But that was still a while away. I was hoping they would connect with Molly or Kevin’s stuff before then. And they did in pieces, but not like the past couple shows.
Molly had just ended her first solo story and it was time for Kevin’s Blind Lesbian story when he shot up out of his chair with “David and I are cruising around town in his candy apple red convertible…” This is a really high energy part of the production and I was hoping it would start the crowd down that hill. And it did. Kinda. But after a minute, I feel Molly looking at me. This hadn’t happened yet. I look back and she has a confused look on her face. I think nothing of it and go back to watching Kevin and the crowd. A few minutes later, I realize that this is not the Blind Lesbian story. This is the Beach Trip story. I start to sweat. I’m supposed to go up after the Beach Trip story, but about 15 minutes from now. I don’t want to cut off 15 very important minutes of our production. Crap. My heart beats louder. I pee a little bit, but no more than my boxers can handle.
Molly and I talk behind Kevin. I tell her I’m not getting up as I don’t want to skip all that time and whoever was supposed to go after his Blind Lesbian story should hopefully realize to go now and he can just switch the order and I’ll know to go after his newly reordered Blind Lesbian story in 15 minutes. That’s what I tried to communicate to her but I only said like 4 words. I had hoped it got across. Truth be told, I knew my cue and I knew I wasn’t supposed to go up for another 15 minutes, but I couldn’t remember the exact order of who was next. I was just hoping Molly or Jenn would figure it out and I wouldn’t have to be the one to get up and cut off a good portion of the show.
Kevin is about done the Beach Trip story. He starts to sit down. No one got up. I was scared. Like the opening scene of Jaws kinda scared. This only lasted but a second though because just as he sat down, Lady Gaga came over the speakers, as if a voice from God himself. Telling us that it would be OK. That He was aware of the order of the show and would carry us through this hard time. And sure enough, Jenn got up just like she was supposed to. She later said she didn’t even realize what was going on, but heard Lady Gaga and involuntarily stood up and started speaking, like a Pavlovian dog. And then Molly did her thing and Kevin did the other thing and I did my thing and we were back on track. And sure enough, I looked back at those 5 tense minutes of the show during Kevin’s reordered story and there were only one set of footprints. And they were Lady Gaga’s.
Top of the World
The thing about being on top of the world is that you inevitably have to come down. But I’m living it up while I’m here. I still cannot believe I’m part of a production so heralded and raved about that is a mere 5 tickets away from selling out a 70-seat theater in 4 of our 5 shows. The three other members of this production have been nothing short of amazing. I feel like the new guy around people so immersed in this culture but they certainly don’t treat me that way (Heck, I hadn’t even heard of the Fringe Festival before this year). They treat me as an equal with as much respect for me as each other. I am humbled by their confidence in me and their professional approach to this production. As a very amateur stand-up comic with little more than 7 minutes of stage time on an average night, I have never prepared this much or worked this hard. Molly, Jenn and Kevin have introduced me to this new genre of performance that I’m just happy to be able to not screw up for them. And they aren’t trying to hide me at all. In fact, quite the opposite. They have me opening and closing the production. That wasn’t done with intention, but it wasn’t a concern to them at all. I am mostly happy as a team member that I haven’t let my team down, especially after they chose me as the fourth member of the production. It could have easily been somebody else, but they all saw something in me and I'm thankful for whatever it was that I did to catch their eye.
I am so happy to have been a part of this production and to have worked with these three geniuses and of course our two directors – Amy and Joe – who shaped this performance into the finely crafted piece that it is. I will certainly talk more about this later and can't wait to write an "Inside the Head of a Performer," but I still have a couple more shows to make sure I’m prepared for. Thanks again to everyone. Yap at ya tomorrow.
"This move was going to be the greatest thing I could have done for my ego. And also presumably my id."
- Dustin Fisher, Logic, Luck and Love
Hey gang. Thank you all so much for the awesome messages I got back from my last e-mail. I appreciate your well thoughts even if you can’t make it. And especially those people who have been able to make it to the show. It’s a great date night show, trust me.
Tonight is sold out. Sunday already only has one ticket left. Thankfully, Thursday night still has 20 tickets left. So if you don’t want to miss the “most organic piece of theater I have ever seen,” you have one night. And those tickets may be sold out by day’s end. Thursday, 7/22 @ 6pm. Let me know if you need to know how to buy them. Hopefully I’ll see some of you there!
"Love isn't blind. She's embarrassed."
- Dustin Fisher, Logic, Luck and Love
I knew our show was pretty good. Even before the night started, I had a feeling people were going to like our show. Even after the show, I felt like we hit it out of the park. And I REALLY wanted somebody to print something about me in a review so that I’d have something to put on my website like Molly and Jenn have on our show’s website. But I had no idea if there was anybody in the sold-out 70-seat audience from anything more popular than KrystynsStupidBlog.com. Well, DC Theater Scene was on the scene and gave a review that made me cry when I read it for the first time (which for the record isn’t hard, I cry during Big Fish and some State Farm commercials).
“Every so often a piece of theatre comes along that touches the audience, making them laugh and cry, illuminating issues that we all experience privately, but seldom address in mixed company. Logic, Luck and Love does all this, and more, shedding light on both the heterosexual and homosexual male and female experiences in love.”
And that’s just the first paragraph. Check out the rest of the review at the website below. And try to come to our show if you can this Wednesday, Thursday and/or Sunday.
Logic, Luck and Love
Stop me if you've heard this before, but I'm in a big production this summer called Logic, Luck and Love as a part of the Capital Fringe Festival. I hadn't heard of it either before this year, but it's a pretty big deal and this is my biggest role since ever. Here's a little bit about it.
THE FRINGE FESTIVAL BEGINS!
The time has come! Opening Night is tomorrow, 7/17 and it’s already SOLD OUT. And because of the “nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd” thing, you all need to buy your tickets soon. There are five dates and times ranging from weekday evening, weekend day and weekend night. So you’re going to need to come up with another damn excuse. And if “I hate going into DC” is your excuse, then you’re lame and you’re no longer invited. (Ed note: This only applies to the Maryland friends. You guys in Ohio, etc. are still cool).
THE SHOW
Four storytellers approach relationships from four different perspectives. Are you on Team Logic or Team Luck? (And it’s funny, trust me).
Want to learn more about the show? Check this out! http://logicluckandlove.com/
IT’S A BIG DEAL
Yeah, the show has its own website. That’s how big it is. I don’t have websites for my average 8-minute long stand-up/storytelling sets. This is a one-hour production with another 3 incredibly talented storytelling comedians. The longest set I’ve done to date has been 20 minutes and that was in front of 12 people. OK, I’m assuming you all understand now that this is a big deal. Moving on…
WEBSITE
http://logicluckandlove.com/
SPECS
Dates and times are as follows:
Sat 7/17 @ 7pm
Sun 7/18 @ Noon
Wed 7/21 @ 6pm
Thu 7/22 @ 6pm
Sun 7/25 @ 6pm
The venue is the Goethe Institut. It’s German and don’t ask me to pronounce it.
812 7th St, NW DC, between the Gallery Place and Convention Center Metro stops.
Free Map!
TICKETS
This is an unfortunate pain in the ass. Tickets are $15. But if you buy them online, there is a $4 surcharge. And in order to attend any Fringe Festival show, you need a Fringe button, which costs $5. I seriously recommend going to a few other shows (detailed below), to make the purchase of the button worthwhile. But if all you want to do is come see our show (and thank you very much), I have an idea. I’ll buy the buttons back from everyone who comes to opening night. That way I can give them out to people who come to subsequent shows. It’s an expense I’m willing to incur for your friendship. But this is how the non-profit festival makes its money, so let’s keep this on the DL.
ALSO, I get a discount AND if I know a few of you will be coming, I can buy in bulk to knock the price down. So rather than buy tickets yourself, just let me know when you plan on attending and I can get you tickets. But PLEASE let me know by next Thursday so I can get the ticket order together. Or just go to
The Capital Fringe Festival website (http://shows.capfringe.org/shows/417-Two-Pear-Productions-Logic-Luck-and-Love.html) and do your thing. Sorry it’s such a hassle for the casual Dustin-lover, but can you really put a price on a dream? (Don’t answer that)
You can also buy tickets at the door of the show. But some shows may sell out, so I’d rather you not come all the way down to find out you can only listen from outside.
OTHER SHOWS
We have a few friends in the festival and both of them start tonight. Check out these two productions.
Give Them Vagina: Tips from Mom, Dad & Cosmo
http://shows.capfringe.org/shows/504-Vijai-Nathan--Give-Them-Vagina-Tips-from-Mom-Dad-COSMO.html
Showcase Showdown
http://shows.capfringe.org/shows/500-SpeakeasyDC-Showcase-Showdown.html
EPILOGUE
OK, I’ve yapped enough. Thanks for being a friend and I look forward to this experience. Help me out and come to a show or at least don’t tell me it’s because you hate going into DC. Because that’s bullshit.
Hope I didn’t forget anything. But that seems impossible.
Sorry about my unscheduled delay in Father’s Week, but I was called up that Thursday to do a comedy show on Saturday and I needed to 
dedicate a little time to that set. And I really do have a full-time job that takes up about 25 hours a week if you don’t count the time on facebook and twitter and hulu (OK, 15). But I did want to get one more story in about my father before I spend the next three weeks concentrating solely on my big show (and smaller show), which I’ll be sure to tell you about until you’re sick of it too.
This is one of my favorite stories and I’m not even in it. And as narcissistic as I am, that means it must be a good one. Toward the end of my dad’s days, he started telling me a little bit more about the part of his life I wasn’t privy to before. As a current adult, I now know there are many things I would prefer my children not know about me until they’re old enough. Not bad things, just stuff like girl-chasing, pot-smoking and genital-exposing type of activities. Which means you’ll all be warned 9 months before this website will be shut down. But my dad and I began to speak more candidly about his past in the summer of 2005. And the following is his account of a night in Atlantic City with John and Mark, two of his brothers.
It really helps if you know Mark and John, but you don’t have to. Picture two guys a lot like my dad, one younger than the other. If you don’t know my dad – try picturing a mix between your dad and me. And Paul Reiser. Anyway, the three of them were going to Atlantic City for the night as they did often. Usually they’d go there pretty late – between 6 and 9pm – and wouldn’t come back until somewhere between 2 and 6am. On this particular night, my dad wasn’t feeling too well. He was on the fence about whether or not to go in the first place. But Mark has a way of whining people over (yes, that was intentional). “Come on Glen! Jack is all the way up here from Maryland. How often do we get to do this? I’ll drive. And we don’t have to stay too late, I swear.” And so dad was off to AC with John and Mark, not technically against his will.
The details of certain things have still never fully been explained to me. Like I don’t know what “a lot” means when he said that “Mark was down A LOT of money.” $150? $500? $75,000? I’m not sure. But it doesn’t really matter. The inflection in his voice gave me all that I really needed to know.
My dad had lost his allocated $200 for the night and was ready to leave at midnight. John could have stayed or gone, but was empathetic for my father’s growing unrest. However, Mark was down A LOT and his body language at the poker table said that he wasn’t leaving anytime soon. As did his mouth when my dad asked again at 1:30. And with every minute that passed and every dollar that was lost, my dad felt more uncomfortable, Mark felt more agitated and John was stuck playing mediator. “Hey man. Just give me the keys to drive Glen home and I’ll come back and get you.”
“Just wait another damn minute. As soon as I get back to [$???], we’ll fuckin go!” It was a 3-hour round-trip drive. And Mark was a time bomb with a quirky fuse that could fizzle out or blow any minute.
3am…
4am…
5am…
My dad had been leaning against the wall holding his jacket for hours now. His eyes were uncontrollably closing and his body needed a bed. John was getting irritated at Mark’s list of priorities. “Hey man. Could we at least borrow $100 to get a cab. Glen needs to get home.”
“FINE!” Mark grabbed his jacket and stormed out in the middle of whatever he was doing at the moment of the impact of that comment. He speed walked to the car and my dad lagged behind, John with him and yelling at Mark to hold up. “Well, hurry the fuck up you wanna go home so Goddamn bad!” Awesome.
Once on the Atlantic City Expressway, Mark was going about 130 mph, as if outrunning the sunrise. It is important to note that these three men don’t drink. Anger was Mark’s only drug of choice that night/morning. My dad started to get uncomfortable. “Hey. Mark. You think you could slow down a little bit?” He did. So now he was going 20 mph on the AC Expressway in obvious defiance. John asked him to pull over. “Why?”
“Because I’m gonna beat the shit out of you.”
That’s where the story ends for me, but I think that’s where it should. Maybe they fought, maybe they drove home in peace. Either way, they did it all again a couple months later, I’m sure. That’s how close dad was with his brothers and sisters. And because this is a part of his life that I wasn’t a part of, it’s great when I get together with the siblings. Because these guys remind me of a part of my dad outside myself. And I’m sure I remind Mark, John and the whole family of another side of him they didn’t see all the time. But this story sums up the relationship that he had with his siblings and though it’s probably not one I’ll ever really have with them, I get closer to it every time I see them, as we no longer have to worry as much about the adult/child boundary. Thanks for sharing, dad. You are still missed by many, many people of all generations.
