In an effort to ignore the screaming void in the heart of existence I decided to distract myself by making art.  Perhaps this piece in its entirety... a butterfly rising from a chaotic mix of colors, and bright because -- happy thoughts.  If one wanted to overthink it the idea is that of something beautiful ascending out of chaotic meaninglessness.  I don't recommend overthinking it, but there it is.  If nothing else, it's fun to look at.  Why ask for more?   

Once again I  got the pleasure of taking part in BYOT last month.  I lucked out with a fine pair of performers -- Elliot Palmer and Vinney Greco.  In addition, Rachel Silvert, our director, brought it to life much the same as I envisioned things while writing it.  That's rare.  However, I won't ramble on too long.  Rather, I'll let this sketch speak for itself.  As usual, if you're intrigued by what you see here then check out the other videos from that evening as well as clips from the many fine shows BYOT has put together.  

For more info about BYOT (Bring Your Own Theater), especially if you live in the Chicago area and want to participate, check out the links below:

https://www.byotproductions.com/

https://www.facebook.com/byotproductions/

https://www.facebook.com/events/1698205613626953/

Somewhere in this town is a door.  Those who knock on it are often seeking something they can't find.  Lists can go on and on -- love, children, fortune, fame, etc. -- but one element is always the same.  Whatever answers the door is no kind dealer.
 
Take the case of Tammy and Joe.  Two a-typical teens living a real Romeo & Juliet situation.  It's an old story, only the broad strokes really matter.  Seems back in the fifties Tammy's granddad accused Joe's parents of being commie spies.  When the truth came out that ol' granddad just had a bad case of the Red Scare the two families got set on a track to hate one another indefinitely.  That indefinite duration coming to an abrupt halt one Autumn evening in 1994 when a pair of teenagers bumped into each other at a kegger. 

In any event, neither family would even entertain the idea of these teens being together.  The hurt was part of the family, and the parents would rather disown their kids than an old wound.  So having no choice, and being madly in love -- emphasis on the madly -- two irrational teens decided an urban legend would best solve their problem. 
What exactly they went through to find the right door is anybody's guess.  Personally, I like to suppose it all started as a playful distraction.  Neither kid expected to actually find anything.  The whole search was supposed to be a way of not thinking about their doomed love affair -- together against the odds.  Then a seemingly kind stranger, perhaps with a sinister smile they should've worried about, pointed the kids in the right direction. 

So it was they walked hand in hand down a dark alley to knock on that fabled door.  It didn't take much more than a few taps to elicit an answer.  Maybe they even thought about bolting before anyone arrived, but they certainly didn't react fast enough.  Instead, the door opened revealing... who can say? 

All that's known for sure is Tammy and Joe were never the same after that.  First Joe's parents died in an automobile accident.  Then Tammy's folks succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning while she was at the library.  Suspicions naturally abounded, but rumors aren't facts.  So the couple settled in expecting to be together forever. 

Only that love didn't last.  I doubt that's whatever toll they needed to pay.  The truth is probably simpler.  Sacrifice enough, it spoils the thing you sacrificed for.  Kill your parents to be together, well, you better be the perfect lover everyday ever after.  Not a single unkind word, harsh tone, or bitter touch -- it's gotta be all paradise, or things sour fast because that's when the question slips in.  That unflinching neon weed spreading through the mind asking, "Was it worth it?"

My point being there's a door in town.  All it takes is a knock.  What's on the other side will give you whatever you want.  Just make sure you can live with the cost. 

That said, if you find this door let me know where it is. If nothing else I wouldn’t mind selling directions.

New art inspired by... frankly I have no idea where this came from, and that feels like a good thing.  It's kind of fun looking at something and wondering what the hell I was even thinking at the time.  The title, however, offers a partial hint.  I'd just bought tickets to Lamb of God, and that put me in a mood to just have some fun.  I suppose that's what I'm getting at:  without intention it's easier to do things for the pure joy of doing them.  So this is simple art fun.  Enjoy!