Definition of terms

Two recent conversations, one with Tim Baiden, the new board president at Centre Stage, and another with my actor friend Peter Saputo, lured me back up onto one of my favorite soapboxes … the professional status of Centre Stage. Tim Baiden allowed that Centre Stage works “at a professional level,” but hedged on whether it is, in fact, a professional theater. Peter Saputo, who now draws pensions from both Equity and SAG, is a dyed-in-the-wool Union man for whom the theatrical world is divided into two camps: Equity and non-professional. While he admits that the terms “professional” and “amateur” are emotionally charged, he insists that he uses them only in the strictest technical sense … i.e., professional=Equity, amateur=non-Equity. He disowns any implications of quality or commitment or lack thereof. I counter that the technicality claim is specious. It’s a bit like white people deciding that the term “human” is merely a technical term they use to refer to whites. Non-whites should not, therefore, take offense when referred to as non-human. Equity would have us believe that it owns the term “professional,” which is loooooodicrous.

But enough about that. I’ve just returned from an entire weekend spent at Peter’s house where the weather was quite cool and the food was tasty. Pot roast is, I believe, among the top ten meals to which cool weather is most conducive.

Loose ends

In 36 hours, I’ll be on the road to Maine. I’ll spend some of the trip up burnishing my two contrasting monologues, but no worries there. The Silestone counters in the bathrooms look great! And to top it off, Home Depot called after the job was finished to say they owed me $160. The job actually cost less than they’d estimated and I’d prepaid.
Last pre-flight note … I’ll be using a Garmin GPS just purchased today. No more fumbling with maps or astrolabes, no more asking directions. Hello, 21st century navigation.