ConCarolinas – Day 3

Posted on 21 June 2010

My flight to Denver from Dallas/Fort Worth has been delayed.  Actually, it would be more accurate to say that it was never really on time.  It started out on one side of the country, left late, flew all over the country, leaving a little bit later each time.  Then it stopped at O’Hare, and now it’s really late.  If you know anything about O’Hare, nothing leaves there on time.  So I sit here at the mercy of the sky gods typing up my thoughts on an iPod Touch about the last day of the con and the whole thing in general.

Nathan left early, at about 8 in the morning. By the time I made it to the airport, he was already home.  I woke up at about 9:30 and met Joe and the Gilbertsons at their room around ten.  Sarah really wanted to go to an acting workshop that The Hatch was putting on at ten.

We arrive late, along with a few others.  The Hatch quickly hides a flash of annoyance and is forced to start over.  Ah, small pleasures.

After what happened to Rich yesterday, I was hesitant to give The Hatch any more attention.  Nathan and I decided not to tell Sarah, Andrew, and Joe about how he treated the con staff behind the scenes because they seemed really gun-ho for his acting class, and we didn’t want to ruin that pleasure for them.

The Hatch went 45 minutes over.  We didn’t get to do any acting exercises, even though he said we would.  He just talked.  Say what you will about the man though, because even though he liked to talk, he gave great acting advice.  I can already see a dozen ways to improve previous performances, and learned some new techniques to use for future ones.

After the class, we piled into Andrew’s compact and he drove me to the airport.  Joe had to sit with a large cooler on his lap because it wouldn’t fit anywhere else except in the space that I took up. I felt a little guilty about that, but was grateful that they were willing to take me so that I wouldn’t have to spend money on another taxi.

A conversation ensues about how the acting techniques we learned could negatively affect our personality if we didn’t protect ourselves from delving so deeply into our own darker aspect of our own natures.  In fact, The Hatch warned that if an actor couldn’t pull himself out such a mood, he shouldn’t even try going there.  I am once again reminded of how The Hatch treated Rich yesterday and am strangely comforted.

I say goodbye to Joe, Andrew, and Sarah, and tell them I hope I can see them again next year.  ConCarolinas was a positive experience.  I made a few new acquaintances, shored up budding friendships, and reinvigorated older ones. I hope I can make it again next year, if only so I can give Indiana Jim the surprise we had planned.  Maybe you’ll find out about that when I write about ConCarolinas 2011. >:)