We capped a week of extremely busy and occasionally frustrating work by driving around the city for an hour, with a video camera pointing out of the passenger-side window. Does that sound un-safe? Well, we wanted a varied and unvarnished look at the city (which we would later edit into a montage for the climax of the show) so we did spend sometime in areas that made us feel … uneasy.

I remember pulling up to a corner, and just as I was thinking, “This looks just like a scene from The Wire,” Sean said, “I think you should put the camera down.” A few minutes later, we turned a corner onto a somewhat more, um, populated block and I put the camera down myself, muttering to Sean, “Okay, now I’m getting a lil nervous.” Moments later, some guy yelled at us … “the fuck y’all doin?” … time to go.

You can see some of the results of our journey in the video below.

You don’t have to go uptown to find squalor, though. Not even in NYC does is it so common to step-over a person sleeping on the sidewalk in what seems otherwise to be a “very nice” part of town. It’s shocking, disturbing, distressing, depressing. We were walking along, enjoying the thrill of a two-show day, watching the Saturday night revelers stream by us, and were struck silent by the old, black man, sleeping under a ratty blanket in front of us. I can only hope he found peace.

I have pictures to share, and happier moments to talk about, but once again this city has left me without words.

Here’s that video. (It has almost no sound by the way.)

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1. A Great Time in My Life

But just a little bit.

The first time I visited Philadelphia, I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. (Actually, it was the second time I’d been here, but I was only 12 years old for the first trip, and all I remember is the homeless man sleeping on the sidewalk as people walked over and around him. I have no idea what part of town we visited, we didn’t even see the Liberty Bell up close, as far as I recall.)

We were visiting a dear friend, and though she took us to nice places (including a coffee shop we now pass everyday) it was the dead of a very bitter winter, and no one was on the streets, and it just looked like a desolate kind of urban wasteland. Despite my best efforts, I was not impressed.

Well, this time around it’s quite different. We’re staying in a great area, and we cross through several others on our way from “home” to the theatre each day. So, I’m getting to see stuff and make sense of my very simple questions, like “Where do people actually live around here? Where do they spend their time?”

My primary issue, of course, is finding a decent coffee shop. Actually, let’s be honest, my primary issue is finding at least one of the best coffee shops in town. Lucky for me, I got a great recommendation from a local – RJD2 (whose new album, The Colossus, came out today). Spruce Street Espresso, as he told me it would be, is definitely the place. I knew I was in good hand as soon as I saw the Counter Culture logo on the door. To give you an idea … my favorite coffee place in Columbus, Luck Bros just became an authorized Counter Culture dealer, the first in Ohio, in fact. So, when I walked in and saw this …

… as was understandably relieved and excited.

So, today, after dragging myself out of bed, and through the shower and the kitchen a little bit, I packed a small bag of books and walked slowly but happily to Spruce & 11th. I spent a couple of hours sitting outside, chair-hopping and chasing the sun around the corner of the building. (I was reading Shostakovich’s Testimony, in case you’re interested. Yes, it’s for a future project, and no, I won’t talk about it.) Wonderful.

Then I pulled out the ol’ iPhone, typed in “book store,” and head towards South Street. Sean had already let me know that South Street was a retail paradise, and in fact it seems to be a hub of big chains (like Whole Foods) as well as local sellers. Atlantic Books was the first sizable book store I came across, so I stopped in. Of course, I always have a few things in mind, but I was willing to let the purveyors guide me as well. I walked out with a Solzhenitsyn tome that was an employee pick (vaguely related to the afore-un-mentioned project) as well as the first part of Cormac McCarthy’s Border-Trilogy, (I just read The Road, which is an absolute masterpiece.) as recommended by my dad. They also had this cute little book called eat.shop Philadelphia. It’s one of series. No, they haven’t made it to Columbus yet, but Bustown would be a great choice, it’s all about unique and local.

Okay. Coffee – found it. Books – accomplished. Next on the list? Comics. iPhone says … Atomic Comics, about 4 blocks away. Well … I don’t know if it was a name-change or just didn’t pop-up on the phone, but I came across Showcase Comics. Their window display included Crumb and Alan Moore as well as some new-ish super-hero stuff, so I jumped in.

It was glorious. They had a HUGE selection of trades, tons of good manga and a back wall of shelves of indie books of every shape and size. Did you know there’s a new Paul Hornschemeier collection? I didn’t, but boy that’s exciting. In the end, though, I didn’t get it. It was kind of expensive, and there was so much else I was dying for. They appeared to have every volume of the minx books (DC comics for teenage girls), of which I intend to collect every volume. (I know it seems counter-intuitive, but the editors did a great job of picking real-live talent and letting them do what they wanted with the stories.) I also grabbed a few issues ofWednesday Comics, which I’ve heard so much about and never seen. Blah blah blah … I bought some comics. Some are really good, and the Ultimate Avengers are horrible.

After that it was back to the homestead, back into the never-ending tech rehearsals. I’m getting to like Philly, though. I can finally see the map in my head, and see where the living is done. It’s nice.

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1. Two Lil Movies

This is a great time in my life. Isn’t it? Let’s count the ways.

1. I’m in Philadelphia, actually getting paid decent money to direct a show I really, deeply care about (Killadelphia). And while I’m here, Sean Lewis and I are sharing a 3-story house in downtown Philly. (Right by the Italian Market.)

2. I found a couple of great coffee shops today. (Spruce Street Espresso and La Colombe Torrefaction).

3. Even though I’m out of town, my company is opening a fantastic new show (“Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice“) that looks destined to be our biggest hit yet.

4. Despite all this, we’re managing to turn in a big grant application tomorrow for a show I’m dying to talk about but really can’t yet.

5. My wife is starring in said Available Light show and doing fantastic work. maybe the best she’s ever done.

Well, now I’m tempted to just start listing all the stuff I love about my life right now. I won’t do that. Suffice to say, though, I’m very happy, and I’m realizing that I’m probably having one of those weeks that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. (Or maybe not. I am on only 2 hours of sleep, after all.)

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1. Comic life
2. Avengers lost in time.

Some faves, many from the The American Museum of Natural History.

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1. some nyc/phila pix
2. Sunday/Monday Phila/NYC
3. NYC First couple of days

Well, we’re at the airport with a wireless network thanx to JetBlue. And yes, that’s a link. I’m pimping for JetBlue, because they’re inexpensive, and I got to watch Stephen Colbert on the way to NYC. What could rock more on an airplane?

We spent Sunday in Philadelphia with the incomparable Krista. It was a very blustery day, and the streets were abandoned, but never-the-less, the big, red K endeavored to show us Philly’s pluses and minuses. I feel I have a good sense of the layout of the city, and the basics. But I still have little idea what it feels like to BE in the city, since, there were very few people about. We did have some good food, and we visited a cool coffee shop (soon to be pictured below), and Krista’s hospitality was great.

We also saw some theatre. I hesitate to say this, some circumstances being what they are, but it was pretty boring. We were very non-plussed by A House With No Wall at InterAct. It was an alright enough play, and the direction and acting were very competent, but it was just not exciting or engaging. Alas and alack. They had a cool space, though.

Then we had another great night of sleep, awoke early to catch the 9am Chinatown bus, and headed back to the City. We had two eagerly-awaited destinations this morning: Midtown Comics and the Drama Book Shop. Wooo-ha!

We did well, and didn’t spend too much money. I found a couple treasures from D&Q and Kevin H. at the comic store, and Acacia found Nightwing 100. At Drama Books, I struggled over a Cafe Cinno book and a Wooster Group book, but eventually ended-up with The New Radical Theatre Notebook and a book about teaching theatre to youngsters. Acacia got a new TCG book about the history of actor training.

Then we headed downtown for supacheap and hellagood hummus and falafel and coffee and relaxing a bit.

Know what we did next? (I’m trying to wrap this up before we have to board a plane.) We went to the Empire State Building and looked down a lot. That was cool. Dave could point out his hotel room. (I’ll add a couple pictures here as well.) It was not at all crowded, so there were no lines and we could see plenty without feeling rushed or being bothered by all the people around.

Then great sushi at Sushiden, a short walk, a short cab-ride, a brief drive, some more walking, stripping down for security, a shuttle, some more walking, and now we’re here and going to get on a plane back to good old Columbus, Ohio.

One of the best things about going away is that you get to return home. Being in other places makes you appreciate your hometown even more. I miss Jenny’s and Stauf’s and my family and even Lindeys. I miss my bed and watching DVDs with Acacia and my friends and doing theatre and the ease of getting places in Columbus. I miss the Short North and wireless wherever I go. I miss my home.

Related posts:

1. some nyc/phila pix
2. NYC 07
3. NYC First couple of days

Related posts:

1. NYC 07
2. NYC First couple of days