Exclamation Point 2 & You're Probably in Japan By Now

Last night's event, "Exclamation Point" was a stellar success.

Put on by the Fort Point Theatre Channel, the night featured poetry by John Mercuri Dooley, Angie Elm, Amy Demas Grunder, and Cynthia Bargar; plays or scenes by Silvia Graziano, Meron Langsner, Kelly DuMar, and Gina Bonati; reading by Felisa Dyrud; fiction by Michele Corkery; directing by Brendan Shea; and outstanding acting by Jonathan Popp, Dorothy (Dana) Eagle, Mia Van de Water, Mike Budwey, Nick Thorkelson, Mary Driscoll, Silvia Graziano, and Marc S. Miller. It was truly an amazing group to be a part of. Should have some pics shortly.

You can check the Fort Point Theatre Channel's website at http://www.fortpointtheatrechannel.org/


I was floored by the quality of the acting. OK, not literally. Thankfully no one threw me to the floor. But, as a poet who tries to hit different pitches in reading, watching actors and actresses who know what they are doing, and have an amazing talent, is riveting. I couldn't help but think of the last time I saw Sherman Alexie read and his acting out of a scene from his book (from memory). In short, if you can figure out a way to buy some stock in the actors and actresses who appeared at Exclamation Point last night, get on it.

Of course, the writing was incredible, but the writers get the late hours toiling away at computer screens and that actors come in and steal the show... amazing.

I think of Jack Spicer reading from "Language" and basically channeling different voices while he read every time I get ready for a reading. Too bad I don't have more call for crazy voices jumping around in the middle of my poems. Or, thank God. One or the other.

We miss you Jack Spicer.

You can check it out at:

http://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/x/Spicer.html

I read two poems last night- "Ode to Pornography," and "You're Probably in Japan by Now." The second is a bit of a bear to read, as it is so long it is difficult to fight the urge to fly through it (which kills the shifts in tone and the playing of the music against the visual). But it seemed to go pretty well last night.

A few people were interested in getting copies and asked me if it was on my website. The link below will take you to a PDF version of the poem on the Mass Cultural Council website:

http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/gallery/samples/eidsvig.pdf

Thanks again to Fort Point Theatre Channel for an excellent evening and inviting me to come along.