Links: Deni M.

Ahh, Deni. Deni fucking M.

I first met this chump in the autumn of Aha! Theater's run at the top of the Seattle Fringe scene, where he was an occasional stage manager. More consistently, I would run into him when he SMd for Bald Face Lie.

Deni, like many an actor in the mid to late 90's--myself included--scratched out a living as a temp in the .boom-crazed, laizze faire environment that was Seattle back then. What this meant was that he and I would frequently be broke. Fortunately, we wouldn't be broke at the same time, so there was a symbiotic debt cycle between us.

Deni is what is known as a character, like many of my friends. The number of stories I could tell--or more importantly, that I can recall to tell--is impressive. Out of respect for his current marriage I won't divulge too many of them.

Though the very fact that he is currently married is mind-boggling. L must have a ton of patience. To be fair, my friend M has reported that he has been tamed by her influence, and I mean "tamed" in a good way, people. Man can't live in excess all of his life.

I could also go on about his liberal extremist tendencies, and thought process (ergo "Left-Wing Nut"), and if I call you a liberal extremist...A favorite memory is the one where he sends in his notice, via email, to the entire company (a law firm). Phrases like "right wing demagogue," and "cryptofascist" were to be found, amongst many others, in the text.

Deni, it must be said, is also something of a music freak. His tastes, which don't exactly mesh with mine, is eclectic enough that his recommendations are worth a listen, at least. He's also pretty good at sticking his foot in his mouth, and it's fun to poke at his selective leaps of logic.

He's a good egg, truth be told, and an excellent judge of character. Without him, I wouldn't have met Joe (TFO), and that has been a rewarding friendship.

I had just met Joe, when Deni, who was directing a show Joe had written, called me in to audition. I was cast, and TFO and I had a scene, along with C, that required us to play stoners. Not that hard, one would think, considering the company.

Well, apparently Deni felt that there was still something missing, and called a special "rehearsal" that required the need for merchandise. C, being a non-stoner, bowed out of the research portion of the rehearsal. TFO, Deni and I somehow managed.

There's really no point to this story, as we only did the scene twice, due to stoner inability to deal. The first time was somewhat succesful, second time, not so much. I just recall having to stop a number of times, which included having to rewind an episode of ST:TNG to the opening credits (stoner OCD), because we'd get the giggles. We went through a considerable amount of merchandise.

Anyway, go to his site and give him the piss. He deserves it.

(ps - Punk still owes me money, though, no matter what he says to the contrary.)

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