Randomness...Whitty, NYC, Why I Love the Internet

I lived in NYC from 1993 to 1996, so being in a play that begins during that time in that city has given me plenty of things to chew on as I've read, re-read and rehearsed this play. In some instances, I've relived bits and pieces of my time there.

One of the things I loved about living in New York (at 122nd and Amsterdam) was public access cable. I don't recall ever seeing Jeff Whitty's show, but I remember seeing a wide variety of other strange yet compelling things. One of my favorites was The Church of Shooting Yourself by Nik Little. Pieces of it can be found on YouTube, but the best parts of it are probably locked away in memories. Another favorite was a show where clubbers like the club kids (not necessarily THE Club Kids) would go...clubbing. Most of these shows were awful. They were just the kind of awful though that makes you want to keep watching. My girlfriend, later wife, always refused to come into the room if I was watching public access.

I worked at an internet startup that was housed at W19th and 6th Ave along with Apex Technical School where a large contingent of felons would learn how to rebuild engines. We choked on exhaust while we built websites that were worth millions on paper, but worth nothing when the tech bubble popped.

I just realized how daunting it could be to chronicle my short time in New York City. So for those folks that love lists...here's a list of some everyday things I always liked:

The Compleat Strategist
The Cloisters
Carmine's (on the upper west side...even though it could be touristy)
The idea of going to the Freedom Tunnel (but I was always too chicken to enter)
The north end of Riverside Park
Always walking by "that place" next door to my friend Dan's apartment.
The White Horse Tavern

Umm...that's enough...my list seems boring...but it's mine. Ellipses should be removed from my repertoire.

Anyway, I'm digging through lots of NYC memories (good and bad) as I move through this production.

As for The Hiding Place...I love it. I love it for alot of reasons. I'm glad Jeff Whitty wrote it. I'm glad PAC is doing it. I'm awesomely psyched to have a role in it.