Hello Mindblowers!

Just came back from Minneapolis where there was a lot of support and my 20th class reunion! (There is no Kristy Coombs- who is a cross between someone I knew at Christian Bible camp and a relative and some woman I met after a show in Michigan!) Awesome!

Some news:

Sit Down Shut Up (The Fox animated series slated for 2009 Spring) is on again and we'll record Episode 2 on Thursday! Jason Bateman's character is in love with my character so, we're pretty close now (and when I say close, I mean I've made some furtive eye contact and stood in the same room with him for an hour!) Everyone is very nice and uber funny. There were handmade potato chips. It was blowing my mind, mindblowers.

Also, I'll be on The Root of All Evil- for The Hills and a few other choice topics. It is a beautiful show- great parliamentary debate style (but with more rehearsal) and if you aren't reading anything, you must watch it. Or not.

WORDGIRL - which stars the wonderful Dannah Feinglass as Word Girl- on PBS received an EMMY!!! For Best Writing of an Animated Children's Program!!!!!!! WordGirl ALSO received the Television Critics Award for Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming. It's very funny and educational and I'm learning a lot of vocabulary. What I really need is STRUNK AND WHITE WOMAN.

Taping new (3rd) CD at the Upright Citizen's Brigade in LA - tentatively titled "UNWANTED THOUGHTS SYNDROME: Meena and the Woof Woofs" We'll see. Come on down!!!!

Also! I'm in the current issue of "BUST" as a "FRESH FACE" with Solange Knowles (Beyonce's Sister!) Awesome and ridiculous!

Thanks for all of your support and coming out to see my showbusiness- I'll be in NASHVILLE in November- for all of the Southern districts!

Create, create, create! Onward and inward and onwardly inwardly onward!

Maria B.

EPISODE 2

These scenes with my mother, the therapist and the temp agency are directly from my one-person show. I feel a little embarrassed about that. Maybe I should have made up something completely new. Recycling- what's good for the bottle, is good for the can. The truth in the following scenes are:

- my Mom did say that I should wear makeup or I'll look mentally ill and that I should wear makeup to Target (though she denies it now! ARGH! )

- I did have a life coach suggest that I call anxieties "goblins". It seemed complicated and I stopped. We talked on the phone once and it cost only $5.00.

- Amy Sleverson doesn't exist, but she's based on a girl I knew in Duluth. She found a long hair coming out of my neck in biology class and kept saying, "It's ATTACHED, it's ATTACHED!"

- The guy from high school doesn't exist- (and, in fact at my 20th reunion I had a lovely time and everyone was warm and funny and I drank a Mike's Hard Lemonade, 2 Diet Cokes and ate a steak. No one was weird or mean and I probably wasn't weird or mean either, which is a benefit of the Aging Process, I think)

- But, 1 young guy said after a show, "You look thinner or something- oh yeah- you're older! Right!" and it was funny (to me).

- Damon Jones thought of all of the shots. My favorite ones were where I could lie down or lean on something. Damon has a wonderful ice machine on his refridgerator and I spent a lot of time going back and forth to that ice machine, while Damon thought of all the shots. Sometimes I got him some ice. Sometimes not. I'd also check out his stuff- check stubs, books, bathroom supplies. Damon gets residuals from the Director's Guild and he has a generous supply of sugar free gum. I took pieces of his gum as needed. His dad was a football coach and he gets Entertainment Weekly by subscription. More details to come…

- I didn't change my make up or hair or anything and I wonder if that was just laziness or an artistic choice. Or, is laziness, in fact, a sort of artistic choice? Stand up is one of the laziest theatrical productions in that- nothing is needed except the lifting of your body on to a platform and amplifying your voice. Hmph I'm going to argue on my own behalf that I am a very hard worker and I don't believe in wigs and make-up because if I am a "real" actress, I should be able to embody the character without those props. (And, it takes so long to get all of that stuff, put it on, find a bag to put it in, carry the bag to my car, etc.)

- Blossom loves show business and posed for the intro/outro credits like a professional. I've tried to take her to personal appearance engagements, but she's retiring and spending a lot of time with her blind mentee, Bert.