December 2012 ·

Dear 2012,

You passed so quickly it seems like only yesterday I was writing a letter to that bastard, 2011. But this letter isn’t about 2011. It’s about you, 2012.

It’s 3:45AM and I’m staying up late because I don’t want to let you go. Because you were a great year! I had so much fun!

Thank you for all the memories and adventures! Thank you for all the kind, outgoing, compassionate, patient, forgiving, loving, hilarious people you shared with me. Thank you for all the lessons you’ve taught me and all the things you’ve helped me learn about life, people, culture, me. Thank you for having a great sense of humor. Thank you for helping me feel and experience the Holy Wow in new and exciting ways.

Just look at all these fun things we did!

Two hitchhikers I picked-up somewhere in Wisconsin on my return from the Capital Fringe Festival.

First in-person Mike Daisey experience in Washington, DC!

The Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC.

My scooter became the official “Thumbs Up” tour vehicle in Minneapolis for the Minnesota Fringe Festival.

Powderhorn 24 Bike Race crews. Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Cast and creatives of the Chicago Avenue Project, Pillsbury House Theatre, Minneapolis, MN.

First graders perform at the Zibo Century Talents Foreign Languages School annual Christmas program. Zibo, Shandong, China.

The Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC.

Visiting the Thinking Man overlooking Lake of the Isles, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Day one at Zibo Century Talents Foreign Language School, Zibo, Shandong, China.

“Something Something Juliet” in performance in Zibo, Shandong, China.

ER visit following Powderhorn 24 Bike Race. Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Visiting my favorite stylist, Ashley, at Moxie. Minneapolis, MN, USA.

My 60’s prom date, Linea at Lyle’s in Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Amazing set of music by The Kopecky Family Band.

Anthony Logan Cole and Michael promoting “Thumbs Up” at the Capital Fringe Festival. Photo & write up in the Washington Post the following day!

On tour with the National Theatre for Children, 2012.

Mickey’s with Amy and the girls. St. Paul, MN, USA.

Shooting video for Securian All-Company Meeting. St. Paul, MN, USA.

ER visit following Powderhorn 24 Bike Race. Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Filming the North Suburban Beat with Ellen Anderson. Roseville, MN, USA.

Meeting up with another NTC tour company, Andy and Rebecca, in Winston-Salem, NC.

Mao. Zibo, Shandong, China.

Table work with five-year-olds for my play “Happy Birthday” in Zibo, Shandong, China.

Visiting the Chapel on tour.

My play “Something Something Juliet” won Most Creative, Best Acting, and Overall Best Performance at a drama competition in Zibo, Shandong, China.

So excited to see Mike Daisey’s show! Washington, DC.

Alex, Maggie, and Kellend. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. Zibo, Shandong, China.

Vacationing in the mountains outside Boshan, Shandong, China, during National Week.

Students after a performance at Harmony Theatre Company and School in St. Louis Park, MN, USA.

Notes with the cast of Young Actors Theater Company in Eagan, MN, USA.

Exploring new places in St. Paul, Minnesota. 2012.

Jucy Lucy’s at Matt’s with Dan. Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Curtain call for “Happy Birthday” at Zibo Century Talents Foreign Language School in Zibo, Shandong, China.

First friend in Zibo, Shandong, China.

Amy sent me a turkey, from America, to Zibo, Shandong, China! Amazing!

Grandpa and Grandma Venske. Watertown, MN, USA.

Biking in Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Teaching an improvisation workshop with Harmony Theatre Company and School in St. Louis Park, MN, USA.

A view of my apartment building in Zibo, Shandong, China.

On tour with NTC’s “The Energized Guyz” in North Carolina, USA.

Meeting kindergarteners in Zibo, Shandong, China.

On tour with NTC’s “The Energized Guyz” in North Carolina, USA.

Live hosting gig for Securian All Company Meeting. St. Paul, MN, USA.

Celebrating Jesse Narr’s wedding with my brother. MN, USA.

Flying from North Carolina to Minneapolis to host the Securian All Company Meeting with Gumby and Pokey.

Route from MPLS to WDC for Thumbs Up in the Capital Fringe Festival.

Broke my hand acting. Minneapolis, MN, USA.

A new friend in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.

Middle school English teachers in Zibo, Shandong, China.

Closing another show with Harmony Theatre. St. Louis Park, MN, USA. 2012.

Bruises from Powderhorn 24 Bike Race accident. Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Tony Milder and me after the last performance of the tour of NTC’s “The Energized Guyz.” North Carolina, USA.

A view of the Martin Luther King and Washington Monument.

My favorite server, Mary, at my favorite restaurant, Mickey’s Dining Car, St. Paul, MN, USA.

Middle School English teachers. Zibo, Shandong, China.

It’s Ellen Anderson’s birthday! Minneapolis, MN, USA.

My BFF at the Capital Fringe, Washington, DC.

Honored! Roseville, MN, USA.

The best day with Rebecca!

Packing for China. Minneapolis, USA.

My friends the Koegler family in Minneapolis, MN, USA.

“Thumbs Up” premieres at the Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, DC.

On tour with NTC’s “The Energized Guyz” in North Carolina, USA.

“Thumbs Up” in performance at the Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, DC.

My dad the moment before we said goodbye for my NTC tour. Minnetonka, MN, USA.

Finally earned my nursing degree!

Future love of my life. Common Roots Cafe, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

These drums belong to W.S. Holland, Johnny Cash’s longtime drummer. I carried them. I talked with Mr. Holland about Jackson, TN. Made my day meeting this legend! Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Spent the afternoon at Adventureland! Duluth, MN, 2012.

Rebecca Blackmore. Life doesn’t get much better. Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Running errands with Alex. Minneapolis, MN, USA.

On tour with NTC’s “The Energized Guyz” in North Carolina, USA.

A stop through Chicago after the NTC tour. Crazy people on St. Patty’s Day!

Lincoln Monument selfie while on tour with Thumbs Up. Washington, DC.

A scene from the Chicago Avenue Project, Pillsbury House Theatre, Minneapolis, MN.

Teaching seventh graders outside in Zibo, Shandong, China.

Interior of rental car en route to Washington, DC, for Capital Fringe Festival.

Hammerschlagen with Micah Thor! Minneapolis, MN, USA.

“Thumbs Up” appeared at the Minnesota Fringe Festival in Minneapolis, MN,

Vacationing in Boshan, Shandong, China, during National Week.

My best friend, Ken. Minneapolis, MN, USA.

WHAT A GREAT FUCKING YEAR!

If I can ask you for one more favor…

Will you please tell 2013 not to suck?

Okay, 2013. Let’s do it.

During filming of “Marathon Man,” Sir Laurence Olivier noticed young Strasbergian Method actor Dustin Hoffman looking less than stellar and asked why. Hoffman said he stayed up all night because his character stays up all night.

Laurence Olivier replied in jest,

“Why not try acting? It’s much easier!”

BREAK BONES IN 2 EASY STEPS!

1) Commit to character.
2) Play the scene.

The highlight of the whole experience has been answering the same question hundreds of times: “How’d you break your hand?”

“By punching a wall in jail.”

The reactions are priceless.

BACKSTORY

At the beginning of April, two weeks after returning from a successful tour with the National Theatre for Children, I was downtown Minneapolis at the Hennepin County Jail acting in deescalation training scenarios for the Barbara Schneider Foundation. It was the second day of training and on this particular day I was playing a bipolar man wielding a weapon (a pen) in the middle of a manic episode.

The goal of the scenario is for the participating nurses and sheriff’s deputies to use active listening skills to deescalate the situation, calm the inmate/patient, obtain a potential diagnosis to better treat the inmate/patient all while assessing safety concerns for the individual in crisis and the nurses/deputies.

If the participants in the scenario are doing well the actor will calm down and the scenario will reach it’s natural successful conclusion. However, if the participants in the scenario aren’t taking the role-play seriously and are indifferent, argumentative, confrontational, not listening and/or their body language is standoffish the actor escalates the scenario.

In this scenario the goal is to deescalate and get the inmate to relinquish the weapon. However, both deputies in the scenario escalated the scene. My character became agitated, suspicious, and felt like these two deputies were closing in on him.

The only way the character could maintain a feeling of dominance in the scene was to demonstrate how serious he was about wanting to be left alone. The character screamed at the deputies and with the adrenaline of the moment surging through his veins full-force punched a brick wall crushing the fifth metatarsal in his hand.

When the training day was over, I noticed my left hand had swollen up so incredibly I couldn’t put my bicycling gloves on. Rather than seek medical attention at an emergency room, which I should’ve done, I went to my favorite watering hole to visit Dr. McGillicuddy hoping to be prescribed a cure for what ailed me.

It wasn’t until the next day at Young Actors Theater Company when my co-worker Shelley said I had to go to the hospital. And that she was taking me. She and I spent the next five hours at HCMC’s emergency room. Because, yep — I broke my hand.

As much as breaking my hand sucked I’m proud of my commitment to character. Also, I’ve never participated in a fight or considered myself a violent person, but I can’t help feel a little “tougher” after this experience.

As dorky as this sounds, I’ve never had a cast or a broken bone, so the following are images documenting the experience. Some of these images are gross. Just FYI.