Meet THE MAIN STAR of the "CarryOut Trilogy" (inc. "The END of FUN"): The Carriage House!

As casting picks up steam and our notice finds its way across a growing number of sites, the number of submissions by actors wanting to play these characters grows and grows. UNBELIEVABLY, the largest number of actors have shown interest in playing the part of the clown... REALLY? During the composition process for this screenplay, I kind of shuddered at the thought of even ASKING someone to play this role, and frankly thought I would try to pawn it off onto Dan Koven, Rita McBean, or whomever else we might rope into doing it for us.

"..uh, yeah, so you're going to play a clown. Uh-huh. And you'll also be naked during the scene. Got that? Well...Ok, then...while naked and dressed as a clown, you will also try help try to kill a man...um naked man being killed by....well, you see that's the thing it says here that he's naked too... Then the clown has to do something a little strange...(say WHAT--stranger than everything else so far?)-- well, yeah... this is a semi-musical, so...the clown's gonna sing..."

But, NO SHIT, this is the role people WANT right now! Casting for this role is looking bright indeed. But... I have been holding back on the one real piece of star-power that I have long had my sights set upon...

The CarryOut was and is 99.98%ish based on and inspired by the real-life cool-as-shit karaoke bar called the Carriage House Cocktails and Karaoke (Click HERE or on the pic below to LIKE their FB page! Tell them "The END of FUN" sent you!!!)

As mentioned, in a previous post, I moved to San Diego in Spring of 2012 after a VERY brief period of complete and total homelessness (many adventures leading directly up to, during that period-- but you are probably able to predict my next words at this point...LONG STORY...we'll get back to that stuff some other day. The events, the people, the business, etc that led to my homelessness is VERY LIKELY one of-- if not THE-- next screenplays I will write). Discovering the Carriage House was one of the first and only really, really good things to happen to me in about a year at that low point in 2012.

So much changed for me during the next 2 years, and ALMOST ALL of it positive, that it will long stand in my memory as a few of the best years in my 40-something life. (This is pretty significant, by the way. I do not feel like I am easy to impress, but every time I feel like my life cannot get better than "X" happening-- my band Wild Love Rebellion-- Moving to SoCal-- Praxdog Productions-- something indeed comes along and not only adds to my life, but uplifts it.) The Carriage House will always be a lynchpin, a fulcrum, an important foundation and integral part of those memories and that time. And, no, it's not the alcohol that makes me think so highly of the place. I can get that anywhere. YOU can get that anywhere-- I wouldn't waste your (or my) time that way....PROMISE! It's the place.

There's a vibe that has been created by the souls that populate the space inside that FAR EXCEEDS what should be possible or allowable considering its size. When the place is full, regulars and newbies alike, huddled together in smaller and larger groups around all its tables (whether for playing pool or having a place to sloppily slosh your spirits to rest while you browse the song-catalog and decide exactly what you wish to inflict upon the crowd that evening through the weapon that is your karaoke mic), this bar comes to life. You can feel it as you become part of its body, its mind, and its soul. It needs us to live, yet it lives ONLY FOR US.

This is a basic diagram of the bar that I "drew" from memory using "Google Drawings". If you ever go there...you'll see.... I NAILED it...Really surprised myself....

So, it embraces us all, drawing us in. Allowing us inside to unite with it, and through it, with each other. Wrapping us in kinship and collaboration, the Carriage House still thrives on and feeds the individuality of each shiny star who grabs the mic each night; the bar allowing its voice to become that wildly changing wail which pours regularly from the speakers.

For me, the song "Just What I Needed" by the Cars may be the first song that anyone anywhere at anytime EVER said to me "Hey, that's YOUR song, right?" One night after about a year of hanging out at the Carriage House, a guy I definitely did not know or even recognize walked up, friendly and extroverted as hell-- a drunk smile plastered across his face like the "Jesus Loves You" (that along with the scribbled addition, "Asshole" reads "Jesus Loves You, Asshole") bumper sticker above the toilet upon which many have meditated while letting liquid loose from one of three orifices (Hopefully only one of those actually, IF they are staring at this particular sticker...), walked up to me and blurted out over whomever was singing badly at that time "Hey, man, do you mind if I do 'Just What I Needed?' by the Cars tonight?" I was stunned.

I just looked at the guy, nodded gently and said "Hey man. It's not my song. Only like Ric Ocasek or the other Cars guys can say that." The guy heard not word one of what I had said  to him, but did see the head-nod, understanding the affirmative nature of my response. And that was enough. He left as happily at that particular moment as if I had been Ric Ocasek. While he sang the song, I still drunkenly shouted about MY (yes, Ric, MY) additional lines for the song. When the song says "It's not the perfume that you wear...", I add "...but it helps!" which has become my little addition to the "Carriage House spirit or culture". You often hear those words escape the lips of others there now... it just kind of belongs to the bar...

How did I know I would like the bar so much before I had ever spent one evening there?  WELL, that very first night I visited the bar, it was very busy. I got drunk and decided I would put in, and sing a song (probably "Just What I Needed" or maybe "Don't You Forget About Me"-- those were go-to's for the first year or so...). I filled out my song-slip and turned it in, but if you know much about me, then you know I am not exactly "wired" like others, especially after like 4 or 5 Jack and Cokes, which is what I needed that first night, just to make myself stay calm enough to remain in the bar. A half hour passed after I put in my slip and I began to doubt I had ever done it, but did not want to look stupid and fill another one out if I had just done it. So, I waited and another half hour went by-- I was SURE of it! But still I waited.

Finally, when I could take it no more, I made my way back up to the Karaoke KJ and asked "Hey, DO you know when it will be my turn to sing?" This KJ turned to me with a VERY SINCERE smile on her face, and in a very punk-rock attitude that defied her much more sensible and current, fashionably appropriate, far more glamorous wardrobe and appearance, told me, "It'll be your fucking turn when I call your name!" She wasn't mean. It was just matter-of-fact from someone who was swamped and tired as shit of drunk assholes like me stumbling up a few minutes after putting their song in, only to try and rush her through a rotation she worked hard to keep as fair for everyone as possible. Not only did her response not bother me-- in the context, especially at that exact moment-- it was the only answer. I walked away with a smile on my far more patient face and thought to myself "Well, I know I will be coming back here a lot."

By the way, we have discussed this story many times, and she flat out denies the details of her treatment toward me. But then she usually punches, kicks, stabs, shanks, garrots, slaps or otherwise does lasting bodily harm to me...which she will then deny the next time I see her. The pattern repeats as reliably and as necessarily as the rising and setting of the sun. BUT-- BUT-- BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND, a solid 94.829472-ish% of her verbal and physical violence seem reserved for me exclusively. YOU ARE SAFE if you visit the Carriage House. In fact, she will probably be much more likely to run over to protect you than to hurt you. She is NOT KARI K! But wow, did she inspire her and the story for me in many, many ways.

By the time I had visited the bar a few times, while still very quiet with any patron new or regular, the owner, manager, and bartender, learned my patterns very quickly, exhibiting a level of service that encourages you to drink more, tip more--and FEEL GREAT about coming back again and again to do the same. The folks who show up there to sing only massage the feelings of good times, positive energy and hospitality. The professional service, fun attitude, and amazing regular crowd at this bar are truly something you have to see to believe.

NO WORRIES! I want to put it in "The END of FUN" as a bar called The CarryOut. I want you to see it exactly it is now (it is moving soon!). I want you to see it as I see it. I want you to see it as I love it. I want you to love it as I love it.

Next weekend, we have the first table read coming up. Very quickly during this week and next, we will start to fill the roles of each character with real live actors. MY plan is to speak with the owners of the Carriage House over the weekend and next week to find out all the details we need in order to secure this venue as our MAIN STAR.

Stay tuned. Casting is going nuts and I want to start bringing you some awesome news soon. STARTING WITH THE CARRIAGE HOUSE!

#TEOFCasting #TEOFinfluences #CarriageHouse #TheCarryOut