While I believe every success of the Earth & Sky Acting Company comes down to our love for our art and the work and dedication put forth by the members of this family, I also believe that the unique and wonderful energy we create draws to us the blessings of Serendipity.

     From the beginning my career as an amateur actor was jinxed.  This is not a complaint; it is a statement of fact.  For several years, any show that I was cast in either failed to make it to production, or made it only after I had some cause to drop out.   I was proud to be the stage manager for several successful productions, however.

     During the second major segment of my rather spread-out college career, a friend was casting a show he was directing as a student director.  Being both brave and a caring friend, if a bit foolish, he cast me in his show.  The play was Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Aria De Capo.  This play contains two sub-plays, and has a character who acts as the stage manager for both.  Phillip cast me as the stage manager.  I will always credit (or blame) him for breaking the jinx and thereby causing me to not give up on the whole idea of acting entirely.

     I got into helping out in the theater department at college.  It was in the costume shop that the next major event of my acting life occurred.  I met a arrogant, obnoxious young actor named John.  This guy thought he was god’s gift to women and to theater.  I didn’t think much of him, but Jo “Ma” Pollard, the wise old woman of the theater and Guru of the costume shop, seemed to like him, so I figured he deserved more than to be brushed off and tuned out.  The theater instructors / directors mostly seemed impressed with his capabilities, too.  Over time John was involved in most of the productions I got into, and there came to be an infamous saying about the two of us.  They said every show I did with John, he managed it so I wore less clothes.  The important thing about John Daniels, a.k.a. john daniels, jr., a.k.a. jdj was that he had a remarkable talent to teach acting.  For many years to come, I would consider him my mentor in this field.  For such a lout, I have also found john makes for a true and honorable friend.

     I see theatre as an act of creating and becoming.  At its best it takes not only the actors but all within range of it and remakes them for a time into a new reality.  The energy formed and released by this occurrence is more powerful and focused than everyday life, and offers transformation to those who accept its touch and use its gift.

ARIA DE CAPO
(Edna St. Vincent Millay)
for TEXAS A & I THEATER DEPARTMENT directing class project.  Fall 1986.  d. Phillip Brock

ROLE:  “Stage Manager”

WINTERSET
(Maxwell Anderson) 
for TEXAS A & I THEATER DEPARTMENT at the LITTLE THEATER.  Fall 1987.  d. Dr. Joseph Rosenberg. 

ROLE:  crowd extra.

ELEVEN ZULU
(Sean Clark) 
for TEXAS A & I THEATER DEPARTMENT at the LITTLE THEATER.  Spring 1988.  d.  Dr. Dave Deacon 

ROLE:  Christine

COME BACK TO THE FIVE AND DIME, JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN 
(Ed Graczyk) 
for TEXAS A & I THEATER DEPARTMENT at the LITTLE THEATER.  Fall 1988.  d. Dr. Dave Deacon. 

ROLE:  Older Sissy.

CHARLOTTE’S WEB
(E.B. White) 
Children’s show for TEXAS A & I THEATER DEPARTMENT at JONES AUDITORIUM.  Winter 1988.  d. Amy Laurence.

ROLE:  3rd narrator

VAMPIRE LESBIANS OF SODOM
(C. Busch) 
for TEXAS A & I THEATER DEPARTMENT at the LITTLE THEATER and toured of the RITZ THEATER of Corpus Christi. January 1989.  d. john daniels, jr.

ROLE:  Jaded Mesopotamian Slave Girl / Perky Las Vegas Show Girl

WAIT UNTIL DARK
(Fredrick Knott)
for TEXAS A & I THEATER DEPARTMENT at the LITTLE THEATER.  April 1989.  d. Rodger Jordaan.

ROLE:  Woman in Hall / 2nd Cop

MY THREE ANGELS
(Sam Spewack & Bellas Spewack)
for Rockport Community Theater dinner theater at Charolotte Plummer’s Restaurant in Rockport.  December 1989. 

ROLE:  Mother

THE ODD COUPLE (female version) 
(Neil Simon) 
for Rockport Community Theater dinner theater at Charolotte Plummer’s Restaurant in Rockport.  July 1990.

ROLE: 

SUPERGUSANO
(Joseph Rosenberg and Orlando Garcia) 
Premiere production for THE BILINGUAL THEATER COMPANY at THE WYNN SEALE THEATER.  October 1991.  d. john daniels, jr.

ROLE:  Maria / Grower Smith

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
(Richard O'Brien) 
for THE SOUTH TEXAS PERFORMANCE COMPANY at THE PLACE. October-November 1992.  d. john daniels, jr.

ROLE:  Magenta 

HAMLET
(William Shakespeare)
for THE SOUTH TEXAS PERFORMANCE COMPANY at THE PLACE.  January 1993.  d. Joseph Rosenberg

ROLE:  Queen Gertrude

OF MICE AND MEN
(John Steinbeck)
for THE SOUTH TEXAS PERFORMANCE COMPANY at THE PLACE.  Fall 1994.  d. Larry McCord. 

ROLE:  Curly’s Wife

W-ROCKS
(john daniels, jr.)
for THE SOUTH TEXAS PERFORMANCE COMPANY at THE PLACE. November 1994. 
d. john daniels, jr.

ROLE:  Anita “Silver” Silverstone

COME TOGETHER
(john daniels, jr.)
 for THE PORT ARANSAS COMMUNITY THEATRE in their outdoor theatre for Spring Break '95. March 1995.  d. john daniels, jr.

ROLE: multiple small roles

COME TOGETHER
(john daniels, jr.)
for THE SOUTH TEXAS PERFORMANCE COMPANY at THE PLACE May 1995.  d. john daniels, jr.

ROLE: multiple small roles

PRESENTS AREN'T ALWAYS WRAPPED (Boenerge')
to open the RANCH STUDIO.  December 1997. d. john daniels, jr.

ROLE: multiple small roles

SIRENS -N- AQUARIUS
(john daniels, jr.)
for THE EARTH & SKY ACTING CO. of Austin, Texas at The John Henry Faulk Theater, May 1999.  d. john daniels, jr.

ROLE: multiple small roles

COMINGTOAUSTIN.COM…EDY
(john daniels, jr.) 
for THE EARTH & SKY ACTING CO. of Austin, Texas at Ruta Maya, September/October 1999.  d. john daniels, jr.

ROLE:  “Stage Manager”

Tell Me about Amelia
written, designed and directed by john daniels, jr.

Premiered at The Hideout for FronteraFest 2000
January 29 - February 6, 2000
Earth & Sky Acting Co., of Austin, Texas

ROLE:  Birdie

Collective Erection
by john daniels, jr.
directed by john daniels, jr. and Engela Edwards

Premiered at The Hideout Upstairs Cabaret for MoMFest 2000
October 2000
Earth & Sky Acting Co., of Austin, Texas

8-TRACKS (no disco)
A 70's musical, written, designed, and directed by john daniels, jr. 

August-September 2000, at the Dougherty Arts Center, 
1110 Barton Springs, Austin, Texas. 

I’ve also been conned into doing some film work with jdj for his Gorgolo Flix film company.  The results of this are:

TODD BACH VIDEO ALBUM ONE (video for songs My First Love and Through a Child’s Eyes) 

(15:00) FIFTEEN MINUTES narrative short. William’s lover in fantasy and reality.

TERMINALLY INCONVENIENCED full length narrative. Ms. Heilsburg and many, many bit parts.

A BOY AND HIS HEAD (working title) full length narrative. Vera Foster, deceased.

Film making is still something I haven’t decided completely about.  I haven’t really spent enough time, I feel, to get a grip on this medium, but I expect to correct that oversight in the future.  Even more than working in front of the camera, however, I am finding myself drawn to the complexities behind them.

Finally, as a writer I hope to finish at least one of my script ideas and see it performed under john’s direction, even though straight prose is my strong suit.  I’m still learning the techniques of scriptwriting, which is far different from the slow loving process of crafting words to stand alone and instigate the action within the reader’s imagination.

Tell Me about Amelia
by:  john daniels, jr.
EASY Theatre, Ferbruary 2001.

Role:  Birdie

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