This has been the busiest week of the year so far for me and I’m pooped. I started the week with three acting classes in a row, teaching at the Lowcountry Senior Center (where we’re planning a Shakespeare-themed showcase), South of Broadway in North Charleston and in Pine Forest, Summerville.

On Tuesday I directed a music video for Know When to Walk Away. It will be submitted to a competition created by Zach Braff to build a compilation film to accompany the Jay Clifford song.

The catchy tune will be featured in an upcoming episode of Gray’s Anatomy, so hopefully you’ll be hearing it everywhere soon.

By Wednesday I was working furiously on City Paper previews for Piccolo Spoleto. It gave me a chance to interview several cool creative people, including David Lee Nelson of Skinny White Comics and Chris Smith of the sketch comedy group Harvard Sailing Team. Check out their swanky new website!

I also took my eight-year-old son to baseball practice. It’s great to see him involved in the ultimate American pastime (no, i don’t mean video poker). Sam could be a great player if he ever stops lollygaggin’ on third base.

Thursday night I was a judge at Charleston County School of the Arts’ Spring Playfest. Talented high school-aged kids put on ten minute plays and I assessed their merit in terms of vocal ability, stage presence, believability etc.

Friday I appeared on Lowcountry Live to plug Undead on Arrival. I was the last guest on the local chat show, on after the dog. I think that would make a great title for my memoirs.

Today I’ll be signing copies of the novel at Waldenbooks, then racing to the Charleston International Film Festival to usher in audiences and introduce a couple of the films.

Strangely, despite the fact that I’m a film critic for the CP and I’ve covered the festival in depth, I haven’t been contacted by the organizers (I’ve had to chase them up) and I’ve been given no press pass or invite to the awards ceremony. They must know what a party crashing freeloader I am.

In between all that I’ve been auditioning for film roles, chauffeuring my family hither and yon, and trying to catch some zzzs. Of course, I couldn’t do it all without the support of my friends, colleagues and students. Thanks guys.

Last night was the CP's 10th anniversary, celebrated in noisy style at the Windjammer on the Isle of Palms. This was my first visit to the Jammer, although I've written about the place doubling as a theatre space up until a few years ago.

This is a pub on the beach with a volleyball net, room for a couple of bands (one inside, one outside). Very cool. CP music editor T. Ballard Lesemann played drums with his band, The Sound Affects; there were a whole bunch of other groups there too - The Diesel Brothers, Sol Driven Train, The Stiff Joints... and a musicians from much-loved bands like The Archetypes.

Also there: artists Scott Debus and Philip Hyman, who made a giant pink birthday cake for the paper's cover shoot There was just enough room for a birthday suited girl to hop out - for the photo shoot only, sadly. Ah well, maybe next year.

Philip Hyman proudly pokes his cake (above); The Sound Affects in action (below).

Smackdown

I don't get out much, what with the writing and raising my 7-year-old son and being lazy and all that. When I do escape from the confines of my office/playroom, I like to hang out with the Have Nots! - a comedy improv & theatre company in downtown Chuck.

Last night they after a Comedy Smackdown they interviewed the City Paper's arts and ents editor Patrick Sharbaugh, who leaves for a new job in Japan next week. They made lots of jokes at his expense. Everyone laughed a lot and witnessing their energetic inventiveness was a humbling experience for me. (I like to sit in back wih the drunks, who are great for comedic value too). It was a very memorable send-off for Patrick, who was smart enough to take a chance on me at the paper four years ago.

Now I'm helping out with the arts coverage in the old ed's stead until someone better comes along. I'll also be crashing his regular blog over at the CP website. As long as it doesn't get in the way of my Have Nots! visits, I'll be content.

Now let me see if I get the names right for these members of the Have Nots! ensemble... left to right there's, er, Lee, then Jenny P, then, um, I think it's John... and Brandy. My, that's a lot of beer they're clasping.