mikefotis.com

The Site Gets Cooler.

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 | Plugs, Site News | 6 Comments

Happy Wednesday!

1. Hey! Guess what? Now you can follow my Twitter updates from my website! Just scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see it in all its scrolling beauty. Thanks to Fringefamous.com for giving me the idea.

Q: Why put a new feature at the bottom of your page? Doesn’t that seem…like a stupid thing to do? Most people don’t scroll. They’re too busy, silly billy!

A: I wanted to put it at the top of my site, but when I did, horrible horrible things happened to my layout. So, it’s staying at the bottom for now where it seems happy until I can figure out how to fix things!

2. Is it difficult to replace a brake light? I know that replacing a headlight lamp is pretty easy, but does such ease of replacement span the length of the car?

3. I’ve had a few people ask about ordering tickets to the BNW’s holiday show. Just click here and the ticketing site will give you options for the final preview (tomorrow!) as well as for the run of the show! Neat!

Ok, that’s all. I’ll be sure to Twitter later on today? I guess?

Mike

Previews Recap and Goodbye Kerry Wood.

Monday, November 17th, 2008 | Plugs, Sports | 3 Comments

Happy Monday!

1. Preview week at the BNW is over. Well, that’s not entirely true. There’s one more left on Thursday, the day before opening, but the truth is by the time that preview goes up, 99% of the show is complete. So in a way, I hesitate to even call it a preview mainly because the chance of failure and misery is so very slim. Let’s refer to it as the “almost opening”.

As for this weekend, I wasn’t surprised by the audience reaction to my stuff as I was reminded yet again, that my humor is an acquired taste and one that doesn’t necessarily resonate with…people.  As for the show on the whole however,  I was caught off guard by what the audience liked and didn’t like. Normally, I have a pretty good gauge for that stuff, but for this run my “audience-tron 550″ was a little off.  So, stuff I thought was pretty solid is probably gone and stuff i wasn’t sure about hit HUGE.  After doing this for a while, it was kind of nice to be surprised.*

Each preview was met with wild enthusiasm and I’m pretty sure a statue is being erected for Lauren Anderson, who in her comic brilliance, essentially put the crowd into a comedy coma**(***), with everything she did. I would come to this show is all I’m saying.

2. Kerry Wood is no longer a Cub. Most people will look back at his career and see it as something of a tragedy. Hall of Fame talent, that got wrung through the injury grindhouse. And there certainly is that angle. There’s no denying it. But he will always be one of my favorite Cubs, because he never complained about his lot, kept the game in perspective and frankly turned himself into one hell of a closer.

I was always impressed by him.  Good luck!

*I believe firmly in the show over the individual and kind of hate myself for starting off this paragraph talking about myself, but what are you gonna do?  Sometimes, all the editing in the world still yields narcissism, despite best intentions. Give me a break.

**You might think I’m trying to garner favor with this, but let me assure you, if there’s one person who I know for sure doesn’t read this blog, it’s Lauren.

(***)Everyone in this show deserves a statue. Whew. Dodged a bullet! By lying.****

****Just kidding.

Mike

The Great Hall Of Comedy and A CD Review

Friday, November 14th, 2008 | Plugs, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Happy Friday!

1. First preview of All I want For Xmas Is 700 Billion Dollars is in the books, left to judgment of history as to where it belongs in the great hall of comedy.  There’s a great hall, didn’t you know that? Every comedy that’s ever been done ever, is judged by history, ranked and then sent to the great hall of comedy for inventory.

Anyway, preservation of that which makes us laugh aside, the first preview went pretty well. All the best of stuff hit exactly like we thought it would (can you imagine how annoying it would be if it didn’t?) and the newer material, when put in front of an audience stood up well and bent at the weak points.  Now, we clean up or remove the weak points and try again.

It’s a science really.

2. Have you guys heard of the band Parts and Labor? They’re pretty great.  I’m not sure how to describe them, but you should give them a listen if you like your rock loud and messy and layered. All of the songs on their latest album, Reciever,  might be best described as carefully busy, always building to a frenzied finish.  FOTIs. It’s been a while, huh?

Mike

Previews, Spam and Cookbooks!

Thursday, November 13th, 2008 | Plugs, book project | 10 Comments

Happy Thursday!

1. Well, tonight’s the first preview for All I Want For Christmas Is 700 Billion Dollars. Per usual I am filled with nerves but not really nervous. Might I suggest you check out this preview so that you can see this show in all its weird glory. Seriously, this show is really, really goofy. Check it out homies!

2. Recently, my website has been nailed with spam comments.  Well, maybe they’re real comments and I just don’t know what 8Whf49*! means. Maybe 8Whf49*! is this year’s LOL.  Peggy Larson, in my haste to delete all of these comments, I deleted one of your comments. Sorry.

3. Thanks to those of you who have chimed in about whether the cookbook will appear via website or actual booky book form. It’s a tough call. Others, please feel free to chime in.

Byee for now!

Mike

Chicago, Previews and a Commitment.

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 | Plugs, book project | 6 Comments

Happy Tuesday!

1. The little Chicago warrior is in town! yippee! She sure is the neatest.

2. I am in tech for the BNW’s latest Holiday Extravaganza, All I Want For Christmas Is 700 Billion Dollars; Our 50th Noel. This is going to be one heck of a good show! If you like Santa, tampons, cooks, elves and boobies mixed with your pine scented potpourri then this show will be right up your alley.  Previews start this Thursday.

3. For those of you who are wondering if the cookbook is still on, it is. I am just ridiculously busy right now. It’ll happen. Maybe it’ll be a website? Yeah. Maybe.

My Last Night. Also Creature Feature Tonight! 8pm! BNW!

Thursday, October 30th, 2008 | Plugs, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Happy Thursday! Last Creature Feature is tonight! 8pm! Get your tickets! Here are the things I did last night in no particular order.

1. Watched a three inning conclusion to the World Series? That felt wrong. On the plus side, the game was super short.

2. I started sobbing 10 seconds into Obama’s ad buy. The man inspires me, what can I say?

3. Last night’s NOVA was about fractal geometry. Guess who doesn’t get fractal geometry? Me.

4. After NOVA, I watched a Frontline about Afghanistan that was also kind of about Pakistan.  Point of the show? We are all fucked.

5. Played almost 1,000 games of free cell.

6. Talked to several people online, including the Little Chicago Warrior.

7. Read 5 pages of a book about John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln assassination. Fell asleep.

Another Day, Another Plug…Creature Feature Ends Tomorrow!

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 | Plugs, Solo Show Stuff, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Happy Wednesday!

1. The plugs are almost done! Creature Feature! 8pm! Thursday! BNW! Get your tickets online! Thanks!

2. Last night’s Rockstar show went well. All of the acts were great, with Joe Scrimshaw’s set really sticking out in my mind as excellent. As for my story? It was meh. I liked it. It was funny. But at the same time, it never really seemed to gel into one cohesive piece. It felt like seven minutes of setup for a one minute joke, which can be fine, unless the seven minutes seems like nothing more than filler. That seemed to be my problem. Oh well. It was still fun to do.

3. Tonight I might go see a movie. What movie? I don’t know. A good one.

Mike

Write Fotis, Write!

Monday, October 27th, 2008 | Plugs, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Happy Monday.

1. There are days when I am reminded that I essentially make my living as a writer. Today is one of those days. I have been over the course of the last week, writing holiday sketches for the BNW’s soon to be Holiday show and it is safe to say that my (along with the rest of the cast’s) writing about Christmas before we’ve even hit Halloween is totally responsible for our recent rash of cold weather. Sorry.

Aside from writing for work, I am trying to put together a story for tomorrow night’s Rockstar Storyteller show*. The show’s theme revolves around music which for me, is both good and bad. Good because I love music and could probably write about it constantly, and bad because 1/3 of my Fringe show already dealt with music. What if I used up my good stories about music for the year?  That’s a very real possibility.

Actually, I have a pretty great idea for another story. Actually actually, it’s a combination of three stories about music that I’ve always wanted to do, but for some reason or another haven’t been able to get on their feet. The trick now will be taking the parts of each of those stories that I like and coming up with something cohesive and…brilliant.  And 12 minutes long.

It’s been since Fringe that I’ve done some solo stuff, so I hope you all get a chance to see me and some of the best storytellers in town tomorrow night at the BLB.

Mike

*What happens when the Rockstars are asked to incorporate music into their writing, in any form they choose? A banjo might make an appearance. Maybe a story about the constant soundtrack that pervades Israel. Maybe a drum kit. Who knows? Rockstars Mike Fotis, Allegra Lingo, Dave Mondy, Amy Salloway, Ben San Del and Joseph Scrimshaw take to the stage with new creations, and Courtney McLean is your host throughout.

Tickets $12 / $10 with Fringe button

Tickets available at the door (doors open at six), by calling 612-825-8949

Where: BLB

When: 7pm

Thanks, Haircuts, and the BNW

Friday, October 24th, 2008 | Plugs, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Happy Friday!

1. Thanks to everybody who came out to last night’s Creature Feature! It was very much appreciated.  We have one more left, but I’ll spare you the plug until next week.  *Smile*!

2. Really want to get my haircut but for some reason I am unable to pull the trigger. I don’t know why. When I grow my hair out, I look ill. I don’t know how else to describe it.

There’s an old school barber shop right across the street from where I am. Maybe I’ll go there.  It’s filled with old man barbers and old man customers. I want to go in there, because I’m pretty sure were I to be welcomed into their fold I would never go anywhere else to get my hair cut. However, I couldn’t take it if they didn’t want me. I might have to buy a flo-bee.

3. If there was ever a time to catch The Lion, The Witch and The War Hero it’s now. We’ve changed up a bunch of stuff in light of, say for example Retardo Bachmann’s thinking Hardball wasn’t a political talk show with a belligerent host. It’s a radically different show from last week. Woo hoo!

Okay, see you Monday.

Mike

Aunt Mabel’s Firehouse Chili Recipe. Also, CREATURE FEATURE!

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008 | Plugs, book project | 12 Comments

Happy Thursday!

1. Creature Feature! Tonight! 2nd to last chance! 8pm. BNW. Get your tickets here. Not kidding folks. This show sells well.

2. Last night I made my first batch of Chili. Was it good? No. But here’s the recipe anyway.

1. Go to the grocery store. If you’ve never been, a grocery store is like say, Macy’s, except instead of buying an overpriced loveseat, you buy over priced onions. Here’s what you’ll need:

-1 lb of meat. I went with ground turkey because I want to feign good health.

-a package of pre diced onions. Or, you could save money and buy and dice your whole onion. You’re friends will say things like,  “Wow, you’re awesome. You diced your own onion. I just made partner at the law firm. Those accomplishments are pretty much the same.”

-Other veggies. I didn’t do this. You can. Branch out, you little tree you.

-Two cans of diced of halved tomatoes. You’ll only need one, but they’re less than two bucks a can, so go nuts!

-A small can of tomato paste. You’ll want to skip this. I know you will. You’ll be like, “Why paste? I’ve already got tomatoes! This is some sort of conspiracy.”, but you HAVE to buy some. You HAVE to.

-One can of kidney beans. Or you could go to your garden or bean tree or bush or whatever and get some fresh ones!

2. Once home (Big step. Most stores won’t allow you to cook while inside.) begin cooking (insert your term here. “make hot” is the important thing) the onions and the ground turkey.

-Take a moment and look at the clean pot sitting next to your frying pan. This pot is for the meat and onions and tomatoes and beans and PASTE! Consider how annoying it is to clean two dishes. Fuck that. If you’ve got a deep frying pan, throw all this shit in the pan. For a moment you’ll feel like an asshole, I can’t explain why, but the feeling will pass. Add all the tomatoes. One can should do it. Put the other can away. Be dramatic and tell the can it will live one more day. Add all the beans (water and all). Then add the paste. Seriously, paste is magic. Thickens everything right up.

-Look in your spice cabinet. Hmmm, you have no spices.  You know who has spices? Your friend who just made partner.  Dammit! Nothing’s worse than going to the store just for spices. Ugh. Tough break. Fortunately, you do have a bottle of Sriracha sauce! Squeeze 4 times what  your mother would deem appropriate into chili. Rub your hands together and squeal with joy. This is not optional. It must be done in order for chili to “set”.

-Let this all cook until you can’t take it anymore. If you wait a little longer than I did, your first batch of chili won’t feature raw turkey, which by the way, tastes fine.  Add cheese. Lots of cheese. More cheese than you can imagine! Got sour cream? Dump some of that in too! Do whatever you want. It’s chili. When serving to friends, name it after your aunt and say the recipe’s a secret. That’s what everybody else does.

-Enjoy!