No Boundarys A Noel Olken Show 9/11/11

Hi Everyone, I am starting another post with an apology for not posting since March. Seems like there is always so much going on and stopping to write about it doesn't happen.

But there is something going on now I do want to tell you about. I am doing my first stage show in a long time. It is called No Boundarys A Noel Olken Show 9/11/11. It is going to happen on 9/11/11, as the title suggests. I know you must be thinking it has something to do with 9/11. Well, yes and no.

I created a Kickstarter project to raise money to produce the play. This is what the project looks like on Kickstarter. You can get to the Kickstarter project page and watch the pledge video here: http://kck.st/nG7C1m

Here is what it says...

"Actually it's about life, death, and camping. Mostly life, some death, and a lot of camping.

It has a lot of strange twists and turns and will surprise you with an unexpected ending.

While preparing for a canoe trip to the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota, Noel Olken discovers some strange things in his pack. What are these things and why does he still carry them? Where did they come from? And will he ever get over the strange events of his last trip up north?

Performed by, and written by Noel Olken, this autobiographical tale will intrigue, amuse and maybe even shock you. Because truth IS stranger than fiction. And when it comes to baggage, we all have some.

This performance will take place on one night only, September 11, 2011 at the Victory Theatre in Burbank, CA. It will be performed on The Little Victory stage.

THE LITTLE VICTORY
3324 West Victory Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505
box office: 818.841.5422

Consider your pledge of $10 or more as an advance ticket purchase. If I don't reach my goal I will still be doing the show on 9/11/11. But if I reach my goal it will be a lot more fun for all of us.

This is my first one person show since Coffee Time, performed at Lower Links in Chicago, IL in 1993.

Thank you for your support. As you can see, I am only giving myself 16 days to raise my goal. Please consider pledging now and spreading the word to your friends on Face Book at the No Boundarys event page. While you are there you can friend me."

I hope you will consider making a pledge, or buying a ticket and coming to see the show. if you can't see the show maybe you will pledge anyway and I'll give the ticket to an unemployed actor or truck driver or banker.

In any event, this is what I am doing with my life right now and I am very excited about it and really hope you get to see it. Thank you. I hope you are well and thriving. Living your dreams and making each day wonderful.

Noel

Get Off The Phone!

I was recently pulled over on the freeway in Los Angeles for talking on a phone while driving. I was holding a "phone" in my hand, that's true, but I wasn't talking.

Like most states these days, talking while driving is a ticket-able offense, and in California the fine can be anywhere from 150 - 200 dollars. That's a lot of money. But you know the awful feeling you get when you are about to be pulled over by the cops? Well, I wasn't feeling it. In fact, I was laughing so hard, and the passenger in the van with me was laughing so hard, it was like a funny movie.

I was coming back from a catering gig in Beverly Hills, a brunch for some Hollywood royalty, and I had been up since 5 AM. It was a slightly over the top brunch that was rather quick and mostly painless. Our "kitchen" was on the loading dock of a BH office building. As the dumpsters were right next to us on the dock, when I was throwing some trash away I saw a box with some office supplies. As I am a recovering scrounger, I couldn't help but check out the contents; there were some old computer cables, a paper tray, some old files, and lookie here, an old telephone handset. I grabbed a cable and the handset and sticking one end of the cable into my apron pocket, I held the phone and pretended to be talking on my "new cell phone". Very funny right? Ha ha.

So as I'm driving the van back to the shop I'm goofing around with the handset. I admit I like having an audience (Kris says that why I married her) so I like that the chef, Jen, was cracking up every time I pulled up at a red light and pretended to talk on my "phone" for other drivers to see me.

So we're on the 10 East heading towards downtown and I see I'm about to pass a co-workers car, so I slowed down and pulled beside Micah and Rachel and pretended to talk on my "phone". All of a sudden a CHP car pulls next to Micah's car and looks at me on the "phone".

I put down the phone pretty quick, but the squad car maneuvers behind me, and I see Rachel in the other car look freaked out. The lights come on and I hear the cop tell me to pull over at the next exit.

We were on the 10 E heading into the 110 North interchange where there is no easy exit for a few miles. So the officer is following me in this slow traffic on the interchange and Jen is cracking up and we are laughing and I am not bothered at all by this hilarious situation.

He finally directs me to exit at 9th Street and pull over. He gets out of his car and walks over to the passenger side of the van. Jen rolls down her window and he says " Do you know why I pulled you over? You were talking on a cell phone."

I reached over to the center console and picked up the handset and said, "You mean this?"

I so wish I had a picture of his face when he saw the cordless handset. It was classic. It was a combination of shock, surprise, and embarrassment. I could see he was quickly trying to assess how much the others CHIPS would make fun of him if he wrote me a ticket.

I started telling him that we are coming back from a catering gig and I found this phone and I was goofing around with a co-worker and I wasn't really talking on the phone.

Then he asks, "Do you have a cell phone in the car"? Yes, but its in my pocket.

Let me see your license. He looks at it and writes something on a piece of paper and says, "You're lucky, I'm gonna let you off with a warning". Then he asks if I know how to get back on the freeway from here. He was very nice.

Now I agree it was nice he let me go without a ticket, but I wonder what he could have written a ticket for? Illegal use of a hand prop? Aggravated mimery? Clowning with a permit?

I have been living in LA for five years and that was the first time I have been pulled over by the cops. I hope it will always be so pleasant.

Safe driving everyone!

(staged photo re-enactment by Rachel Rath)

Holy Fuck has it been a long time since I wrote any thing here!

Love, Noel