I need that new vacation where nothing that's spoken is known.

Another fringe festival, another symbolic victory lap in New York. We begin with Summer Streets and so we depart, only not yet. There is one more show to perform and we head out tomorrow.

Did not sleep very well last night, we could have used the AC. It has been cool the last few nights and in spite of the constant honking of horns and increasingly bizarre wailing of sirens, I preferred the fresh air moving across the apartment than feeling boxed in and blasted with freon.

That and like every other night this week, we got to bed late, and I knew I would need to get out early to make a run and be relaxed for costume load-out at 11 AM. Our final performance of Double Heart is at noon. Noon on a Saturday? Well, pre-sale is good, and besides, being the first show of the day means the stage lights haven't been on for hours and hours already.

I set my phone alarm, and as is always the case when I do that, woke up in fits and starts several times before it went off and finally just got up and turned it off.

Headed north today, up Lafayette to Park Avenue, under and through Grand Central Terminal and onto 51st Street. Yes, I could have gone further, I longed to reach the park, but not this time. We will return. The streets were full of bikes and runners and walkers and very small dogs on leashes.

Temperature: 67°

Distance: 6 miles

The Playlist
Get Lucky - Daft Punk
Cousins - Vampire Weekend
Somebody - Jukebox the Ghost
Stronger - Kelly Clarkson
Poker Face - Lady Gaga
Carry Out - Timbaland ft. JT
Not In Love - Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith
Like a G6 - Far East Movement
Blind - Hercules and Love Affair
Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
Uprising - Muse
Let Me See You - Girl Talk
Blackout - Breathe California
Dance Yrself Clean - LCD Soundsystem

Summer Streets 2013

 

"I'm walkin' here."

Double Heart (The Courtship of Beatrice and Benedick) opens TODAY at the Connelly Theater in the Lower East Side, as part of the New York International Fringe Festival!  You know what that means?  

SUMMER STREETS!

Thank you, Mayor Bloomberg -- three Saturdays every August they close Park and Lafayette Avenues from 72nd Street all the way down to the Brooklyn Bridge. When performing And Then You Die in 2009 I ran from Harris & Liz's apartment where I was staying to my performance space at Astor Place and back.

As much as would like to get a run in in Central Park (and may yet) today I wanted to try something new, and so Annie and I set out for the Brooklyn Bridge. It's a really nice day, not too hot, always a lot of shade, especially in the financial district.

Lots to talk about running with a partner. Annie was telling me about visits she has taken with her brother, and movies that were filmed here, and just about running in general.

Distance: 5.75 miles

Running past the new One World Trade center was moving. I mean, there's just so many emotions there, everyone has something to say or think or feel about that. The best I can say is that the final design is much more attractive than whatever weird thing that was they said they originally going to build.

We also walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, which was a first for me, and in spite of the great views it's something I do not necessarily need to do again. Not, at least, during Summer Streets. We were hardly the only two people clogging a narrow thoroughfare to get our pictures taken.

We discovered during tech rehearsal yesterday that we are missing wig caps for the ladies (I do not use one) and so part of mine and Annie's journey was to locate a beauty shop of Walgreen's so we extended our run up to Astor Place, so I got to point out where I performed four years ago and we each entirely failed to find wig caps, but apparently Lisa is on that.

So, between the walk across the bridge and all the running, we spent about two hours out in the streets of Downtown New York. After the stress and tension of the past couple of days, worrying about arriving, checking in, performing our technical rehearsal, and all of the promotional events, I feel relaxed, calm, confident and peaceful.

Now it's time for a great run!

I'm highly animated even though I'm decomposing.

Reason #28 to Get DOUBLE HEART to FringeNYC: Audience Response

During the outreach tour, last February and March, Double Heart was very well-received by audiences of all ages, but particularly high school students. I think they were surprised that a play which they had been warned beforehand was entirely in verse (thanks, Lisa) could be so lewd and hilarious.


We are only $165 away from achieving one-tenth of our goal in the first 48 hours. Please consider making a contribution tonight, to help us past this psychological goal.

Here's a special enticement for readers of this blog ... while you may donate anything you like, those who give $100 or more will receive a personalized thank you from the production team in the form of a picture of the company holding up a sign with your name on it in a unique NYC location, to be posted on Facebook and other social media, and sent to you as a high-quality jpeg.

If you pledge at least that amount and specify that you are a fan of Daddy Runs Fast, your picture will be taken during Summer Streets, in the middle of either Park Avenue of Lafayette Street when Annie, myself, and whoever else I can talk into it are taking a morning run. Get it there.

Temperature: 67°
Climate: bright! beautiful! humid!
Distance: 4 miles
Weight: 167 lbs.

Sunburned tops of feet, day two. Ooh.

Finally discovered where they moved the water fountain in Cain Park. Thanks, Trevor, for pointing that out. They used to have one right on the main path in from Lee Road.

Stepped out of the house today and a neighbor asked, "Going running?" No. I wear a bandana, bright red shorts and green zero drop shoes because it's Pirate Pete the Clown Day.

Get Lucky Playlist
One Touch - LCD Soundsystem
Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors - Radiohead
A Thing For Me - Metronomy
Move Your Feet - Junior Senior
Sound Of Silver - LCD Soundsystem
Tron Legacy (End Titles) - Daft Punk
Rock The House - Gorillaz

Where do we go from here?

Night run following a day like early summer. The wife has returned from five days in NYC, in which time I did manage to get a few runs in, but I say a silent prayer for all those single parents with small children who are also runners. You have my respect and sympathy.

So, again: The news. We will be taking Double Heart to New York for the Fringe. Much excitement, much apprehension. There will be a lot of work ... before we depart. After that it's a ball. Yes and I already checked, Summer Streets will continue this year and this year, maybe, I will go all the way from Central Park to the Brooklyn Bridge.

The only mystery is whether any of my compadres will be joining me. I know one of them runs.

Temperature: 77°
Climate: nice. humid.
Distance: 3.25 miles

Gorillaz Genius Playlist
19-2000 (Soulchild Remix) - Gorillaz
Robot Rock - Daft Punk
The Bends - Radiohead
Rock The House (172 bpm) - Gorillaz
Run Right Back (160 bpm) - The Black Keys
Starman - David Bowie
Once In a Lifetime - Talking Heads
A Forest [Tree Mix] (163 bpm) - The Cure

Gotta get me back down to street level

Larchmont Hotel to the Angel (and back)
Distance: 8 miles
Temperature: 65º

These things I know:
1. It is painfully hard for me to go to bed before midnight in New York
2. Running is the only way for me to "keep up" when I am in New York

So I get little sleep. I am sure if I lived here I would be able to work that out.

Hit Park Avenue promptly at 7 am. Okay here's a thing; Hell is Other Runners. I like running with friends, but when strangers try to speak to me, it gets awkward really fast. This happened during the Cleveland Half this year. Guy makes an observation. I respond. He says something else. Awkward silence. Now we're running in lock-step, but really, are we going to have small talk? Now?

Today, just as I began running in the street, a young woman (who, like me, was futzing with headphones) said quite excitedly, "Isn't this great?" and I said, "Yeah!"

And you know the rest. After a block of silently running in proximity to each other (I was trying to be faster, then she got faster, I slowed down) she turned off which made me think she was thinking what I was thinking. We need to get away from each other, this isn't "great" at all.

Very few other runners, all the way to Central Park. Called home from Bethesda Terrace, then headed back, but not before stopping in on 68th St. to see Harris, Liz and the kids. They were so kind to let me flop in their apartment this time last year. This time last year? Weird. Liz was really pregnant then, and they have this toddler running around. Couldn't have pulled that off this year.

A cup of coffee and a New York Bagel Event later, I was heading back Downtown. Many more runners - and even more cyclists. I can only imagine how stuffed with bike riders Park Avenue is going to be in another hour. Glad I hit it when I did.

Summer Streets 2010 Playlist
Dance Wiv Me - Dizzee Rascal ft. Calvin Harris
New In Town - Little Boots
Just Dance - Lady Gaga
Moar Ghosts 'n' Stuff - Deadmau5
TiK ToK - Ke$ha
Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) - Shakira
1901 - Phoenix
Animal (Punks Jump Up Remix) - Miike Snow
Shout for England - Dizzee Rascal
Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem
Single Ladies - Pomplamoose
I Get Around - Dragonette
Lisztomania - Phoenix
Fireflies - Owl City
Rude Boy - Rihanna
My Moon My Man - Feist
Supermassive Black Hole - Muse

Ripped all of these songs since last summer. Amazing.

Final

Car-Free Streets to 440 Lafayette

Distance: 6.2 miles
Weather: Overcast and HUMID

So we begin, so we conclude. Only this time instead of Beyonce I had Harris with me. That's okay, too.

Coming home I hit up the in-line skate booth for a free AMP. Why do I drink those things? More sweet, spiced coffee, and a big, sweaty slog up and down Park Avenue. Last week it was brighter, sunny, not muggy. Doesn't matter. Great run. Good time.

The Fab Marquee review "David Hansen's story will have you dusting off your sneakers and running to make a change in your life."

This must be the place

Car-Free Streets to 440 Lafayette

Yes, yes I did. That was awesome (and thank you, B.) I mostly kept to my music and kept right (cyclists on the left) making my way downtown, down Park Avenue, skyscrapers on either side.

You call it shadow. I call it shade.

Oh, the urban lifestyle. I wanted to take my cellphone, and thought I would need to hold it. Harris says, "you've got a pocket." No, I don't. He points to the iPod strap I have been using for the past five years. It didn't just hold a cellphone, it held it tight.

Oh. Yes. I see. Hey!

Free water, even free iced coffee, that hit the spot during the last five blocks. I dropped postcards at the Robert Moss - did I say it was up the street from the Public? Sorry, it's right across the street from the Public. So you know.

Walked a little to take calls from the wife, the kids. Leah rang, she'll meet us at FringeTEASERS - which by the way I will be performing at at 3:20 PM in the playground at PS 41 between W. 11th and Greenwich at Charles. You should join me.

FringeNYC 09 Playlist
Halo - Beyonce
Pon de Replay - Rhianna
No Pause - Girl Talk
The Power - Snap!
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - The Postal Service
American Boy (Soulseekerz Club Remix) - Estelle
Don't Cha (Ralphie's Hot Freak Radio Mix) - The Pussycat Dolls
Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
This Must Be The Place - Miles Fisher
Dry County - The B-52s
Wannabe - Spice Girls
Daft Punk Is Playing at My House - LCD Soundsystem

Distance: 6.2 miles
Temperature: 75º
Weather: hot!

I should do that again next Saturday.