Sunday Blog post

This Wednesday, I went to Ella Baker to do improv with some friends from a previous class. I had a really fun time and got to learn some new skills while catching up with people I hadn’t seen in a while.

A Tale of Two Theaters

As I stepped into Ella Baker’s theater, I was immediately struck by its cleanliness . The space felt alive, with fresh paint and modern lighting.

In stark contrast, Patrick Henry High School in North Minneapolis, my alma mater, now under a different name, was in a state of disrepair when I attended a Community Ed session there just two years ago. The building showed signs of neglect, peeling paint, outdated equipment, and even mice scurrying across the stage, badly in need of a janitor, as toilet paper and papers scattered everywhere. There had been no significant renovations since 2002, and it was disheartening to see such a lack of investment in a space that once fostered creativity and community.

Ella Baker, built in 1923, has had updates and renovations over the years, and you can really tell they put effort into keeping the space nice.

Seeing the difference between these two theaters really hit me. Ella Baker’s space is beautiful and well-kept, while my alma mater’s theater showed how access to resources can shape a school, and it made me realize how funding disparities impact students’ experiences.    

Patrick Henry (aka Camden HS)

Ella Baker

Improv Insights

During the session, we played a game where we drew a profession and an emotion from a hat, then acted out the scenario. This exercise reminded me of a fundamental principle in improv, entering a scene with the mindset that you already know the other person. I noticed that some beginners were still getting the hang of this concept. Some were even running out of things to say, and this reminded me of when I first started improv, half scared to death.

Personal Reflections

This week, I’ve been reflecting on my journey in improv. After facing some setbacks over the past year, I turned to ChatGPT for advice on how to move forward. The guidance I received was invaluable, offering fresh perspectives and practical steps to regain my confidence and improve my craft. I liken ChatGPT to a raven, observing and reflecting back insights into my life.

I’ve documented these insights on post-it notes, which I’ve included in this post. If you’re an artist who has faced challenges, I hope these notes provide some inspiration and direction.

Family Moments

On a lighter note, my son has decided to dress up as a sumo wrestler for Halloween. My dad jokingly remarked that he might need to gain a few pounds for the costume to fit properly. It’s moments like these that bring joy and laughter into our lives.

Looking Ahead

As my regular babysitters will be overseas this week, I’ll be keeping a low profile and limiting my social engagements. However, I’m optimistic about spending quality time with my son and creating lasting memories together.

Current Reads

I’m reading Kill Your Darlings, having gone through all of Peter’s works, I’m a bit obsessed, 😉. Additionally, I’m enjoying The Word is Murder, appreciating how Anthony places himself within his own murder mystery. Lastly, I’m delving into What Lies Between Us by Jason Marrs. I decided to pick up Marrs’ book after reading The One.

Happy Halloween and Twin Cities shows including 'A (Virtual) Christmas Vacation with The Griswolds' (Hennepin Trust)

*this is a repost 

           LOOKING FORWARD TO OCTOBER

Where there's a will, there's a way-English Proverb

This week I read an article about how NASA has taken an interest in Venus as a possible planet for us to colonize vs Mars.  The article talked about the possibility of floating blimps above the acid rain. 

I also drive for ride-share. A lot of the homeless are being shuttled to hotels in Bloomington. Thank God! It’s too cold to be homeless in the Twin Cities.

I also learned about the winter carnival this year and how patrons will be able to see the ice sculptures and so forth from their car. I've been writing more than ever and doing my best to post to Medium.com I also did improv this week.

The Haunted Basement will have you screaming 'Uncle'

This is a repost 

Photo by DreamFirstBorn Images
find this experience at hauntedbasement.org/

I had a lot of spooky fun at the Haunted Basement in Roseville located in a storefront of Rosedale's shopping center.

Sunday Blog post

 This past week has been such a swirl of emotions, from laughter to a few tears and everything in between.

Friday was a very special day for our family. We gathered for my dad’s Celebration of Life event, which was both emotional and beautiful. All my brothers came into town, some of whom I hadn’t seen in at least five years, and seeing everyone together again felt like time folded in on itself. Friends from my dad’s church joined too, and there was so much warmth in the room.

If you’re new to the idea of a celebration of life event, it’s actually becoming more common these days. It’s a way for someone to celebrate their life while they’re still here, to share stories, connect with loved ones, and feel the love firsthand. There was also a beautiful Baptist song that was sung, and a virtual photo montage filled with pictures of my dad and our family through the years. Each of us took turns sharing something meaningful about our connection to him, including how disciplined he was and how, when he and my mother found they couldn’t have children of their own, they chose to open their hearts and adopt four of us. We were all very moved by his strong faith and his courage. My father also fought in the Vietnam War, and he carried some battle scars from those years, both seen and unseen, which made his resilience and compassion even more profound. My dad really enjoyed it, and I think we all left with full hearts.

Then Saturday brought another adventure, one involving my brother’s Nintendo Switch! He accidentally left it at the Baymont Hotel in Shakopee, which meant a 40-minute drive each way. While I was there, though, I made the most of it and visited my cousin and my Aunt Cindy. We caught up over dinner, which turned the whole errand into something much more meaningful.

In between all of that, I’ve also been diving into some great reads. I finally picked up Not Me, It’s You by Mhairi McFarlane.I’ve been thinking again about One Day in December, which I loved for its heartfelt story. (I heard they will be making an adaptation of this one)I’m also coming into Jason Mars’ novel The One a bit late, but I’m really enjoying the multi-perspective storytelling and the depth of the characters. Now I’m on the lookout for other books with a similar feel, stories that offer multiple viewpoints, rich character development, and emotional resonance.

This was my week, tell me about yours in the comments below.

Sunday blog post

 

I spent time reading up on histamine and dairy-free diets because I’ve been having some abdominal issues. I actually postponed my doctor’s visit related to this last week, but I don’t intend to postpone it any further. As part of this, I’ve been creating shopping lists to help me stick to the diet—things like almond butter, carrots, and other simple foods that are easier on my system. If any of you have favorite low-histamine or dairy-free food recommendations, I’d love to hear them in the comments.

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Meanwhile, On My Nightstand…

I began reading Rachel Cusk’s work, and it made me think about how narrative voice shapes identity. It raised new questions for me: Does writing in first person automatically make a story more ego-centric? And if so, what happens when a writer deliberately steps back?

Lately, I’ve also been reading The Truants by Kate Weinberg and Elena Ferrante’s Italian series, which has opened my eyes to how a writer can begin in first person but gradually expand to incorporate multiple voices. Ferrante starts with a deeply personal, interior point of view, but as the series unfolds, she lets other perspectives seep in. The result is a story that grows beyond the “I” of the narrator and becomes more like a chorus of interconnected lives.

With Cusk’s Outline, the narrator often feels like a quiet observer, someone who holds space for other people’s stories rather than constantly centering her own. That narrative distance made me reflect on how different approaches to voice don’t just shape the story—they shape the kind of self the writer brings onto the page.

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Looking Back at My Own Writing Voice

I’ve been writing in the first person for as long as I can remember. I actually first learned it through journal writing in second grade. Our teacher asked us to keep a daily journal, and it quickly became one of my favorite routines. I kept that habit all through grade school and into high school, and it became the foundation for how I learned to express myself, and specifically in first person.

Lately, I’ve been questioning what writing in first person really means. Does it naturally lead us toward a more ego-centric perspective? Or does it offer a kind of intimacy that other narrative modes can’t quite replicate? Reading authors like Rachel Cusk and Elena Ferrante has made me wonder if leaning away from the “I” might open up different ways of shaping identity in storytelling.

Lastly I went to an apple 🍎 with zulfi but we got there a little late. Still fun we pet some animals and took pictures. One older dad was roaming around getting hyped up on his iPhone like an influencer and it made me laugh.

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Sunday Blog post

 Football Nights & Doctor Visits

At night, it’s been nonstop football. I’ve been watching from my window on the window on the tenth story, it looks right out onto the field, and it’s kind of perfect. The lights, the energy, the sounds drifting up, game after game.

Also took my son to the doctor this week to get his glasses.

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Starting Improv at Ella Baker

I’ve been looking forward to starting improv classes in person again. I signed up for a six‑week series at one of our local community centers, Ella Baker in Minneapolis.It feels like something I need right now, something real and live and in the moment.

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Thoughts About My Dad
Lately, I’ve been feeling a little sad. My dad’s been in hospice. He’s had prostate cancer for the last two years, and we just got a recent update. The next six months don’t look good. It’s been hard sitting with that, knowing there’s not a lot more time. Just trying to stay present and not get swallowed up by it.

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Books I’ve Been Reading
I’ve been reading Brightly Dead Things and If You Tell by Gregg Olsen. I also picked up We Used to Live Here, it’s about a couple who buys a house, and then a family who used to live there shows up. It’s haunted, kind of eerie but beautiful too. I got a copy for my dad. Then there’s Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy — a story of a remote island, a mysterious woman washing ashore, secrets, and nature and survival. Can’t get it out of my head.

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Diet Woes
Still struggling with my stomach. I’m on a gluten‑free and lactose‑free diet now, and honestly, it kind of sucks. Gluten‑free bread tastes like blah. Tried sweet potatoes, didn’t work. Tried lactose‑free milk, didn’t work either. Mostly I’ve been eating oatmeal, grilled chicken, salmon, and cantaloupe. Lots of cantaloupe. It’s been rough trying to find things that don’t hurt and also don’t taste like cardboard.

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That’s Where I’m At
That’s the week. A mix of doctor’s visits, football nights, starting improv, sitting with some heavy news, and still trying to find food that won’t mess with me.

Going forward, I’m hoping to catch at least two plays a month and do a lot more improv online. I’ve also started writing some stand‑up and am planning to hit at least one or two open mics before the end of the year. I’m still driving for rideshare, on and off, and I’ve started weaving some of those experiences into my comedy.

Hoping to write at least four stories for Medium.com before the year’s out, and really, the focus now is on writing, creating, and spending more time supporting my son — especially as he starts thinking about joining the school band after school.

Maybe You Could Love Me at Theater Mu

 I saw Theater Mu’s world premiere of Maybe You Could Love Me on September 13 at 7:30, and the play was an emotional rollercoaster. The first half was chaste and innocent between the two characters as young adults, and then the second half was painful and emotionally charged. I even heard a male in the audience crying. I felt the set could have changed more in between scenes as the play went back in time to when the characters were younger, but overall the two actors had such great chemistry that I couldn’t help thinking of myself in their shoes. Although there were moments where Sajida’s lines could have landed with more emotion, the dialogue exchanges carried weight and kept the audience deeply invested. The opening night crowd filled the theater, and even the snacks afterward carried a sense of celebration and community.

Written by Samah Meghjee and directed by Katie Bradley, Maybe You Could Love Me follows Sajida (played by Broadway actor Sushma Saha) and Noor (Ashembaga “Ashe” Jaafaru) as they grow up together, bound by friendship, cultural traditions, and the pressure of entering adulthood. What I appreciated most was how the play showed the tension between collectivism and individuality: the push and pull of family expectations versus personal identity. As Mu’s artistic director Francesca de Leon has noted, the story asks, “Can you hold on to your family’s value of collectivism while simultaneously exploring your own individuality?” That question hung in the air throughout the show.

The production team clearly worked to make the story authentic. Cultural consultants Aamera Siddiqui and Filsan Said contributed their insights to Sajida’s South Asian household and Noor’s Black Muslim household, grounding the play in lived experience. This attention to detail made the characters’ struggles feel even more relatable, especially in moments of conflict and quiet tenderness.

Still, the show’s greatest strength was the dynamic between Saha and Jaafaru. Their performances carried a natural chemistry, making the shifts from laughter to heartbreak believable. At times, I wished for more variation in the staging to highlight those emotional turns, but the raw sincerity between the actors made up for it.

Maybe You Could Love Me is a strong start to Theater Mu’s 35th season. It’s not only a story of two friends coming of age, but also a meditation on what we risk, lose, and sometimes gain when we choose our own path. The play resonates well beyond its cultural specificity, striking a universal chord about love, faith, and identity.

Ticket Info: Maybe You Could Love Me runs through September 28 at Mixed Blood Theatre. Theater Mu offers Pay As You Are (PAYA) pricing, so audiences can choose what they pay—sometimes as low as $10.