Dylan Paul

Heading Back into School

2011-01-17T22:18:00.000-08:00

So, here comes grad school again. I just wrapped up what UH calls the "Turbo Project", which essentially means summer stock on crack. Arrive off book, block the show with 2 different casts in 7 days and perform it. Booyah. It sort of felt like home, but more traumatic. We performed Stoppard's "Arcadia" which is one of my favorite plays and Septimus is right up there on the list of all time sweetest roles I've wanted to play. This blog entry makes me sound like an idiot- really though I'm terribly rushed here and don't feel like feigning profound insights at the moment- mostly I'm just keeping my head above water. So, one play done in 7 days, followed by 5 monologues and a song, throw in a juggling routine and IPA transliterations due this week, oh and did I mention that we're doing "Wild Oats" and I have a principal where I'm supposed to look like a "greek god"? Yeah, I pretty much pissed myself at the read through today. It's articulate statements like that which make me sort of relieved that no one reads this... usually. Heading for bed.

Scratch track

2010-12-29T11:11:00.000-08:00

This is what we did yesterday. Working on a new song company we're going to call Fiasco Songwriting. Mmmmm .
ElectricityTEST by dylanpaul

onE SONG, one ...day?

2010-12-28T20:26:00.000-08:00

Ok, drums are go. bass is go. backing vocals, mostly go. REASON tracks are go. First verse, eat it. Now some wailing guitar. yes, please.

1 song, 1 day, p2

2010-12-28T12:38:00.000-08:00

AHHHHHH stuck on lyrics. Verse one is pretty solid. Chorus down. Need v2 and a bridge- so... there's that. We have REASON tracks imported, working on drums, then bass, then vocals. Still... I'd like to have the lyrics to guide all of that- I mean, maybe no one else listens to them, but I do. Lunch at Teller's in Lawrence, KS? Yes.

One Day. One Song. Go.

2010-12-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

So I'm working on a new song called "Electricity". Yeah... we'll see about the title, but so far we're having a lot of fun. We started around 11AM this morning. Before today, Robin Smith and I sat down and tweaked out most of the basic song structure- it's nothing that's going to shock you, but I think we'll be playing a lot with electronic layering and organic instruments as well as very natural and highly processed vocal layers.

"A thousand glowing LEDs are lighting up inside of me..." something like that. More updates to come.

Also, I'm not pretending that someone is actually reading this, but it looked cool on the social network and could result in a billion dollars.

2010-12-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

2010-12-07T17:11:00.001-08:00

Speaking is an act of survival- but so is listening.

So true it hurts

2010-11-28T23:28:00.000-08:00

if it won't play for you, CLICK HERE

Yes, Please

2010-11-17T16:40:00.000-08:00

Speech Archive (Click Here) of History.com

When the Mind Wanders, Happiness Also Strays

2010-11-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

When the Mind Wanders, Happiness Also Strays

click it.

"Growing" Music Video

2010-03-13T15:06:00.001-08:00

Just released this online with my new album on iTUNES. Check it out!

MFA decision!

2010-02-19T09:14:00.000-08:00

I am incredibly pleased to announce that I've decided to withdraw my name from call back pools and accept a VERY generous offer from the Professional Actor Training Program at University of Houston/Alley Theatre. It's a fast track 2 year MFA with full waiver, and a very generous stipend, augmented by an additional fellowship I was just rewarded by Jack Young. I am beyond excited. I also get to work with Alley Theatre kids and hopefully Houston Shakes people. And it's WARM!

The school has benefitted from notable star faculty such as Edward Albee, Lanford Wilson, SirPeter Hall and Jose Quintero. Among current faculty are Tony Award-winning playwright Mark Medoff ,Tony Award-winning producer Stuart Ostrow and Broadway dramaturg Mark Bly.

Jack, Sarah, and Todd were amazingly cool. Drop me a line if you're in Houston!

MFA Auditions!

2010-02-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

I just got back from Chicago and played a show at the Jazzhaus with the Avant National Guard. They were AMAZING! And the Dylan Paul Band played a solid show as well to a couple hundred of our closest friends in Lawrence, KS.

I was in Chicago auditioning for MFA programs- and if you're curious about the process, or just what I'm doing I thought I'd jot down a quick blog entry as to what happens.

DAY 1: Chicago is great. I like the city far more than I remember before. Like NYC but with fewer people and consequently less anger and crazies. Also, I'm staying at a hostel for $33 a night that is incredibly clean. I meet new friends from Chile, South Korea and more.

DAY 2: Screening auditions occur. I don't staple my resume to my headshot due to very carefully following directions. hahaa. I get passed on to the final round. The Chicago Palmer Hilton is gorgeous and I do a lot of staring at the ceilings. I visit the Chicago Public Library, meet more incredibly cool people. I also get a student discount at dairy queen... because I'm wearing a Columbia (sportwear) Jacket....

DAY 3: Final auditions- it went relatively well, working on more spontenaiety is really fun under pressure. Coffee, Korean food, big gorgeous snow flakes.

RESULTS!

I was called back and/or interviewed with the following programs:

UC Irvine
FSU/Asolo
Alabama
North Carolina/Playmakers
Nevada, Las Vegas
Roosevelt (CCPA)
Florida
Houston
U Conn
South Carolina
UT@ Austin
Western Illinois

Wish me luck! Schools are not allowed to make offers until the 15th but several have dropped me emails expressing interest. Hopefully I'll find a really great fit for the next three years.

Afterwards I met up with my RMRT friends Jack S, Jack B, and Travis along with my brother who is working at the Chicago Bontanic Garden and we had Margaritas at Blue Agave. Life is pretty amazing. And that's all for now.

2010-01-16T09:35:00.001-08:00

pretend that you're acting.

2010-01-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

a new image collage for www.peanutbutterfly.org. i like pretty things

Playing on the 26th... this song is in.

2009-12-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE TO SEE SOMETHING I LOVE- SORT OF GUILTY PLEASURE.

2009-11-20T16:37:00.000-08:00

Clarity- what a beautiful thing.

2009-11-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

"I would say that any time we meet a person it is impossible for us to not somehow figure out what they're about. We start doing that instictively."

-Robert Bergman

Law and Order and Dialects, Oh my!

2009-10-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

So the cast was watching a law and order rerun- a cop (please note, not a specialist) detected a slight glottal stop in a suspect's BRITISH dialect, which lead him to believe he spoke an asiatic language, and after making the suspect read the name of a single taiwanese restauraunt, determined that the suspect spoke taiwanese with a chinese accent and had clearly spent time in a specific prison in taiwan, populated with chinese people. duh. There was of course no need to clarify between mandrin, cantonese or other (they didn't want to pander to the masses). Of course, I could do that... right?

...

The Sunflower Hotel

2009-10-25T20:09:00.001-07:00

Sometimes this town seems tired and unrealized. The lone hotel converted to business space and apartment housing. Even the pigeons on top of the rust colored building seem disappointed; they scatter into mock applause overhead, having expected bigger and better things.

Abileeeeeene, Kansas!

2009-10-20T08:56:00.001-07:00

Ah yes, I'm back in KS. For anyone who's wondering, Abilene is so incredibly cool. After two weeks back with JJ to work on the album I returned to the Great Plains Theatre in Abilene, KS where I'll be performing in three shows- Arsenic and Old Lace, Moon Over Buffalo, and Joseph and the longest title ever. So, if you're in ..... no, there's no way you're in Abilene, but hey, now you know what I'm doing... which I guess is why you're reading this?

Highlights:

- the mastering engineer who worked with prince telling me i needed to remix the whole album. downer.

- i live in a huge kick ass loft next to a pizza shop in the historic downtown neighborhood. upper.

- i'm playing a creepy serial killer.. sort of. i'm neutral, it's not like no one saw this coming.

-a new website is up for stephanie rivers @ http://www.stephanieriversmusic.com/ check it out.

-i now own my gorgeous vintage remake gibson acoustic guitar... which was still too expensive.

-the album should be remixed, mastered and out at some point in december. i hope. god i hope.

CO-->Vegas-->LA

2009-09-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

I miss Simon

2009-09-07T17:15:00.000-07:00

Isn't he handsome?!

Reading Some Brecht

2009-08-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

Changes in his exterior continually lead to an inner reshuffling. The continuity of the ego is a myth. A man is an atom that perpetually breaks up and forms anew. We have to show things as they are.

Camp Fire Sing-A-Long

2009-08-05T17:34:00.000-07:00

What's better than a campfire with friends in the rocky mountains? How about a campfire in the rocky mountains with friends that can throw together an old timey 4-piece band for sing alongs and a celebration of wholesome American values!?! A band so epic, it can only be called FREEDOM BAND. Like Madonna... but two words and with better teeth.

Leading Men Gone WILD!!

2009-07-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

We just performed a cabaret featuring the leading men of RMRT... we created an introduction to the work that was pithy, profound, and understated. Yes, I'm lying. I mean, come on... it's LEADING MEN GONE WILD!! Enjoy our intro.

It doesn't matter where I am, I listen to Lawrence, KS radio.

2009-07-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

listening to NPR on KANU I found this photo. Just sharing some KS love.

Current Roles and The Year Ahead

2009-07-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

So I've been bad at keeping up with the blog. I know... shocker. But here's the current news:

1. I'm in Grand Lake, CO at the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre. They've opened their first AEA contract to have me out playing Chad in "All Shook Up" and Charlie in "Brigadoon". I am so incredibly happy to be back here and can't wait to see what this amazing company will do once they have their new theatre in 2011!

2. I'll be sticking around in Colorado through September playing at RMRT in "The Andrew's Brothers" - sweet.

3. During my two weeks off in between contracts I don't know what I'll be up to, but it will likely involve a CD release of a project I'm currently working on as well as a college tour. No promises- just likely.

3. I'll finish out my year at the Great Plains Theatre in Kansas doing 3 contracts that will overlap.

4. I'll be home in Lawrence for Christmas and the New Year's Day Party!

Sitting in a car

2009-04-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

In Manhattan, the frequency with which I ask the question, "Is that a guy or a girl?" is alarming.

I Watch Too Much MacGyver

2009-02-11T21:39:00.000-08:00

I've been watching too much MacGyver, so thought I'd share a personals posted on his behalf. I've been getting a surprising amount of interest... but hey... it is MacGyver.

"Must Love Duct Tape"

Well-educated world traveler seeks SWF for companionship and more.

I look good in khakis and a henley, a stolen jumpsuit, or tux.

Provided with duct tape, lint shavings and a tube of toothpaste I can blow up anything- but probably, I'll just blow your mind.

If this is your ideal evening, then we're a match:

1. you, me, virgin bloody mary.

2. a walk through an obviously seedy area until we're captured.

3. after we're gagged and beaten, I'll crack a witty one liner- you'll fall in love.

4. I'll escape by burning through the ropes using a small magnesium torch constructed from your hair clip, the unique, highly flammable varnish on our chairs, my steel toed boots and eroding mortar scraped from the wall next to us.

5. While you distract the only guard with us, I'll find a very tall object to leap from (this may take a while, please feather your hair for extra distraction value). Obviously, I'll leap from said object and disarm the guard with flair- but this will result in only minor injuries to him.

6. When you ask "seriously, where the fuck were you?!! He was going to kill me!" I'll deliver a retort like... "oh just you knew I'd drop in eventually..."
As before, you'll fall in love.

7. To break out of the enclosure/underground fortress I will disassemble the guard's gun and use the firing spring and gun powder from its bullets, along with your empty lipstick tube a dollar bill combined with rust I scraped off a nail to blow off the door hinges.

8. When you say "You could have just shot the god damned lock, now we're dead for sure" I'll say "I just thought I'd try to get more bang for my buck". While you've already fallen in love with me twice, the third time is said to be a charm.

9. Instead of running up the back stairs into a room full of guards playing ma jong or poker (depending on the continent and culture we're ridiculing this episode) I'll unscrew the water main that happens to be located in the basement, flooding it until we both float up fifteen feet and can escape through a ground level grated window (once again, we'll use the torch).

Some Bonuses:

-I love discussing current events and giving anecdotes garnered from my folksy background.

-I talk about mom and dad a lot... but no I don't live with them.

-I live in an observatory. Yeah. Or an apartment on the beach.

-I beat Steven Hawking at chess 11 out of 12 times. I threw the last game.

-I won't have to leave a razor at your house, I'll just use duct tape.

Flying Lessons

2009-02-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

I'll be flying back from NYC for three great reasons:

1. I'll be completing the tracking on the album "Growing" (which will be released with a fully produced music video from Through a Glass Productions). We'll have full brass and string arrangements, electronic elements, and plenty of pop music. haha. I can't wait!

-as a side note the feature film "Air" that I had a principal role in (yes, the one with the fauxhawk) has secured several distribution deals, and I've also confirmed a new publisher/promotional deal for the upcoming album.

2. I'll be auditioning for a killer season at Tent Theatre in Springfield, MO. They're doing Joseph AND Altar Boyz. You can't really top that, can you? Yeah, yeah Sondheim fanatics, bite your tongue.

3. I'll be able to see the family in Lawrence. Hopefully they don't read this blog... it was supposed to be a surprise.

Anyway, the bottom line is that if you're in Lawrence, KC, or Springfield I'll be around recording and auditioning.

Things Change

2009-02-08T14:47:00.001-08:00

So it's 60 in NYC. In February. My life is good. I visited the Asia Society's exhibition: Traces of the Calligrapher: Islamic Calligraphy in Practice, c. 1600–1900 and Writing the Word of God: Calligraphy and the Qur'an. Because I was raised in a household influenced by Sufi teachings it's surreal to recognize how much I didn't even consider the role and practice of calligraphy as an expression of faith. On a completely different note, I'm writing a song called "Sell Your Children" as a comedy entry for an improv theatre in Florida, and new websites are up. http://www.topherstone.com/ has been completed for Christopher Johnstone- but also http://www.jennifergierka.com/ and http://www.culturechild.com/ have been posted. Drop by- exciting things are happening.

What's going on in NYC

2009-02-05T13:26:00.000-08:00

I just read Lamb by Christopher Moore and it's brilliant. I'm working on blogging more regularly- it's like small talk... and I'm not so good at it at this point.

I just wrote a jazz standard-style song, which is SUPER exciting. I'll finish the lead sheet tonight- but I look forward to shopping it around. As for other music- things continue to slowly progress on getting the album together. I'll have a few tracks up on my web page at www.dylanpaul.net later tonight, but so far the new album should have some of the following tracks:

Growing
Something Simple (an mid tempo groove arrangement)
I Was Wrong
Away
The Olive Branch (which I can't wait to put horns on)
Gone
Semaphore
Anatomy
and an untitled track that is still in the works... it sounds a little electronic.

THEME: Lack of stylistic focus?

Be sure to check in on previews of the tracks.

ALSO, I just got an offer for more music shopping opportunities from an independent A&R kid- think Taxi but not. We'll see how that goes. I hope that all is well. More to come soon.

Pictures from Shows

2009-01-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

December Update

2009-01-02T07:21:00.000-08:00

I've spent almost half of December in Kansas visiting family. I am blessed with having a lot of flexibility with work and the means to come home when needed. I want to thank everyone for their support of our family at this time: the community of Lawrence has been an incredible gift.

As far as news while I've been home: The Dylan Paul Band played a sold out Jazzhaus again, this time with our good friend Scott Smith and his new backing band. We also continued work on a music video with the very gifted artists at THROUGH A GLASS PRODUCTIONS to be released with the new album "Growing" in a few months. As a side note, they're in the process of securing deals in Australia and South Korea with a possible theatrical release in Taiwan. Mixing and re recording on the album continues in both Lawrence and NYC. Merchandise has been contacted, so we have little left to do but get it finished. It's so easy to say.

In the realm of musical theatre composition I'm really excited to have started working with Robin Smith on some electronic songs that I can apply nicely to scene's in which Thomas creates and dialoges with his computer in "The Oregon Trail". And oh yes, I will finish and produce that musical if it kills me. And it might.

I've now been in NYC off and on for 5 months. And auditions are going really well with Broadway and Off Broadway contracts and record label options coming in. While I've been in NYC I became a regular facet of NYU TV studio shoots and have enjoyed my time to work on on Camera acting as well. I'm also applying to the following Graduate programs for an MFA in theatre:

(no they are not in any order)

UC Irvine

NTC

UCSD

ACT

Rutgers

So wish me luck, because without it all the work and preparation might never factor in.

Old Positings: 2 years in 2 paragraphs.

2008-09-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

I thought one day I might want these around, so here are some old positings. Oh, and if you're wondering what happened with the 5/28 posting, I got the Jersey Boys call back, but I couldn't make it because of a show... and Paige with Tara Rubin... if you're out there... we need to have a chat.

05/28/2007
Life in General: Things are good.

Well I'm wrapping up my last few months of runs with the Roxy Regional Theatre here in good ol' Clarksville, Tn. CurrentlyI'm playing Malcolm in the Full Monty and now devoting the next few months to finishing and staging the musical. Of course,I can't completely shake the acting thing, I will be flying to the Jersey Boys audition in Nashville on June 18th with my overtly masculine bright pink Equity card, so I'm always preparing. It's so close... it's so close. Everything has been wonderful in the last year of professional contracts, but at the same time I'm very much looking forward to having a schedule that allows me to convincingly pretend that I'm normal (i.e. a day job, living in the same town as those I love, etc.) For the few of you that check in regularly on the website, I should be updating again within the next few weeks to replace the old photos and put up some production photos that I haven't had access to until recently. Thank you to everyone for the love and support

03/31/2007
Life on the Mississippi: Henry.

Well I'm in the middle of runs now for the new play, Life on the Mississippi, playing Henry Clemens. As always I'm

delighted to be working on another world premiere,this will be the fourth time I've had a chance to originate a role,

and I may be participating in Musical version as well. Keep your fingers crossed.

04/01/2007

Hey, I'm Famous!: April Fools.
12 hour days are great training for something... I hope. Dinosaur the musical is kicking at the same time as Life on the Mississippi. We're using the Original productions costuming and I think it's a great musical. Plus, I can finally use the "Can Run Like a Raptor" line on my resume.

02/20/2007
OTHELLO WITH THE ROXY: Cassio

Rehearsals started yesterday for Othello at the Roxy Regional Theatre. Yay for staying employed! Of course the new

union status doesn't help, but it will some day. The cast is very good, and Cassio is a dream role for me. Feel free to

write me at Dylan Hilpman C.O. Roxy Regional, 100 Franklin St., Clarksville Tenn., 37040. Or email...

02/18/2006
HEADED TO UPTA: Yay for jobs.

Well, I've actually already auditioned for UPTAs, but several theatres were gone. I think I'm set up with a couple
(3) Equity contracts, which is sweet, especially considering the subpar audition. You know... in golf that would be good, does anyone find that strange?

And what of the future? (July 2008)

2008-09-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

SEPTIMUS: So the Improved Newtonian Universe must cease and grow cold. Dear me.
THOMASINA: Yes, we must hurry if we are going to dance.

I've been reading the Universe and the Teacup lately (thank you Julie) and thinking a lot about chance. In this context, I realize that I never had a backup plan, and that statistically, it makes no sense to be where I am. I just received my confirmation papers from Equity stating that I'll be starring as a Guest Artist with the University of Findlay this Summer in Ohio... which feels a little odd considering I just put my diploma into a frame today and when I graduated I didn't see myself here... at all. So the plan is Findlay, then track the new album with the band and then NYC. But all we can do is make plans, watch the universe head inevitably toward greater chaos, and keep dancing. Well... I mean, I'm more of a mover than a dancer, but... never mind.