Brian Kameoka's blog

Travelblog 2008 - Berlin 2, sightseeing

Here are photos from some of my sightseeing in Berlin.  The two museums pictured - the Pergammon and the Jewish museum are both must-see if you're in Berlin

Steps up to the great altar, Pergammon museum.  This is the actual thing, excavated and brought to Berlin.  Like walking into history.

Cool architecture inside Hackescher Market, a series of open courtyards that make a really cool little shopping district.

Inside the garden of exile at the Jewish Museum.

Checkpoint Charlie. Not an american soldier, rather, a german guy in costume charging one euro for pictures. Note that in the background of this photo, the "snackpoint charlie," which is basically a food court. Including a subway. So, that's western influence for you.

Interesting architecture in Berlin.

Travelblog 2008 - Berlin videoclip

Tried to embed this but youtube and wordpress werent playing nice... but here's a short clip of the craziness post-win:

Click here for youtube clip

Travelblog 2008 - Berlin

I'm in Berlin - Germany is playing Portugal in the Euro Cup.  Germany wins.  See below.

The cops stand ready for trouble (there wasn't any). I took this photo because I tought it was funny that they were lined up in order - A11, A12, A13. German efficiency.

Travelblog 2008 - Antwerp 2

Here is a picture of the barracks at Lillo.  Lillo is a small village within Antwerp, it's actually surrounded by industrial buildings.  But the original village of Lillo has been preserved - it's now a nice little place, with a sort of central town square and just a few buildings.  During the time of Napolean it was fortified and used as a major defense point - we saw a building that was the gunpowder storage.  And the barracks in the photo, where Napolean's army once slept, have now been converted into really cool aparment/loft type things.  Jeron's sister and her husband bought one and it's pretty cool.  What's even cooler is that Jeron's brother in law is a history professor, and he specializes in Napolean, so he's literally living amongst the history that he studies/teaches.

Jeron is - and I think this is the biggest compliment one improviser can give another - a generous person.  On stage and off.  Not only did he give me a place to crash and show me around Antwerp, he shared his family with me.  His father is Chilean and his mother is Dutch, and I ate several meals at his parents place with tons of people gathered (some family friends from Chile are in town visiting).  My last night they cooked a feast of barbequed spare ribs.  Good food and good company.  Also, it's been interesting talking politics with people as I've been over here.  Europeans follow politics more than your average American.  A lot of people are asking about Obama.  Some could even quote from speeches he made.

Belgian beer is great.  Stella, which is served in the states as a premium beer, is like Budweiser here... cheap and ubiquitous.  We never drank Stella - Jeron suggested we try Duvel (which means "devil") and it was great.  He said I have to drink two, since it might seem bitter at first, however, I didn't find it bitter.  We stuck with Duvel most of the time, except for one time when we had a cherry beer, which was sweet and fruity (sounds strange but it was delicious).

Travelblog 2008 - Cologne

Had a short layover in Cologne on my train ride from Antwerp to Berlin.  Just enough time to stretch my legs, get out of the train station, and see the impressive cathedral there:

Travelblog 2008 - Antwerp

ANTWERP

This is Jeron, my host in Antwerp:

We met in 2004 in Edmonton, at Rapid Fire Theatre's Improvaganza.  He's a Belgian TV star, which he self-effacingly puts it like "I'm a big star in the smallest TV market in Europe."  Nonetheless, it was amazing how much he was recognized as we went around Antwerp.  I constantly saw people doing double takes, or whispering as we passed.  He was on the Belgian version of Whose Line is it Anyway but also had 3 years on Belgium's longest running soap opera, called The Family.  I kept hearing people say to each other as they pointed "Familia!"

He gave me a great walking tour through the center of Antwerp.  We started at the main cathedral, which only has 1 and a half spires (Jeron explained that when the spanish came, the project ran out of money and the 2nd spire was never finished).  Inside they have several enormous Rubens paintings that were beautiful and in great condition.

Here are some pics from my day:

Outside the Belgian National theatre

At a nearby theatre - look what was playing (sung in Dutch!)

The Main square & city hall

mmm...pastries

Travelblog 2008 - Amsterdam

Left Sacto on 13-July, headed to Amsterdam.  Flight was delayed getting out of Philly, though I basically slept through both flights and the 2 hour delay.  Arrived in Amsterdam Saturday 14-July in the morning, went to where I was staying then tried to stay awake to adjust to the time difference but ended up napping in the afternoon.

Amsterdam is beautiful.  It's been a bit chilly, and I realized that I didn't bring any long sleeve shirts, so we'll see if I get by or if I have to break down and borrow or buy a sweatshirt.  Just visited the Theatre Museum, and later today I catch the train to Antwerp.  Right now I'm sitting in a cafe next door to the Anne Frank house, having a soy latte and a ham & cheese croissant (same thing I'd be ordering if I were at Butch & Nellie's back home).

Here are some photos:


One of Amsterdam's many houseboats

The Rijksmuseum.  The face is from Vermeer's The Kitchen Maid

Leidseplein Theatre, home of Boom Chicago

Almost, Maine @ B Street Theatre

The Sacramento Bee's review of Almost, Maine by John Cariani ran on Tuesday 6/10/08 and included these two photos:

Peter Story and Elisabeth Nunziato

John Lamb and Amy Resnick

Paul Sills: 1927 - 2008

I learned last week of Paul Sills' death. I didn't know him, and while I did take a two-day intensive with him in Portland almost ten years ago, I guess I can't really call myself a student of his, though his teachings have been an influence on my life and work. What struck me about him in person was not his blunt directness (which is legendary), but more that in person, it was clear to me that it came from such a love and passion for the work.

I have two vivid, specific memories of the workshop I took with him. First, was a criticism of my performance in a scene. As an improviser I've always favored slow play, wait for the right move to be needed, etc. I tend not to initiate as much as I should. He called me to task for waiting something out when he could see I knew what needed to happen. I think I made an excuse that I was in the process of doing that (whatever the action was that needed taking). And in his Paul Sills way, he blurted out, "well DO IT then, we don't want to be watching ICEBERGS move!!!"

The other one I remember involved a guy, probably 18 or 19, an aspiring actor. He had a rough scene and Sills asked him what he was doing, and the guy said, "I was... acting." And Sills barked disgustedly, "don't act... acting is a craft that requires years of training!" I took his point to be, focus on your impulse, on what's there in the scene with you, because that's all you have, you can't act your way out of it. The guy didn't come back after lunch.

In other improv news, congrats to General Fools, Taz Van Rassel, Amy Matysio, and Jayden Pfeifer on their 2008 Canadian Comedy Award nominations. I hope to share the stage with you guys again someday soon.