Hey folks. It's been several weeks since returning from my blitz of the Hug the Gulf Tour and I'm still glowing with the memories and buzzing from the road. Since then I've performed at Yankie Creek Coffee in historic Silver City New Mexico and last Sunday spoke and did music at the First Christian Church in Las Cruces, NM. When you are a creative artist you don't just explore one genre, but you are always open to new forums and venues. I enjoy it all and have always felt compelled and drawn to teach and offer inspirational messages, talks, hospice etc.
Now I find myself in San Diego, CA. I am here for the San Diego International Fringe Festival with my actor cohort Algernon D'Ammassa together as Theatre Dojo. We are honored to be part of the show. It's an international show with 500 shows, 18 venues over 11 days. www.sdringe.org for info. Last year’s San Diego Fringe Festival was attended by 65,000 people and paid out more than $120,000 to artists. Very impressive stats y'all.
We debuted our original show Killing Buddha at last year's Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival where we won "Pick of the Fringe" much to our surprise. We are excited. The acts here are just amazing and I feel humbled and inspired each time I take them in. That is a good thing to be sure. We do what we do which is story-telling much in the tradition of the troubadours and bards of old all the way to the times around the campfire.
Next month we return as honored guests to the Salt Lake Fringe Festival with a new piece called Songs of Uncreation which we have been working on while here and on the long 11-hour drive through 113f temps.
I compose music while the actor acts out the story. Think of it like a movie soundtrack done in real time. It's very challenging and exciting and requires It calls upon all my years of study, training, practice and experience as a musician. I must be extremely present and listen fully. Here is a short video of my process.
For more information on tickets, dates, times etc here it is:
DETAILS:
San Diego International Fringe Festival
When: Thursday through July 3. (Check schedule for specific performance times.)
Where: 17 venues around San Diego.
Tickets: $10 for most shows (one-time purchase of $5 Fringe tag also required); $27-$72 for multi-show passes.
Online: sdfringe.org
KILLING BUDDHA is the original play written by Theatre Dojo founder Algernon D'Ammassa with Randy Granger. Algernon and Randy portraying two homeless storytellers who eat, pray, sing, and tell the audience an ancient story from Buddhist folklore in which a very human Buddha encounters a serial killer. The story presents a difficult moral problem about forgiveness and redemption.
San Diego International Fringe Festival
BUY TICKETS HERE: https://sdfringe.ticketleap.com/killing-buddha/
Here I am at the insane trail that leads down to Blacks Beach in San Diego on the Pacific Ocean. It's a treacherous 300ft, zig-zag of a goat trail from the hand-glider port to the beach below. There are huge bluffs and this is the "easy way" down as one local surfer told us when we finally asked him how to get down. I apologized for being "all touristy" but he was gracious about it. The trail is fortified with huge wood planks, loose rocks and dirt. I think of it as natural selection, if you can make it down to the beach you are healthy enough to be there. Going up was equally brutal, surprisingly. Seeing the gliders above like as many birds was surreal and beautiful. It's mostly a clothing-optional beach which is cool with me as I always prefer that option being from the blazing deserts of New Mexico.
Randy at Blacks Beach trail Torrey Pines Park