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The Ensemble – Part 2

Posted on Mar 13, 2013 by in Her

This one is going to be fun.

I have a chat window open as I type this. In that chat window is Michael C. McGreevy.  Just as he has been for the last five or six years.

Fun Fact: I’ve directed Mike twice (Picasso at the Lapin Agile and as an assistant director on Playing With Fire – After Frankenstein) and performed with him twice (Night of the Living Dead and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead). In that time period I have killed him with a fire poker, ridden him like the pony I didn’t get for Christmas, and yelled from the back of the theater “Act gay! I need more gay in your character!”

Ah, live theater.

Mike is my devil’s advocate. Mike is my rational mind. Mike is my thoughtful place.  Mike talks me down. Mike picks me up.

He is one of the most insightful and compassionate people I know.  He is a good man. For a long time, he was a blue print for the kind of man I kept telling myself I should date. It should be no surprise then that Crawford and Mike became friends early in the social media days when you found like minds in other people’s friends. I was the hub of their friendship. Good men with good senses of humor and keen wit, they would often banter with each other on my threads. I liked that they were friends, it made sense.  They were categorized in the “good guys” file in my brain.

Mike has helped me through some tough times, I have returned the favor. Ours is a friendship forged backstage, onstage, and in the bar after a show. Ours is a friendship that has evolved past lines, and costumes, props, and auditions. It is a friendship that has seen tattoos and tears, laughter and beers.  (I’m a poet).

I have learned a lot about Mike because he’s open with who he is and what he believes in. If you aren’t used to people being blunt and shooting you straight, then I could see where Mike might be a little discombobulating. I feel like I know and understand Mike because of his writings on Live Journal (Remember that kids? If you don’t, ask your parents) and later on his blog. He’s done some amazing things. First of all – he’s half the man he used to be. Truly. His open battle with losing weight has been a theme in his writings. He’s realistic and determined and it’s been pretty remarkable to watch him shrink over the years.

He’s also a kinda big deal with Dragon*Con and while he would never brag about who he knows, he knows all the cool geeks.

He has a son, Alex. When I met Alex he was shorter than me. Ten minutes later he returned from getting a Coke and he was three feet taller than me.

(That’s the way it feels in my mind anyway).

He wears funny shirts.

He gives good hugs.

He will have been married almost exactly a month (to the day) when Crawford and I get married.

I like his soon-to-be-wife a lot. Sometimes more than him (he’s okay with that I bet).

My mother thinks he looks good in a kilt.

He has a wonderful singing voice.

And finally – he knew how comfortable I was with Crawford before I did:

Jan. 25, 2012
gchat

Michael: I did not get douchebag vibe from him, now….but I only know him through his oh-so-witty updates and what I know from you
What I saw was someone who cared enough about being close to you to do the boyfriend backrub thing
That was pretty sweet
Kari: boyfriend backrub thing?
Michael: At one point when you were laughing and leaning forward he did so as well and just kind of rubbed your lower back. It’s a very intimate thing that only people who are close do, and if you weren’t 100% comfortable with him being in your space your fem-radar totally would have screamed at it
Not a sexual thing..just a “I enjoy being close to this person” thing
Kari: and i didn’t even notice. 🙂
huh. well that’s a nice observation. we’ll hang a visit or two on that and see what happens. 🙂
Michael: Exactly. And that’s how it should be.

And that – Ladies and Gentlemen – is Michael C. McGreevy.