Sisters in the Hood!

by Cate Masters

Today, I raise a dual cheer for sisterhood, and for Christopher Walken. A strange combo, you say? Not in my world. Read on.

My sisters knew how housebound I’d been this winter, so for my birthday surprised me with tickets to a Broadway play. I can’t wait! We’re going to see A Behanding in Spokane, which is advertised as “explosively funny” – just what I need. Here’s a teaser clip:



A black sense of humor runs in my family, making it the perfect combo.

Christopher Walken is such a wide-ranging actor, who “finds the sunny side in the spookiest of souls,” as the New York Times wrote. But I love that he wanted to play a regular, nice guy – with a wife, house and dog. Okay, so he happens to be a creepy character too. :)

I mean, look at this face – can you pick out at least ten emotions? Incredible.
Walken’s one of the few truly chameleonlike actors who can pull off any number of roles. Maybe it’s his unique way of looking at life, as illustrated in this Esquire article. I love the article’s last item: “There’s something dangerous about what’s funny.” I think Christopher knows that the best humor contains a hard kernel of truth, and sometimes laughing at it’s the only way to take away its power over us. Or reflect the truth upon ourselves so we can decide how we will deal with it in our own lives.

This video’s an example of his comedic skills. Few can make a children’s story so funny, while making the big bad wolf a sympathetic, yet cool, character:



Maybe that’s part of his success too. He doesn’t portray any character as one-dimensional. Villains have redeeming qualities. Heroes have dark secrets. And even sleazeballs are desperate for love:



The best kind of characters – the kind you want to explore, to know what makes them tick. Christopher’s gift that way. He has a gift for comedy in general, even poking fun at himself:



Fans even loved his lyrical rendering of Lady Gaga’s Poker Face:



With his classic good looks, Christopher could have taken the easy route and played straight dramatic roles, or been a romantic leading man contender.



Instead, he chose to walk his own path. I admire artists for that.
And in his own words, Wowee wow wow!



So will my sisters and I be hanging around the stage door afterwards, hoping for a meet and greet op? Oh yeah.

We’re also going to eat at the fantastic Carmine’s, “NYC’s Legendary Family Style Italian Restaurant.” Oh you haven’t tasted tiramisu until you’ve tasted Carmine’s. Bellisimo! And their margaritas are great too.

So look out, New York – my sisters and I will be on the loose in your city for a Girls Day Out. I cannot wait!

Thanks for the images: Scott.littlemeanfish.com, farm3.static.flickr.com, newsgroper.com, 1 bp.blogspot.com

Cate Masters writes fantasy/dark fantasy, historical, contemporary and speculative fiction, described by reviewers as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” “such romantic tales that really touch your soul,” “filled with action scenes which made it a riveting story,” and “the author weaves a great tale with a creative way of using words that makes the story refreshing to read.” Visit Cate online at www.catemasters.com, www.catemasters.blogspot.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.