Happy Banned Books Week everyone!!!!  It’s a great time to celebrate those little freedoms that allow people like those Distracted Rascals to say the sorts of things we say in our improv shows!  Hooray!  So this week is your chance to celebrate by doing something revolutionary like… I dunno… registering to vote or reading Huck Finn or something!  Shake things up!  For more info on Banned Books Week, check here or here.

Enjoy your FREADOM! And while you’re at it - post in the comments one or more of your favorite banned/challenged books!  Woohoo!

I’m not sure whether you’ve seen this or not… but make sure to check out the G Magazine feature on local theatre.  It’s AWESOME!  And The Globe’s very own corn-haired comedienne; sulty, sandy-haired soundstress; flaxen femme-fatale is featured.  YAY MISS TRAYSIE!!!!

Go read it!

And make sure to go visit UpstateOnstage… who rocked the house on putting that feature together.  They do an awful lot for all us theatre types!

opinion.  Okay, actually it’s AN opinion.  But anyway, with the election season upon us, it seems that Rainbow Annie just couldn’t contain herself.  So she has burst forth from her self-imposed silence to weigh in on the election for all you boys and girls out there who aren’t quite sure what to make of all this madness!  So stop on by, tell your friends… ‘cuz Rainbow Annie is back, baby!  It’s Tea Time!

Okay… the first part of this post isn’t funny.

There is a fantastic organization called The Girl Effect.  They do great work in terms of trying to help girls in developing nations have a chance to take control of their lives and get out of the cycle of poverty and illness.  Go visit them and find out what they’re about.  It’s a really great organization.  Thanks to Shannon for turning us onto them!

The second part of this post… is hilarious.

REGISTER TO VOTE! You have until OCTOBER 4th! That’s really soon!

I’ve been so busy, I almost forgot entirely about the most important holiday of the year!  But luckily, my brain clicked and reminded me that this Friday is INTERNATIONAL TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY!   Huzzah!  So make sure to visit the website, buy the new book, or slap on that eye patch and just go nuts!  This year my uncle (and co-creator of ITLAPD, John Ol’ Chumbucket Baur) has moved to a small island in the Caribbean in order to more fully live the Buccaneer life.  So while I doubt he’ll be doing much pillaging this week, he will be celebrating!  and his and my celebration will be more complete knowing that you’re out there, ARRRRRing away at everyone you meet!  There are tips on the website and in the books to help you expand your pirate vocab beyond ARRRRR… but the fact is… that sort of remains the universal pirate-ese, doesn’t it?  Anyway, September 19th is on its way, so grab some grog, prepare to be boarded, and shiver me timbers and whatnot!

Today is a very special day.  Do you know why?  Because it is the anniversary of the birth of the one, the only, JARED JOHNSON!!!  Huzzah!

Okay… that’s not Jared.  That’s a very unfortunate mullet I found online. This is Jared:

Who do we love oh-so-muchly?

JARED!

He’s got the brains, he’s got the ability to sacrifice his body for the laugh, and he’s got the smokin’ hot good looks!
So after you’ve enjoyed this little snippet of the many faces of Jared, go find him and give him a birthday hug, or a spanking, or the traditional birthday gift of three chickens and a set of playing cards.

You haven’t heard of that tradition?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JARED!!!!!

It is also very noteworthy that today is the birthday of the fabulous Lynne Junker as well… but I don’t have a plethora of embarrassing pictures of her. So she’ll just have to settle for HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNNE!

Tonight at The Gunter Theatre in the Peace Center, the South Carolina Children’s Theatre opens Annie.  That’s right!  The adorable, heartstring-pulling musical orphan who ISN’T a pickpocket (sorry, Oliver) skips across the Greenville stage for the next three weekends.  And who’s the gruff bald guy who takes her in and learns a valuable lesson about how to love?  None other than the Globe’s nefarious sound master, Rick Connor!  So call now (because there are not a whole lot of tickets left!) to make sure you get your chance to watch the big shiny noggin amidst a FABulous cast of crazy talented people of all ages (and species… remember… there’s a dog on stage!) as they frolick about on a set designed by the Globe’s Ryan Bradburn!  Huzzah!

So happy opening to the cast… and shame on you if you don’t call right now to make an appointment to relive your childhood!  Do it!

It is also very noteworthy to remind you that Greenville Little Theatre opens another homage to an awesome chick… Always… Patsy Cline tonight!  AND Centre Stage will be reading Arlene Hutton’s new play Letters to Sala tonight and tomorrow night.  Fantastic things happening all over town.  The Upstate Shakespeare Festival’s prouction of Twelfth Night continues this weekend… and the weather is approaching perfect for hanging out in the park in the evenings.  AND… to top it all off, the Warehouse Theatre has some stand-up comedy Saturday night.  Aren’t you lucky to live here?  Grab your calendar and plan your attack, cause you don’t want to miss this stuff!

Because I know you’ve all been holding your breath, waiting to hear what the Distracted Globe plans to propose to the Olympic committee in place of baseball and softball for the next summer Olympics… well… wait no longer!

It seems that Synchronized Jazz Hands triumphed… hands down. (sorry)

Though I must admit, I regret not having been able to submit Jared’s addition of Uphill Skiing.  We’ll have to keep that on the books for the 2010 winter Olympics. 

Also, you’ve probably noticed that there’s a new poll up.  We’ve already had a pretty good response set from all over the country… so make sure to weigh in!  And comment here to say hi!  Especially if you’re new!  We’d like to virtually shake your hand!

Stop using exclamation points!

I can’t!

In the wake of the Republican National Convention, The Distracted Globe’s Jen has a very important message to send to all you voters out there.

You may also notice that there is a new poll over to the right. Enjoy! And register to vote!

Coming upon Wednesday, September 10th, our good friends The Laughing Stock Improv Troupe are doing a benefit performance at The Handlebar.  It’s an evening of improv and music to raise money for a friend of theirs who has been diagnosed with cancer, but has no health insurance.  DG’s very own Jared will be playing along, and the improv will be followed by some party music.  Ah yeah!  Tickets are $10 and any donations above that are greatly appreciated.  All the money goes to pay for the medical bills.  This is a fun event for a great great cause.  Come out… tell your friends… do it!