Pat Tuesday: Looking back on looking forward
Hi friend! This is the first weekly Pat Tuesday (trying it out—already hate it) weekly email for this newsletter. I’m excited to pontificate with you about art and creativity and existence and probably food.
I’m taking you through the journey of building my play “BIG BEAR” and giving it a big premiere in October. And as I start building this show, I’m thinking a lot about building my future, too—something that has always occupied a huge pocket of my brain. Actually, in the spirit of graduation season, I’m going to reveal something to you: I gave my senior class’s commencement speech at Emerson College…12 years ago. Here it is, in full Baby Pat glory:
Having an HD video of 22 year-old-me joyfully (and clearly nervously) expound on what I hoped my future would be is a real head trip. There’s also some deeper reasons to why I cried (aka “dealt with construction”)—that’s for another newsletter. I’m mostly struck by the advice I took issue with — “keep doing what you’re doing”. I remember being so frustrated by that—what do you mean “keep doing what you’re doing”? I want to be doing what you’re doing.
But as I look back on all the things I did between this speech and now—the production jobs, the writing gigs, the late-night comedy shows and stupidly silly YouTube videos—I have begun to realize that all the things I just decided to “keep doing” are truly the reason I’m now doing what I love. And more specifically, how I feel capable and ready to direct, produce, and perform in a 90-minute play that I wrote about some very personal things. So thank you, generic-advice mentors. You were right.
So congrats Class of 2024! Keep doing what you’re doing!
PAT’S PROJECTS - here’s some things I’ve done (or am doing)
ASSSKETCH, a superstar UCB monthly rotating-cast sketch show, is up this Saturday at 7pm at UCB. I wrote and directed—watch it live or livestreamed!
HAVIN’ A DAY, my driving podcast, features Lamar Woods and Nnamdi Ngwe on a journey to Smorgasburg LA this week.
PARLOR ROOM on DROPOUT had me on last week’s episode. I played Taboo and made enemies of my best friends.
PAT’S PICK - one piece of media I love right now
THE ROAD by Danny O’Keefe - I stumbled across this weird 70s song—it’s like a John Denver/Kenny Rogers/Glenn Campbell mashup. I dare you to listen to this and not feel like a long-haul trucker longing for the love of his life.
Have any questions for me? Send them as a response to this email. Hoping to answer some in future newsletters.
Love you! Talk soon!
Patrick