On BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM

March 7th
On BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM

My most persistent memory of the film Bend it Like Beckham is of the main character sitting in her bedroom staring at posters of her idol, David Beckham. David Beckham I mostly remember for kicking that Argentinian in World Cup 1998 or 2002.
It did make me think of childhood heroes. I asked Krista what her childhood heroes were, and she said Lucy Maud Montgomery and Gordon Korman, who was a published author as a teenage boy. I never knew that Krista wanted to be a writer when she was a kid.
My posters as a child were of Kelly Gruber and Felix Potvin, my sports heroes. Now I have a mini hall of fame on the top of my desk with figurines of Joe Carter, Alex Rios and Jose Reyes (which I got free with a video game) also on this shelf is a baseball I got at batting practice before a Jays-Rays tilt last year. A Rays pitcher, whom I am pretty sure was “Big Game” James Shields, threw the ball up to me. The first time I bobbled it back down onto the field, and Shields dutifully tossed it back up to me. My sister-in-law, Tracey, stopped me from bobbling it again. Tracey and her boyfriend Lorne signed the ball, crossed out the stamp that said “practice” and wrote “game-winning ball” overtop. I also have my 2008 Toronto Star Jays Season Pass, my tickets from the Yankees game we went to in Yankee stadium last year, and baseball cards Krista made of Krista and I.
Also on my wall I have old show posters:
- Waiting for Godot, my first big show as an actor in high school, the start of my Beckettesque playwrighting style, and watershed in my high school life. On the poster is a murky black tree, and crumple lines because the copy of the poster my mom plaqued was in my locker for several weeks. It only ran for three performances, which seems crazy compared to the amount of work we put into it. If only I would put that much work into something now.
- Zastrozzi, my first big show in University that I auditioned for and starred in in my first few months at McMaster. Also a big deal. Central to the poster is a stylized Z. I played Verezzi, a mad artist.
- DOGS! The Musical!!, the first time we had a hit show at the Toronto Fringe Festival. The poster stars Zack, the MacIsaac’s family dog, with tie and briefcase in an elevator. In this one I played Mr. Tinklesberry, a Golden Retriever.
- A 3-D picture of the last supper, pilfered from the MacIsaac’s basement for use in the short film Finding Ferdinand. Given to the MacIsaacs by Grandma Fraser, who is on the religious side.
- a pinnie-sticker from the time I auditioned for Second City’s Next Comedy Legend, when I got to the second round. My numbert was 7084.
- Various photos taken by Tracey.
- a metal Queen of Spades card we won for coming second in the London Fringe Festival Poetry Slam while doing the show Science Fair!
- a painting of a Geisha my sister Sandra painted a long time ago.
- degrees! 2 from McMaster, 1 from Humber
- a photo of Winston Churchill, framed.
- 2 postcards of paintings by Whistler
- 2 postcards of paintings by Audrey Jolly. I forget who that is.
- a poster of e-dentity, a big show Krista assisstant directed.
- a flyer from Babies in Danger, the last Players Players show to date (Players Players being the group behind DOGS! The Musical!! And Science Fair!)
- a map of Krista’s Journey Across America
- postcards of an Ancient Swdish Map of the World, depicting trolls, dragons, sea monsters, the devil, etc.
- a poster of coquettes twirling umbrellas. Not mine.