When the Albuquerque theatre critics listed their top ten lists for 2002, I was honored to have either the play I directed ("Catch-22") or acted in ("Killer Joe") placed in their ranks. Getting credit and praise makes me thankful for all the creative (and volunteer) time and effort I invested in those two plays. One thing I've learned is that no matter how well you do putting one play together, there is only a limited amount of time that you can rest on your laurels before its time to start from scratch and prove yourself again. Due to this itch, I have been directing a play called "High Life" throughout the holiday season, and it opened to the public on Friday night.

Instead of choosing a well-known script, playwright and large cast (which are the keys to getting a large audience), I picked an obscure Tarantino-esque tale of morphine addicted criminals plotting to rob an ATM machine. This immoral acting-intensive story was a complete 180 from my first time around with "Catch-22." Why did I stray from the formula that was so good to me the first time around? I think the answer is along the lines of why Michael Jordan decided to quit basketball and play minor baseball for a few years. It was something different.

"High Life" was an entirely unique experience for me, and it had its own rewards and pitfalls. First and foremost, I assembled a powerful cast consisting of four of my favorite actors in town. I dubbed them the Albuquerque Rat Pack, and I truly believe that are just as cool and diverse as the original crew. In my biased opinion, Vic Browder, Miguel Martinez, Jeremy Joynt and Malcolm Sharbutt are all destined for acting greatness, and the fact that I got them all committed to rehearse "High Life" for absolutely no money during the month of December is a testament to their dedication to the craft. Their effort and performances are worth $4000 apiece, but due to budget constraints, they were paid with cheap beer.

As every director will attest, there is never enough rehearsal time. There seems to always be room for improvement, but the bottom line is that you take the actors, the lighting, the sound, and the story as far as you can in the time allotted. By the Tuesday before opening, they hit the level that they currently perform at, and I dubbed the play acceptable for the public viewing.

The result is something that both entertains and disturbs me. These guys are funny. They tell jokes and stories about past jobs and screw ups, and after several viewings I still crack up at some of their tales. These guys are creepy. They are criminals, drug addicts, and they have a hell of a time hanging out with each other without picking a fight. These guys are unpredictable. In attempt to keep the play fresh and believable, I never discouraged my actors from adding brief improvised moments to their lines. To this day, no one knows exactly what will come out of their mouths, even them. It definitely makes for unique theatre, and they continue to find ways to pleasantly surprise me.

Although the official word from the critics has not come in yet (how much can you praise plays about criminal behavior?), I am satisfied with the product. Like almost all of my theatre work, "High Life" is being shown at the Vortex Theatre, the local "edgy" volunteer black box theatre. I have seen over two dozen plays in the space and dozens more around town, and I can honestly say there has never been a play like it done in Albuquerque. For some strange reason, that fact makes me feel better than being included on any and all of the top ten lists.

"High Life" took me down a different road than I had ever been. My actors were among the elite in town, and I found myself dealing with each of them in a different way. What motivated and inspired one actor caused another to be thrown into a brief crisis. When the crew rolled in for the intensive tech week, I switched my focus to the set, lights and sound. I hung lights and black curtains. I assisted the set designer in creating a functional living room and car. I chose the soundtrack myself and sat in while the sound designer burned my vision onto CDs. I talked to the press and tried to spread the word as best I could. I wanted to have no excuses when the final product came to be.

Now "High Life" is out there, and the first weekend ends tonight. The houses were around half full, but everyone who talked to me agreed the play was a worthy endeavor. "High Life" will run for three more weekends before it disappears into the list of almost 300 plays the Vortex has produced in its 26 years. I am proud of what my actors, designers and crew have accomplished. I have created a funny and disturbing play involving drugs, scheming, smoking, foul language, and over all malevolent behavior. For some bizarre artistic reason, it makes me feel good and bad every time I watch it. Ah, the power of theatre.

Chris Jungle is directly done for a little while.