State of the Dave

I'm doing another show this spring, this time for the JCC's Center Players again. "You Can't Take It With You" is a show from the 1930s that's still pretty funny today. The cast for Amanda's Mix Tape has been posted on the AMT MySpace page. And we should have some news soon on a film role for Mira in a UCF production.

Also, another play I've written, a ten minute drama called "Where We Stood Still," might be performed this summer by the Playwrights Round Table. I'll know more in a few weeks.

Happy New Year

Hi everyone. The big news for 2008 is that the one act comedy I wrote, "Amanda's Mix Tape," is going to have its world premiere at the 2008 Orlando Fringe Theatre Festival in May. It'll be produced by Greater Orlando Actors Theatre. We should be able to announce our cast fairly soon, almost everyone is locked down. In the meantime, visit the Amanda's Mix Tape MySpace for info.

Fall Notes

First off, welcome to all the EMHS '88 grads who are finding this page due to the reunion letter you received. The directory of fellow graduates is available on the EMHS '88 page. If you have any updates about yourself or friends who you are still in touch with, let me know.

Another season, another show. I'm about a week away from opening my first semi-starring role, playing Giles Ralston in the classic Agatha Christie murder mystery, "The Mousetrap." Great cast, very fun and talented group of people, and I'm having a blast doing a British accent instead of just another variation on New Yorker/Jewish dialects. Ticket information is available here.

I'll be up in Philadelphia this weekend, catching Springsteen at the Wachovia Center since he doesn't have any shows in the southeast announced for the new tour.

Mira has just turned 9, and Xander is a week away from turning 6. Life moves pretty fast. If you want more updates on me, find out more on either my MySpace or Facebook pages, linked on the menu to the right.

Summer Notes

I'm currently in rehearsals for the Orlando Actors Theater production of "The Odd Couple." I'll be playing Speed, one of the poker buddies. We open August 10th.

Mira and Xander are a month away from their first day of school. Xander's pretty excited about kindergarden, and Mira will be starting the 4th grade in the AAIM gifted program.

Life Updates

I don't why it took me over three months to post, but I guess I had enough sorrow just speaking to close friends. My mother, Marilyn Strauss, passed away on January 7, 2007 at the age of 62, from cancer. She was one hell of a lady. I never heard her say a bad thing about anyone, and she absolutely, totally loved her grandkids. She will be missed.

Mira has been busy shooting some films over at Full Sail. She played a student extra in a couple scenes of a film called "Vicissitude," which may air on the Sci Fi Channel. She played the lead, Tara, in a short film called "The Mirror" which will likely not ever be seen outside the school. Too bad, because it was a role right up Mira's alley -- a young girl who discovers she's really a powerful witch. We're waiting to hear back on some other things she auditioned for.

I've taken some time off from acting just to spend some time with Heather and the kids again. I'll probably audition for some things this summer.

Updates

Mira closes her run as Tiny Tim in "A Christmas Carol" at Theatre Downtown on Tuesday, December 19th. For those that can't make it, the show was taped last week by local cable access and will be broadcast many times the week of Christmas on local cable, VisionTV. And, for those who aren't local and don't get VisionTV, the great news is that they broadcast their live feed over the Internet. (Click on the link that says "Watch Vision TV Now - Live Online.")

Mira's show will air on VisionTV at the following times: 12/20 at 8 pm, 12/21 at 1 pm, 12/23 at midnight, Christmas eve at 7 pm, Christmas day at 8 am & 5 pm & 9 pm, 12/26 at 4 am, and 12/28 at 1 pm.

I'll also be appearing in two shows this winter. I'll be playing Jack Jerome in the Theatre Downtown production of "Brighton Beach Memoirs," opening in early February, and a number of different characters in the Maitland Center Player's production of "Oy! And Other Mishigas" in early March.

There have also been some changes to the EMHS 88 pages, as a couple of old classmates sent me some updates.

Redesign

The old site hadn't changed in years, so as we're moving to a new server it seemed a good time to update the look.

For those in the Orlando area, remember that Mira opens her run as Tiny Tim in "A Christmas Carol" at Theatre Downtown on November 24th. Also, be sure to check out her new web site, linked on the right. One day, when she's being interviewed on "Inside the Actor's Studio," she'll laugh about it.

Also, be sure to check out the other featured areas, including the East Meadow HS Class of 88 email directory, and version 1.0 of my book, "We're Having a Baby."

I've also added links to mine and Heather's MySpace pages, including our various blogs.

Hey, It's That Guy....

For those who are wondering whether I'm the same David Strauss you know in high school, college, or grad school...well, that's an easy question to answer. If you went to East Meadow (Long Island) High School from 1985-88, Brooklyn College from 1988-92 (especially as a member of the Scholar's Program), or Virginia Law from 1992-95, well, then, the answer is yes. Otherwise, no, I'm just a hologram that only you can see. If you are an old friend, please send me email and let me know what you're up to.

Also, if you're wondering if I'm the guy you used to know on one or another online system, I might be. I've been on many over the over 25 years I've been online, from local BBSs to online services to the net. But my most common early stomping grounds were on Q-Link, where I was known as LI Dave or QDJ Dave from 1987 through 1992, and GEnie, where I was staff on the Science Fiction RoundTable and was known as Replayer from 1991 through 1999.

I've been a big hockey fan for many years, so you might also have known me as a season ticket holder for the NY Islanders (1987-92) and Orlando Solar Bears (1998-2001).

And, yes, I just finished appearing at the Maitland JCC in the Center Players production of "Fiddler on the Roof." It was a blast.

If you want to say hi using instant messaging software, I'm usually online on AIM (Replayer), Yahoo (dstrauss), and ICQ (17626502).

My wife Heather (married since 1995) was known on Q as MsHeather and HeatherRay. She's from Painesville, Ohio (attended Riverside HS) and also attended Brooklyn College and Valencia College here in Orlando.

More of the usual useless biography info that everyone used to keep on their homepages back in the 90s has migrated to our MySpace pages, linked above. So if you're dying to know what my favorite TV shows are, there you go.

As for our kids, Mira and Xander are 8 and 5 respectively, and the way they're going will probably be running the world within a decade. Well, it at least feels that way.

Have a good day.