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John Cameron Mitchell

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By Posted Wednesday, March 18, 1998, at 3:30 AM ET

Woke up with a sore throat yesterday. Canceled last night's Hedwig show even though a hot young Gen X magician was coming to see it. He is looking for a collaborator to create an off-Broadway show that, according to my agent, "will tell the story of the Bible through magic." Found a doctor who would see me on short notice on the Upper East Side, not convenient given that I live on the Lower West Side. I almost killed myself getting there--seven staircases at the subway station. The doctor's diagnosis: exhaustion. The setup was suspicious. There was no problem changing my appointment at the last minute. I was ushered into a cubicle instead of the empty waiting room. I had to make a credit card imprint before I was allowed to see the doctor. Had I stumbled into a Blockbuster Video? When I asked the receptionist if he was sure they were in my HMO network, he said, "I think so. Can I get tickets to your show?"
Tired and sick all day. Played CDs and cable-surfed until I felt a shortness of breath. It felt as if I were editing my own embarrassing music video--forever. Screened incoming calls. Screened outgoing calls. Had to get out. Took my Dirt Devil to the repair shop. Had cheap sushi. Noticed a gay couple holding hands and was interested by how uninteresting such an event has become. Had to lie down. Caught up with some mail:

  • A nice note from a Hedwig idol, Madeline Kahn, thanking me for inviting her to opening night. Wrote her a thank you note. Will she write back to thank me for it?
  • A Screen Actors Guild check for 14 cents compensating me for the fourth Serbian rerun of a MacGyver episode.
  • A letter from a woman I remember as a sweet 14-year-old who came to see me in The Secret Garden many times. She is now recording songs, on her own label, that deal with her recovery from sexual abuse.
  • A letter from a Canadian guy I met at a bar a hundred years ago. Colored feathers fell out of the envelope. He congratulates me, in a zany font, on my reviews. I remembered introducing him to my friend Derek (now at Microsoft) and later telling Derek this guy was a model. He was silent for a moment. "A foot model?"
  • A letter from someone wanting me to contribute to a book titled How to Be Successful in America. Other contributors include Bart Conner and Norm Crosby.
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On the lobby floor of my apartment building is a monthly flyer from the New York Hemlock Society addressed to a Mr. and Mrs. Clive Small. Handwritten next to the address: "No longer at this address."

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By Posted Wednesday, March 18, 1998, at 3:30 AM ET
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John Cameron Mitchell is a New York based actor, writer, and director whose credits include Six Degrees of Separation, Big River, and The Secret Garden. He is currently starring in Hedwig and The Angry Inch, the hit rock musical he wrote with composer Stephen Trask.
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