Since far too often we only publicly say nice things about people when they are dead I’ve decided to randomly pick a Facebook friend every day and say something nice about them.
April 29, 2019
Today’s person: H.P. Mendoza!
End of an evening meeting at the Mime Troupe, and my fellow Collective Member and “friend” Christian Cagigal says he has something he’d like us to listen to. (I put the quotes around the word “friend” just so people will think we’re not really friends.)
Anyway he whips out a CD (remember those?) and plays a complete suite of songs written and performed by a friend of his he calls H.P., who is moving away. The songs chronicle their friendship growing up in Colma, California, and are funny, touching, philosophical, brutal, sardonic, and wonderful. H.P. wrote these songs as a going away present to his best friend, Christian, and everyone could feel the warmth, love, and the almost overwhelming talent on this recording. He’d written every note (except a hilarious scene involving “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head), every word, played every instrument, sung every harmony. Christian wanted us to appreciate his friends talent, and consider asking him to work with the Troupe. My response was “This should be a play. It’s all there already! (H.P. has even written and recorded dialogue between songs.)
“Christian” said that H.P. was moving to Philadelphia to start a band or something, and this was just a present. (I added the quotes around “Christian” so people will think it’s a pseudonym.) But I kept saying it should be more, a play, maybe... a film! Tell H.P. to do something with this! He should make it into a film! But naaah, nobody makes musical films anymore...
The following summer H.P. started shooting on “COLMA, The Musical,” and his undeniable brilliance was soon unleashed upon a world that didn’t know how much it needed him. He really can do it all - act, sing, write, compose, direct, he’s wickedly funny while being so damn smart, and knows how to hit a perfect derpy face.
Five amazing major films later and H.P. is going strong, but I’m still waiting for him to “cast” me... (I put quotes around “cast” so everyone would wonder what the hell I really mean...)
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