Theatre

Of course, we are a theatre so it was a little more lively than your typical holiday office party!

We had over 120 people in attendance including all full and part-time staff with their families and the adult cast members of the current production. There was food aplenty including appetizers, a huge buffet full of tasty catered dinner eats, a Roast Beast (or, uh, beef brisket) carved and served by our Artistic Director, a dessert bar teeming with peppermint dark chocolate truffles, brownies, cookies of every variety, and an ice cream sundae station made by the senior staff, and all the soda, wine and beer your little heart could desire! There was much cheerful conversing and booming laughter, good Christmasy music, a raffle with over 30 gift certificates handed out to gleeful recipients hooting and a’hollaring, a bottle of wine and a scratch off lottery ticket as a party favor for all staff, an ugly Christmas sweater contest (oh, the hideousness!) a silly theatre-centered rendition of “Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire” lovingly sung by our Executive Director and Artistic Director, a reading of “Twas the Night Before Christmas/DOGZILLA” for all the kids (um, and adults) by our Director of Education, lots of karaoke, a competitive game of Green Bay Packers corn hole set up in the lobby (Packers corn hole, made by our wonderful Production Operations Manager, I kid you not! It was awesome!), and I did a mulled wine Fire Bowl for all to imbibe in.

Theatre holiday parties = the best.

Are you having an office party this Christmas?

Welcome to the official photo recap of BLFAC Session 2!

Camp activities were as follows: 7 hours of daily fine arts teaching, primarily contemporary acting and dance for musical theatre, along with a few musical theatre workshops and choreography sessions, performing in the Shakespeare Showcase at the Rose, attending the Camper Talent Show, La Boheme Opera, International Ballet Ensemble Dance Concert, and a whole heck of a lot of time hanging out on the beach with the girls at sunset (sometimes with ice cream pie from Old Channel Inn…because we’re girls and that’s what girls do), jogging the Montague trails, pleasure reading great novels in my cabin by flashlight until the early morning hours, attending faculty grill-outs, wine tastings, and movie nights, and other such camping goodness.

More of the same to come from session 3 I presume – except this time, I’m hoping to attend more of the concerts – vocal, instrumental, orchestras, dance concerts, etc. Striking the balance between nature, art, and socializing is my summer’s goal!

Enjoy!

Session 3 is already off to a great start with the Tuesday night all-faculty campfire – s’mores and hot dog roasting! Nothing beats cooking weenies and drinking beer around the toasty campfire on a midsummer night’s eve. Now if only I could kick this cold!

Hope your summer is just as wonderful!

I can hardly believe I’ve been away from the blog for this long. To my loyal readers, I’m sorry the posting has been this infrequent – that was never my intention. But with all the hustle and bustle and newness of the past week, I honestly forgot that I even had a blog until tonight.

It feels like I have been in Michigan for weeks on end, perhaps months, and not just one week.

It’s kind of amazing what time can do, and odd how quickly you can become accustomed to something foreign, yet in no time, it’s old hat.

I haven’t checked the blog roll of blogs I typically read in at least two weeks. I’m sure I am hundreds of entries behind, but I’m really quite okay with that. I visit FaceBook for a brief pop-in maybe once every other day, and I haven’t missed it. I check my email once or twice a day, though only out of necessity in case something truly important comes though, and to be truthful, I’m really not keen on it. Simply put, I just don’t need, or want, technology out here. I want, obviously, to talk to Ted several times a day (and to see him!). I want, obviously, to keep my parents informed on the latest adventures, and to be reachable to my friends when they need a shoulder or have exciting news to share. But other than that, there’s something about living among trees, cabins, dusty trails, beaches, bikes, and artists that keeps me full and there’s not really any room, time, need, or desire for movies, TV, or the internet. I suppose even if I wanted to be on the social networking sites constantly, I wouldn’t have time.

Here’s a bit of what my days look like:

I wake up at 7 a.m. after a fitful night’s rest. I’m still adjusting to the cabin, the wooden cot with thin crinkly mattress, the sun rising at 5:30 a.m., the heat and stickiness of sleeping with no a/c, and the plethora of spiders that are likely invading the cabin as I type – it’s been an adjustment, but hopefully this phase shall pass so I won’t be sleep deprived for the next five weeks. I take a cold shower (we DO have hot running water in the cabins, but cold is often my preference) because it’s so sticky humid outside, towel off then immediately begin sweating again, get dressed in the all-camp uniform (universally flattering and makes life easy!), walk outside and am instantly covered in a thick layer of dirt, sand, and dust (I should take pictures for proof – it’s seriously uncanny), eat breakfast at the lodge, head to the Miller Theatre to take care of business (camper evaluations, etc.), teach 4 classes in the morning – 2 acting and 2 dance, get lunch with the theatre faculty at the lodge, and teach my contemporary acting minor, followed by an emphasis class (typically musical theatre workshops or choreography) until 4 o’clock. There’s usually something going on in the afternoon before dinner – a scattered workshop or class I need to teach here or there, a performance to give or attend, maybe a camper talent show, a nap, a run on the trail, some choreography or lesson plans, etc. Then there’s dinner, and at night usually something fun – the opera, a dance or music concert, a theatre thing to act in, the beach with friends, a long drive to enjoy pretty scenery, an all-faculty movie night or a wine tasting party, and always hang-outs at various cabins throughout faculty village – which will eventually get even better once it rains again and the campfire ban is lifted. I catch up on some novel reading for a while before bed, then call Ted, and turn in for the night (after I’ve thoroughly checked my cot for spiders). It’s a great mix of work and play. I may not be so crazy about my cabin’s lack of a/c, age or crevices for all the bugs to crawl through, but it’s roomy, rustic and cozy. And I love living in a literal colony or artists and enjoying good theatre and dance (and art and music and more) all day, everyday. I’m simply surrounded by awesome, talented people and beautiful nature, and together that’s a great thing to be a part of! I do however miss Ted and the crays like crazy, and sometimes crave the creature comforts of home. But for a summer theatre gig, this is definitely pretty tops!

I have a million pictures to share, but I’m, frankly, kind of amazed I’ve been online long enough to post this, and I’m kind of unwilling to do much more. I’ll definitely post them all when I get back to Cincy though. I’ve also got lots of great stories to share, but in due time.

I’ll leave you with two gems – a pic of two of my new friends at our girls night on the beach from a few days ago…

…and the theatre faculty’s ever-popular jump shot at The Rose after our Shakespeare showcase. For the record, my costume is way more epic when I’m wearing it correctly…

Gorgeous, right? And you’re welcome for that.

Til next time…

Thursday night I went to see Thunder Knocking on the Door, my first show at the world renown Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

My dear friend, blogger buddy, and perpetual theatre date Allyson won two free tickets to opening night and was kind enough to invite me along for the adventure (because Lord knows there was no way I could have afforded a $61 ticket plus $10 parking), so we said HECK YES to free theatre and away we went!

Thunder Knocking… = super cool script.

Lately, I’ve been really into unusual and fabulous scripts that have something a little different and unexpected to offer. This isn’t a new show by any means, but it was new to me and a refreshing breath of fresh air from the standard vanilla musical.

Here’s a brief synopsis of the show taken from a TheaterMania review by David Finkle of a 2002 production:

The story, such as it is, presents Gertha Dupree, also known as Good Sister, whose late husband, Jaguar Dupree Senior, once bested a blue-eyed shape-shifter called Marvell Thunder in a guitar-playing contest. Miffed and vengeful, Thunder arrives some years later to insinuate himself into the Dupree household; here Gertha lives with daughter Glory, who is blind as the result of a car accident. A frequent visitor to the humble household is Dregster Dupree, twin brother to Gertha’s ex-husband and now Gertha’s longtime lover. Jaguar Dupree, a prodigal son, has also returned after forfeiting one of two charmed guitars his father left him and his sister. He’d lost it in a guitar contest that Thunder instigated. Now Thunder is knocking on the Dupree door because he wants the second guitar. In order to take possession, he challenges Glory to yet one more face-off–but not before he has returned her sight, and the two have discovered they have eyes for each other.

The questions Thunder Knocking on the Door means to raise are: Will the three Duprees survive Thunder’s threat? Will Glory beat Thunder in the contest and remain able to see? Will Gertha confront whatever it is that keeps her from committing to Dregster? Will Thunder, who is slowly and literally turning to stone, be able to reverse the disastrous metamorphosis? And will Jaguar overcome the unease he apparently feels as a promising rock-and-roller to proselytize for the blues as his dad did? {via}

I loved the bluegrass style music. I loved the humor. I loved the infectious energy. I loved the unusual and captivating storyline that dabbled in the supernatural. I loved that the cast played the story – larger than life characters, supernatural beings, and compelling circumstances – totally seriously instead of turning it into a cheeseball spoof (as it so easily could have become with a show of this nature). I loved the talent. I loved how loud and bright and flashy it was. Yet I loved the humanity of it all. And I loved the magic tricks.

Yeah, those magic tricks get me every darn time.

You should have heard the two of us gasping at Glory floating in mid-freaking-air, the flash of lighting fast complete costume change that took place onstage in full view of the audience in less than 1 second, and the guitar case that magically popped open when pointed to by Thunder. Now, we’ve both been in theatre long enough to know that each of these little gimmicks must have a perfectly logical explanation. But they were well hidden. And therefore perfectly unexpected and delightful!

But most of all, I just loved the story.

So, if you have the chance to see it anywhere, please do. It’s different and it’s fun and it’s sure to keep you on your toes.

{via – Photo: Sandy Underwood}

After last month’s $1,700 car repair bill we now have a truck that will not start sitting at my work. This is an epic fail in and of itself.

So instead of focusing on that fail, I shall share some of this week’s biggest successes and a funny story.

***

Success #1: Making three returns in one day is like getting an unexpected paycheck – cha-ching! Crossing this off my to-do list was simultaneously gratifying and account expanding.

Success #2: Got a big old box of diet cherry coke from my Secret Santa at work, had a delish Chinese food dinner date with the husband, and scored free tickets for a phenomenal and hilarious production of Love’s Labour’s Lost at Cincy Shakes with a sweet new friend (said friend is also a fellow Texan, margarita drinker, and Shakespeare buff. Jackpot.)

Success #3: Went grocery shopping for the sole purpose of filling a box full of food for a St. Vincent de Paul family in need this holiday season. Felt so good to do! I’m stoked to drop it off on Sunday.

Success #4: Got another perfect-for-me (uh, I hope) theatre job application submitted, had a meeting with our insurance agent to get ourselves all sorted out for 2012, Christmas cards are signed, sealed and are ready for their debut, Christmas decorations are up, and the pumpkins have been reduced to tasty seeds.

Success # 5: My youngest musical theatre kiddos had a great day on Wednesday! They rocked their song, dance, and a staged reading of their recently revised script at our final rehearsal (not bad for kids who are just learning to read!) and we had time left over to rock out on a slew of fun theatre games. Which is where this week’s funny story comes in. It is entitled:

I Store Hamsters

I play a game called “No, you can’t take me!” with my youngest theatre kids, typically 3-6 year old’s who can’t read or write very well yet. They love the heck out of this game. And, apparently, so do some of my older kids too. The premise of the game is this: We select a location (a classroom, a house, a nursery, a store, an amusement park, etc.). Each child chooses an object that would be found in that location (a fork in a silverware drawer, a hanger in a closet, a bean bag chair, a bucket, a pet, a flashlight, a pen, a stove, etc.), and then they assume the physical position of that object. I play the teacher/homeowner/store owner/amusement park boss who walks in and decides that I have too much stuff and that I simply must get rid of some it. I walk up to each child and say something along the lines of “Wow, look at all this stuff! I haven’t used most of it in years. Guess I’ll just have to get rid of it. I’ll start with this one…” and I pick one of the kids, give them a gentle shake, and the kid, usually laughing the whole time, giggles “No! You can’t take me!” and I say “Well, why not!?” and then they give me a clue as to what they are by giving me a reason why I cannot get rid of them, such as “Because if you get rid of me you won’t be able to make it to work on time” (a clock) or “Because if you get rid of me then how will you sleep at night?” (a bed). And then I try to guess what they are. They give these kinds of clues until I figure it out. Easy peasy. Usually. This particular round, with one of my 5th graders, however, was not. And it went something like this.

***

Me: Oh, I don’t think I need this old thing anymore. I’ll just have to get rid of it!

Kid: No, you can’t take me!

Me: Oh, I can’t? Well, why can’t I?

Kid: Because if you get rid of me, then where will you store stuff?

Me: Are you a closet?

Kid: No!

Me: Are you a crate?

Kid: Nooooo.

Me: Are you kitchen cabinets?

Kid: Nope.

Me: I think I need another clue or else I’ll just have to haul you off to Goodwill. Time to go…

Kid: No, you can’t take me!

Me: And why not!?

Kid: Because if you get rid of me then your kids will miss me!

Me: My kids will miss you?

Kid: Yup.

Me: But you store stuff?

Kid: Yup.

Me: Are you a refrigerator?

Kid: Uh-uh!

Me: Okay, kid. You gotta help me out here.

Kid: I’m an animal.

Me: ……

Kid: A pet.

Me: But you store stuff?

Another kid: I KNOW! YOU’RE A PREGNANT CAT!

Me & Kid: Ummmmmm.

Me: Are you a chipmunk and you store food in your cheeks?

Kid: Hahahaha. Chipmunks aren’t green.

Me: So, you’re green?

Kid: Yes.

Me: Ah!!! You’re a turtle, aren’t you? And you store yourself in your shell! (I’m feeling awfully proud of myself at this point for guessing something so obscure)

Kid: Nooooo.

Me: What!? How are you NOT a turtle!? You’re green!

Kid: Well, I can be any color, really. But I’m green.

Me: You’re really not a turtle?

Kid: It’s not that hard Mrs. R.

Me: Wow. Okay, look, we have dismissal in 2 minutes and I can’t figure it out, so I think you’re just going to have to tell me.

Kid: I’m a snake!!

Me:……..you’re a snake?

Kid: YES.

Me: But I thought you said you stored stuff?

Kid: I DO store stuff!

Me: Uh, you do?

Kid: I store, like, hamsters and stuff.

***

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

After I had a good long laugh we had a brief discussion on the differences between ‘storing’ and ‘eating.’

And my day was officially made.

Somehow I think I have mysteriously fallen into the good graces of the forces that be in the world of the theater.

Thank you Universe.

Over the past several months I have been incredibly lucky to, through a combination of total happenstance, new affiliations and I think a little sheer dumb luck mixed with taking a chance on saying “yes!” the unknown, attend a series of developmental workshops for budding non-profit performance arts organizations covering everything from strategic planning to board development to marketing, as well as a two-day professional development conference/workshop for teaching artists with some pretty solid presenters cluing me in with a ton of helpful skills for being an arts educator.

Um, amazing.

I’ve been privy to not only a phenomenal wealth of resources, knowledge, and insight from professionals in our craft, but also to brainstorming and sharing passion, ideas, and the same breathing space with roomfuls of highly talented professional artists from every disciple who work for truly inspiring arts organizations in the greater Cincinnati area. All that talent and artsy-ness in one room is so freaking awesome that it’s practically paralyzing – and to imagine that I’m there and I’m actually a part of it! Sometimes I take a step back and wonder how my life evolved from some pretty humble theatrical beginnings to the point where I’m sharing a rehearsal with some of the most generous and talented theater folk I can think of and if I’m even qualified to be here. But there isn’t room for second guessing. I’m here and I’ve worked hard and I’m going to jump in running.

As if that weren’t enough I’ve gleamed information about upcoming things going on in the arts world that hasn’t been necessarily made public yet. It’s pretty crazy/cool to have the heads up on stuff like this when only six short months ago I was a newbie to the area and involved with not a single arts organization in Cincy and was desperately looking for my in. Looks like I found it!

Furthermore, I’ve been blessed to, again somehow, be selected to become a member of two fantastic performance-based organizations for this upcoming year. One I’ve been working with for about four months already and I think some really exciting new opportunities and milestones are in store for us this year! The other is quite a recent development, but boy am I stoked to be there! Holy Moly is this organization a top name in Cincy/the nation at large and the place to be! The people I’ll be working with and learning from are just proving wonderful already, and the talent, innovation and creations that go on daily in that place are just so amazing that I leave at night feeling simultaneously engaged, inspired, full of joy, and totally overwhelmed by the artistry I get to witness and contribute to every day. I get to go to work and make art come alive.

In a word, breathtaking.

I’m finally back, and it feels good.