The Staged Reading on Saturday at Williamston Theatre went very well. Huge house, again, which is very encouraging. I’m thinking it’s a good sign that, for just a staged reading of a play, we can get 90+ people to show up regularly. Hopefully that carries on to when we open our first full production!

A great cast. Well directed. The script was hilarious AND heartbreaking. (If you’ve never read Jeff Daniels’ play THE VAST DIFFERENCE, it’s available – go read it! Funny as hell, and the father/son stuff is killer.)

So, another success.

Now our big issue is cash. Getting enough together to get the first show up. People are donating, but it’s a lot to raise without 1) Ticket sales happening until May, and 2) No track record yet.

That’s allright. It’ll come.

However, if anyone wants to donate $20,000.00 for the sprinkler system we might have to install, that would be very much appreciated.

🙂

Or get 1,000 of your friends and everyone just donate $20!

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other”
Walter Elliot

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”
Calvin Coolidge

“Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.”
Orison Swett Marden

So, looking for something fun to do cheaply with the kids, we decided on Pizza and Video Game Night!

For only about the 2nd time ever, we got an XBox game that all 4 of us could play at the same time: Shrek 2!

For almost 2 hours, we all sat in the living room laughing, occasionally bickering, but giggling at the silliness of running around as Shrek, Donkey, Fiona and either Little Red Riding Hood or The Gingerbread Man (who, by the way, wields a pretty deadly candy cane!).

It was hilarious, we all kept trading controllers, and when there was too much going on onscreen you could barely tell who/where you were, so it was total fun chaos! Two 37 year olds, an 8 year old and 5 year old…and we sounded like this:

“Aaah, somebody help!”
“Where are you!?”
“Down here!!”
“Down where?!”
“Down, down, with the snails!!!”
“Where am I?! I can’t find me anymore!”
“RUN! RUN! It’s the PITCHFORK GUYS!!”
“AAHHH!”
“AAHHH!”
“AAHHH!”
“AAHHH!”
“I’m dead.”
“Me too.”
“Yep.”
“I’m not! I’m…oh, now I’m dead!”

It was even funnier, though, listening to the conversations we were having – things you (almost) never say in real life:

“Where’d the stupid fairy go?”
“Jeanne, throw your candy cane at the big target!”
“Maggie, I’m going to punch you right off this box.” (Which is even funnier when she then gets punched off the box!)
“Everybody find an eyeball.”
“Protect the princess. PROTECT HER!!”
“Well YOU fell off the bridge!!”
“Max, go kick that big trap.”
“Who am I? I don’t know who I am.”
“Dad! You’re on top of me! And now we’re both dead.”

Ah, good clean fun.
Reminds me of a book I started writing a while ago…”Things you never expected to hear said out loud…”
It’s all about the bizarre things you find yourself saying, and the bizarre things you hear your kids saying, after you become a parent.
But that’ll be another entry.

Very excited about the Staged Reading at Williamston Theatre this weekend.

We’re doing The Vast Difference by Jeff Daniels, which is a very funny, very sweet comedy.

Interestingly, as the week has progressed, what I’ve realized is that I’m excited about the reading, but I’m even more excited to introduce a piece in our space that I’ve not directed. Tessa Gallinat, a wonderful woman, is directing this one. It’s a Staged Reading, not a full production, but there’s something very…positive…about introducing, as the Artistic Director, a piece I’ve not directed.

In April we’re doing another one, directed by Beth Torrey.

Things have been so crazy, busy, emotional ups and downs, as we work to make this place happen that I’ve not taken a breath, lately, to ponder some of the things that made us want to do this in the first place.

I’m re-realizing some of them.

I think that’s a good thing.

So Maggie was supposed to dissect a cow’s eyeball a couple of weeks ago in school.
Much to her dismay, it was postponed.
Today, she’s chanting, all sing-songey:

Tomorrow I dissect an EYEBALL! Tomorrow I dissect an EYEBALL!

She’s a little excited about it.

She wants to take her camera in and take some pictures to show me.

If she does, I’ll be sure and post them!

Well, Prince has a new album out – 3121.

I’m of mixed minds about it – after one listening, I don’t like it as much as his last one, Musicology, which I’ve liked more than anything he’s done in many years. However, there are several tracks that rock nicely, nothing that stands out as being a lousy tune, and I’ll be listening to the whole thing more over the next few weeks to get a feel for the album as a whole, as I’ve done with all of his work.

There’s this ‘soft-jazz’ feeling that has been coming through a lot lately in his music, and I can’t say that I’m a big fan of it. I miss some of the funky, bluesy feel. Almost everything lately has a little too “mellow” feel for me. I really thought Musicology was, in several ways, a return to some of that; a driving funky collection, I still listen to it regularly. This new album is close, but still has a very distinct lack of Energy that I so love in his earlier stuff. Much of his recent stuff just feels like someone trying to be ‘smooth’, and I miss that raw driving Energy. The passion.

Maybe this is just a result of his growing older, more mature, his new religious beliefs. As he got older, maybe he mellowed and lost some of that anger and angst that was his muse, and the muse is driven by a more gentle spirit now. Of course, that’s probably a good thing for him, if that’s the case!

So there you are. 3121. Not his best work, but very enjoyable.

Top Ten Reasons To Go to Theatre

1. Your parole officer would never think to look there.

2. Your boyfriend is not allowed to talk to you while the show is running.

3. Your girlfriend is not allowed to talk to you while the show is running.

4. They still have intermissions (Thank God for that super big gulp soda.)

5. You sound sophisticated when you tell your friends.

6. The closest you’re ever likely to get to half-naked women without a tip rail.

7. It gives you something to talk about while you sip your double half-caff, skinny, skippy, ultra latte.

8. No one will accuse you of following the crowd.

9. You might have a touching experience that doesn’t require a restraining order.

10. No matter how many times you go, it’s bound to be a different show.

Thanks to Emily for this!

Well, after being gone from home for a week, I’m back! Man, did I miss my wife and kids!
I came in the house and Max latched arms and legs around me and wouldn’t let go.
He said “I’m not gonna stop cuddling you until as many days as you were gone.”
*sigh*
I love being a dad.
So, we had a giant evening of Caselli Family Snuggling.

Also, with Baseball Season upon us, my very cool father went to a Tigers Spring Training game in Florida and took some shots. Wanna see the pic he emailed me? Click this thingie!—> Continue reading →

Doing a lot of reading and planning the last few days. Came across this marvelous quote from Jim Volz:

Let go of the past, look to the future, forgive, forget, and seize the joy that is available to you. Inventory your strengths and blessings, and be grateful for all you have accomplished.

I like that.  

We must prioritize those things that are truly important, and pursue creating and experiencing them fully.  
Actively and tirelessly pursue them, because our time here is so, so short.  

As Eugene Ionesco said, We haven’t the time to take our time.