Our “Entertainment Stimulus Package” One Day Sale at the Williamston Theatre went very well, lots of calls and visitors, and lots of tickets sold. Yay!

Then, with a little help, I managed to get a lot of work done on a few projects at work (thanks Erin!).

My Hedda Gabler rehearsal at MSU went well, then I stopped by the Williamston Theatre on my way home. The Gamma Rays rehearsal had gone well, everything is looking great for Friday’s opening.

Drove home, listening to and laughing at conspiracy nuts on am radio – wow.

Got home, it’s windy and very rainy – a sound on the roof that I enjoy.

I checked on the kids, re-tucking them in. Max, as usual, had taken his shirt off so I put that back on him and whispered that I loved him before checking on Maggie. (I always whisper things to them when they’re sleeping and I come home late.)

After fixing her blankets, I whispered in Maggie’s ear “I’m the luckiest Daddy ever.”

She smiled a little mischievous smile and whispered back “You got that right, bucko”.

Then she giggled quietly, hugged her pillow, and went on sleeping.

A good day.

An interesting topic has come up a bunch lately: Critics reviewing preview performances.

Here’s my two cents on the topic:

I don’t get it. I don’t get why it would happen.

I mean – sure, if it’s the final preview when things are essentially done being worked on as “new ideas” and you’re sliding into a rhythm with the piece that everyone’s agreed is final, then, fine. If, in a large city, your review must come out the next day, then go ahead and go to a final preview. Shows that require great reviews to run or close (usually commercial productions) need the (hopefully) big boost on Opening Night so, sure, see the final preview so you can get your review printed immediately after Opening.

But an early preview? First preview? Why would you do that?

A preview performance is, by definition, a piece of work that is having the final finishing touches put on it. This is understood by audiences – the finishing touches happen, in theatre, when that final element is added – the audience.

Yes, the play is essentially done. However, changes can be made! This is the part of the cooking process where the chef says “I have a new recipe I’ve made! I’m testing it – here, taste!” and everyone tastes it, gives their opinions, and the chef heads into the kitchen for a couple of tweaks to the soup. He’s using his taste-testing audience to make it as good as he can, taking their thoughts and experiences with the food and making it as close to perfect as he can make it.

That’s what a preview performance is. That’s why it costs a bit less, and why we invite folks to stick around for a conversation to share their thoughts and experiences with us. We have a few more precious hours of rehearsal available to put those thoughts and experiences to good use!

Would a food critic go into a nice, upscale restaurant and order food, but walk into the kitchen 10 minutes before the food is served to have a bite? Would he taste the entree that’s fully cooked, but missing the chef’s final seasonings, and write a review of that?

No, I believe that would not happen.

It wouldn’t happen, because it would be a disservice.

A disservice to the critic. To the public they serve. To the artist.

The same thing is true for reviewing early preview performances of a play.

It’s work that’s close, but not yet finished. Does reviewing that serve the art? No. Is commenting on that, is critiquing that, helpful or useful to the critic, the audience, the art, the industry, the artist?

No. I don’t believe it is.

Now, to be fair, there are reviewers who, because of busy schedules, will come to a review and A) acknowledge in their review that they saw a work in progress, and B) not slam the production because, quite frankly, they know that they haven’t really SEEN the production yet. Not the finished product, anyway. To them I would say A) Thanks for not being unkind to an unfinished product and B) Thanks for caring enough to come at all, and C) Come later whenever you can – you’ll have a better experience, and it’ll be better overall for everyone involved: You, Us, The Audience, The Art, The Industry.

Because, ultimately, the best experience for everyone is what it’s all about, right?

In a sad sign of the times, the wonderful little store down the street from us is going out of business.

The North Lake Country Store is about 1/2 mile from my house – it’s a place where you get snacks, fishing/hunting licenses, beer, gasoline, propane, a sandwich for the drive to work or the “2 in 1” oil you need for a leafblower… a friendly, family owned store. It’s the kind of place where, when I walked in, they’d say “Hey Tony! We got more of those Starbucks energy drink things in for ya!”, and they’d ask how business was at the theatre. The kind of place where, if you ran over there late at night to grab some milk so the kids could have cereal in the morning, but you forgot your wallet, they’d say “Oh, just take it – just stop in and pay us later in the week.” Those kind of places aren’t around much anymore, folks.

Well, they’re joining the many folks who are now wondering what to do to pay their bills. I stopped in tonight to fill my gas tank, and chatted with one of the soon to be ex-clerks. We talked for a minute or two, he said he’s not sure yet what he’s going to do: “Not sure yet…onward and upward, though. Onward and upward!”. Then I paid and was about to go, he stuck his hand out and said “Thanks, though – it’s been a privilege.” I shook his hand, wished him luck, and walked to the car, slowly.

Most, if not all, of the theatres in the state are feeling the economic crunch.
Ours is no exception.
I’ve had family members and friends laid off from their jobs.
It’s difficult to not worry, to not despair… but that wouldn’t really solve anything.
Instead, we can just work to keep the faith. Work to move forward.
It won’t be easy. But we can do it.
We just have to choose.
Choose to be positive.
Choose to make a difference in the world – whether it’s in finance, education, country stores, or theatre.
Some of our ventures will succeed, some will not.
But we must continue choosing “forward” as the direction.
As the man said…
Onward and upward.

Most of the time when you see a collection of “Rules To Live By”, they turn out to be very thoughtful, sometimes Hallmark-ish, but often sweet and well intentioned.

I was thinking about that the other day, and realized that every now and then there are some minor revelations that I have in MY life, that I’d like to save and pass along to my kids. Then I realized that most of them were NOT going to fit in the “thoughtful, sweet and Hallmark-ish” category. So I started having even more fun recording them.

My current favorite:

There is almost never a reason to wash out paint rollers. (I know, some folks will argue this, too bad.) Cleaning them is a pain, takes forever, and they never work the same way again anyway. Life is too short to spend an hour of it hunched over a utility sink massaging a foam cylinder until the water runs clear – throw the damned thing away, get an ice-cream bar and go for a walk, it’s nice outside.

I’m a lucky man.
Sunday, I got a massive surprise.
In fact, it was a surprise PARTY!

My wonderful wife Jeanne organized a big Surprise Party/Toast thing (which is what she kept calling it) at Williamston Theatre, in my honor. I was totally floored to walk into the theatre (after a note session and quick beer at the bar around the corner) and find almost 70 people filling the place!

THEN – as if that wasn’t enough – we all sat and watched a video she’d made of all sorts of photos and sound bites from a bunch of folks I love and admire saying the kindest things about me and my work – it was truly humbling, and I was just blown away.

There was also a TON of food, and a TON of drinks, and some people even brought gifts! (Most of the gifts came in liquid form, and let me just say that I now am the VERY happy owner of enough thick yummy beer to last me a year!)

It was such an amazing, wonderful thing. The fact that Jeanne put so much work into the party and into the video, and the thoughtfulness behind the whole thing, it just makes my heart swell. And the fact that so many family and friends came to share a few hours of their lives was just incredible. I just wish I had had more time to catch up with everyone – it was so nice to have so many great people in the same place, I could’ve spent hours longer talking with each of them!

One of the most touching things about the evening was the discussion about working in the theatre. The balance between home and work is something I write about a lot here – it’s something I and, I assume, most of us, deal with all the time. Heaven knows that I, like many folks, struggle occasionally with the whole “Loving what we do, but worrying about money while we do it” issue. Starting a theatre has been one of the most fulfilling things in my life. But it hasn’t filled my bank account as much as the bill collectors would like it to! Because my wife is a saint, she puts up with my alternating between “I have the best job ever!” and my “Good God, I need to get a job that will pay the bills” mood swings! (Strangely, those happen right around bill paying time, or when my kids come up with ANOTHER after-school activity that costs money!) 🙂

So, in organizing the event, she shared some of my frustrations with folks and many of them shared their thoughts on why I should stop worrying about it, and their gracious, supportive thoughts on me and my work! I was really, really humbled and thankful; I’m a lucky man to have such family, friends and peers.

I feel blessed to have the life I have.

Looking at my kids, I know I will probably never be able to truly stop worrying about providing… but I’ve also been reminded that providing includes a lot more, a whole lot more, than bringing home the paycheck. It’s funny how sometimes it just takes someone SAYING it to remind you of something you’ve made yourself forget. One more good reason we all need a group of people that we enjoy being around, people we can trust and talk with and laugh with. And share a mountain of beer with!

So… amazing Sunday. Amazing wife. Amazing get together with friends, family and colleagues… and a handful of life lessons and important reminders sprinkled through all of it. No question, I’m a lucky man.

Why do deer continue to attack my car?
Do I smell good?
Have I angered the forest God?
Do they hate Chevrolet?

I’m an animal lover, dammit!

“Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground”
– Rumi

(swiped from my friend Dawn’s Facebook page!)

Next week we open previews of The Effect Of Gamma Rays On Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds at Williamston Theatre.

I’m loving having this project in the building. John Lepard is directing, and it’s going really well. The show is going to be just heartbreakingly beautiful, and that’s only ONE reason I like this project! The other is that it’s a great example of how to mix some veteran union actors, some veteran non-union actors and some up and coming college students and let them all work with each other, learn from each other, and make a great piece of art together.

It’s one of the parts of my job as Artistic Director that I’m just now beginning to fully appreciate, and understand: the composition of teams of people. The responsibility of finding artists that play well together, challenge each other, and make good theatre… and then finding projects to keep them busy.

It’s a part of my job that I’m looking forward to exploring, and expanding, in the future.

From the show Robot Chicken…

An excerpt from Wrath Of Khan: The Opera!

Go, watch, laugh!