Thursday Quotes: change it up once in a while!

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Tony Caselli

Change it up once in a while.

Something to remember when directing, in terms of pace, picture, volume, tactic… and not a bad thing to remember when you’re NOT directing, too! As Professor Parker Zellers told me, many years ago when critiquing an early directing project… “Caselli! Peaks and valleys! Peaks and valleys!”

Variety’s the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor.
-William Cowper

Life isn’t divided into genres. It’s a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel …with a bit of pornography if you’re lucky.
-Alan Moore

Sameness is the mother of disgust, variety the cure.
-Francesco Petrarch

Wednesday Pic Post

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Tony Caselli

Today: miscellaneous pictures and news blurbs!

End Days at Williamston Theatre.
Reviews have been great:
Lansing State Journal says “brilliant”!
Encore Michigan calls it “Highly rewarding theatre”
Lansing Online says “Williamston Theatre Shines Again”

A short “minor spoiler” film clip of a backstage moment from the show: See it here!

In other news, I’ve begun rehearsals for Sweet Mercy at MSU. Terrific new play, terrific cast. A heavy, thoughtful, very moving piece about Rwanda. Rips your heart out, makes you question a lot of things. Here are some of the wonderful costume sketches from Jordan, the wonderful costumer:

Also…

Andspeakingof the play End Days…

This… fruit (?) was on our counter at home. I’m sure my family bought it, but I’m going to admit that when I saw it, the first thing I did was think “The weirdest things show up on our counter…”, and then I pretended I was in a Star Trek episode, because it really looks like something they would’ve sampled from one of the many jungle planets they visited that all looked the same… Or they would’ve TRIED to taste it, until it turned around and bit them or something.*

New Fringe hoodie from my family! Yay birthday presents!

I’m certain there are more things to post about, and also certain that its time to prep for rehearsal! Happy Wednesday everyone!

* turns out its something called a “cuke-asaurus”? Tastes as yucky as a cucumber.**
** yes, cucumbers ARE yucky. Don’t argue with me, I know they’re yucky, I’ve tried them.

Sunday Night Pic Post

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Tony Caselli

A great week. We had a wonderful four previews of End Days at Williamston Theatre. The shows were terrific (and very well sold!), and we got really good feedback from four excellent audiences.

John Manfredi and Eric Eilersen

Also, my son had his first Solo and Ensemble competition, where he got a 1 and 2!

He loves playing his violin, and I’m really proud of him!

It’s that time of year again! My friend Duncan is the Head Brewmaster at Grizzly Peak BrewPub in Ann Arbor, and since 2005 he’s brewed a seasonal beer named after me, Bitter Tony’s Rye Bitter!

(The origin story for that beer can be found here!)

So, tonight a bunch of us went and enjoyed some good food and my eponymous drink!

One of the wonderful people involved in End Days cleaned the snow and ice off my car after the show the other night before I got outside… and if that wasn’t enough, they left me a note on my trunk! 🙂

Thanks anonymous snow scraper!

Last pic of the night:
We had a great morning on Saturday, playing a bunch of Get Bit!

What’s Get Bit, you ask? A fun silly family game where you’re all a bunch of robots, swimming away from a shark… And to win, you have to be the last one to lose your limbs! Check it out here!

Tomorrow is Monday – have a productive, fun-filled week everyone!

Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow delightful conditions, all heavenly environment; of these if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.
-James Allen

One more trip around the sun!

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Tony Caselli

With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.
William Shakespeare

44! I remember when I was very young, I figured out that when the year 2000 came (THE FUTURE!!), I’d be 31. At that point, I thought “Man, I’ll be so old!”
Now, of course, I’m looking forward to when we hit the year 2100!
At 131, I’m sure THE FUTURE will be even more awesome.

PS – My wife and kids put this picture, from Fringe, on our computer to surprise me for my birthday! Awesome. 😀

A great Tech Weekend

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Tony Caselli

Tonight we finished up a great tech weekend for End Days.

A shot of the set.

I really like this show, and was reminded this weekend of the importance of teamwork. It makes a huge difference, and I am really proud of how beautiful the piece is turning out to be, thanks to the hard work and talent of a lot of people coming together with a common goal.

Andrew Head as Jesus, Emily Sutton-Smith as Sylvia Stein

This was one of those weeks where building renovations, production needs and institutional schedules all had to be juggled by a whole bunch of folks working at the top of their game to make it all come together. It’s always inspiring to be in the middle of a successful project like that, and I consider myself a lucky man to work with the people I work with!

‘Fringe’ exiting on sci-fi high | Variety

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Tony Caselli

My current favorite show on TV ends on Friday. Here’s a nice article about it from Variety.

I love this show, it’s become one of my favorite sci-fi shows of all time. As a big fan of science fiction, that’s a big thing for me to say. One of the things I love about it the most is that the heart of it, like so many good stories, is about family and love. Then, you take those things and add in weird alternate universes and time travelers and creepy mysteries and incredible characters being brought to life with fabulous performers and writers who aren’t afraid to take risks and turn the whole thing on it’s head once in a while… that’s inspiring. And good storytelling.

‘Fringe’ exiting on sci-fi high | Variety.

The END DAYS preview trailer!

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Tony Caselli

A video teaser of our upcoming production, END DAYS.

It’s there. Go get it.

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Tony Caselli

“The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Sometimes I get so caught up in my own problems that I forget how amazing the world is.”
-Wendelin Van Draanen

“If you can’t take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed. It’s not safe out here. It’s wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it’s not for the timid.”
-Q

“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.” – Albert Einstein

So far so good….

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Tony Caselli

2013 has been great so far. Family time, rehearsing a play and prepping a couple more. Good things at our feet, good things on the horizon… Couldn’t ask for more!

I like this.

Our games closet at home. We have fun in our house. 🙂

Some renovations at Williamston Theatre!

In fact, here’s a quick, fun little video I made for our patrons!

It’s all in the timing

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Tony Caselli

Sometimes – not often, but every once in a while – the single most important thing you can do is to stay in your pajamas, play games and watch tv with your family for the entire day.

Thanks, universe, for the ability, and for the reminder.

“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” – Ovid