Tomorrow I launch into a new project. Prepping for it has been fun, albeit a little rushed. Still, I’m excited to start!

“Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you.” – Richard Bach

Beginnings of projects are always fun – a little nerve-wracking sometimes, but exciting because you can stop talking and planning, and start doing.

“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” – John F Kennedy

The first step in a rehearsal process is when you really dive in. That’s the fun part – rolling your sleeves up and exploring the piece, tearing apart the story to figure out what’s making it tick, so you can put it back together again and make sure you’re telling it properly… Easy? No. But worth it.

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas Alva Edison

And the key, of course, is to dig in WITHOUT letting the pressure of the job/deadline/criticism/second-guessing get to you: this is made possible, I think, by reminding yourself that it’s not about you, but about the story and the audience, and the quest to bring them together.

“The world isn’t interested in the storms you encountered, but whether or not you brought in the ship.” – Raul Armesto

This foul flu is finally fleeing. Or so it feels… I hope. At least today I’m feeling closer to human, finally. Except I’m still exhausted. Oy. Feels like i haven’t updated this journal in forever.

OEDIPUS closed with a packed house on Sunday at the Williamston Theatre. I’m really pleased with the way whole project went. It was an exciting experiment for me, but it was also a lot of fun, and the whole company was great to work with during the process. We got great reviews and had more people buy tickets than I expected, which was nice!

We’re now in rehearsals for WHILE WE WERE BOWLING by Carter Lewis, directed by John Lepard. Great cast, great script, great director, this is going to be a BEAUTIFUL show – I can’t wait for our audiences to see it!

And I’m about to start rehearsals for ERNIE down at the City Theatre in Detroit. Very excited about this project – it’ll be challenging in a couple of new ways, which is always fun. It deals with one of my favorite things, baseball, which is wonderful, and it’s also a chance to honor Ernie Harwell, which is a real privilege. Plus, it’s a good story and they’re always fun to tell.

I think next season for the Williamston Theatre is nearly completely chosen. I have to get some rights issues worked out, but I’m excited about what the lineup will be if we can work it out!

Today, I get to spend some time working with Maggie at her school – I’m chaperoning a project. Should be fun, I like seeing the kids in their natural habitat, roaming the wild halls of school! 🙂 I still can’t believe she’s a teenager already!