It is not enough to move through the world, you must change it to suit your expectation. – Baz Luhrmann

Moment to moment. Moments. They happen, we breeze through them.

So it hit me that this week we open our 26th production at the Williamston Theatre. 26th! That’s amazing to me! It seems like yesterday I was starting this journal, and talking about how we were planning on doing some readings to gauge interest in a new theatre we were thinking about starting!

And here we are, 5 seasons in. So much has changed – we’ve made changes to the building, the family has grown, it’s been a wonderful journey so far. And so much has changed in the rest of my life, too! I still am amazed at how grown up my kids are getting.

It’s been quite a week, and I’ve had so many projects going on that I’ve felt a little stretched, a little less focused than I’d like. That happens to us all, sometimes, I know. But then a few things happen at once, and suddenly you’re aware of how every second is being spent. Some of those things are uplifting, others are heartbreaking: A friend loses a loved one too early. A student enthusiastically thanks you for helping them with something that made a big difference to them. Your kids ask “Can you be home this weekend?” with real hope in their eyes…because you’ve been gone too much. An audience member seeks you out in the lobby just to say “We want you to know that we love it here.”

Balance. I think that’s what we can take from those moments: the reminder that balance is vital to our survival. Balance between rushing, and pausing. Balance between giving and taking. Balancing each of the elements of our life, and mixing them together in just the right proportions to make, for a little while, a smooth and fulfilling journey. We don’t always succeed, of course, but that’s true about every other aspect of life, too – and all we can do is grab hold of life and wrench it back into balance! But first, we need to recognize when it’s necessary. It’s so easy to let the little brushfires of every day block out the bigger picture with their smoke…

It’s funny, though… It’s usually when that smoke is the thickest that we most need to step back and examine the bigger picture, isn’t it?

Gentlemen, why don’t you laugh? With the fearful strain that is upon me night and day, if I did not laugh, I should die.
– Abraham Lincoln

Today we honor the men and women who served in our Armed Forces and dedicated their talents, devoted their energies and risked their lives to serve this country and keep it safe. I’m proud to be related to some of them, including (among others) my grandfather Harry Hall, my father-in-law Richard Hicks, and my little brother Dominic Caselli.

Dominic posted a story today, and I’m reposting it, because it’s very much worth re-posting:

About 19 1/2 years ago, around 3 am, I got off a USAF C-5 in Dover, Ma. on my way home from Saudi Arabia after the Gulf War. An MP pointed and told us to go into a hanger to wait. As the person in front of me opened the hangar door, I heard the beginning of "God Bless The USA", and inside were about 5000 screaming people, a McDonalds stand, and a Budweiser truck.

Shocked as all Hell, about 200 of us, from all branches of the service, walked in and were given the greatest heroes welcome anyone could ever ask for. A woman who looked my Moms age grabbed me and said, "Son, you look like you could use a hug from a Mom", I responded "Yes Ma’am, I could" and she squeezed me til I thought I would pop. People cheered, Moms and girls hugged and kissed us, men and Veterans shook our hands, and clapped us on the back. I still can’t hear that Damn Lee Greenwood song withough crying. Thanks to all my Brothers and Sisters who have served, especially those who served with me, you know who you are, we had a lot of fun, went  to a lot of good – and some bad – places, and made some of the best and longest lasting friendships anyone could imagine. Happy Veterans Day to you.
-Dominic Caselli, USAF Veteran

Today, folks, say thank you to the Veterans in your life.

So much going on! That balance between Dad and Artistic Director has been tough this last two weeks. Still, some great stuff happening.

This weekend, I hadn’t seen my kids as much as I’d have liked, or as much as THEY would have liked, because they texted me all day Saturday from Jeanne’s phone while I was in tech for Greater Tuna! Then, after a nice long tech day, I got home to find them all waiting up for me on the floor of the living room, with blankets and pillows spread out for some good quality snuggle and chat time! Perfect. 🙂

Greater Tuna is coming along really well, it’s a lot of fun. (See Aral Gribble’s video-blog entry on the theatre’s production blog!). We start previews tomorrow night, I’m looking forward to getting an audience in there!

In addition, I’ve had fun working with Annie Martin adapting Oedipus for our small production that’s coming up soon! I’m thinking Annie may have been on to something when she said we should just do it as a musical comedy.

(As I type this, in the Starbucks where I’m having oatmeal for lunch, a college student at the table next to mine has just fallen asleep. The book he’s sleeping on is a Time Management Self Help book. I love this so much that I had to post it.)

I also got the chance to go to Otterbein University and work with the students there on their Senior Showcase performances – that’s always a fun trip, and the project is great – there’s a really solid base there already.

So – balance. More work than play (although I love my job!), more Artistic Director than Dad, and I need to balance that out soon. Some quality family time this weekend will be really nice!

In the meantime, the theater is trying to win $50k! Please vote and help us! You can vote from your cell phone! Just text “103812” (that’s our contestant number) to 73774 (that’s Pepsi!). You can vote daily – and we need everyone we know to vote every day and get their friends to vote too! 🙂

Okay, I’m sure there’s more to journal about and record for all posterity – it feels Iike forever since I updated, but after my dentist appointment (whee) and lunch, it’s time to get back to work!

Happy Wednesday!