Tag Archives: baseball

Slowly Waking Up

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That’s the way things feel right now – after the kidney transplant, I’ve gotten a lot more energy back, my numbers are all looking great, and so I’m starting to do more and more regular life stuff. We’re also starting the progress of waking up the Williamston Theatre, after a long 16 months of dusty, quiet emptiness. Starting in August we’re bringing back the staff, and starting the process of re-opening the building and prepping for a late Autumn return to performances. AND this month the current phase of our renovations will wrap-up, which is going to be great. I can’t wait for audiences to return to the space.

We’re also working on a couple of staged readings! Very excited for these, they’ll be outdoors on the Summer Circle stage at Michigan State University. We’re always thrilled to collaborate with the MSU Department of Theatre, and grateful for the use of their beautiful outdoor space for these readings. It feels great doing things like sending out scripts and working out rehearsals again! For more info on those readings, CLICK HERE, and then join us on August 6th and 7th! Two terrific plays: A super charming, brand new piece by the award winning playwright Jason Odell Williams called On The Market, and a fabulous bitingly funny satire by indigenous playwright and MacArthur fellow Larissa Fasthorse called The Thanksgiving Play.

I’m really hoping that the Delta variant of Covid, and now the new Lambda variant I just read about, don’t take off and sweep through the country. Our reopening plans depend on numbers getting better, not worse, and the whole theatre industry is making plans and watching with wary eyes. Take care of yourselves, folks, and get your vaccine!

In other news, has anyone been watching the Detroit Tigers since the All-Star break?! I mean, this team is probably going to finish middle of the pack at the end of the season, but that’s okay – it’s a big improvement over the last couple years, and their future is looking bright. As I write this though, they’re on a 6 game winning streak and leading 7-5 in the 8th inning, so it could be a 7 game streak soon!

I’ve spent a bunch of my recuperation weeks reading – anyone else a fan of N.K. Jemisin? Over the last few years I’ve become a huge admirer of her writing, and I’m nearly through her fabulous sci-fi/fantasy series The Inheritance Trilogy. You can check out all her writings here. I’ve also spent a bunch of time reading a lot of plays, in particular looking at a lot of plays by BIPOC writers. In fact we’re excited at Williamston Theatre about a gorgeous play we’ll be producing in collaboration with a couple other theatres around the country in an upcoming season that I can’t talk about yet, but it’s going to be a very cool project, and I’m thrilled to start this relationship with this fabulous playwright.

That’s it for the Thursday update. So grateful to be getting back to work, getting my energy back, and hoping for things to open up safely a little more. Aaaaaand the Tigers just beat the Rangers 7-5, so that’s a nice 7-game winning streak!

Take care of yourselves y’all!

Baseball!!

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I know, I know – pandemics, politics, there is a LOT going on in the world more important than baseball.

I have so enjoyed the craziness of this 60 game Covid season of baseball, with the cardboard cutouts of fans and the 7-inning doubleheaders and crazy schedule changes based on coronavirus testing and runners starting on second base in extra innings. Just the “will they really be able to complete it?!” drama (and yes I was skeptical) but it’s been so therapeutic and exciting to watch, and the final game of the American League Playoff Series tonight was excellent.

But.

Yes. More important stuff in the world. And those deserve attention. But sometimes I need to… not pay attention. I run a theatre. We, like most of the industry, haven’t really been able to work since March and don’t know when the hell we’ll be able to. So, between not knowing when my company will re-open, and not knowing when I’ll get another paycheck, life is stressful. My kids are back in college and away from home during the worst pandemic in our lifetime. The country is a politically divided nightmare. And the solid, normal action of watching baseball is such a grounding thing, that it’s incredibly easy to add it to the list of things that I’m grateful for, that are helping me get through the craziness of NOW.

It’s way too easy to fall into getting locked into watching the news 24/7, building anxiety inducing scenarios in your head as you avoid big crowds, and sit doomscrolling Facebook for hours… but tonight, watching the Tampa Bay Rays win the ALCS was such a moment: the joy on those faces. The excitement, love, hope and JOY on that field moved me tonight in ways I didn’t expect it to. With the state of the world, I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen that much happiness. It choked me up. It was such a RELIEF – just seeing the emotion, the celebration – I’m so grateful to have been able to watch it, to have been reminded that those feelings can still happen, and to be unexpectedly overcome.

I can’t wait to watch the final National League Championship game tomorrow night. And then next week the World Series starts, and I will be watching every game.

And I’ll be so grateful.

Happy Opening Day, Everybody!

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It’s Opening Day!!  Today starts the 2019 Major League Baseball Season!

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As my friend Aaron texted me this morning, “HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

This is one of my favorite holidays of the year.  The first pitch of the season is scheduled for 1:05pm, and there are a couple of games starting then: The Mets -vs- The Nationals, and Baltimore -vs- The Yankees.  Our home town team (and my favorite) The Tigers have first pitch scheduled for 3:37 today, playing in Toronto.  They’ll play 4 games there, then go to New York to play the Yankees for 3 games, and then the Tigers have their Home Opener on April 4th, at 1:10pm.

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Here’s a link to a fun OPENING DAY GUIDE from MLB.

And, because this is great, here’s a very fun announcement from the Tigers about their Opening Day Lineup.  Turn up your volume for this, it’s a terrific homage to all the video baseball games we played back in the day!

Happy Opening Day, y’all!  The Tigers are in a rebuilding mode this season, so most folks think it’s a long shot for them to contend for a spot in the playoffs, but there’s always a chance!  AND – it should be a fun team to watch, no matter what!

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*note – none of these images are mine, they’re all borrowed from the internet!
**Go watch some baseball today.  Or turn on the radio and listen to Dan Dickerson announce the Tigers game!

Thursday Pic Post of Good Things

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So, good news: this is a picture of my lungs, which are “looking good!”, according to the doctor. So, in The Continuing Adventures of Wheezy McCoughCough, the Bronchiospasm Kid we’ve have had a good week, eliminating some possibilities. Now, if we could eliminate more and solve the whole recurring wheezing/coughing thing, that’d be great. Slowly but surely!

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Other awesome things: this was my view during the ct scan. 🙂

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This is the lit up mural thing on the ceiling for people to look at during their ct scan.

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I got lucky, and got a ticket to the Tigers versus the A’s playoff game on Tuesday!

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Um…sometimes you’re the guy who forgets when his plates expire…

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We open The Woman In Black tomorrow night, and it’s a beautiful, spooky show! Here’s a photo from my phone that’s not nearly as good looking as the actual show!

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This is the newest video from Williamston Theatre, check it out!

The Last Rose Of Summer? Maybe… Or maybe it’s just a really tall rose that held on in our front yard longer than the rest of them did!

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And lastly… How I hope to spend Saturday morning with my family:

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Happy Thursday everybody!

Random Good Things on a Saturday Morning

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I’d better get some gas for the leaf blower!20121027-104447.jpg

My daughter and I decided that our dogs should enjoy Halloween too!
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The Tigers are in the World Series! They’re down 0-2, but they’re back in Detroit tonight and I think they’re gonna take the next 4 games! 🙂
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Any FRINGE fans out there? I love the show. Only 9 episodes left, and I had to buy a shirt from the show… So I bought a concert shirt from the fictional band that Walter listens to!

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Ebenezer, the world premiere by Joseph Zettelmaier, is the next show at Williamston Theatre. It’s a beautiful piece. First rehearsal was this week, here’s the cast at the read thru:

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Okay, I started this post this morning – then a bunch of Quality Family Time happened, and now I’m finishing it. Several hours of leaf work has resulted in this:

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Yay Autumn! 🙂

Now, time to prep for the Tigers game: I have to make sure my couch is properly stocked with snacks and remote controls!

Wednesday Pic Post:

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A ballpark is a magical place, don’t you think? It stops time. It’s a place where a father and son can sit together on a lazy afternoon enjoying the game and decades later, in those same seats, that son can sit with his son, and it’s as if nothing’s changed. Time moves differently inside a ballpark.
-Ernie Harwell, from Ernie by Mitch Albom

Today…
…we had a press conference for Ernie, and our Stage Manager Megan took this shot from the booth! Press Conferences are odd things, and I don’t do them often, so it was fun.

Speaking of baseball…
Last night we played some catch in the yard! Awesome.


Speaking of awesome things, The Town Pump has awesome fried pickles, and lunch today was pretty darned great.

Also…
We start rehearsal for this show next week, and I’m looking forward to it. It’s been a long time since I’ve been onstage, and I’m anxious to work out those muscles again!

So, challenges, opportunities, quality family time… a week full of reminders that all of those are important. Thanks, Universe.

Pic Post Sunday: Celebrating Life!

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Random pics from a Dad, director, baseball fan, celebrating some good things on this beautiful Sunday!

Today, we had a great Easter! The kids had a great time hunting baskets and eggs this morning, the Easter Bunny did a nice job hiding things this year!
 


Speaking of Easter – Maggie and I spent Easter afternoon at the ballpark! 🙂
 

And… speaking of baseball…


I’m happy to be in rehearsals for the remount of Ernie at the City Theatre in Detroit.

This weekend, we had a great time visiting our friends Crystal and Steve, and I had to take a picture of these desserts that we made. Crystal did all the prep, making the mousse and homemade whipped cream and slicing the fruit, but Steve and I were given the task of putting them together – and this is what they looked like! Chocolate coffee mousse, lots of fresh fruit, shaved chocolate… oh man, now I want another one. Or 7.

Lastly… I worked with a great stage manager, Sam, this weekend on a project in NYC, and she came in with this shirt that made us all laugh, and I had to share it. (Warning – yes, this is a little risque. Skip it if that’s not your thing, but this type of humor is exactly my thing… and I suppose if you’re a regular reader of this journal, you already know that!)

Have a great week, folks, and whatever you’re doing this week, have fun doing it.

I just became a fan of Jeff Francouer

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I love stories that remind us that the “stars” of the world are just people.
I also love stories that show those “stars” being quality people.
I also love baseball.

So here’s a story that I really love, since it’s about all those things!

In a sense, a September game that decides nothing is what baseball is all about.

It’s about watching a game with your friends, enjoying a slow-paced timeout from the pressures of the everyday life. It’s about hearing the crack of the bat, watching them run, slide and dive, knowing both your players and the opponent’s ones. It’s about jumping up and cheering during a rally, sharing a hope for a win, even if it’s only a 60th or 65th, with not too many more to come.

It is also about a certain sense of intimacy: being close to the other fans, but also to the players, like in no other major sport. Where else can you have a nice chat with a relief pitcher during a game or heckle an outfielder for hours?

Here’s the whole story!