A busy time at the theatre!

Wow, so much stuff going on! We have just opened the first show of Season 17 at Williamston Theatre, On The Market by Jason Odell Williams. It’s a ton of fun, and very sweet. Getting terrific audience responses, with lots of laughs but also some beautiful emotional responses and people coming out very moved.

Pictured: Yolanda Davis, Patrick Loos, Brian Sage, Dani Cochrane. Costumes by Karen Kangas-Preston, Set by Kirk Domer, Props and Set Dressing by Michelle Raymond, Lighting by Eric Van Tassell, Sound by Brian Cole. Stage Management by Stefanie Din, Adam Kruger and Rylan Houle.

Coming up on Sunday October 2nd we have a play reading of a terrific piece called The Mouth of the South by Allison Gregory. A funny and fascinating play about the real life Martha Mitchell, famous Watergate whistleblower!

On October 16th we have a great collaboration with Michigan State University: an MFA Grad Student Showcase Performance! This beautiful musical called Love, Linda; The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter tells the story of Linda Lee Thomas, whose marriage to Cole Porter, who was gay, inspired some of the greatest songs of all time.

Then for the first time ever, we are having a night of Stand Up Comedy at Williamston Theatre! Hosted by popular Lansing-based comedian Louis D. Michael, this evening with 5 different Michigan comics will be a fun time! Come have some beer, some wine, and some laughs!

So, life is busy, but good. I’m super grateful to be able to do what I do with some terrific people. I hope you’re all doing well, and you can join us for some fun in Williamston this fall!

A great Tech Weekend

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

A shot of the set.

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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.

20130120-230904.jpgAndrew 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!

Sunday Quotes: Opportunity from Crisis

I’ve come down with an illness that’s sort of knocked me flat, making rehearsals for the last few days a very large challenge.  Still, nothing to worry about, and it’ll all be fine, but the thing that I’ve been the most grateful for (aside from my wonderful wife and kids being awesome), is that the cast and company of The Usual have responded in a tremendously positive way.

This had me thinking  about how, with the wrong reaction, a minor crisis could easily turn into a major one that really wreaks havoc on a project.  On the flip side of that, a good team can take the moment and soar.  I’m blessed to be working with such a good team.

When written in Chinese, the word “crisis” is composed of two characters – one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.
– John F. Kennedy

Problems are just opportunities in work clothes. 
– Henry Kaiser (although, I always think of my friend Dana White, who lives by this motto, introduced me to it, and brings it to every lighting design he does!)

Try to relax and enjoy the crisis.
– Ashleigh Brilliant

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
– Winston Churchill

Remember, the storm is a good opportunity for the pine and the cypress to show their strength and their stability.
– Ho Chi Minh