The Really Short of It

Hi everyone,

You'd think I'd be moving at a snail's pace because I'm not touring any more. Oh, how far from the truth!

-The weekend was filled mostly with memorization. We're now officially set to perform 9 plays for our mini-tour, starting (unofficially) this coming Monday. My head's been spinning with pages worth of lines, extra notes, and blocking. The choreography includes music, costumes, transitions between each play, and opening and closing "acts" to make the show itself a complete performance. And we'll have done it in two weeks. I don't care who you are--that's quick turnaround. When I'm not doing that, I'm reading plays under consideration for the Under 6 play festival, doing more rehearsal, or turning into a puddle of goo in front of the comfy telly. Ok, so that was a bit a dramatic, but yes, been making some extra me time this week.

-Monday:
The Moveable Feast. It's their big yearly fundraiser (or fun-raiser is more like it). The open up practically all their facilities, and of course we're there to help make it all happen. There were hor'deours course being offered by servers walking around the main stage theater and facility (i.e. myself and colleagues), this followed a show by a musical all male-vocal group they brought in at another theater across the way. This made just enough time for all the very nice local restaurants to set up their food, for us to prepare both the mainstage theater area and the cabaret for their post-show return where we wined and dined them until they could eat and drink no more. In one room was a spanish-guitar playing soloist. In another was a hot-rollin' blues and jazz group. Actually make that two counting another area. There was a place for wine tasting, outside areas to walk and more conversing. It was quite the wondrous spectacle. And a lot of fun. There were some fun patrons to talk to and of course the various casts from our current main shows came up which was added enjoyment. Six hours later, we were cleaning up the last of the napkins, glasses, mugs, plates, desserts (the food, at least what I was fortunate to be offered, was amazing), we were done. The feast moved well!

-The rest of the week:
More rehearsals and box office. Renewals for subscriptions are coming into the box office, so I've been busy in the continuing efforts to get all the seating requests, payments, and other notes bundled up and into our system known as Tessitura, an extremely impressive piece of software that virtually the entire business side of the theater runs upon--and many like it.

-Favorite Play of the Week:
We've been working on a play where a girl desperately misses her dad, who's gone away on "business". A boy, her playground mate, offers to write her a letter for her dad. The father receives it, and finds a solution: they both have matching telescopes; when the moon is full, they will both look at it at the same time and be "gorgeous and happy". One night, they find their chance, and remember how much they will remain in each other's hearts. I really don't think I can say much more than that for the moment, but it's a really beautiful piece. I'll have to go more into the show itself later.

That's about all my brain and catch up to at the moment. Will take the rest and type to you tomorrow.

-Ben