Mark and I flew to Chicago over the weekend to attend the Mercy for Animals Celebrating Compassion Gala at the Chicago Cultural Center. Mark’s son, Nathan, founded MFA in 1999 at the age of 17 proving once again the power of commitment, passion and vision no matter one’s number of years on earth. The Gala [...]
Across America
After strike following the Arts for Kids, ETC production of “Elves in the Toyshop?!” (again, coming to Heartland Plays summer, 2009), Mark and I headed across America on our way back to our home in Montana. Kentucky is great, especially during the spring and fall. The magnificent colors and phenomenal weather make the winters in [...]
When Good Kids go Bad
Okay, so maybe I’m dating myself, but when I say bad, I mean bad, like great! Like awesome. Like the very best. Our show “Elves in the Toyshop?!” (available in 2009 at Heartland Plays) opened this weekend to a standing room only crowd at Pioneer Playhouse, the oldest and longest running playhouse in Kentucky. Pioneer [...]
Adventure Outside Yourself
I just finished another 12-hour day working on the play. I remember a good friend of mine, who was a professor at Centre College and then took a position at Washington State University in Pullman, said his wife complained she wouldn’t see him for weeks on end when he was directing a play. He told [...]
Dig Yourself a Deep Hole
Okay, I’m ready to read something that doesn’t have a gay guy in it. Don’t get me wrong, we welcome the work of gay playwrights and are open to all content, but frankly, unless your play brings something new to the table about the gay experience beyond the friend you think is gay but ends [...]
The Political Limb
A member of the cast in the play I’m directing asked me who I’m voting for. Our theatre is non-profit so I told him as a director of a non-profit organization I can’t discuss politics but if you drive by my house you’ll see the sign in my yard. Involvement in the arts hangs one [...]
Kids At Play
I moved from New York City to the backhills of Kentucky. No, I didn’t have family there. I wasn’t raised there and in fact, when I was growing up, there was a general attitude in my hometown that people from Kentucky were dirty and stupid. Frankly, they’re anything but. Appalachia is filled with simple, honest, [...]
Good Writing. If it lacks life, I’ll know it.
I jumped out of bed this morning excited about writing my first Backstage Blog and proceeded to shut my finger in the bedroom door. It reminded me immediately of the Technical Director at the University where I got my MFA in Theatre. He would have said that was real comedy. Of course, why the Technical [...]
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