Pssst! Over Here!

I'm still around.  This isn't going to be one of those dusty, moldy blogs with "light foxing" tossed into the corners of the internet, showing up on people's blog rolls with the damning addendum "Last Updated 2 Years Ago."  No, my friends, that is just not happening.

For a while, I was very distracted by our New York trip.  Yes, we went to New York!  Had a wonderful time.  Maybe I'll blog about it.

When I got back, I hit the ground running with interviews and meetings for this year's (early) 48 Hour Film Project.  We finished that film and are awaiting our screening, though it almost killed me.  Emotionally and physically, this was the hardest year yet.  But we got it in on time.  More details to follow.

Jarrah is about to finish first grade.  I don't think it hit me until she brought home a bunch of stuff from the walls this week--all the art projects I helped with week after week, and a very cute "journal" of best wishes from everyone in the class:  theme and variations on "you are smart, you are pretty, you are nice." "Did everyone's say that stuff?" I asked.  "Pretty much," quoth she.  Hey, works for me.  I'd like 22 people to tell me how smart, pretty and nice I am.

I've also been working towards an audition for Pippin, and practiced my audition song--"Shy" from Once Upon a Mattress, originally (and wonderfully) performed by Carol Burnett, feverishly for a couple of weeks.  Of course, then the audition was scheduled for the day after the 48, when I hadn't slept in 60 hours, and spent the majority of my time either yelling or swilling Coke and jelly donuts.  My voice coach reminded me that I can always do my best, and my best will change each day.  My best, such as it was, was enough to get me a callback, though it was clear from the fact that I did not sing (!?) at the callback (I did a jazz combination and cold reads) that I wasn't being considered for a lead role.  Which is okay, because the "Band of Players" in Pippin has a lot to do.

And that's where I am.  Just had the first read-through on Saturday, and am excited to be working with five former and beloved castmates from David and Lisa and Bye Bye Birdie.  So glad to have a summer project, and really looking forward to doing some dancing this time.  Maybe with jazz hands!  Oh joy.

Oh, I also have a little start-up venture in the works.  I've been asked by a former director and some other theater friends to join the board of a fledgling non-profit theater company, which thrills me as I might have some opportunities to direct in future.  I just "took a meeting" to help with writing the mission statement, which I enjoyed immensely.  More info to follow.

We're also talking about a family vacation sometime in the last three weeks of August, when my show closes.  Normally, July and August are structured around ComicCon and 48 Hours, but as the one was early and the other sold out on-line before we could get tickets (a first!  sob!) we are footloose and fancy-free until Labor Day.  My dream is to walk across Scotland, but perhaps in a summer where Great Britain is hosting the Olympics, we should defer.  Other possibilities are a drive through Canada, Montana or Maine up into Nova Scotia.  If you have any suggestions that might delight or at least not bore a social 7-year-old, give a shout, would you?

And I'll be sure to check in soon.  If you waited for me, thanks for that.  Smooches.