the show goes on

"Duck Hunter Shoots Angel" is wildly successful! We opened Friday night to a sold out crowd, and every show in the run is also sold out. We even added a new show and it's sold out too! That new show is tonight, which means we have two shows today, which as far as I know has never happened. Awesome, right?

I've been avoiding writing this here because I actually had someone I wanted to tell before he read it here - yes, Chris, I'm talking about you!

The director for the next show had some personal problems and had to drop out, so they asked me to do it! It'll be my first time directing and I'm really, really excited! The show is "Enchanted April" and it's a lovely story with wonderful characters. They had originally asked me to direct it, but I declined because I thought I wouldn't be ready, but this stage managing experience has given me the confidence I needed to feel like I can do it! I'll have lots of support - a wonderful stage manager, an amazing set designer, and the best costume designer we have, not to mention a lot of people who are trying out because they love the show or because they want to do a British comedy set in the early 20s. I think the hardest part is going to be casting the thing, because so many people I've worked with before are trying out, and I want to be objective and pick the very best people!

busy, busy - as always

Tonight I'm packing for a business trip to Atlanta.  We'll be there until Friday morning, when we drive back (a six hour trip by car!) and I should be at the theatre just in time for everyone to start arriving for opening night.  Crazy timing, right?  We have a substitute stage manager for the last few rehearsals, but I'll be on headset when we have our first paying audience.

I'm so excited about this show - the cast and crew have worked so hard and it will pay off, I'm sure.  I would put money on the fact that every single audience member will laugh at least once during this show.  And most will laugh pretty much throughout it!

I may be offline during the conference, so see you on the flipside.

time for the freakout

The show opens in one week. Last night's rehearsal was a complete disaster. Cast members are still calling for lines, we had technical problems, I'm calling cues that I just got a couple of days ago and we are rehearsing until 10 every night. Worst of all, I go out of town for work on Tuesday and won't be back until the afternoon of opening night!



Stress?



I've got some!



Stage managing is a much bigger job than I ever imagined. I'm enjoying it very much and have loved working with this cast, but wow - I feel very responsible if something goes wrong. I'm sure everything will be perfect by opening night but for now - right now - I'm freaking out. And that's going to have to be okay with everyone.

I don't care, but I want to

I'm fighting my way out of this right now, but it's been a difficult thing to do. In the last month or so, I just haven't really cared about much. Sure, there have been moments of happiness, but for the most part, I just don't care.

What makes this happen? What causes an otherwise positive, happy, passionate person to suddenly stop caring? I know someone who would instantly diagnose it as depression. But I'm not sad, I just don't care. I think it may be closer to burnout than depression.

That's why I chose "passion" as my word for the year. I want to rekindle the flame I've had in the past for everything. My job, my writing, my knitting, the theatre, photography, etc. I want to care again.

log cabin pattern

So it's coming together now! I'm trying to figure out which type of setting I want to use in my log cabin blanket and now that I have three squares, I can get a better idea of what the settings will look like. Actually, it'll be even easier when the fourth square is finished, but this is just so much fun I had to do it! So... thoughts? Which one is most visually appealing? Sorry for the background - it's the sheet on my bed!

My Word of the Year

I've been reading on a lot of blogs lately about choosing a word of the year, a kind of theme that will set the tone for your year and will help you focus on what is most important to you. I've been giving that a lot of thought since reading about it and I have decided on a perfect word for me, for 2009.

Passion.

I will be doing a little art piece that represents passion and will also be working on some other things that will represent my word of the year.

This is me, shouting to the universe that I'm going to live 2009 with passion in every way I can!

just call me...

Mary... because that's the name of the character I'll be playing in the movie, which will be filming in February and March. I am so looking forward to this, as I've never done anything like it before and I think it could be a great opportunity to learn and grow and do something new. If that makes any sense at all.

The story is so great, so interesting, and so layered. I love the writing and I'm looking forward to seeing what it's going to look like on screen. Movies are so different from theatre, so it's going to be fun to see how it works.

knit slacker

Yeah, I've been slacking on the knitting front lately. I did do a little work on my Green Dragon Shawl last night and I've got three squares on my log cabin blanket completely finished, but really I should be further along on both. My ribbed scarf project is moving along, but I'm finding the ribbing to be quite boring. I think my problem right now is that three major projects I'm working on are either simple or very complex, so I either have to give it all my concentration or none at all. And here's something strange... my fingers get tired on the ribbed scarf but not the other projects. I can't figure out why, other than the fact that there's a lot of switching the yarn back and forth, but you would think the shawl would be worse because there are a ton of yarn overs and other things that are different from the norm. The log cabin squares are easy-peasy, but I have to carry a lot of yarn with me when I work on those because of the frequent color changes.

Oh, the Christmas blanket was not completed by Christmas this year, so I'll be shooting for next year. Here's hoping I can get it done by then! I'll do some pictures of the works in progress sometime soon. For now, just look at my Ravelry sidebar.

writing happiness

I spent a good chunk of my day working on the Draha outline. I'm so excited about the way the story is progressing. The kids are really starting to have their own personalities and quirks, and it's just the outline! I'm happy about that. The outline for the first book should be finished soon - hopefully by the end of this month.

I can't wait to really start the writing on this story. It's been in my head for so long... it's time for it to get out of there!

writing frustrations

Remember when I said I lost a manuscript? Well, it's totally gone. I couldn't find it anywhere and I've given up. The worst thing about that is I was really in the mood to take it out and start revising and shaping it up to send out to publishers. I was telling a friend about the plot the other day and she said she would totally read it, which was even worse, you know?! From now on, I'm emailing every manuscript to a special email address, keeping a disk for every manuscript, and saving them to my external hard drive as well as my computer. AND, I'm printing a copy for my files.

I guess I'd better start over with that story - it was such a good idea and now it's just... gone.

screen test

I had a screen test today for a movie that a friend is making. It was a very cool experience and I'm really glad I did it. I hope I get a part because it would be so cool to be in on the ground floor of something like this. The way they are doing everything is so grassroots - I absolutely love it! Viral marketing, promoting at conventions, possibly doing an event to raise money for charity while raising awareness for the film... all kinds of cool things! The script is really good - I've read the whole thing already and really like it. I love the two characters I read today and either one would be great. I have a feeling I did a lot better on one than the other, but I'll be totally happy with either.

Disney is officially booked!

I booked the trip to Disney World today. Yay! Check out the new countdown clock further down the page. I'm so much like a child it's not funny - I love having something to count down to, and thanks to technology, I can do it with style!

The kids are really excited, of course, but I think the adults are even more excited about the trip - which is probably pretty normal, lol!

Happy New Year!

2008 is officially over. 2009 is here and I'm thrilled to say goodbye to a year that was filled with crisis in our nation and in the world. I think we are heading in the right direction and I hope that 2009 is a year of recovery, a year of healing, and a year of change. It will set the stage for what I hope will be an amazing 2010.

I usually do resolutions, but this year, I'm just going to point to my 101 in 1001 list and say that's my resolution. I will work on that list. I will do as many things on it as possible.

The one resolution I will make is one I've made (and kept!) since 2000. I will try something new every month. Whether that something new is playing a game I've never tried to writing a genre I've never attempted, to trying a new knitting skills, to eating a dish I've never eaten, these little challenges to myself to try something new really enhance my life in so many ways! It's my one real resolution this year and one I intend to keep.

So happy new year to everyone out there. May 2009 bring you health and happiness.