In Which I Shamelessly Plug My Own Show

Shakespeare has always held a special fascination for me. Even in high school, when everyone else dreaded reading Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, I relished in it. There was something so rich and enduring about the words, the stories, and the people.

But I have seen Shakespeare done badly, in a way that completely justifies the intense hatred so many people have of The Bard and his works. Which is why, when you find a company that does Shakespeare right, you do everything you can to make sure they keep at it!

I have spent the last two months in the presence of such people, and tonight we open our production of Two Gents: A Coming of Age Tale in Iambic Pentameter (aka Two Gentlemen of Verona.) It is full of people with such talent that I consider it an honor to be one of them. But it needs your help.

Live theatre has many setbacks, and just one of them is finding the right venue. And, in our case, funding said venue. I understand that times are tight, for everyone, so if you can't donate PLEASE, share our page. And maybe those who are in a position to help will find it in their hearts to help make this company's dreams a reality.

Every dollar helps, and every single donation is appreciated a thousand times over.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/585711469/two-gents-venue-support?ref=city

Sequins and Sneakers

In the last two and a half days I have baked two kinds of cupcakes, three kinds of cookies, pumpkin muffins, apple strudel, a variety of fruit tarts and two types of cheesecake.  All in preparation for the fancy gala at the theatre.  For those of you who don't know, back in November I got a second job at a children's theatre in Orlando.  It's called "In the Limelight," and it now owns a very large part of my soul.  I spend every Saturday there, helping with rehearsals and anything else I can get my hands on.  The theatre junkie in me would never leave the building if it could, but unfortunately the Disney addict part of me (as well as the demands of everyday life) call me away, and I don't get to spend nearly as much time there as I would like.  I haven't been a part of the company for very long, but I already love it there.

Needless to say, the time since I joined In the Limelight has been more than a little hectic.  I have spent my days at Disney, my nights drowning in fabric, and all the in-betweens writing my heart out.  There have been several weeks where I go straight from an 8-hour Disney shift to an all-night theatre shift, frantically trying to change clothes in my car and eating whatever snacks I can find in my bag.  And if you know me at all, you know that this is pretty much as perfect as life can get :)

Which brings us to the gala, and the 38-hours worth of dessert that I voluntarily provided.  In fact, may or may not have begged to be allowed to provide.  The gala itself was amazing.  A spectacular awards show, complete with red carpet and paparazzi, performances to break up the awards announcements, and everyone dressed to impress.  Including yours truly.

But, of course, at the end of a long day, trailing at the end of an even longer week, the last thing I want to do is wear four-inch heels for six hours.  You'd better believe that the second the last guest closed the door behind them, the sneakers went back on!  And so, the end of the night found me carrying cupcake trays back to my car in my sparkly party dress ... and running shoes.  Ultimate classy broad right here.

For now, everything is as it should be.  And that's good enough for me.

Holy Updates, Batman!

The Show

Compatibility now has a Kickstarter page! Everyone head on over and take a look! We're about halfway to our goal, and every little bit helps! Click here to donate as little as $1 to the cause. And by "the cause," I do of course mean the ultimate geek takeover of the world.

And speaking of geeks taking over, apparently I need some kind of costume for the "convention" scene. Thoughts? Suggestions? Cruel jokes that will nevertheless be taken into consideration?

The Work

Disneyworld is continuing to treat me fabulously. I've just applied to extend my program, which means I'll be here until August (if they approve me.) I love my job, and I feel so incredibly blessed to be a part of the magic every day. This is only slightly marred by the fact that my work life and personal life collided rather painfully the other day (the universe has a very cruel sense of humor sometimes) but I'm shaking it off. Picking up the pieces of the wreckage and moving on. All will be well again. I hope ...

The Family

Chemotherapy sucks, but it appears to be working! Every other Tuesday, Mom spends about six hours at the cancer center. Book recommendations for the long hours are always appreciated, by the way. During her first session we had a bit of a hiccup ... she ended up in the hospital two days later, too nauseated to keep anything down. She had to be nourished and hydrated through an IV overnight. But they seem to have ironed out that little kink, and she's doing much better after this second round. It's still a difficult road, but she's a fighter. And she's got a great support group. Thanks to all of you who are taking care of my family. Love you all!

The Friends

Some days, I honestly don't know how I got so lucky. I can't begin to thank all of the wonderful people I've met here and who have become such an amazing part of my life. So for now, I'm not going to try. I love all of you, and you know who you are. Thank you for being there for me, each in your own way.

The Life

It's hard, being dropped into an entirely new set of circumstances. Life throws you curve-balls every other day, it seems, but I'm hanging in there. Here's to new challenges. Here's to adventure. Here's to music and magic and pixie dust.

"I can't. I have rehearsal."

Two weeks ago I took a leap. I jumped back into the theatre, auditioning for the first time in eight years for a director who doesn't already know me.

And guess what?

I got the lead :) I'm playing it cool now, but when I first found out, you'd better believe there was all kinds of jumping and screaming and celebrating!

It's called "Compatibility." It's a new musical (written by our director) that is perfect for the geek in all of us. And yes, I get far too many of the references, thank you very much.

I am now practically living out of my car. Twice I have had to change clothes in the middle of the parking lot. I eat dinner as I drive from work straight to rehearsal every night. I am only home to go to sleep, and I memorize lines during my lunch hour.

And I'm loving every minute of it. Things are turning around, and there is something to look forward to besides work. My days are filled with magic, and my nights are filled with music.