As Summer Winds Down

For those of you kind enough to have a feed for my blog, I am sure that you are still in shock that you saw the (1) appear after my blog name. I'll give you a moment to recover...

For those of you who are occasional or first time readers, I have returned after a brief hiatus. Based on the date of my last post, I guess you could say it was a summer "vacation" of sorts.

Damn Yankees at Musicals at Richter, which consumed the better part of my early summer, was a wonderful experience. Of course, the long hours of stage managing a show are much more taxing when you are the mother of three approaching 40. However, the creative experience always outweighs the long hours and the hassles (missing costume designers, missing master carpenters, missing actors...). The run was also, of course, constantly threatened by rain and showers. So much so, I affectionately refer to the show as Damp Yankees. If you live in the Fairfield County/Litchfield County area, I urge you to make a point of coming down to see one of our productions next year. With any luck, my name may appear on the playbill as director next season.

So, my creative spark re-ignited, I have now submitted to direct at a few area theatres. I had vowed back in 2002 that I would never direct again. Of course, my state of mind was quite fragile then (I was pregnant with twins and Billy was still recovering from his NF). I've not made any commitments yet but I will be certain to limit myself to two, and hopefully that will include Richter. I will provide more details on my directing quest in another post.

I would like to, if you wouldn't mind, take you back in time - December 16, 1995. A twenty-something Alicia was appearing in A Christmas Twist at Danbury Actors Repertory Theatre with her new boyfriend, Billy. Under the patient direction of Rich Pettibone, the cast frittered and frolicked through this well-known (not) Christmas comedy. That day, also, marks the last day anyone has seen me onstage. (NOTE: I do not include the reading of Harvest Home as a performance.)

I've been to a few auditions over the years but nothing that suited. Most of my theatrical experience since that snowy December has been focused on directing or stage managing. Oftentimes, some of those commitments would overlap with shows that had ideal roles for me. I am pleased to inform you that on September 15th, 3,926 days following my last stage performance, I will be appearing in Stephen Sondheim's Assassins at Brookfield Theater for the Arts.

My fondness for Sondheim runs very middle-of-the-road. I appreciate the genius that he is but I'm not a fan of some of his more popular shows. However, Assassins, is different. It's edgier, more powerful. I don't know. All I know is that I'm loving it. And, like everyone, am both cursing and singing his praises while learning those crazy rhythms and disonant, awkward notes.

I am happy to report I am not one of the assassins (which means I don't have to touch any guns). Instead, I get to do a fabulous scene as Emma Goldman (whose history links with McKinley's assassin, Joe Czolgosz). I also get to perform in the Quintet in a song that was added to the revival, "Something Just Broke." It is a very powerful song about the effect that assassins have on the country. In this particular instance, the characters are recalling where they were and what they were doing when Kennedy was shot.

That is, essentially, how I've been spending most evenings. Days are either spent toiling away at the ol' day job (worthy of its own post, I assure you) or doing the typical suburban family weekend stuff (birthday parties, BBQs, home improvement projects...).

I'm starting to get into Oscar mode and need to make some updates to my Release Radar. There are some good films premiering at the Toronto Film Fest in a few weeks. I'm particularly intrigued by Emilio Estevez's Bobby. For Your Consideration, Christopher Guest's mockumentary about the independent film scene will entertain, I'm sure, and Paul Haggis could surprise with The Last Kiss. I am hoping to see World Trade Center sooner than later. The trailer is so moving and powerful, that I can only imagine the impact the entire film will have.

As far as the writing goes... We just won't go there right now. It's in my head, just need the uninterrupted time to get down. We all know how that goes, right?

And then there was my Evening with Harry, Carrie and Garp! Another post for another day.

Tags: Musicals+At+Richter, Brookfield+Theatre+for+the+Arts, Assassins, Sondheim, Toronto+Film+Festival, Bobby, For+Your+Consideration, The+Last+Kiss