Final two performances . . . for now

This evening we'll be hitting the boards with Like a Sack of Potatoes, with one more performance tomorrow. I was a touch worried about tomorrow weather-wise but it looks like it's gonna be ok, wet - yes, snowy-yes, but not a blizzard at any rate (we have to wait for the first day of spring to have snow?).

My daughter, Laurette is coming tonight. It will be interesting to see just how much of this piece embarrasses her. My guess is probably a lot! While the two daughters in the piece aren't really based on her, a lot of it sort of is . . . she thinks she has seen this piece before but I'm not so sure . . . she's bringing friends so I hope they don't end up forever referring to her as the one from Mars or Midget . . . which are the two nicknames my character gives his daughters.

Anyway, it should be fun . . . again. I so totally enjoyed the first performance, and the feedback was amazing, but then to have the second one four nights later is a tad strange. We took off Wednesday. After the intensity of the rehearsals leading up to it, it was nice to stop and recharge a bit. When we rehearsed Thursday night it seemed like it had been a week off! So we rehearsed Thursday and Friday . . . and now here we are, coming to the end for this flight of performances.

It's funny how stuff happens. When we put the wraps on this last October in Haverstraw, I didn't know if I'd ever do it again, then, a couple of weeks later I got the email from MITF inviting me along. So who knows what happens next. None of the industry folks I reached out to responded to me, so if they are gonna show up it'll be a surprise. Well one did, Stephen Bishop Seeley, who was the Artistic Director of the Genesius Guild and the moderator of the Revolutionary Writers Workshop there, said he is coming tonight. And Jerry Davis from Burning Coal in Raleigh put it out to his 'peeps' in the area . . . who knows. The one thing I know for sure is that I'm gonna be there with guns blazing . . . telling my story and blowing people's minds just a tad.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: special kudos and love and thanks to Bette, who directed this while working on Happy Days . . .what? Oh yeah, in all her spare time! And directing to her is not a passive thing. She really gets into the weeds and digs and digs and digs . . . the results speak for themselves. She has helped me wring the best out of all the pieces we've worked on together . . . it's an incredible collaboration.

Next up? Readings of my new piece in May (which means really next up will be writing like a demon). And all the while visiting Beckett-land. Happy Days is gonna get the focus for the next few months. And rightfully so. It's an privilege to have the opportunity to do this piece and in the Byrdcliffe Theater no less. Really really cool.