Just checking in.....

Let's see.


Been a while since I wrote.  It's not that I haven't anything to report; but though the spirit be willin' the flesh be weak.


The show I directed here, at the Dakota Stage, closed last Sunday.  It was a good show, I think.  But I remain biased.  The houses were half to three-quarter, but fully engaged, and there were two standing ovations that seemed to be more than the usual, "if I stand up now I'll be more able to grab my coat" kind of thing.  The actors were outstanding; they brought the A game every single night.


And I'd like to believe we all grew a bit.


I know that it was nice to shake off the rust and see if I could actually do it again; bring out a performance in a person I hardly knew.


It was fun.


There was one hitch.


A complaint was lodged about my use of a piece of music at the end of the play; apparently, the complainant was worried that there was a copyright infringement and threatened to report the production and the theatre to ASCAP.  So, of course, the theatre requested a change in music after the opening night performance.


I suggested another piece of music that would work reasonably well, but NOT as well as the original piece.  The management strongly urged me to find something in the public domain.


Three text messages later, I had permission from the artist.


The management was very impressed.


(THANK YOU, Cathy and Joe!  Better friends are not found!)


Remind me to tell you sometime about the cowardly bastard in my own cast that did that to me.  And with whom I'll never work again.


Ah, community theatre; sometimes staging the drama just isn't enough drama.


Shortly before the show started it's second weekend, I began a new chapter in my career.  I was chosen to become a new Training Instructor up here in the Northern State.  Yup.  No more early mornings and phone calls and information that I never wanted to know in the first place.


I get to teach.


However, I need to learn all the stuff I gave up when I went up to be an analyst.  All the hands-on stuff.  So, for the last week, and for the next couple of weeks, I'm back in a uniform, remembering old stuff and learning new stuff; and the really amusing thing is that most of people training me are people I trained.


So far, it's been fun.


Saw a production of Marat/Sade at one of the local colleges last evening.  A tough play, with more levels than you can find in the tool aisle at Lowe's.  Good audience, well engaged.  A bold choice in material, and a brave attempt in the staging.


Finished the taxes.


Need a cup of coffee.


Sentences getting shorter.


So.