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What a week

Been a busy week. Didn’t have time to post until now, but Tuesday was truly awe inspiring. I love technology! I was able to watch the all inauguration coverage via CNN/Facebook in one window while doing work in another. (Actually several others.) I think everyone in our office was doing the same thing. The people I work with are both foreign and domestic. Represented in our group are Kenya, Ghana, India, Pennsylvania, and the WV counties of Grant, Harrison, Marion, Mingo and Preston. (I’ll leave it to you to determine which of those places is the most foreign.) From all appearances, everyone in the group was happy on Tuesday.

Among the projects I’m working on right now are some cool online courses—most recently, an companion animal science course. What a fun project for an animal lover like me! (One of those talented graphic designers I work with has created the cutest graphics for it!) Another cool course is an intro to film which also has stellar graphics thanks to another of our wonderful graphic designers. The historical geology course has been going on for a while. It’s a little different that most—the course content is the textbook for the course. The illustrations that are included were all drawn by the author and are outstanding! Interesting and diverse subject each with their own design challenges. This is why i love my work!

Outside of that, I managed to design a poster for our upcoming ACT 2 Theatre Co. show, SYLVIA by A.R. Gurney. Director Rex Kelch will let me know today whether it’s a go or not. We have auditions today at 2:00 and again tomorrow at the same time. Information about all that is at the ACT 2 website. (Yes. I’m auditioning.)

The Landmark Studio has in interesting show scheduled early in February—THIEF RIVER by Lee Blessing. More information about that is at the Landmark website.

RENT, school edition, is playing now at Fairmont State University. Performed by the Fairmont Town and Gown Youth Company. Director Charlie Dillon has once again managed to inspire a group of talented kids to give it their all. The cast came from 7 different high schools from 3 counties. A note in the program from Dean of the School of Fine Arts, Peter Lach, says that this program is a part of an initiative called the Center of Arts Engagement. “As a part of that initiative, we will create a Conservatory which will offer instruction in Art, Music and Theatre to area youth and non-college adults.” An insert in the program indicates that Charlie will soon be teaching 2 Intro to Theatre Arts classes for junior high and high school as a part of this initiative.

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

I’m not much of a resolution person. I usually make one—not to make any resolutions. So as soon as I’ve made it, I’ve broken it. But I do a have some goals for this year.

2008 had its good and bad points. The baddest was finding out I have diabetes. But, once I found out it was easy enough to go back to a low carb way of eating. And now I make more of an effort to get a walk in nearly every day. So far progress is good. I went from an A1c of 13 in August, to 11 in September, to 7.1 in December. Not bad for only 4 months. So the goal now is to get it to 6 or lower.

Of course, I hope for a good role or two to play this year. But I have so much going on between work and WVTC and “extracurricular” projects that I intend to be fairly picky about what I choose to do. I’ll discuss the other stuff as the year goes along.

That’s another goal—to blog more. Actually, to write more, in general.

Can we start again, please

I’ve been neglecting this blog for quite a while, but hey, life happens. Just to review the year…

Phyl Charnes and I did ‘NIGHT, MOTHER at the Landmark Studio in fall of 2007 and then revived it for the ACT 2 Theatre Company in February this year.

Greg Mach and I did RUMORS at the Landmark Studio last spring. That’s us with Rocky Gettel (right) in the picture.

In August I auditioned for, and got a small role in, a play called SHIRAZ by Don Fidler with M.T. Pockets Theatre Company in Morgantown. Had a great time getting to know the folks in that group. Hope I can do something again with them some time.

Timing on this one turned out to be a bit stressful, though. As soon as rehearsals started, I found out I have diabetes. Managed to have a good time, anyway.

Last month I had a blast playing the Wicked Witch in HANSEL AND GRETEL: An Operetta For Children based on the Humperdinck opera. It was adapted to be done by children. I was the only adult in the show. Don’t have any pictures yet, but as soon as I do I’ll post them. This was the first time ACT 2 has attempted an all-children cast production, but director Kathy Younglove has lots of experience with children’s theatre and pulled it all together wonderfully. We partnered with the Chanticleer Children’s Chorus who lended their beautiful voices to all the choral music. And the dancing angels who protected Hansel and Gretel in the woods were Premier Studio of Dance students. The music was lovely and the set was really gorgeous.

I designed the poster for this one. That’s our Hansel (Bailey Jackson) and Gretel (Sierra Frosch) in the poster.

Tags: ACT 2, Add new tag, Landmark Studio, MT Pockets

Late notice, but here they are anyway

Haven’t been keeping up very well, but ACT 2 did have that fall show. It was CLUE: THE MUSICAL and it was great. The venue was the YWCA of Harrison County. Here’s the poster (my design).

And Phyl Charnes and I finished a run of Marsha Norman’s ‘NIGHT, MOTHER at the Landmark Studio for the Arts in Sutton, WV. Here’s the poster, designed by Tommye Geil.

Also, still with one more weekend performance to go, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS is playing at Fairmont State University on November 29-30 at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. in the Wallman Hall Theatre

I’ll try to keep up better as we go along. ACT 2 has a business meeting Wed. Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. to discuss the next show, probably in February or thereabouts. I’ll let you know what we decide.

In March, the Landmark Studio for the Arts will be doing RUMORS. I’ll be in that one. So will Greg Mach of WV Wesleyan. AND he’s directing his students in the same show around the same time.

ACT2 Theatre Co. is planning a fall show

ACT2 Theatre Company is planning a fall show, probably in October. Jason Young will direct and the details aren’t worked out yet, but something will be announced soon. So keep and eye out! And if you’re interested in working on the show, just leave a comment here!

Greg Mach is in THE ODD COUPLE

Gregory Mach, chair of the Theatre Arts program at WV Wesleyan College is playing a role in THE ODD COUPLE next week with WV Public Theatre in Morgantown.

The play takes place in 1965 and Greg had to cut his hair and shave his beard. You may not recognize him!

Show dates are:
July 3 - 8, 2007
at the WVU Creative Arts Center
Morgantown, WV
Tickets

Opal’s Baby opens at the Landmark Studio

Looks pretty funny, folks!

May 11, 12, 18, 19

OPAL’S BABY
presented by the Landmark Players
COMEDY. By John Patrick.
The setting is Opal’s tumbledown home on the edge of the city dump, where Opal has a visitor looking for a tire to fit his 1927 REO truck. Misguided into thinking that Opal is a rich eccentric, the shifty visitor, Norman, announces (fallaciously) that he too is a Kronkie—and Opal’s long-lost kin. The upshot is that the warmhearted Opal takes him, and his whole family, in – whereupon they scheme to do her out of her supposed fortune. When Norman confides that his daughter-in-law, Verna, is pregnant (abetted by a well-placed pillow) Opal decides to leave all her worldly goods to the “baby,” and the others have to settle for petty thievery while they figure out how to get around their lie. Needless to say the “plot thickens” hilariously as they do so, but happily all ends well, at least for Opal, who emerges safe, sound and ready for whatever may come next.

Don’t miss CHICAGO at WV Wesleyan!

April 12 - 15, 2007
WV Wesleyan College
Department of Theatre and Dance
presents
CHICAGO
by Fred Ebb. Music by John Kander.
At the Atkinson Theatre.

SIDE MAN a show to see!

If you missed SIDE MAN at the Landmark Studio this week, you can still see it next Friday or Saturday. Jim Walker has pulled together a solid cast who work as a real ensemble. Jim Konkle and Tommye Geil had some great lighting going on, too.

Pictured: Dana Cogar, Jeff Hudkins, James Raywalt in SIDE MAN at the Landmark.

So don’t miss this one if you can help it!