Nothing out of the ordinary

We have had a very ordinary week here in Lane Land. I can't believe it's only Wednesday. I'm kind of tired and ready for the weekend already. I'm also amazed at how anti-climactic the week leading up to my birthday has been. I usually get much more excited. I guess 32 is kind of an anti-climactic age--no new privileges, no new decade, no double numbers, just a 3 and a 2. On Friday (the actual day of birth--love it when it's Friday the 13th!), my Auntie M and our friend Loretta (or Roletta) are taking me to lunch. Marcus, Dean and I are going out to dinner that night, then coming home to chill out and watch a movie, probably LOVE ACTUALLY so we can quote it as we watch. (after Dean goes to bed, of course) Marcus has scholarship auditions on Saturday, so Dean and I will surely find something to fill our time while he's gone.

Dean's 4th tooth popped through yesterday. It terrified our manny, BJ, who thought something was terribly wrong. Dean always runs a very low-grade fever when he's cutting a tooth and acts really lethargic and cranky. Poor BJ was sure he was sick and that he would shrivel up and blow away because he didn't want much lunch. Once we inspected his gums, we gave him a little Tylenol and a cold chew toy and he was good to go. He did wake up FREAKING OUT twice during the night, though. Poor little guy. I'm going to make him a grilled cheese for lunch. Toast feels good to baby gums, I hear.

There's a new art gallery in Montevallo! It's called the Blue Phrog. We met the owner last night at Eclipse, our coffee and book store. I'm hoping to get in touch with him this week to ask about bringing my class to the gallery for a field trip. It would be nice for them to talk to a manager of an arts organization that isn't performance-based.

In other news, I really need to get cracking on the workshops I'll be presenting next month at the Southeastern Theatre Conference. Last year, Marcus, our friend Scott and I did one on moving to NYC. It was so well received that this year we've broken it into two different workshops, one on moving to NYC, the other on networking in NYC, and added a fourth panelist. I think this will be the last year we present this one, since we've been gone from the city for close to a year and are already losing touch with the way things are there. I'm also presenting a workshop on stage managing outdoor drama. Should be fun. I'm looking forward to the conference. It's always fun to see old friends and make new connections. Since I'm not job-hunting or hiring this year, I'll be spending my days presenting or attending workshops, going to meetings for my new position with Alabama Conference of Theatres and finding other opportunities to get involved. There is an interest group for people who would like to write for Southern Theatre, our quarterly magazine. I'm going to attend that and pitch an idea: I think we should start a Southern Theatre blog. It's an idea I've been playing around with for a while and I think it would be a great informational and networking tool for our region. I would happily serve as "blogmaster" and be responsible for finding content to post 2-3 times a week. I'd like to do one interview with someone working in professional theatre each week, then a feature about new products, new plays, new programs, etc. I'm reading Blogging for Dummies right now to teach myself a little more about the wonderful, mysterious blogosphere.

How's YOUR week going?

PS:

I am TOTALLY a rockstar!

Things I've learned today

1. I knew my class's presentations would probably be pretty good, but in reality? THEY ROCKED. I can't wait to see what else they come up with as the semester progresses.

2. On the day when you say to yourself "I'll just wait til the manny gets here to get dressed, put on makeup, etc." the manny will run late and you will not have time to straighten your hair. You will also forget to bring your yoga pants and t-shirt to work with you and will end up wearing your dress shirt, heels and a pair of your husband's pajama pants to do stage combat. (see next note)

3. I am SO about to turn 32. And I'm feeling it. Marcus has a studio-type stage combat drop-in session that he does on Tuesdays outside his regularly scheduled combat class (which meets the same time as my arts administration class). He asked me to come and help him teach it. (Didn't know I was a swordfighter, didja???) We did multiple drills with footwork for the first time today. And now I may die. How did I do this 5 times a week in my 20s? Because I was IN MY
20s!!!!!!!


It hurts to type, so I have to go lie down. Yow.

EDITED TO ADD (7:52am on Wednesday): You know, I'm not that sore! My legs were trembling for over an hour when I got home yesterday from muscle fatigue and I have the requisite right buttock soreness that only swordfighting can provide, but all in all, it's not really that bad. And Dean slept through the night, which didn't hurt either!

RIP, little Gateway

I knew this day was coming. When I bought my cheapo Gateway laptop almost three years ago, it was intended to be something I could use in my freelance work. I wanted a cheap computer that would let me do my word processing and internetting and a little Kodak Easy-Sharing. I also wanted something that I could hand over to my assistant(s) and not worry about it, or drop down the stairs and not worry about it. Ye Olde Gateway, she has served her time and served it well. But her time is up. A few weeks ago, my wireless card just up and died. I bought one of those external wireless sticks that goes into your USB port, and Dean decided he loooooooooved it. He would grab it every time he passed by my computer. Apparently his love for the wireless stick bent my USB port because yesterday the computer stopped recognizing our wireless network. That is not a good thing for an internet addict like myself, as I'm sure many of you understand. Anywho, Marcus offered to take me to Best Buy today to see if we could affordably upgrade. I found myself a Toshiba and brought it home. And let me tell you, it is a sexy thang! It's so fast and so cool! I'm still figuring out Vista, but I'll get there. The Geek Squad dude assured us that Windows is coming out with Windows 7 this summer and that it's much, much better than Vista. We shall see.

I'm about to start applying for grants to help me get to BlogHer this summer. Marcus and I have been talking about it and I think I can pitch it as a creative writing endeavor. I've been wanting to upgrade this blog for a while, but I feel like I need some more information before I make the big leap. I'm chatting with the TypePad community manager about some questions I have and about what I should be learning before I move over there. I also just became an officer for our state's Theatre Conference, and a part of my mission is to improve networking for theatre students and early career professionals. I think blogging may be a good way to do that. As a stage manager, I'm always shocked at how few networking opportunities there are for us. I'm thinking of starting a blog for stage managers to help with networking, sharing paperwork and ideas, and maybe interviewing a professional stage manager each week. Marcus and I are also interested in starting a blog to use as a recruitment tool for the theatre department at the University where we teach. If I could get some grant money, I could attend BlogHer, maybe even the Business Conference, and get all these ideas rolling! Plus, I could meet my blog friends in person. I think we all know that's the main reason I want to go! If you'll be there, let me know and let's hang out.

How very 21st Century of me

Last Tuesday night, I logged onto Facebook and found out I'd lost my summer job.
Let me clarify. Theatre West Virginia, where Marcus and I work in the summers, lost $100,000 in government funding. On Tuesday of last week, the board of directors decided to close the doors, thus cancelling the 2009 summer season. When I logged onto Facebook, our artistic director's status said "TWV board has decided to close the doors. We would need 100 people to give $1,000 in order for us to stay open." Ugh. I immediately wrote to her, asking what we could do to help. I have no idea why a fundraiser was not thought to be the first plan of attack. However, this week the board has allowed them to start a huge fundraising effort. To my knowledge, they have already collected over $2,000. Marcus and I are going to be sending out a letter to everyone we can find who has ties to TWV as well as to a lot of our theatre contacts. Our goal is to try and get 20,000 people to give $5. Money is tight right now for everyone, but $5 seems like a reasonable amount, even for our employees who are college students. If TWV is closed this summer, that elimnates over 100 jobs in theatre. We cannot let this happen. Not only does this elimnate a huge employment opportunity for college students and early career professionals, it also puts educators and working artists like Marcus and me out of work. And, the most tragic part to me, it pulls the year-round educational tour off the road and puts TWV's 5 full time employees out of work. The tour travels all around the state of WV playing to elementary and middle school students. For most of them, it's the first theatre experience they have had. For some, it will be the only one they will have. The work we do is so important. Please send up a prayer and good thoughts for TWV and let's hope we don't have to close our doors this season.

On the off chance that you are interested in donating to TWV, email me. Address can be found in my full profile. Thanks!

Remember me?

Wow. I can't believe it's been so long since I posted. This summer is kicking my tail, y'all. I love my job, but I'm struggling with parts of it this summer. Let me tell you a little about what I do. (Several people have asked--thanks for being interested!) I'm currently in my summer gig at Theatre West Virginia, where I am Production Stage Manager (PSM). In a nutshell, it's my job to make sure everything runs smoothly, both on and off stage. I am a mother-hen, disciplinarian, drill sergeant, confidante, teacher, leader, and many other things. I love my job. LOVE it. It's the only thing I've ever found that allows me to use all of my brain. I get to use my problem-solving skills, personality, people-skills, organization, trouble-shooting, creativity and so many other things. I get to dabble in all parts of the production, not just one. I get to be there from start to finish on a project. During rehearsal, the stage manager takes down blocking, which is every move the actors make. We track all the props, set pieces and costumes, then when we tech the show, all the light and sound cues and put them together in what's called a prompt book. The stage manager calls the show during performances, meaning nothing goes until the stage manager says GO. We sit on a headset in a booth with the sound and light board operators and call every cue in the show, including scenery shifts, etc. SO, it's a big job, but so much fun. I adore it. (most days) Part of being PSM is also dealing with the day-to-day issues that arise and supervising the technical staff. This summer has been a bit trying. Without going into specifics, I'll just tell you that there have been more issues than usual and we've added a fourth show to our season, so figuring out the Jenga-game that is scheduling has been rough on all of us. On top of all this, I'm juggling motherhood for the first time, and Dean is absolutely my top priority. I am emotionally and physically pretty drained right now. Cinderella (the third of our four shows) opened on Tuesday and the weekend leading up to opening was quite demanding. We did three dress runs on Monday, our last ending at 1:30am. I was so hyped up on coffee at the end of it that I stuck around the theatre and helped out in the costume shop for a while before heading home. I FINALLY learned to use a sewing machine! Fun times.

Cinderella opening was a good night, which I needed. It's easy to get discouraged when things get really hard, especially when you have so many balls in the air. I was about ready to throw in the towel, then something happened during the show that reminded me why I do what I do. There's a part in Cinderella where the Godmother makes the house disappear, turns two mice into a coachman and a footman, turns a pumpkin into a golden carriage and turns Cinderella into a beautiful princess. We use a body double so Cinderella's quick change is instantaneous. Well, when that golden carriage rolled onto the stage, about 300 little girls in princess costumes stood up and squealed and clapped and got the most amazed looks on their faces...and it was magical. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the little things and daily grind that you forget that magical feeling you once felt that made you want to do this for the rest of your life. I remembered why I do theatre and why I love it so much. I am so thankful to have had that moment to remind me.

Dean is doing wonderfully. He loves being the company baby and getting passed around all the time. When he's with us on show nights, the girls all line up to kiss him for luck before they go onstage. One day last week, he fell asleep with about 20 lipstick marks on his face. At his six-month checkup last week, he weighed in at a whopping 18 1/2 lbs! (no wonder our backs hurt all the time!) He started solids, which has been very entertaining. So far, we love everything except green beans. I'll post pictures of the horrid messes we have made very soon. Right now I have to go scrub sweet potato puree off the couch. ;)

Mental Health Day

Everyone needs one every now and again and today is my day. I am especially fried right now. Running a 4-show rep season and being a full-time mommy with no child care (except me and full-time Dad) is taking its toll. This has been an incredibly stressful week, so the opportunity to relax a bit was quite welcome. Marcus and I spent the morning playing with Dean. Dean and I even took a little nap together. We had baby bath time (see adorable picture), worked on sitting up, played with some new toys, read some new books and had lunch at Cracker Barrell. Dean continues to amaze Marcus and me. His personality is the sweetest little ray of sunshine. I couldn't imagine a better baby. He is so happy and easy-going. He loves almost everyone, a blessing when we bring him to the theatre with us. The company has been amazing. Everyone has accepted Dean with open arms and people are starting to make reservations for "Dean time."

Our housemate, Donald, is gone for 4 weeks to do a job out of town. We miss him, but not as much as his kitty cat, Dil, misses him. Dil is currently sitting on the desk staring at me and purring. He and I had a nap together yesterday morning from 5:30-7 when a coughing fit sent me to Donald's room so I wouldn't wake up Dean and Marcus. (Did I mention I think I'm allergic to Dil? Yeah.)

This summer has already taught me a lot of things. Part of me is so, so happy to be back at work. It's filling a void that was definitely there in the early post-partum days. However, I'm still having a hard time balancing work and motherhood. I feel guilty when I can't be with Dean, though if he isn't with me, he's usually with Marcus. We have some wonderful friends here who beg for time with him, so finding a sitter is easy if we need one. I keep reminding myself of what I said when I was pregnant, that my work life is a big part of who I am and I want Dean to get to know that part of his mom. I assume it will get easier once all the shows are up, but that seems like a very distant dream at this point. Being the mother hen, disciplinarian, teacher and many more things at work have just taken their toll on me this week. Hopefully by Tuesday, my batteries will have re-charged. I miss blogging regularly, but let me outline my typical day for you and you shall see why I'm not around much:

5:30am Dean cries for bottle. Feed him, then put him in the bed with us, cuddling him until he falls back to sleep. (we hope)
7:15am Get up. Shower. Drink coffee. Play with baby. Wake Marcus up. Dress baby. Wake Marcus up again. Make bottles. Tell Marcus he HAS to get up.
9:00am (if we're lucky) Leave to pick up fast-food breakfast.
9:30am Arrive at rehearsal
10am-4pm Rehearse (with Dean in-tow)
4:00pm Dinner
5:30pm Arrive at theatre for pre-show set-up, warm-ups, fight call, any small rehearsals we need, company meeting, prep time.
8:15pm Show
11:00pm Leave theatre, drive home, fall into bed

Crazy, huh? But I love it. Always have. We're just trying to figure out how to do it all with a baby who is, naturally, now our top priority.

On another note, I love being Production Stage Manager here and will blog about that soon. It's always been a goal of mine to be a PSM and I'm enjoying figuring out how to make it work for this company. It helps that I have two phenomenal assistants. (Thank you, merciful Jesus!)

Hope everyone's having a good weekend. Will write more soon.

Back in Blacks

Stage blacks, that is. Which is why I haven't blogged in FOREVER! I've missed it. Anyway, our first two shows are open and we're in rehearsals for High School Musical right now. We start rehearsing Cinderella on Friday. No rest for the weary. Things have been good, though a little more interesting than I'd have preferred in some cases. Here's what's been up:

*Tech rehearsals and opening for our first 2 shows went well. There were some very late nights and some moments of "Wow, I want to pull my hair out," but all went well.
*I've already had understudies go on. It's super early in the season for that, but they did a nice job.
*I can't give any details on this, but it's my blog and I want to mention that I had my first experience with terminating an employee last week. I hope I never, ever, EVER have to do that again.
*I am wearing a High School Musical t-shirt right now. HOT.
*I finally got to make a surprise appearance in Honey in the Rock. There's a scene called Guinea Station, which takes place in a hospital camp during the Civil War. I put on a Confederate uniform the other night and went on as a wounded soldier. Marcus was already onstage laying on the ground, so I spooned him (We were waaaaaaaay upstage out of the light.). Quite fun.
*Dean Lane started cereal! He's like "MOOOOOOOOM! Where has this been all my little life!?!?!" He's so cute with his little cereal beard. Pictures to be posted soon.
*We had Fiesta Night last night with our pals, the Hights. There was an absolutely obscene amount of food, including Marcus tacos, Lola Fajitas and Lee salsa. MMMMMMMMMMM. There was also a pinata, as there should be at all fiesta experiences.

That's kind of what's up in our neck of the woods. Check back soon to hear all about the cool package I received all the way from Hong Kong as a part of the Bloggy Friend Swap.

Let's hope Jessie Spano doesn't show up in CHICAGO

I just read on playbill.com that Mario Lopez, aka A.C. Slater from Saved By The Bell, is about to make his Broadway debut in A CHORUS LINE. Now, I realize the man can dance. I mean, who can forget him ripping off his clothes in "The Max" to win Jessie's heart with some sassy pique turns? But this is part of an ongoing trend on Broadway where, let's call them "unconventional" actors end up in shows. CABARET a few years ago was the perfect example. Everyone from Brooke Shields to Molly Ringwald to Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie!) was in it. Seriously. Marcus and I are about the only people in NYC who did not grace the stage as Sally Bowles and the Emcee. A stage manager friend of mine worked on that show and said they had a piece of paper in their office where people would write down who should play the roles next. Most of them were jokes, but a couple of times, folks from that piece of paper ended up in the show. I certainly understand the need for a "big" name on the marquis. That certainly sells tickets and often brings in a more diverse audience than you might get with theatre-only actors whose names are not as recognizable. I'm not saying these folks are not talented, I'm just saying that if my years of working in the NYC theatre scene and the Broadway community have taught me anything it's that there's an unbelievable amount of untapped talent in this city. I'd like to see an unknown actor (or even a lesser-known theatre actor) get a role over a "big name" any day. This, friends, is why Jen usually works for not-for-profit companies and is also why she will never, ever be a theatre producer in NYC. (Well, that and she's broke.)

So what's your nightmare casting for Broadway? Mickey Rooney as Annie? The guy who played Squiggie as the Phantom? Don't just limit yourselves to Saved By The Bell characters! :)