So it began...


Several of us are here in sunny southern california to spend 6 days working on developing our newest project.
I couldn't be more thrilled to be embarking on adventure # 2 with all of these amazing artists, some familiar faces from Crossed Wires and some new faces as well.


Debby, Alex, Katie G, Jess, Allison and Katie J are all here in Long Beach; Katie T is participating from London; and Colin, Joe, and Krista couldn't make it out for this portion of the process...


We're staying at my parents' house and using the Fellowship Hall of their church to work, rehearse and develop.  I am continually amazed by and continually grateful for the generosity of my parents and all of the people in their church and neighborhood who are making room for us in their lives.


We started this morning in a state of dashing to and fro as we got ready to leave my parents house and head over to the huge hall for rehearsal...computer problems delayed us well...me and then we were off.  We spent a lot of time talking, throwing around ideas - figuring out what the heck we're doing....and then we embarked on an adventure, provided by the lovely Katie T who asked us to learn about some of the characters in this story by doing a long movement improv.  It was a great day that ended with an awesome show by a band that an old elementary school friend of mine plays bass and trumpet for...they were so wonderful that we all started dancing...just the kind of fun needed to get us in the mood for another day of work!


Below are three of my favorite pictures from the day...

Blog 2

Reading looking listening remembering…doing?

The second day, filled with expectations often feels frustrating.  Questions seem to pose more questions rather than a product we are all so desiring. That said, today sparked inspiring ideas: stories told in different time periods, the importance of an image that only becomes symbolic as the play moves along, the ever meddling Aphrodite, and temples lots of temples.  I am reminded to enjoy the process and allow the product to come from play. That is what we are producing, right? A play.  Miriam joined us today with just the enthusiastic energy we needed. Although starting the day with a body tingling yoga session led by Katie Gould was also the jumpstart I craved.  Jenny is our constant leader, and Allison always finds the balance between creative thought and inspiration.  Alex’s honesty proves the barometer to empty ideas, and Debby keeps it all together.

     I hope to find the humor in this piece- Pandora’s box falling  and wiping her out, Atalanta tripping over the seductive apples, or a traditional chorus speaking lines from the contemporary interviews we are holding. 

Here’s to playing, to small miracles, and to my friends my artistic wonders creating something we believe in.   And here's some pictures"