Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead, Put crepe bows round the white necks of theContinueContinue reading “No Words, Yet. Soon.”
Category Archives: Musings
Uncharted
I’ve been averse to blogging about the medical mayhem in my family. I have not wanted to violate privacy or publish things that I have no right to say on behalf of the people that I love. It’s taken me a minute to feel confident that the blogging gate would open up for all thatContinueContinue reading “Uncharted”
Fully Flung
The past 8 weeks will be forever emblazoned on my soul as among the more overwhelming, challenging, and soul-filling in my recent memory. Short version, we did it. We put on a stageplay that broke boundaries for what our audiences were used to seeing and stretched the skills of everyone involved beyond what they thoughtContinueContinue reading “Fully Flung”
Spartan Strong
When my son decided to go to MSU, I immediately went online and ordered an MSU garden flag. Out of character for me — I’m a minimalist and hardly even decorate the interior of my house, let alone the landscaping — but for this, I would make an exception. I can see this flag inContinueContinue reading “Spartan Strong”
I Often Repeat Repeat Myself
One of the less visible aspects of preparing a stageplay is the number of times a director reads the script in advance. Over the past several months of preparing for “Flung”, I have been reading. One for pleasure, two for critique, three for story, four for arcs. Five, six, seven, and eight for production dilemmasContinueContinue reading “I Often Repeat Repeat Myself”
You Can Observe A Lot By Watching
“Quantum physics teaches us that the art of observation alters the thing observed. To observe is to disturb. ‘To observe’ is not a passive verb. As a director I have learned that the quality of my observation and attention can determine the outcome of a process. Under the right circumstances the audience’s observation and attentionContinueContinue reading “You Can Observe A Lot By Watching”
Art Votre Service
“Art serves us best precisely at that point where it can shift our sense of what is possible, when we know more than we knew before, when we feel we have — by some manner of a leap — encountered the truth. That, by the logic of art, is always worth the pain.”T.S. Eliot YetContinueContinue reading “Art Votre Service”
Set Design: The Terrifying Beginning
“Many young directors make the big mistake of assuming that directing is about being in control, telling others what to do, having ideas and getting what you ask for. I do not believe that these abilities are the qualities that make a good director or exciting theatre. Directing is about feeling, about being in theContinueContinue reading “Set Design: The Terrifying Beginning”
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
“Over the years I have developed and employed a variety of such coping mechanisms, mostly focusing around a philosophy I call, “Live Because.”“Live Because” is in contrast to what I’ve termed “Live Despite,” which is the idea that people can live rich, full lives in spite of their physical or emotional barriers. “Live Because” takesContinueContinue reading “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”
Art Isn’t Easy
“Art, like life, is understood through experience, not explanations. As theatre artists, we cannot create an experience for an audience; rather, our job is to set up the circumstances in which an experience might occur.”Anne Bogart, “A Director Prepares” Told ya there’d be more of this.
Muttering Retreats 