May 2013
1 post
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Home Making
It’s good to own land …
Before last week, I never would have imagined that SO many crazy/amazing/beautiful/life-changing things could happen over the course of seven days, but everything keeps getting radder and radder.
Matt taunted me in the days leading up to my birthday saying, “I have lots of surprises for you.” Did he ever! The Saturday before, he spilled the...
April 2013
1 post
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Spring's Promise
The new members of our weird little family.
Spring has returned bringing warmer weather, longer days, and the promise of new experiences and challenges. We’re this close to closing on our first home, I’ve begun a new quarter, and on Wednesday Matt brought home the new additions to our little family. In twelve weeks Feste, Athena, Bullseye, and Jane will be joined by their little...
March 2013
5 posts
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Good Friday
Lent seemed particularly long this year. Usually my carnivorous cravings fade after a couple of weeks, but this year I’ve spent the last thirty eight days salivating over fantasies of bacon, tender short ribs, juicy roast chicken … uhg! I’m getting hungry typing this.
Every year people ask why on earth I would impose this fast upon myself. I’m not Catholic, after all, so I...
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Huevos Rancheros for Two
Put an egg on it? Don’t mind if I do!
Have I mentioned how awesome chickens are? Yeah … I know I have. The ladies have been producing like crazy since we sprung forward last week. We’re getting a dozen eggs every few days - which is more than enough for two people. Not that I’m complaining … the abundance has inspired lots of yummy new egg-centered recipes....
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Life, Love, and Food Blogging
House … work … love … life … the stirring of creativity associated with sunnier weather. Spring is coming and I have so much to be grateful for, but for every blissful achievement there is a challenge. As I transition into the next part of my life, the culmination of work and sacrifice, I will always carry memories that have shaped me for better or worse and the tangled...
Anonymous asked: What are you going to do with the chickens?
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Home
“Sale pending.” To me.
My life seems absolutely full. Full of action. Full of people. Full of adventures. Full of challenges. And I’m grateful for all of it … the good and the bad. The current challenge is exciting, life-consuming, and a culmination of many years of planning, saving, and being a bit boring and responsible. I have said “no” to so many things...
January 2013
2 posts
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THREE SISTERS
My current directing project is Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters for Oregon State University. The process so far? Challenging, tiring, and pretty darn rad.
Chekhov is so delightfully dense as he probes into life’s most heartbreaking moments with sensitivity and humor. For more in-depth information, dramaturgy, and a rehearsal blog on this production, please check out OSU Theatre...
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Book Review: The Casual Vacancy
Rowling conjures up a very adult novel that weaves a different kind of magic.
I picked up The Casual Vacancy from Costco with a degree of skepticism as did, I will assume, many other readers daring to explore J. K. Rowling’s follow-up to that series about some boy wizard. My hesitance came not from a dislike of Rowling, but the fact that I would consider myself a Harry Potter fan. I...
December 2012
1 post
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Director's Journal: Season's Greetings
The beautiful and fully realized set design by the amazing Cristie Johnston.
Opening Night has always been a bittersweet experience for me. It’s satisfying to see everything come together (and it truly did for Season’s Greetings) but it also means saying “good-bye” to a show and to a great group of people. When I direct at home, I get a more drawn out farewell because I...
November 2012
9 posts
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Director's Journal: Season's Greetings
Rachel’s ill-fated attempt to seduce a man. Poor Rachel.
And in the blink of an eye … the journey is nearly complete. In all honestly, after spending some time with them … the Bunkers have really grown on me. This is certainly due to, in large part, the wonderfully talented cast I have been lucky enough to work with over the past few weeks. While on the page this collection of...
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Director's Journal: Season's Greetings
The first night in the Gas Light Theater.
It’s remarkable to me how suddenly a show can experience a growth spurt. Our first night after transitioning from the rehearsal space onto the stage was met with challenges. It’s totally normal for actors to get a little thrown off when you introduce new elements into the process. You take steps forward and backward at the same time. On the...
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Director's Journal: Season's Greetings
Rehearsal for Act II, scene 1. Puppet show chaos is about to erupt!
One thing I can say about these extremely short rehearsal periods is that growth happens in sudden spurts. Not that I should find it terribly surprising given we simply don’t have the luxury to allow things to sit and marinate. We had a couple of rough days and after the Thanksgiving respite, I was anxiously anticipating...
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Director's Journal: Season's Greetings
One of the unsung heroes of the show.
For those who don’t work in the theatre, the process of making a play can seem rather mysterious.When people hear what I do for a living, they tend to ask the same types of questions. Last night, spending Thanksgiving with a lot of new faces, the questions cropped up. What do you do all night? How is the show going? Is the show going to be good? Have...
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Director's Journal: Season's Greetings
Emily Baker (Belinda), Rachel Hanks (Rachel), and Stephen Peirick (Clive) working through blocking rehearsal.
It’s amazing and extremely gratifying how quickly plays come together when working with a group of talent and motivated performers. Beginning the process (oh so many days ago), I found myself a little nervous approaching this script in this challenging space, but after one...
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Director's Journal: Season's Greetings
Our teeny, tiny rehearsal space at the 11.
Blocking rehearsalsalways take a leap of faith. While I spend ample time preparing and envisioning how I want any show to look and move before I get to rehearsal, I inevitably come into the space with nervous anticipation that what I see in my head might not actually work in three dimensions. Seasons Greetings is particularly challenging to put...
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Director's Journal: Season's Greetings
A model of the set with the recent addition of a dividing wall.
The Look and Sound Saturday’s production meeting was an exciting time back at the West End Pub and Grill for two of my favorite things … the steak sandwich (rare) with coleslaw and talking about the show with the rest of the production team. Conceptually speaking, there is nothing too crazy about my vision …...
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Director's Journal: Season's Greetings
My delightful home away from home for the next three weeks.
I made it in one piece - an encouraging start to my work here in St. Louis with the Actor’s Studio. I was in an absolute frenzy in preparing to leave this time around, with a full schedule of classes, meetings, and casting Three Sisters for Winter term at OSU, I left Corvallis with my head spinning and feeling a little nervous...
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Director's Journal: Season's Greetings
Poster design for the STLAS 2012 production.
Approaching any holiday play is a bit of a minefield with such potential to fall into the realm of schmaltzy cliche and asinine fluff. But on a social and purely secular level, that is what the holidays are for. Amidst the dreary months of cold weather, it’s nice to find reassurance in the innate goodness of humanity and embrace the festivities...
July 2012
1 post
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Director's Journal: Christmas in May
The audition room at The Eleven.
I consider myself extremely lucky that I spend my professional life pursuing a passion. It’s challenging, exciting, creative, and rewarding. Is it hard? Yes. Will I ever become rich doing it? Unlikely. Am I constantly facing rejection and failure? Yep. But I wouldn’t choose any other life. One of the reasons I really believe my life to be...
May 2012
1 post
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Meet the Peeps
Pippi and Bullseye explore their new home.
I can’t believe it’s been a whole month since the peeps came into our home. It took months of planning and preparation, trips to the hardware store, scavenging Craigslist, and talking endlessly to our friends and family about “getting chickens.”
Well … the chickens are here. And they have pretty much taken over.
Matt,...
February 2012
1 post
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Chicktopia: The Adventure Begins
Last night Matt and I were trying to figure out exactly what precipitated our desire to delve into the wacky world of chicken raising. Many of the things we do can be traced back to a particular moment- an article, a documentary, a conversation with a friend … but chicken-raising seems to have no identifiable genesis. In fact, figuring out where the idea first came from has appropriately...
December 2011
2 posts
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My Three Angels: Up and Running
Marie-Louise (Emily Baker) makes a toast to her own “three angels.”
The show opened on Friday, December 2 and I have since returned to the Northwest from St. Louis. With one week of shows under their belts, the cast is settling into the run with confidence, energy, and the warm reviews of St. Louis’ theatre critics.
Opening night was an exciting affair surrounded by the...
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My Three Angels: Final Dress
Madame Parole (Teresa Doggett) and Emilie (Penney Kols) discuss an unpaid bill.
They are SO ready for an audience. And that’s a good thing to say. The show’s focus and pace (as expected) picked up tremendously and some of it is downright charming. A huge degree of trust goes into any production- trust that everyone will be in the right place at the right time, trust that the...
November 2011
9 posts
My Three Angels: First Dress
Madame Parole (Teresa Doggett) shares a secret about her taste for Chartreuse with Emilie (Penney Kols).
I LOVE dress rehearsals. There is always this magical moment when all the actors put on their costumes for the first time and really look at each other is if to say, “Oh, that’s who you are.” It’s amazing for everyone to suddenly being seeing the world of the play...
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My Three Angels: Tech Run-Through
Madame Parole’s (Teresa Doggett) makes her grand entrance into the Ducotel home as Felix (Larry Dell) looks through his messy books.
Nobody ever said transitioning from a rehearsal space into a performance space would be easy. The run last night went pretty much as expected. Was it a brilliant evening at the theatre? No. Of course not, but that’s part of the process of putting a...
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My Three Angels: Bits and Pieces
The set in progress.
In many ways, directing is just a gradual process of letting go. I begin with ideas in my head then attempt to communicate those ideas with others- designers and actors. Once they start imposing their own creative energy and processes, the play takes on a life of its own. There’s a little bit of magic in that.
I can guide, direct, answer questions, say...
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My Three Angels: Technical Elements
Outside the Gaslight Theatre (358 N. Boyle Ave.) home of the St. Louis Actors’ Studio.
In our short time together, I have admittedly been spending most of my time working with the cast in our makeshift rehearsal space in the building next door to the performance space. Rarely in a rehearsal process do I have the luxury of rehearsing in the performance space until tech. And with good...
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My Three Angels: Second Run-Through
Emilie (Penney Kols) muses over her life with Felix (Larry Dell).
And … YES! The cast took an enormous step forward on Wednesday night’s second run-through of the show. (Sigh of relief). Knowing that we going were into a night off for Thanksgiving and then quickly moving into tech with all the complications and challenges that adds to the process- I wanted us to have a solid...
5 tags
My Three Angels: First Run-Through
Emilie (Penney Kols) and Felix (Larry Dell) discuss the frustrations on running a business on a island of convicts.
The first run-through for any production can be the source of great excitement and anxiety for anyone, but given our abbreviated schedule those feelings grew exponentially! I can hardly believe we are into running the show ONE WEEK after beginning the process, but here we are!
In...
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My Three Angels: Design and Rehearsals
Rehearsals The world’s shortest rehearsal period continues with good success so far. The show is (thankfully) blocked and, for the most part, worked over pretty thoroughly. Yesterday marked ONE week of rehearsals. Yep. One single week. I can hardly believe that we have moved so fast, but there isn’t much of a choice. Like it or not, Opening Night is December 2 and so we move steadily...
5 tags
My Three Angels: Historical Background and Design
One of the added bonuses to directing a play is the opportunity to learn things that I may never have otherwise run into. While a deep knowledge of the history of early 20th century French Guiana isn’t necessary to enjoy My Three Angels, a little background information is helpful in grasping some of the power dynamics and references.
Set in Cayenne, French Guiana in 1910, the action of...
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My Three Angels: Concept
I’m happily back in St. Louis, a wonderful city I have come to love over my past two visits. Amazing food, wonderful people, a vibrant arts scene, the endlessly explorable Forest Park, plenty to do … what’s not to like?
This time around I will be directing a production of My Three Angels, a quirky holiday-themed comedy, for the St. Louis Actors’ Studio. I will make...
September 2011
2 posts
6 tags
The Crafty Beaver's Jewelry Board
This rad and handy jewelry board is made of re-purposed and recycled materials!
If you’re anything like me you live in some liminal space between the idealized, organized, clutter-free, and breezy life of Martha Stewart magazine and the harsh reality of a rushed morning routine, a jam-packed schedule, and the tendency to toss the day’s detritus of gum-wrappers and grocery store...
7 tags
Book Review: My Life in France
A story that will make you believe in true love … of butter.
When I began my food blog (which I will shamelessly plug now: The Food of Love Play On) in 2009, I had multiple people comment, “Oh, just like that movie, Julie and Julia.” No, actually, it’s nothing like that movie. I bristled at the prospect of my own original kitchen creativity even remotely resembling some...
July 2011
2 posts
5 tags
Book Review: Bossypants
I admire her most for her sexy, toned arms …
My first memory of Tine Fey is from the Saturday Night Live sketch “Kotex Classic.” In the commercial parody, Fey and a group of other female SNLers promoted the “old school” look of the 1960s style maxi pads that were fastened in place with an awkward belt while wearing 1990s hip-hugger jeans and belly shirts. It was a...
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Book Review: What Is the What
What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng by Dave Eggers, is many things: a heart-wrenching account of Sudan’s “Lost Boys,” a poetic fish-out-of-water tale of coming to America, and a postmodern gesture of storytelling characteristic of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius author, Eggers.
How can one possibly write a true “autobiographical”...
June 2011
1 post
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Book Review: Blood, Bones and Butter
The fourth choice for book club was Barb’s. Predictably, she choose a book about food. Recommended highly by her idol (and celebrity crush) Anthony Bourdain, Blood, Bones, and Butter is an entertaining and honest autobiography about chef and restauratear, Gabrielle Hamilton. There are two lovely things I’m discovering about book club. First, I am reading books I probably never would...
May 2011
2 posts
7 tags
My Three Angels Director's Journal
St. Louis: Home of the Cardinals, the Arch, Anheuser-Busch, and the St. Louis Actors’ Studio.
On Thursday afternoon my rad life will be taking me back to one of my favorite places in the world to do one of my favorite things in the world. Last summer, after ten years, I visited my college friend and St. Louis native, Peter. I had an amazing trip to this wonderful city. The food, the...
6 tags
My Rad Birthday Cake
I believe that everyone should get whatever type of cake they like best on their birthday. Dave wanted German Chocolate, Emily wanted Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Matt likes a Classic Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting … everyone has a favorite. I like baking birthday cakes for friends and family, it’s a nice (literally) sweet addition to anyone’s special day.
Having...
April 2011
10 posts
3 tags
Fainting Beaver Follies
My rad life can get a little crazy! Making theatre always has an element of the unexpected and the department’s spring production of a devised vaudeville-style show has been no exception.
Last year, my colleague Marion became fascinated with this late 19th and early 20th century form of theatrical entertainment. He decided that he would direct and devise a production in the spirit of...
6 tags
5 Rad Things That Make Me Smile Right Now
1. Adorable Pictures of Hedgehogs
Seriously? Is there anything more adorable than those tiny little paws and snuffly little noses? I can’t get enough right now.
She’s just so pretty!
Bath time for a pretty hedgie.
Hedge in the grass.
Okay. Last one. But, am I right? How can you look at one of these and not smile?
2. The Cherry Blossoms
Spring is springing everywhere!...
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Rad Read: Beatrice and Virgil
From tigers and oceans to monkeys and donkeys.
Our third book club selection was my choice, Yann Martel’s newest novel, Beatrice and Virgil. The Life of Pi, Martel’s breakout and critically acclaimed novel, is one of my all-time favorites. Strolling through the book section of a Costco, the elegant and simply rendered cover art depicting a little boy curled up beside a large orange...
6 tags
The Crafty Beaver Does Easter
One of my pretty decoupage eggs. A longer-lasting alternative for Easter eggs.
I’m a crafty kitten or a crafty “beaver,” as the case may be living in Oregon. My drive to create goes beyond theatre (my passion and profession) and food (my obsession) to pretty much anything that sparks my interest. I knit. I quilt. I embroider and cross-stitch. I refinish furniture. I think this...
3 tags
The Sometimes Vegetarian
I am currently in the midst of my annual Lenten vegetarianism. My favorite religious festival isn’t really Christmas of Thanksgiving, but Lent. Something about the practice of self-denial makes me appreciate my privilege of choice that much more.
I love to cook. I do practice moderation and mediate my more carnal desires with a balance of produce and I make it a habit to buy and consume...
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Rad Read: Survivor
Our second foray into the office book club was Jordan’s choice, his “favorite” book of all time, Chuck Palahiuk’s Survivor. He explained that he re-reads this novel every year and quotes it frequently. When I flipped open the florescent orange cover, I felt as if I had opened a page into my friend’s brain. Outwardly, Jordan is an unrepentantly misanthropic grump...
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Rad Ritual: Tea Time!
My cute tea pot and sugar bowl make a little afternoon ritual that much more rad.
I’m a huge Anglophile. I’m a lover of Shakespeare, Ricky Gervais, Monty Python, the Tudor dynasty, the Tube, London, the charming dialects, and the amazing theatre scene. Among all of the cool Britishy things I’m into, my favorite is the tradition of taking afternoon tea. The idea of taking a few...
