Funny how time slips away

Wow. The time, she just flies!
We're in summer hours at work now, and as the building's being remodeled, there are no events for which to sell tickets . We are just selling subscriptions for all of the seasons that start in the fall. This combined with the staggering number of overtime hours I've built up in the past year mean that my work schedule can be a bit more lax right now. So I've been taking full advantage of that by filling every newly available minute with things I love to do.

A few weeks ago, the theatre company I work for finished up its New Play festival, wherein we celebrate new works by young (ages 7-ish to 17-ish) and old(er) playwrights. I was allowed to direct one of the youth works, and I had a great time doing it. I haven't directed any theatre since college, lo these many years ago. But this piece was a short piece of about 30 minutes in length, so it was a great way to 'get my feet wet' again and see if I still enjoy directing. Unfortunately, one of my actresses dropped out, and I had to fill in, shifting my focus from directing-only to directing-and-acting. I would have preferred to do one or the other, but my cast made it easy on me, so all went well, I think.

Immediately after the NPF closed, I went into rehearsals for Love's Labor's Lost, a production of our local Shakespeare-in-the-park company. They had some difficulty in filling out the cast, so I and several others were called in to help. I think we've ended up with a really good cast - some old pros, and some newbies, as well as some who've done a lot of stage work but never any Shakespeare. There have been a number of difficulties along the way, but I think it's finally starting to gel. There's nothing like getting on the set, in costume, under the lights, to bring out a performance. And unlike last year, this year I get to play a GIRL!! With a dress and shoes and hair and lipstick and everything! (photos to come shortly).

So, Shakespeare opens on Friday, and already I'm in reahearsals for Jake's Women. I got the role of Julie, Jake's deceased first wife. No, I'm not actually playing a corpse - I'm playing Jake's memory of her, and his imagined reunion between her and their now-full-grown daughter. It's a very sweet and touching script and, as it's by Neil Simon, it's quite funny as well. We have a great cast, some of whom I've admired but never worked with directly. I'm really looking forward to getting into this one.

And now for a surprise....I know most of you had probably forgotten about this, but...*drum roll*...The Quilt Is Almost Finished!! I finally picked it back up again and began putting the final binding on it. I want to use it to sit on backstage during Love's Labors Lost, so I knew I had to git ta stitchin'. I think I may be able to finish it tonight. Woo HOO!!

Now if I could just finish the hem on that skirt, that scarf I'm working on for Michael, those tea towels for Mom,...