About to start up again

There hasn't been much to report on the play front since the end of "Margaret Mitchell," in part because we've been involved in real-life theatrical activities instead of working on or sitting in the theater.

First, our only son, Andy, got married on October 11th, in a delightful outdoor ceremony with the dunes and Atlantic Ocean in the backdrop (just north of Duck, North Carolina), then a reception with the sound and a lovely sunset in the backdrop there. Kathy got to involve herself with the hanging of lighting instruments in the reception tents before the event, and both of us worked on taking them back down on the morning after the wedding. So certainly, given the number of theater-related folks involved (including a fair number of UNCSA graduates), it sort of constituted "theater" of a different kind.

The following Saturday evening, we also attended the wedding of a young woman who was one of my assistants when I worked at Old Salem -- again, a fine time and a pleasing outcome.

In the meantime, there has been at least a little theater process as well. Primarily, I've been trying to figure out if there is an affordable way to produce a version of "Conversations in a Cafe," my first play script, at Korner's Folly next October. Unfortunately, the costs keep going up, but it is still not impossible that it will happen. We'll see how the rest of the negotiations go ....

I've also started both research and a little bit of writing on a new play script, anticipated to be a full-length script. It's at least tentatively called "Patent," and will follow two brothers who are traveling through Kansas selling patent medicines in 1858. When they find out that some of their fake concoctions are actually killing people, one will be deeply upset, one will not -- and there begins the conflict.

We also have four plays to see between this week and next, so we'll be back in the swing of play things before long at all!

And now it's done

The earlier post about "Margaret Mitchell" was optimistic, but not perhaps optimistic enough. The run went very well indeed, with virtually all of the 10 already-scheduled shows selling out (and TRULY we packed them in for the last two shows, over-maxing the Folly's capacity). Then we were able to add one more show, which had a more-than-half audience that included Duke Ernsberger, one of the two authors. What a blast that was! Most of the audience was way into the show that evening and Thursday evening as well. The audiences in general had a good time regardless of the show day or time.

It was a fun experience to work intimately on the show, to learn a whole lot about lighting and programming the KLT small light board, and surviving load-in and load-out in general. Great experience, great fun watching the show, and of course, a few lessons learned.

Now we will forget about plays for a week or so to prepare for our only son's wedding. Exciting!