Cornerstone Theater Company's FOR ALL TIME. One of my greatest experiences because I was able to work with the wonderful Laurie Woolery and bring some powerful work to not only our audiences but also the incarcerated women of California Institute for Women. We do a disservice to all when we forget about our most vulnerable people. http://cornerstonetheater.org/
On tour in Reims, France with the world's only Deaf Rock band, Beethoven's Nightmare. I know ASL and found this opportunity when the drummer, the great Bob Hiltermann, needed someone to fill in for a show at Disneyland. UMMM, yes, I will go and perform at the greatest place on earth! Turns out that they liked me so much, I was invited to go to Reims, France for the FESTIVAL CLIN D'OEIL. An experience for the ages that is still continuing to this day.
Tri-Pi Puppet Theatre's Maudit was about the life of Jeanne Heberterne, the wife of Amadeo Modigliani. Director, Leslie K. Gray wanted to explore why she leapt to her death, leaving behind a daughter to pick up the pieces. Through shadow, bunraku, and rod puppetry, Maudit was a great tribute to the late artist and mother.
Did I mention that I really like puppets?? Who knew that a gentleman from Chicago could literally change people's lives? I'm talking about the great, Blair Thomas. This was a workshop production that started at the University of Maryland, College Park and was taken to Chicago to be performed at the Chicago Symphony Hall. This performance was based in Composer Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at a Exhibition. Blair continues to do wonderful things, including the Chicago International Puppet Festival. Find more at www.blairthomas.org
I got the chance to produce a piece in Los Angeles with my lady, Juanita Chase. Being from military families, we found an interesting one-act written by Jerome A. Parker called BALLAD OF SAD YOUNG MEN based on the song by Roberta Flack. TBecause it is a one-act play, we needed to find a companion piece to it and luckily we found our hero in Gabriel Gomez Rivas' SCAR TISSUE. It depicted a doctor wrestling with her own demons as she is about to perform a daring surgery on a returning vet. The night was billed as FATIGUED, co-produced by Company of Angels. One night during a talkback, a young guy with hair covering his face stopped the talk. He said, "You guys just told my story. I just got back from Iraq and I haven't been able to talk to anyone about what happened to me. I just can't. You did it for me tonight...."
THE AMEN CORNER written by James Baldwin. Directed by Walter Dallas. Dr. Dallas is one a national treasure and I am lucky to have bein his sphere of excellency.
David just wants to play music. He's pretty good too. But his mom won't let him be a musician like his daddy. He is to be a minister. After a chance encounter, David's whole world is set upside down and is forced to choose between his destiny and his family.
Harlequino: On to Freedom. Written and directed by Tim Robbins.
Who gets to own history? When a traveling troupe is hired to "act out scenarios" in two professors' presentation on the Commedia dell'Arte, this question is looked at, jumped upon and ridden in this zany comedy.
Photo Credit: Bob Turton