Abbey & Katie playing Jewell and Roxy

I discovered a couple of lovely young ladies at the Coco Moon, the coffee shop where I write and where my play will be first performed. Life is percolating at a coffee shop!

Photo by Katie Maine

Quote of the Day:  You're one of us. Katie Maine, when we first met.

I met Katie Maine and Abbey Olmsted on the same day. Yep, at the Coco Moon. Here's the connection. Remember Joey Halvorson from the previous post? She was having coffee with Beth, another writer in town. She introduced us. We connected, naturally, and I ended up sending my script to her. She read it, made terrific comments, and I asked if she'd ever be interested in acting in my play. She said the timing wasn't right for her, but she had a friend...

Enter, Katie Maine. She read the script and wanted to meet me. In the meantime, she invited her friend Abbey Olmsted to join us and to read the play. And, voila! I have my Jewell and Roxy. When I met the two of them, they sat across the table from Beth and me, and played off each other in regular conversation. I leaned over and said to Beth, "I feel like I'm watching a show right now." Katie asked if I wanted them to audition. I said, "You just did. You're in."

They were both active in the community college theatre program. Abbey was in Nunsense with Laura a few years ago. They claim to hang out at Coco Moon even more than I do. And, they have moxie - snazz & pizza. They're so fun to watch, and they've already embodied the characters of Jewell and Roxy. I nearly cry every night at the gift of their amazing talents and love for my play.

Thank you, dear friends, for bringing such spark to our performance!

Katie Maine & Abbey Olmsted

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Do you have a close friend with whom you'd love to do a creative project?

Guy playing Nick

Today is Insecure Writer's Support Group. Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh and his brilliant blog. I call the self-doubt voices "The Committee." I am forming a team to fight them. Guy is leading the charge.  Read on.

Quote of the Day: And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. - Sylvia Plath

My play, a swim meet, and one good Guy.

I was trying to think of a good guy to play the part of Nick in my play, Coffee Shop Confessions. I remembered that Guy Kelm was a writer, has done some work with theatre, and he would fit the role nicely. So, I emailed him with a request and explanation of what I was doing.  I didn't hear from him, so I thought he might not have gotten my email or wasn't sure about it. His kids are on the swim team with my boys. When I saw him at the weekend swim meet, he gently turned me down to play the part, but said that he loves reading plays and would be happy to read mine.  Since I just happened to have it with me at the meet, I handed it to him, and let the day progress.

The Y swim meets are loooong suckers. It's a full day affair. I'd get up watch my swimmers for a few minutes, then come back to my chair, not far from Guy's. I'd peek up at him as he kept reading my script throughout the day. I thought it was a good sign that he didn't chuck it under his seat. At the end of the meet, he came up to me and said many wonderful things about my play.  I was flattered and thanked him. After he described his impression of the story and how Nick is an important character and what he does to challenge the other characters in the play, I said, "You get it." (I wanted him to play the part so badly at this point.)

He handed me back the script and said he was really interested in it. He paused and said, "Maybe."

On Tuesday morning, the self-doubt committee was planning a meeting in my head. I'd just heard that the timing didn't work for another actor, and I thought this still wasn't the right time to have my play performed. I put in a call to another actor, then sat down at the piano for a while. Just before I headed out to my weekly yoga class, I checked my email. Guy wrote to tell me that YES he'd like to take the role of Nick. I squealed a very happy thank you! (He probably heard it across town.) Then, went to yoga.

That same week, on Friday evening, I read over my script again, and of course, found places to tweak it. Between picking up my kids, feeding them, and cleaning up, I finally read the last act in bed. The self-doubt committee knew I was tired and that my defenses were down. I still had one more role to fill. As I read Act 3, I started to think it was terrible writing, so sappy.  Who would ever want to be in this play? People will role their eyes when they see it. 

I said, "Stop it." (to the committee) I reminded them how Guy was a no until he read the play, then changed to a YES! "Take that, committe!" I told them to get out of my head and out of my bed, it was time for me to go to sleep.

During our first rehearsal, Guy told his story, including that he is a theatre and music major. He is currently a second grade teacher. He really does get my play. When I try to make changes, he tells me why what is there is working. He asks the right questions. He gives me even more insight into the story that we're telling.

I am so grateful to have Guy on my team. Thank you so much. Your words and your YES are a strong defense against that awful self-doubt committee.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Who's voice do you hear when you need to fight off the self-doubts?

Joey playing Lolly

Today, I'd like to introduce, or reintroduce you, to Joey Halvorson who is playing Lolly. She's been on this blog before.

Joey taking photos for the Walk to End Alzheimer's

Quote of the Day:  You've got Moxie...snazz and pizzaz. You have what Hollywood calls "it" to really be something. Lolly's line from Coffee Shop Confessions.

I met Joey at a coffee shop (how appropriate). I was showing a recent issue of Her Voice to a friend. I had a poem, of sorts, in there about winter. Meg, the editor, asked Joey to provide a photo. It was a perfect match. As I was pointing that out to my friend, a woman walked over and said something about the magazine. I said, "Well, I have a story in here." I showed it to her. She said, "That's my photo. I'm Joey Halvorson." And, the rest is history. We've been matching photos to words ever since.

For my article on Georgia Greeley, I brought Joey out to her cabin by the river. It is literally over the river and through the woods, a tricky, little hide-away. Georgia is a writer, an artist, and a poet. Joey snapped many fabulous photos, and when we were inside, she picked up Georgia's poetry book and read the introductory poem.

River

This river, named after a crow's wing,

makes me feel light.

Just sitting on the dock above,

or watching it move past the window from inside my cabin,

without even one finger tracing a tiny wake upon its surface,

these waters wash through me,

soak and ease the anxious cord around my heart,

repattern each thrum-hum pulse to match the current's

elemental rhythms and flow;

somehow this river stretches my heart,

until it can hold

all it is given to hold.

And, that's when I heard the character Lolly's voice. On our drive back out of the woods, I told Joey about my play. She showed interest. I told her I'd like to have it performed at the Coco Moon. She said something about "like we used to do." I don't know if she remembers that comment, but it made me wonder if she'd done acting. She hasn't, but she said YES to the table reading last February. She said YES to playing Lolly. She said YES, "because it's Mary," her words, and I'm so grateful.

Joey with camera, a natural look

Joey with one of her photos at the Q Gallery in Brainerd.

She went on a medical mission trip to Haiti after the earthquake.

Joey titled this one, "Soaking Feet."

It's my favorite from her Haiti collection.

Joey, you're the tops! Thanks for playing Lolly. Thanks for all your creative energy. If I described Joey with one word, it would be Fearless. I wish I was as fearless as Joey Halvorson.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Who has been on your creative team? How did they enhance your artistic experience?



Laura playing Laura

I'd like to take this week to introduce you to the cast of Coffee Shop Confessions. I'll start with Laura Oldham who said yes before I'd written even one word of the script.

Laura at my house during the table reading of

Coffee Shop Confessions

Quote of the Day: Did I ever tell you about the time I squirted a man in the back of the head with breast milk? - Laura Oldham, the person and the character in Coffee Shop Confessions

I've known Laura since my first or second year living in the Brainerd lakes area. I think we might have arrived here about the same time and crossed paths when her son Oliver was in a Kids Skits program that I was directing. All five of her kids have been a piano student of mine at some point over the years. They are all delightful in their own unique way.

One morning, Laura stopped over to talk about her kids and piano and other things, so I took the opportunity to tell her that I was writing a play set in a coffee shop about five women who gather there to plan their song list for their shows. Of course, real life stories come up, some funny, some sad, relationship problems, and breast cancer, to name a few. Laura said, "Breastfeeding stories alone could fill a show." She proceded to tell me the story mentioned in the above quote.

Some of the stories that the character Laura tells are Laura's real stories, some are mine, some come from other women.  All of them are real and are brought to life by one of the best story-tellers I've ever met. I told Laura that she could do stand-up or improv. In fact, if you hang out with her for about five minutes, you'll get an outstanding performance. She is a gifted and talented performer.

She also plays a great nun for being a non-Catholic. And, in my show, this non-coffee drinker plays an over-caffeinated mother of five, a bit overwhelmed, but over-all contented with life.

So, what does she do in real life, besides raise five children? She's a math teacher. I imagine she makes math rather entertaining.

Thank you, Laura, for inspiring my writing, for supporting me from the start of this project, and lending your talents and stories to our play, Coffee Shop Confessions. You're the tops!

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What are some of your interesting parenting stories? Do you know someone who can spontaneously get a crowd going?

Dare to Start

Quote of the Day:  Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary. ~ Cecil Beaton

Introducing the cast of Coffee Shop Confessions, my first full-length play. We will be performing it at the Coco Moon in downtown Brainerd on March 2 & 3, at 6:30 p.m. These adorable people all said Yes to my script and Yes to my request to be in the show. We started rehearsals this week. And, YES, I was giddy. I have a terrible head cold, which kept me from bouncing off the ceiling, but I was still extremely excited. And, they're all wonderful.  Here's the List:

                CAST OF CHARACTERS

SAM                      David Allan Pundt

LOLLY                    Joey Halvorson

LAURA                  Laura Oldham

AUBREY               Mary Aalgaard

ROXY                     Katie Maine

JEWELL                 Abbey Olmsted

MICKI                    Kate Hauble

NICK                      Guy Kelm

Yep, that's my name as one of the characters. I asked several people who would have been great in the role of Aubrey. They considered it, but the timing wasn't right for any of them. So, I guess it's meant to be that I take a role. Aubrey is the best choice for me. She's a hair-stylist, single, looking for Mr. Wonderful, online and otherwise. She's a bit outspoken and cares deeply for her friends. I played a beauty shop owner once before in a community theatre production of Steel Magnolias. I was Truvy. It's my biggest role so far, and I loved it. Now, I get to act again.

My hair-stylist, Aubrey, inspired the role, so I told her to make me look like a trendy stylist. Aren't the purple highlights fun?

So, we're off and running. We rehearsed the songs tonight, and I had a blast. Each step of the process is a thrill for me. My dream is becoming a reality. Thank you to the cast for bringing these characters to life.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What is your vision to bring your art form and dreams to life?

Review of Harold and the Purple Crayon at The Children's Theatre in Minneapolis

Quote of the Day:  exerpts from Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

One evening, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight.

And he set off on his walk, taking his big purple crayon with him.

The sandy beach reminded Harold of picnics. And the thought of picnics made him hungry. So he laid out a nice simple picnic lunch...But there were all nine kinds of pie that Harold liked best.
Harold left a hungry moose and a deserving procupine to finish it up.

Harold kept his wits and his purple crayon.

He remembered where his bedroom window was, when there was a moon. It was always right around the moon. And then Harold made his bed. He got in it and he drew up the covers.


Don Darryl Rivera wrote and stars in this musical version of Harold and the Purple Crayon. I was thrilled to be invited to attend and review this show. This is one of my favorite children's books. I read it over and over as a child. Well, I suppose my mom had to read it over and over. Then, I did. And, I shared it with my own kids. I loved that purple crayon. I wanted to take my big box of crayons and have as many grand adventures as Harold.

The Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis partners with the Seattle Children's Theatre to bring their shows to a wide range of audiences. Harold and the Purple Crayon comes to us from Seattle and the creative team; lyrics by Rob Burgess, music by Auston James, text by Don Darryl Rivera, and directed by Rita Giomi. Also in the cast are Khanh Doan and Caety Sagoian as the Storytellers, or crayons. Zach thought they were Harold's crayons. They help bring the story to life.

I was amazed at the brilliant and colorful set. The purple in the lines is just like the colors on the original book. They used light and ribbon to represent the lines that Harold draws.

The moon really does grow and follow Harold.

He has adventures in space and under the sea.

The use of puppetry was remarkable. Harold would draw his lines which would turn into projected or light images. They'd move around, then start to come off the "screen" and become real objects, like the tree, the moon, a butterfly, and stars.

During this scene, I heard a kid exclaim, "Ooo. That's his shadow." There were many exclamations of delight and wonder, and so many adorable giggles.

I was so glad to see they made puppets of the hungry moose and the deserving porcupine. Plus, they gave them a giant pie, and while they were eating it, they sang about love. I was pretty sure they were singing about their love for pie. I know I would.

Harold and the Purple Crayon is a delightful, colorful, musical adaptation of the beloved children's book. There's a tenderness in this story that brings tears to my eyes. Maybe it's because I'm reminded of myself as a little girl, dreaming of creating magical things. Maybe it's because my boys are growing up. One is heading off to college next year, and Zach, who accompanied me to this show, is already 14, and was probably the only teenagers at this performance. And, my babies are in 6th grade. (I'm going to read them Harold tonight anyway.)

Zach and I both enjoyed the interaction with the actors after the show. They came out on stage and talked to us. They invited us to help them tell a story. I'll underline the details that were provided by the audience.

Once upon a time in New York, there lived a monster named Dorothy. Everyday, Dorothy would play until one day, someone wouldn't share. So, she ate him. And, then, she got eaten. Until, she spit him back out. And, now, they're friends.

It was a little like playing Mad Libs!

Go to The Children's Theatre Company for showtimes and tickets, and to see what's coming up. I saw a poster of Pippi Longstocking. Won't that be fun!

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: Fill in the blanks from the above prompts and create your own story. Ask a kid to help if you get stuck.

Photos used by permission from The Children's Theatre Company. Taken by Dan Norman.

Review of Julius Caesar by the Acting Company at the Guthrie theater

Quote of the Day:  Some memorable ones from Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, playing at the Guthrie through Feb. 5, with a stop in Brainerd on Feb. 8, at the Chalberg Theatre.

Beware the Ides of March

Et tu Brute

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears.

But, for my part, it was Greek to me.

Cry, Havoc, and let slip the hounds of war!

Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.

As he was valiant, I honour him; But, as he was ambitious, I slew him.

Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, it seems to me that men should fear; That seeing death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.

The Acting Company from New York partnered for the fourth year with the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis to launch the tour of Julius Caesar and The Comedy of Errors. The same company and actors put on both shows and tour them around the country. If they're coming anywhere near you, go. This is not your high school experience of this classic play. It is moderized. As we wait for the show to start, we watch a panel of about 24 tv screens of various news casts, but we don't hear what they say. Instead, eerie music is playing and we get a sense of doom. The actors are dressed in dark color, black is the dominant color, with sometimes grey and deep, blood red. The screens change and we are shown the monuments in Washington, D.C. The actors wear suits of today's politicians. It is no accident that Julius Caesar and his wife bear a striking resemblance to President Barack and Michelle Obama. In fact, my son and I had a discussion about whose silhouette was in the screen, our current president, or the actor who portrayed Caesar. Zach noticed that they picked an actor who looks like a leader, tall, long face, strong jaw.

I enjoyed seeing some women playing traditionally men's parts in a Shakespeare play that originally would have had men playing the few women's roles. With this modern setting, movable set, contemporary props, and inner city music, it made the play relevant to today's world. And, through their amazing talent and training, these actors rattle off original Shakespeare dialogue like it's their regular, everyday language. They know how to emphasize the right words to help us understand the meaning and enhance it with their actions.

This is a violent show, about assassination, conspiracy, power, and ultimate destruction of the leaders of the Coup d'etat. Power gained by violence is doomed for failure.

Zach, who is 14, seemed to understand the entire play. We talked about it for a while afterwards. He remembered scenes, asked me a few questions, and cleared up some that I had. Because it is so well acted and staged, it is accessible to teens on up. Check out the links above for showtimes near you. This is one of the most unique theater productions that I've ever experienced.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Did you study Julius Caesar in school? How did it go? Have you ever seen a professional company perform Shakespeare? Do you have a favorite Shakespeare play?