Back in Mass

It feels like I was here only a few weeks ago, not a few months. It's nice to be back though. Even for such a short few days. Jake and I are working on the cuts for Macbeth and will then move on to Midsummer. It's going well. These two plays seem much easier to work with and cut then last years. I don't know if it's because we've done it before, therefore it's coming more naturally, or they're just simpler plays (plot wise). In any case, I look forward to working on them in my capacities.

2011 = Combat time!

Ok, so it's been a few months. I'm sorry. Bad Dan. Anyway, I had a great 2010 and now am moving into an even greater 2011! BOOYAH! I attended the annual Winter Wonderland Stage Combat Workshop in the second weekend of January. Got re-certified with a proficient in Rapier & Dagger and a recommended in Quarterstaff. YEAH! I also took a bunch of really interesting classes including: fencing styles of Elizabethan England (Spanish, Italian, and English), how to retain specific choreography in different venues while on tour with a show, Actors are Athletes - how to be in the top 5%, the business of stage combat, and along with fighting for film, I got some good face time with Maestro David Boushey. This brings me to a big announcement: I will be attending The United Stunt School of America this August. And, as this has become the year of combat I will also be attending the Central Illinois Stage Combat workshop the second half of May. Therefore, my schedule this spring and summer will have me heading to Plymouth, MA in Feb to teach a children's theater camp and again in mid April for another one after which I will begin my duties with Plimoth Players as Costume Coordinator and Fight Director. In mid May I'll head to IL and upon my return to MA, finish my duties with the PP. Then I'll be in Washinton state for stunt school the month of August. After that is a bit of a mystery, but we'll see what happens when we get there!

Sword fight demonstration!

End of season!

Last night we had one of our best shows to date and it also happened to be our last. The audience was wonderful and we couldn't have asked for a better send off. We then all went for a few drinks along with Sam's family to the British Beer Company. What a great end of season!

Last show!

We had a great Tempest and R&J the last two night with great audiences. Tonight is the last Twelfth Night and the last show show of the season. This summer has been a big learning challenge and overwhelming success. We had repeat costumers almost every night for the whole summer. I'm going to miss laughing and crying as the nurse, fighting as Tybalt, and being drunk as most of my other characters. ;) It is time to move on though. There are bigger fish to fry and more drunks to explore in Shakespeare's cannon. I hope I have the means to do this kind of theater, just as good and better, for the rest of my life. Also, I can't wait to return to my homeland Wisconsin this next week for mein Geburtstag! P-A-R-T-Why? Cause I gotta!!!