Here’s a look back at the week that was……finally…..
HITS
- It was a very good week in Midland, Texas for the most part. I was in Midland as part of the WBU Opera touring production of Salieri’s Prima la Musica. Madison, Franchesca, Edward, Bobby, Brian, and I performed 9 times (I think!?) for elementary students throughout the city. It was a lot of fun performing for young audiences of 2nd graders and spending time with the cast away from Plainview for a while.
- When you’re on the road, making new discoveries in the area is always quite fun. One of the best things we found this year was Susie’s South 40 Confections. The main store was charming with free samples scattered throughout. I’m not entirely sure the staff realized what they were doing when they told us to sample freely. I came home with small boxes of the butter toffee as well as the Texas Trash and peanut brittle (the latter two are already gone!), but my favorite of Susie’s treats is without a doubt the salted caramel. OH MY GOSH……they are simply amazing! I am treating them as happy pills right now — permitting myself to only indulge in one of them each day. Otherwise, I would inhale the rest of the box. Good find!
- An unexpected trip to the AT&T store so Madison could purchase a new phone after her’s died was an adventure. It’s mainly Madison’s story to tell of why we were there……but splish-splash! LOL!
- Few things restore my spirit like re-reading a favorite book. For the Midland trip, I grabbed my copy of Chaim Potok’s My Name is Asher Lev to begin reading. I was introduced to Potok’s writing in a Pepperdine English course and was immediately enthralled. When I began re-reading this week, I was reminded why this novel holds such a special place in my heart. As a young Jewish boy, Asher is discovering that he is a skilled artist. His passion for drawing and painting effects his academic progress and is a source of contention with his devoutly religious father. Potok wonderfully explores the intersection of art and faith while considering the sacrifices necessary to pursue a life devoted to the arts. I’m still making my way through the novel at the moment, but I have found myself cherishing every minute I am spending with young Asher on the pages of the novel.
MISSES
- While the tour was fun, being on the road for a week can be challenging. Sleeping in a strange bed is not the most relaxing thing in the world. When illness visited the cast in the middle of the week, things definitely got interesting. We were very thankful that it only lasted for a day, but many of our stomachs and throats were definitely on the mend throughout much of the week.
- Interacting with the dragon woman was not how we wanted to begin our week. Administrators have to protect their spaces. I get that. However, when your staff has made accommodations freely and you see that plans have changed, it might be a better idea to check with your staff first before barking at visiting artists. It’s just not an ideal way to build good will in professional relationships.
- Early morning performances are the pits! I think there should be a rule made that performers don’t work until 10am….period. Can someone make this happen? Please?
- Load-in, set moving, and strike. Is any explanation really necessary?
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Livin' Life 