Never Too Late for a Smith Barney Reference

Good day today! (I mean both that it is one, and I’m wishing you one as well.)

I kept far away from the temptations of Internetville and finally finished draft number millionbillion of WAKE-WALKING. Am I going to Disneyland? Nope – I’m already immersed (ahem) in a new play. How do I feel? Uh … frankly, super-guilty, because in this draft of WW, I punished the bejesus out of my characters at the end of the play. Brutal. And yet, the happy (mostly) ending that follows is so much better for it. To paraphrase John Houseman, “They find joy the old fashioned way … They earn it.” Next step will be nonperformance workshopping the play for a few months to iron out some of the lumps (even though the lumps are my favorite part of Cream of Wheat, but I don’t know that that’s germane here, is it? Let’s not get off topic.) The cast and core crew are already in place, and I am super-super excited about each and every one of them. Particularly our newest acquisition. (Ssh.)

And it is opening night of THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF AMERICA (abridged.) Very excited. If you are in this town, you should come see it. And if you aren’t in this town, why not? Not to overstate things, but Greensboro has everything – mountains, ocean, desert, the Empire State Building, the Grand Canyon, the mummified remains of Theda Bara, the Taj Mahal, the summer home of TV’s Mr. T., and the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien is still going on here. (Ed. note: Greensboro has none of these things.) The point is, if you live here you should come see this hilarious show, playing all weekend at 200 N. Davie Street. And if you don’t live here, you should consider the fact that everyone who lives here gets free falconry lessons from a Molly Ringwold impersonator. (Ed.note: This is not entirely true.)

Also, tomorrow is my lovely daughter’s 11^th birthday. 11. 11! Wishing her a very happy birthday …