August, 31 Smoken!!!

I got another chance to work with my Commedia masks today. I basically posed the question to all of them, what would you do with a 25 foot piece of thick black rope? The results were quite varied and quite entertaining. It was a lot of hard work but also a lot of fun. In other news I decided that I am going to do a solo piece in front of an old church with three beautiful red doors tomorrow night. I am very excited to see what happens. It will be a great opportunity for me to learn and grow.
Peace be with you
~Will
"One does not put on a Mask, one becomes a Mask."

August, 30 What a freaking GREAT DAY!!!

Today was too good for words so I won't even try to explain.

In other new. I was cast in A Christmas Story! I am one of the dancing elves. All I have to say about that is "(I'll) Shoot my eye out."

Peace be with you
~Will

"Look at you! Look at me? Look at YOU!"

August, 29 Let the Caves Begin.

Sleeping in felt GREAT! I had such a wonderful day today. I cooked a delightful breakfast and then cleaned the kitchen. It felt so good to have a nice clean place to keep my food. Then I watched the Ironpeople go by for a while. I have decided I want to do one. I hate swimming and running so I feel like this is going to be a good thing for me!
This evening I went to the theater to meet our guest solo performance artist Annie. She rocks. Her first assignment for us was to build a cave. What a great task that was. I am very excited to be working with her.
Peace be with you.
~Will

"Climbing out of the cave where our deepest darkest secrets are kept can be like seeing the sun for the first time."

August, 28 Close it on up!

Today was our closing day. It was a short run to  be sure but a good one. I was so glad to have been part of such a great show. I love all the people here. After the run I went to Nashville and had some delicious fried chicken. Prince's Chicken was closed but Bolton's was a close second. After that I went to the Kentucky State Fair. It was a great time. To top off the night I went to the grand opening of a new bar in Louisville. It's been a good night. Tomorrow we have the day off for the most part. Sleepin' in!!!
Peace be with you
~Will

"Love like it's going out of style."

August, 27 One down, one to go!

The show was a smash hit. It went better than I expected and was just so much fun to be back on the stage again.I also watched the run of the first half of Dracula!!! It is sure to be quite a spectacle. There are all kinds of sound effect and costumes. It's like a magic show!!! I just finished watching fireworks down on the waterfront. I think they are in honor of all the Ironpeople who are about to compete in the Kentucky Ironman. Each person in one day will complete a 2.4 mile swim! Followed by a 114 mile bike ride!!  and conclude with a 26.2 mile RUN!!! At least they all get great looking legs out of the deal. In honor of all those calories they will be burning I am planning a trip to Prince's Spicy Chicken Shack tomorrow. Time to read another play.
Peace be with you
~Will

"Time only holds mute those who can tell it."

August, 26 It's Showtime!!!

Today was our last day of rehearsal for the Group Project. Tomorrow we open!!! The run in the new space went very well and I think there is going to be a pretty good house tomorrow. I guess a lot of people are very excited to see the work we have done. I must admit it feels good to be doing a show again. The highlights of today were walking to work this morning in pleasant cool Louisville air. At lunch I read a great play, "I Have Loved Strangers" and tonight we went out for Daniel's birthday. Today was a good day.
Peace be with you
~Will

"I want God to love me so deeply my bones ache!"

August, 25 It's Great to Stay Up Late!!!

We had our first successful run-through today. We actually did so well most of us were let go early. It was a fantastic opportunity for me to take a much needed nap after last night's revels. It's very exciting. Tomorrow is our last rehearsal day and then we open on Friday and close Saturday. It's a short but good run. I am excited to see everyone's game face.
Peace be with you
~Will

"A legacy is what your reputation stands and walks around on."

August, 24 My my my, it's a beautiful world.

Not much to report today. Except that I found a place that sells delicious growlers of beer for $8.00. Such good beer for so little. I love it. The play is coming along nicely. I think we have a show that will rock and roll.
Peace be with you
~Will


"When you tell lies, tell big ones. Lies, steaks and meat balls must be big or not at all."
-Brighella

August, 23 KA-BLAM!!!

Today was our day off. I slept in. I did laundry and wrote a blues song. I played on my unicycle and juggled while listening to Jimmy Eat World, Bach and Beethoven!!! Saw a fantastic dinner theatre piece about a super hero named Ka-Blam and then schmoozed with the cast after. All that's missing is most of the phone numbers from my old phone. But in due time all will be right again.
Peace be with you
~Will

"Tans are like cockroaches, once the sun is gone they run out."

August, 22 Who Knew Unicycle Was So Hard?

Last day of the apprentice work week. Not too much happened today. The apprentices arrived at 10am which means we all got an extra hour of sleep. GREAT! Then we just worked the transitions and were let go before noon! DOUBLE GREAT!! It is going to be a great show. I can't believe two weeks ago there was nothing and now we have a 50 minute show. I also spent a delightful amount of time refreshing myself on the intricacies of riding a unicycle this afternoon. Which on my mono-wheel ride home attracted quite a bit of attention from some very cute girls. TRIPLE GREAT!!! Unicycling is a lot like I imagine learning to walk was for me.
Peace be with you
~Will

"The hardest things in life often become their own reward once they've become easy."

August, 21 Motorcycle Mixed with Fighter Jet Nailgunned to a Battle Ship!!!

What a crazy day. I have never been so punchy so early in the morning with so much sleep before hand. I think the hours and the heat are starting to get to me. Today was the first time we were able to run the whole Group Project show from start to finish. Although there are quite a few rough spots, it is a great show. There is even a little bit of a buzz around the show in the office. I can't wait to perform it. Highlights for today include laughing so hard I cried and making corn bread to go along with the Mac and Cheese I was having for dinner. Today I could feel the love of the group really come together. It was a good day!!!
Peace be with you
~Will

"Even if there's no time for it, always grab dessert!"

August, 20 A Little Birthday Goes a Long Way

Today we finished the song and almost finished the conclusion of the show. It was also the first time we were able to party with the cast of Dracula. Today was Becca's birthday and so there was much rejoicing and singing. I think the highlights were getting to construct a cheer leading stunt and mask it under the guise of a creative movement piece about the Point of No Return, getting to race one of the cast members of Kite Runner on a two person slip and slide at Becca's party this evening and winning the Water Balloon Toss Tournament of Champions with Mark (Renfield in Dracula)!!!
Peace be with you
~Will

"Dancing is like falling in love, the dips are the best part."

August, 19 ROCK AND ROLL!!!

Today we finished the song and its lyrics. It is a little rough and some of the melody parts don't line up all the way, but that can all be smoothed out with practice. There was also a huge push to flesh out majority of the transitions. It is going to be a show!!! It was also a little bitter sweet today. This was the first day that many of the apprentices were asked to go off for rehearsal for Dracula. This meant we did a lot of work on the Group Project in fragmented groups and not as a whole unit. But it also meant that we are finally fully immersed in the experience. It's only gonna get crazier from here!!!!
Peace be with you
~Will

"My biggest fear isn't everyone forgetting me after I die, but no one remembering me while I'm alive."

August 18, Houston we have a play!!!

It is astonishing what about thirty people, many hours of creative energy and a little well placed direction can accomplish! Today we saw the skeleton of our group project take it's first bone rattling steps towards a final fleshed out performance. To recap today: the intro, the body and many of the transition components were either sketched out with blocking or concept pieces were put into place. Highlights include helping write and then performing a song that will have some place in the show and sharing with the group my running from the law and streaking story. BONUS: It was a manageable temperature today and I think tonight might be an under-the-bed-covers-night and not another on-top-of-the-covers-on-a-sweat-soaked-towel-night.
Peace be with you
~Will

"All too often both rock bottom and salvation sit just beyond the decision to cross our moral point of no return."

August 17 Here we go again on our own!!!!

Today we finally figured out what all the components of our independent group project are going to be. After much stressing, laughing, some gnashing of teeth and exhaustion, we have all the pieces. It's now a matter of putting them all together in the right order. Our project is the love child of the Barefoot Bandit story and the idea of Fame and all its trappings. If there is a way to make a fruitful and captivating piece of art from that we are going to find it. I am very excited for the adventures that await tomorrow.
Peace be with you
~Will

"If it's true open eyes are windows to the soul, I hope I never blink again."

August, 16 PARTY TIME

"Oh, what a night!"
There was a huge party and pot luck out at the scene shop tonight. Everyone was in fine form for so many people all running around. It was fun to see so many of the people that are involved in ATL. After tonight I feel very confident that I am in good hands here in Louisville. The high points were getting to meet tons of new people and deviled eggs. The low points were losing at Corn Hole and getting some wine spilled on me. Overall the night was a stellar and entertaining evening.
Peace be with you
~Will

"Broken dreams only die whilst awaiting another try."

The First Week Aug 6-16th

I have already been here ten days. Unbelievable! The people here, not just the ones in the program, but the people in Louisville are amazing. It is such a blessing to be surrounded but such charming and wonderful people. The weather has been a touch on the warm side. By that it is meant, the weather has been comparable to living inside a Denver Bronco's defensive lineman's armpit. But like bad chilly, this too shall pass.
To say we have been busy would be an understatement. Every day has been an exhausting gauntlet of mental exercises each delightfully equipped with their own individual reward. It's safe to say the highlights have been the auditions and working on the group project. Although I was not cast in Dracula or The Mystery of Irma Vep, I am very much looking forward to finding out where I will be placed as a crew member and how the Group Project is going to turn out. Until next time...
Peace be with you
~Will