Righteous Insanity

Midsummer - opening in ten days

I'm directing "A Midsummer Night's Dream" for the third time. The production opens in ten days at Hayswood Theatre in Corydon, Indiana and runs for three weekends. I can honestly say I have never been more excited about a play opening in my life. 

I've directed a lot of shows, and had some great casts. The cast of "Midsummer" is far and away the most fun I've worked with. From day one, this cast bonded together. They bought into the vision I gave them for the show, and they made it their own. For every gag I've put into the show, there are at least 2 contributions that came from the cast - some unbelievably outrageous. 

What's really fun is that I am working with several students - current and former - and some old friends in addition to a lot of new ones. It's been fantastic to see these diverse talents come together and collaborate. 

I'm very proud of this cast and this show. It's far and away the funniest show I've ever directed. If you're in the area (Corydon is about 20 minutes from Louisville), I highly recommend it. 

For reservations, call 812-738-2138. 

Shakespeare with "Attitude"

I shared this with the kids at Christian Academy in the "Midsummer Night's Dream" cast recently. I don't think they believed me. This article is from 2007; the production has come and gone, sadly, but it's hardly forgettable. If there's video of this out there, and you come across it, please send me a link!

Eastern Illinois University is putting a pro wrestling spin on its presentation of Shakespeare's "As You Like It" this weekend. The director tells the Times Courier that they researched pro wrestlers and matched them with characters in the play and based the costumes on looks of WWE wrestlers. One character is 6 foot 4 inches and is based on The Undertaker. The set itself resembles a wrestling ring with a padded floor and the forest has ring ropes and belts hanging from the ceiling and the trees are made of spandex.

Elevator Plays Cover Story

Specific Gravity's Elevator Plays made the cover of the Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO) this week. I've mentioned the show a few times here, so it's worth passing along.

http://leoweekly.com/?q=node/6165

Two of the twenty-four plays are mine this year: one about a super hero with love life issues, and the other a spoof of our local Chicken Little meteorologists.

Elevator Plays 2

Just received some exciting news: I will have 2 plays featured in the 2008 production of "Elevator Plays" by the Specific Gravity Ensemble of Louisville, KY. The first Elevator Plays was a ground-breaking theatrical production featuring 24 short plays (2 minutes) performed in moving elevators. I had one play featured in the first show, and two plays will be featured in the new one. One is about a super heroine having boy troubles; the other is a spoof of the local alarmists who report the weather here in Louisville.

If you're into experimental theater, live near Louisville, and are not prone to motion sickness check out www.specificgravityensemble.com for more information. (Note: SGE is not a Christian theater; some plays may have adult or offensive subject matter.)