Casting Troubles

If you know anything about, theatre you'll know that casting can be the most important part of any production. I have had my share of successes and failures as far as casting goes. Little Shop of Horrors has been filled with the most unusual casting dilemmas I have ever encountered. To begin with I precast the lead role of Seymore to one of our senior students for his senior project. I am still not positive that senior projects are the correct way to go about in teaching, but it has been done at Faulkner for years and I don't really have a full replacement idea in mind as of yet. Well, the auditions were cut and dry. I picked out the cast (nearly perfect, if I do say so myself) in no time flat. Within the next few weeks, before rehearsals started, the casting woes began to fall upon me. The lead actor that had been precast received an offer that he could not refuse, to work with a professional company in Maine. (The commute was too long). I searched the world over and thought I'd come up with a perfect replacement for him, but alas that too fell through, (Darn those family types!) So I went with my next best solution, another student that has proven himself worthy of this shot. I called him and he turned down the part flat! I was astonished, but understood his reason. I then fell to my last resort (sort of) I am now playing the role. Well, after replacing myself with another director I thought we were rocking along. Well, a couple of days ago that too fell through!!!! I lost one of my Urchins. She got a job in Atlanta (again too far too commute). So off I go (along with the new director) in search of a new female actress. I go with my first choice of students, who was actually next in line for the part from the audition. She was elated by the invitation, but turned it down due to family issues (again someone is moving!!!!) So one to the next choice. Finally success! The stage manager (who actually can act and sing) accepted the part. Now what to do about a stage manager!!!!! Low and behold I did not even have to call for one. One was handed to me on a silver platter. I received a call out of the blue asking if they could help. Thank you kind soul!!! I appreciate you! Well now we're off to rehearsal. Hopefully we won't have anymore drops, but if we do it will just add to this bizarre ordeal.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

There are few tings in life that I enjoy better than taking a nap on Sunday afternoon's. After the hustle and bustle of getting ready for church and then working though Bible class and Children's Church, I love to have a great lunch and take a nap (Usually with one of my kids). Today it was with Liam. He is teething and would not let me out him down for his nap. So I held him and we napped together for about an hour. I feel so refreshed and ready to go now. Last week (Father's day) I missed my nap because we were at Disney World experiencing StarWars Weekend. During our normal nap time Crispin and Duncan were selected for Jedi Training and got to battle with Darth Maul (a great father's day present by the way). See the video's below. After a tiring week at Disney I needed my nap and am so glad that it has finally come around again so that I can face next week.

Disney Done Right

Below are the boys fighting Darth Maul at Disney last Weekend. Enjoy!

Duncan Battles Darth Maul

Crispin Battles Darth Maul

Little Shop

I am not sure what has happened to me lately. I have adamantly stated time and time again for the past three years while teaching at Faulkner University that I don't enjoy acting. I have to admit that this is not really true, but I have said it over and over again enough times that it should be considered fact by now. I do have a bad case of stage freight that causes me to loose control of my bowels from time to time, which is the part of hating acting that is actually true. Then why in the world am I starring in another production. I have now cast myself (long story for another post) in the role of Seymour in "Little Shop of Horrors." Granted this is a role that I have loved for years and wanted to play this character for over ten years now, but why am I doing it now? Well, I selected this musical to direct because it is one of my all time favorites and I love it. I cast the show with an amazing cast almost two months ago. Then a three weeks ago my Seymour was offered a job in Maine at the Arundel Barn Playhouse. I am so happy for him and I know that it is a great opportunity for him so no hard feeling for his early departure. Then I asked our department head Matt Roberson to play the part. He agreed and then a week later he too turned me down. Next I turned to the next logical option, a student who had previously played the role in High School. I was certain that he would jump at the chance, but he turned me down flat! So, I decided that I was going to have to fill the role. It seems like I am receiving signs from God here that this is the best option. I asked Brandi Smith (one of our recent grads) to direct the show and she jumped at the chance. We started rehearsals last night and everything is going well. When I got to my first solo everything went fine. I sang the song and was pleased with my self, then Jennifer Haberkorn (my Audrey), looked at me and said I have never heard you sing that was really good. I was surprised more by the statement that she had not heard me sing than I was by the fact that she thought it was good. How could I have been here for three years without her hearing me sing. I have directed three Musicals in the past three years (H2S, Seussical, and Bye Bye Birdie). She was in all of them. I am in rehearsals every night with them I always sing along. How has she not heard me. I am confused. Maybe I really don't sing and just think that I do. I don't know. It makes me wonder though if I am really who I think I am or if others have a completely different impression of me than I think. I will have to investigate this further!

Blood!!!!!!!

Today I decided would be a good time for me to give blood. I am visiting my parents in Florence and they were having a blood drive at church this morning. I decided that I could drop Crispin and Duncan off at class and go donate in time to pick them up. I should stop now and back up to the other events of the day. Before Church, Mom and Dad went to the building early to donate blood before services. The arrived at 8:00 to donate and Church did not start until 8:30. I got Crispy and Dunc ready and took them to church. We got there just on time and sat with Nana and Jack (my Grand-Parents and waited for Mom and Dad to arrive. They came in just a few minutes after the service began and slipped in beside us. No sooner than they sat down the speaker announced that everyone who was going on mission trips this summer (this includes Mom) should come to the front of the room and stand so that he could say a special prayer over them and then they were going to take up a special contribution to help fund the mission work this summer. Before the prayer started I noticed that Mom was not looking well. She sort of swayed back and forth. After the prayer I opened my eyes (I remained sitting because Dunc was laying in my lap trying to get his "Church Nap" in) and saw that Mom was gone. I figured she left during the prayer and went to the lobby or somewhere else, and would be back in a moment or two. She did not return, but Joanne came and got Dad and he quickly left. I figured she was weak from donating blood, but I was not sure. A few minutes later Dad came back in with a note and handed it to me and took Mom's Bible and purse with him. I then knew that she had fainted. (She started to fall during the prayer and the ladies on each side of her layed her down just inside the door behind her (the Kitchen Door) in the floor. They finally revived her and sent her home. She rested for the rest of the day instead of all of the other plans she was suppossed to do. After the service was over I took Crisp and Dunc to class and went to the Blood Bus. I signed in and got ready to answer the every popular sex questions and then prepared for my donation. The attendant asked if I gave regularly and I said yes and I had never had any trouble. I can't say that anymore. She then asked if I wanted to donate on the ALYX system. I said I guess and she explained that it removed two pints of blood and seperated it in the machine and then put the plasma back in. I thought it sounded great and agreed. All was going well and there were a few onlookers that found the process to be facinating. I could not see what was going on, but my blood was seperated into three seperate bags and processed. I thought it sounded neat and I was feeling well. Then it all changed. The machine switched to the Plasma reinsertion mode and started pumping plasma back into my body. It felt odd and sort of cold coming back in but it was not painful. I was assured that it was all going well and then I leaned my head back (I have to insert here that I have an odd obsession with watching the needle go into my arm and keep an eye out on it the whole time it is in there. Gross yess, but it is interesting.) Well, after I leaned my head back I started to feel a new sensation in my arm. Preasure. I did not look at my arm since I had been assured that all was well. Then the pain began to increase rapidly. I gasped and looked at my arm. It was swelling. There was a knot on the side of my arm the size of a lemon and growing. I yelled something is wrong. The attendant was on the other side of the bus and said what is wrong. I said the my arm was swollen. She yelled for another attendant to hit the stop button, but the new technician did not know where the stop button was on the machine. So I continued to be pumped full of plasma. The attendant finally stopped the machine and said "Looks like you blew out a vein." She then proceded to masage the fluid that had colected on my arm (now the size of a baseball) back out of the hole in my arm. This was the most disgusting part, but the relief was worth it. Now I still have a knot on my arm and a bruise coming up. I have had an ice pack on my arm today and still don't want to bend it (I'm typing with arms outstretched). Well I guess it could be worse, at least I got some of my plasma back along with two camo baseball hats!!!!