I can’t believe how fast October flew by!  I think it’s because I’ve been so busy these past few weeks!  Here’s an update about what I’ve been up to!

I’ve been working in the office at Original Kids Theatre Company, and it has been such a learning experience.  I just started last week and there is so much going on!  We just finished up our run of Halloween shows and now we’re moving into the next block of shows, beginning with Lord of the Flies.  It’s been a lot to take in, but I’ve already had so many fantastic opportunities through OKTC!  I got to see Spamalot at the JLC last Wednesday (which was so funny!); I’ve been invited to go on the annual OKTC New York City trip coming up in March; and tomorrow I get to teach part of a TAG (The Actor Grows) class!  It’s really amazing how much OKTC does and how much work goes into running a theatre company, and what I do is nothing compared to what Dale, Jeff, Art and the rest of the OK staff does.  But it has already been a valuable learning experience, and I’m grateful for it!  I’m looking forward to whatever comes next!

We have a Sandy for Annie Warbucks!  Tilley, the Norfolk terrier who played Toto at the Grand Theatre this past year, will be playing Sandy in our show.  I met with Tilley and her owner Terry (and Tilley’s two brothers, Winny and Neddy) and I am so excited for Tilley to be joining the cast of Annie Warbucks!  She is such an adorable dog, and so, so smart.  Madelan, our Annie, met with Tilley at the same time and within an hour, had Tilley doing all sorts of tricks.  I think they’re going to be a fantastic team.  You’ll have to come out and see how adorable they are together!  You can also read about Tilley’s experience as Toto in her Paws to Oz blog.  It’s super cute!

I had my first Murder for Hire rehearsal last Tuesday, which was fun.  My first show with them is this coming Saturday in St. Marys.  It’s going to be an interesting experience!

I met with the production team for No Traveler Returns (Out of Sight Productions) to hammer out a rehearsal schedule and figure out some details about the show.  We have our first cast and crew meet-and-greet and script discussion this coming Sunday.  Since NTR consists of both sighted and visually-impaired actors, and the visually-impaired actors have different levels of impairedness, we can’t have the traditional “first read-through” that most companies do.  But we adapt to the needs of our actors!

I got to attend a run-through of Follies, which is being done by Musical Theatre Productions and goes up later this month.  What makes it extra-special is that quite a few cast and crew members are from Three Musketeers!  It was a mini-reunion of sorts, especially with Brandon, who played d’Artagnan in 3M (he plays Young Ben in Follies).  Can’t wait to see that show!

I was supposed to have two auditions this week for productions going on in London, but I made the decision to call and cancel.  It was a tough decision, because I love performing, but I realized that I’m really, really booked already.  With Annie Warbucks, No Traveler Returns, Murder for Hire, plus a script I was commissioned to write that’s due in early December, plus the fact that I was asked to direct another OKTC show in the spring, PLUS the fact that I’m already booked for a Fringe 2011 show… well, you get the idea.  I know it’s a bit presumptuous in cancelling (I’m basically already assuming I’d be cast) but I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time by auditioning and knowing I couldn’t accept a role if I was offered, or worse, accepting a role and then backing out.  There will be other shows.  =)

I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but that’s what I’ve been up to!  Lots of stuff going on, and lots of stuff to look forward to as well.

PS: My good friend, Lynda, has had one of her plays published!  Congrats to her!