Sad Morning

Yesterday, Ryan Meyers, a second grader at my school, lost his lifelong battle with cancer. It's been a tough day. I want to hug Matthew all day, not spend my day distracted and mournful in the classroom.

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SO Beautiful

The universe is such a beautiful place.

Scientists agree. I haven't listened to all the sound clips yet (I'm at work), but these pictures are worth more than their requisite thousand words all on their own.

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Do and Die

This poem has struck me, today.

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

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Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. "Forward, the Light Brigade! "Charge for the guns!" he said: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. "Forward, the Light Brigade!" Was there a man dismay'd? Not tho' the soldier knew Someone had blunder'd: Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them Volley'd and thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell Rode the six hundred. Flash'd all their sabres bare, Flash'd as they turn'd in air, Sabring the gunners there, Charging an army, while All the world wonder'd: Plunged in the battery-smoke Right thro' the line they broke; Cossack and Russian Reel'd from the sabre stroke Shatter'd and sunder'd. Then they rode back, but not Not the six hundred. Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon behind them Volley'd and thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell, They that had fought so well Came thro' the jaws of Death Back from the mouth of Hell, All that was left of them, Left of six hundred. When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the world wondered. Honor the charge they made, Honor the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred.

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Odd To-Do List

I've been stage managing a local production of Ken Ludwig's Moon Over Buffalo (and yeah, the legalese section in the script stipulates that I use the author's name before the title in all promotion of the show). It's been twelve different kinds of awesome.

But, we're approaching the end. "Crunch week" is what the folks 'round these parts call it. Coming from the back-stage side of theatre, I've always called it "Tech Week." And, since I'm in charge once we move in (We cannot rehearse in our performance space, and will be moving in on May 9th. The show opens May 15th.), I can call it whatever I want.

It's a small production, and it's community theatre. I wear many hats -- stage manager, props mistress, co- set designer, set dresser, lobby display and marquee designer, costume and hair researcher, part-time assistant director, and cookie baker.

So, I have an interesting to-do list coming into the next week:

• Hand-write five letters in envelopes from George to his daughter, Rosalind
• Finish assembling four copies of Variety using the full-sized front and back covers I've already created in Publisher
• Gather some faux fruit
• Find my puffy shirt
• Pick up an ottoman from one of the actors
• Create a Performance Schedule for the stage-right wall of the set
• Find an appropriate notepad and two pens for the side table onstage
• Attach a china marker to a string for the onstage bulletin board
• Rummage in the attic to find the coat rack I know I have, to use on-set
• Send marquee photos to SnapFish for printing
• Buy several gallons of paint based on the paint chips I picked up last week
• Begin pencilling in cues in my performance Book
• Ask again if anyone knows where the headsets are

Set painting should start on Tuesday and end on Thursday if all goes well. And move-in is next Saturday. Then the Tech Week fun begins!!! Wheee!

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