Thank You

The Birthday Dinner had a very important day today and with the help of some super great people the day went amazingly and the stuff produced from this day should just add to the success of the show. So I want to say a big

THANK YOU

TO

JACOB WHITE

AND

TYLER CHOATE

Thank You guys so much. You were great today. I appreciate you.

The Great Long Rehearsal

Saturday, turned into this long rehearsal. It wasn't on the schedule, but I felt we needed a long day to just make sure we were in a good place due to changes and other goals we have to accomplish. Since my cast were not pre-warned about the long rehearsal day, I brought them lunch...well my dad brought them lunch. Little Caesars. Little Caesars is Pizza of convenience. It's good while it's hot, but more importantly it's cheap. I was able to feed my cast for under $40 bucks and that includes 4 Pizza, 3 orders of breadsticks, and 2 drinks. That's a steal. But hey no good deed comes unpunished. I do think they should take away that Pizza! Pizza! and change it to read, Little Caesars, Big Problems. That's an inside joke from me, to my cast.

So the rehearsal. We went from 10AM to 5PM. I know. Long. But my cast was amazing throughout the whole thing. We rehearsed. I'm seeing some really strong moments. I'm seeing some discoveries. I witnessing some people really nail things. And we laughed. I am having a good time with my cast, who in which I adore. They are great together. And it's not just laughing it's enjoyment. We are enjoying making our show. It's so cool to be apart of, to be in front it leading the way. Of course I see all that's ahead, so not everything is as enjoyable for me, but as long as they keep their spirits and continue working hard, it keeps me with so much drive to do what I do. On top of everything, we bonded. That's special. Here's to some more great rehearsals.

The Birthday Dinner Cast

I just wanted to write short blurb. Tonight's rehearsals were our weekly Thursday solo work. It is really great to work with my cast one on one. Show them individual attention. And let them know it is okay. I think sometimes they need to hear it and they just need reaffirmation from me with no one being around. I really feel like this intimate rehearsal process brought about by the storage facility may be a huge key in the success of the show.

The other thing is that my cast is amazing. They inspire me to keep going and I love them for it.

The Birthday Dinner: Bringing It To Life

It is completely amazing how my feelings toward my play, parallel maternal feelings. The Birthday Dinner is my baby. I worry about it constantly like a parent does a child, though the worry is not one of stress. I've carried it around with me as if it were a part of me. It's all I talk about, think about, and no matter what I'm doing, I'm also doing something with The Birthday Dinner. Even if I'm just thinking about it in the back of my mind.

Anyways....the rehearsal process has begun. It's all been such an interesting journey and this rehearsal process is no different. In just the first week, I feel like we accomplished a lot, though I feel like we haven't even reached the halfway mark of our journey. We have a lot of work to do. The actual rehearsal space provides us challeneges in blocking the play. It's also rather hot at times in that storage facility, but hey....at least we have a place to rehearse cause at one time we didn't.

I feel that my cast has so much potential and I don't want to let them down as their director. I want to help lead them to the promise land. The rehearsals have been really intimate. I think overall it is, and will prove to be a good thing because The Birthday Dinner has so, so many moments and if those moments are not made, the play can become lost. Moments come in so many different ways too, and I've been trying my best to make sure I make all of them happen.

Outside of getting the cast together to act out the play, I feel like I am a one man army trying to get this play off the ground. In a sense...I am? Costumes, props, marketing, organizing, etc...right now I'm doing it all. I almost feel like I have to, but that's just how I am. I've always been like that. There's going to come a point when I have to rely on others, I'm just hoping that there will be others and they can be relied on.

ANNOUCEMENT!!!! THE BIRTHDAY DINNER CAST

The Birthday Dinner

Cast List

Jasmine Chapman…………………………………………Jerýline Pete
Amandah Baker………………………………………...Emma Osmond
Jeremy Drewery…………………………………Kaden “KC” Channing
Tylor Clark…………………………………...Miles “Mr. Zee” Zeeman
Jamel Small……………………………………………….Boris Osmond
Kenny Gabriel…………………………………………….Guy Channing
Kristina Marshall………………………………………Judith Channing
Allison Schilhab………………………………………………..Ava Stone

Tough decisions had to be made, but ........... It's really happening! I'm excited.

The Birthday Dinner Reading!

I've been working on The Birthday Dinner for a long time now. A year ago, I had the first reading of the first version of the play. It was one of the best days of my life and that reading help me and inspired to continue pursue my dream to have this play become a production. Now that it is happening I would like to share pics from the day.

The Reading Cast of The Birthday Dinner

Derick Turner (KC), Jamel Small (Guy), Brionnie Andrews (Emma), Jasmine Chapman (Jerýline), Me, Kristina Marshall (Judith), Brandon Norman (Boris), Emanuel Segura (Miles)

Jerýline and Her Children

Brionnie Andrews (Emma), Jasmine Chapman (Jerýline), Derick Turner (KC)

The Men

Brandon Norman (Boris), Emanuel Segura (Miles), Jamel Small (Guy)