An update, after nearly a year.

Hi. I'm sorry, I'm not much of a journal keeper, and thus not much of a blogger, I suppose. I thought that I'd write an update for all those that care to read it, and let you know what I have been up to, what I am up to, and what I will be up to in the next few months (especially since I may not update my blog again until then...apparently).

Here's what I have done this year...

Perhaps most significantly, I have finished my Master of Arts degree at The Ohio State University, written and defended a thesis (which can be found here). All told, it was an amazing experience. My thesis committee understood my work and appreciated it. They pushed me to improve as a writer, as a student, and as a creator and purveyor of knowledge. The coursework was stimulating and engaging, the atmosphere and camaraderie was a daily joy, and I am certain that I have made friends here that I will keep for life (there are too many to name them here, and any attempt would result in unintended omissions). The actual writing of the thesis was even a terrific experience. I now feel certain that I can complete my dissertation, not to mention articles and books for publication. I am becoming an academic!

Along these lines, I have also begun my PhD program. This will consist of a year and a quarter (or so) of coursework--I hope to be done with my coursework at Christmas of next year. After this, I'll do a qualifying exam that will consist (I believe) of 24 hours of writing (3 8-hour days), and then an oral exam on my answers to the test questions. I hope to do this exam in the Spring quarter of next year--so it'll be in April or May of 2012. Once I've finished that successfully, I'll be considered ABD (a PhD, all but dissertation), and begin writing my dissertation--which I plan to complete in less than a year. I'm going to try to finish the whole shooting-match by the end of the 2012-13 school year. At that time, I'll have a PhD in Theatre History, Literature, and Criticism--with specialization in Irish theatre, and an interdisciplinary specialization in folklore.

I have begun to establish myself in the academic community. I gave a paper in August at the Association of Theatre in Higher Education conference in LA, and have another paper accepted for the Northeast Modern Language Association conference in April of 2011 (at Rutgers in New Jersey). I have been commissioned to write a review of a performance by the Abbey Theatre (from Dublin Ireland) for Theatre Journal--the performance is in March, at Ohio State, and the review should be published in October 2011, space permitting.

And that's only part of what I've been doing to establish myself as an Irish theatre expert...

I've been a very busy little bee artistically as well. In June, I directed a silly dark comedy called BEWARE THE MAN EATING CHICKEN, by Henry Meyerson--a playwright from New York, who now lives in Columbus. I did this show for a local theatre company called Evolution Theatre Company. Here's the review. This show was a kick in the pants, and we pulled it all of in about 4 weeks. Here's a picture:


After that, it was back to Ireland. In August I directed Dancing At Lughnasa by Brian Friel. This show was a production by my group--Solstice Theatre Company. It is such a beautiful script, and we had the best cast imaginable. It was an exhausting and rewarding experience. Another treat for this show was the chance to work with my beautiful wife Allison for the first time. Yes, the first time. We have been married for almost 10 years (it'll be 10 years the day after Christmas this year!), and we've never worked together in a show! In fact, Lughnasa was her first show since Zoe was born--and Zoe's 9! She was terrific in the show, garnering praise from all sides.



And, then, because I am REALLY ambitious, I directed 4 Irish one-acts for Columbus Civic Theatre. Not just any Irish plays, either, but 4 of the most important plays in Irish theatre history: Riders to the Sea by Synge, Spreading the News, and Rising of the Moon by Lady Gregory, and Cathleen ni Houlihan by Lady Gregory and Yeats. I don't have pictures, but I will have video...just not yet.

And, all that in the past year. Add to that staged readings of Virtue by my friend and mentor Tim Slover, and of three short plays by Columbus playwright Chris Leyva. Whew!

Coming up, I have a few things in the works. For Solstice Theatre Company, I'll be directing Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin (yes, THAT Steve Martin), and Translations by Brian Friel. I'll also be directing a staged reading of Playboy of the Western World by Synge as part of a series of readings produced by CATCO (Columbus' major professional theatre company).

And, of course, teaching...last year I taught Theatre 100, Intro to Theatre both in the classroom and online. This past summer, I taught my first class on my own...Censorship and Performance. This quarter, I am teaching Theatre 100 online, and helping to revamp some of our material.

That's it for now...keep in touch!

Good Gravy! It's been a while since I blogged

So, what's new with you? Where has this past year gone? For those of you that have been waiting for me to blog, here is an update...

This year has been busy. I am now, officially, an established presence in the Columbus, Ohio theatre scene. I have directed full productions of Doubt, The Weir, and an excerpt from Rabbit Hole (for a competition). I have started my own theatre company--Solstice Theatre Company--with 2 wonderful people I met while working on Doubt. You can see our website at solsticetheatre.org. It is THE BEST looking website on the whole of the internets!

Right now, I am working on CATCO (Columbus' major professional theatre company)'s production of The Seafarer, by Conor McPherson (who wrote The Weir that I directed in October). I am writing my Masters Thesis on McPherson's work--I have a pipe dream of becoming one of the leading authorities on McPherson's work. Some people have called me that already!

I am just a few months away from graduating with my Masters of Arts in Theatre from The Ohio State University. I am applying for the PhD program here at the first of the year. I hope, somewhat desperately to stay here for my PhD--there is simply too much left for me to do at OSU to consider leaving here now. Not to mention dragging my family away again.

Directing 2 Pulitzer winners!

So, I haven't blogged for a while. Sorry.

I have actually been busy, so it's not ONLY laziness, but ALSO laziness. I am currently in rehearsals for a production I am directing for a local community theatre company, the Emerald City Players. I was asked to take on this project in mid December, for a performance date in late February. I thought, for a moment or two, about saying no, but the play itself was the kicker--"Rabbit Hole" by David Lindsay-Abaire. For those keeping score, this is the play that won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama--not the type of thing an emerging director should turn down! The same theatre company asked me to direct a production of "Doubt" this coming summer..."Doubt" also won a Pulitzer, so that's 2 Pulitzer Prize winners in 7 months! And, I have learned that word is spreading about me, and about my shows throughout the Columbus theatre circuit (at least the community theatre circuit).

In addition to that, I'm back in classes--teaching 3, taking 2. I'm going a bit nuts, but loving every minute of it!

Into the whirlpool of the quarter

Okay, okay...I'll write an ACTUAL update on what I've been doing. Mainly because I can finally take a moment to do it.

I just finished a production of Noises Off. I had no intention of trying to do anything pertaining to production work this year at all. I though I should try to get acclimated and try to learn my way around this program and this HUGE campus. Somehow, it didn't work our that way. I was approached by the director of Noises Off (faculty member Maureen Ryan) and asked to play the role of Selsdon (the old man). She told me that Mark Shanda (the department chair) had mentioned to her that I might be willing to do it. Well, I am currently trying to substantiate my case that the department would benefit from letting me stay on there to do my PhD, once I finish my Masters, and as such I am in NO position to turn down ANY opportunities--least of all those sanctioned by the department chair! So I accepted!

The show only had a 4 week rehearsal period. Which is SHORT. But everything came together beautifully, and the production was great. I am VERY happy that I did the show, and I really grew as both an artist and as a scholar.

Every day it occurs to me just how lucky I am. I wake up in the morning and am TOTALLY immersed in the theatre. I teach it, I study it, I read ABOUT it, I just DID it, tonight I am going to see a play, tomorrow I will be writing about that play...I literally live and breathe "theatre". What is astounding to me is that I am getting paid (not much, but still) to think about, read about, teach about, learn about, and talk about what I would choose to in my free time. YES, it IS a lot of work; YES it IS hard...but when you get paid to do what you'd do for free because you love it so much, can it REALLY be called "work"? And, add to my fortune the fact that I have THE BEST wife possible, who supports me (intellectually, emotionally, financially, etc) in this effort, who sees the benefit of my work, who allows me to bounce ideas and thoughts off her, who helps me to synthesize my ideas into coherent thoughts, and who doesn't even seem to mind the fact that I am EXCEEDINGLY boring most of the time, and you see that, I AM the single most fortunate man on Earth.

The other day, I got to hold, in my hand, a notebook that once belonged to the great playwright Samuel Beckett. In this notebook there was an original, hand written, copy of his play "Happy Days", complete with his notes of the play as he was writing, and doodles in the margins. I got to look at Samuel Beckett's actual margin doodles. In many ways, seeing these doodles made me appreciate Beckett's work so much more--the doodles were dark, complex, intense, and abstract, really a perfect representation for Beckett's plays.

I am so lucky.

**WARNING** political rhetoric

I know I haven't posted in a long time--I'll explain in a posting soon-- but right now I need to say something political.

Sarah Palin is insane. She is a danger to this entire country. If the people of this great land prove (once again) that they are unable (or unwilling) to keep an absolute idiot out of the highest offices of the land, I will take my family and move to Ireland. I cannot stomach the idea of living in a country with a hypocrite as the Vice President. In one breath, she claims to be a champion for women's rights, and in the next she signs a bill that CHARGES RAPE VICTIMS FOR THEIR OWN RAPE KITS.

Honestly, this danger to society should not be allowed ANYWHERE near the White House without an armed escort to prevent her from spreading her unique brand of nutjob-ness to the masses.

And it's sad, because I don't dislike John McCain per se. I think he's a funny old man who likes to pretend he's a "maverick" when he's really just a yes-man to the GOP--but, hell, what Republican isn't? If he wouldn't have shot himself in the proverbial foot by selecting the most dangerous woman in politics I might have even considered listening to his spiel. But, alas...he decided to be an idiot.

Oh well--

VOTE OBAMA

First day of Grad School

School has finally started! Right now I am sitting in my office (shared betwixt 8 of us), having just come from the first lecture for the course I am teaching. My work assignment works thus: 2 days a week the students attend a 48 minute (not sure WHY 48 exactly...) given by the course administrator, then 2 days a week they meet with me for 48 minutes for "recitation" (what we would call a "discussion" session at the U). I have 3 recitation sections with whom I meet twice a week. I am solely responsible for the content of the recitations, having been given only a brief outline of what we should cover. It's great! I get to run my own classes, covering material my way. I have an awesome job!

In addition to this, I hold office hours 3 hours a week, and of course have my own classes to attend. Later today I have the first meeting for my Theatre Criticism class, then tomorrow I have Research Methods.

Having finally met my fellow grad. students, many of my fears regarding legitimacy have been allayed. I AM ready for this, I DO think like a grad. student, I AM as prepared (in some cases BETTER prepared) as my colleagues. I certainly have A LOT to learn, but I think I belong here.

This past week has been nuts--meeting after meeting after meeting, but now that I have some time to think it over, I realize the overall value of all of the (literally) heaps of information I have received in the past week.

I guess I am now a Buckeye for the realsies!

SORRY!

My faithful reader (s) tell me that it has been far too long between posts, and for that I apologize. I'd like to say that I have been really busy, but I don't think I have--in truth, I have been twiddling my proverbial thumbs waiting for school to start.

I have promised to post pictures of my new house with decorations. My wife has just put some on her blog, and rather than just re-posting them here, I will provide you with THIS link--

http://repottingthefamilytree.blogspot.com/

Anyway, I start orientation classes on Tuesday, just a mere 2 days after my 31st birthday. Somehow I really feel like a fraud, like I am in no way qualified to attend grad school--let alone teach at THE Ohio State University.

I now have to run out the door--I will post more later to discuss that fraud-like feeling, and to tell you all about the Utah/Michigan football game that I went to!