ESPrit de Corps

I have a visual language inside me. It is older than time. My language embodies my past, my future, the dark and the light. There is the window silhouette, the martini in the sunset, the starlit swim. My dream images are pieces of each moment which makes all of my time […]

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At Roundabout, we are in constant conversation about how our teaching artists must bring their artistry to their work.  That is what makes them teaching artists and that is what will make their work authentic and successful.  I once saw one of our teaching artists, LaTonya Borsay, create “Ms. Jackson” as part of the inciting […]

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The essential elements in great storytelling are the content of the story and the manner in which that story is conveyed to its audience.  If a director focuses only on the content story and fails to convey that story to the audience in a clear and compelling way, the production will have failed.  If the […]

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In 1975, I just barely graduated high school. But I wore a crown of lilacs and gardenias upon my graduation from Sunset Hill, the one square mile rock, my beloved townies, the sleepless nights. My Mother placed the crown on my head and recounted to her friend proudly…”Did you know she […]

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The atmosphere of a play is certainly important.  In order to convey the world of the play to the audience, the atmosphere must be just so.   The atmosphere in the rehearsal room is important in order for the best work possible to occur.   The first rehearsal between actor and director is, in essence, the audition. […]

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THIS IS JUST A BLOG PAUSE.
I just made that up and I like it!
I’m taking a moment to thank everyone who is writing on and reading this!  I am so inspired by all of you.  I have 10 million ideas!  Thanks to Stephanie and Phil for piloting this!  As they say in Coney Island: It’s […]

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That night I lie awake in a cold sweat and I’m convinced someone is watching me from the closet. I spend the next few hours getting the nerve to throw off the covers and leave the room. I head for the porch and I find Mom smoking, her bare feet touching the grass. […]

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Not to be confused with “take it personally,” it is important as a director to make a personal connection to the play.   Even when assigned a play–which is often the case–in order for the play to achieve greatness in production, a director must find the specific theme or moment of quality or whatever it might […]

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The caveat to the unfolding tale:
What does this unfolding childhood reverie have to do with my becoming an artist, an educator or an art administrator? In particular, how is it meant to speak directly to my colleagues in the ESP community? In David’s last entry where he asks us to “take the kinda […]

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The four siblings ahead of me have moved on into the world, so Lucilla (mom), Herman (dad) and I have created our own unique dinner ritual. There is the cocktail hour and the centerpiece of our kitchen scene: the radio! There is the part where no matter WHAT is happening if SOMEWHERE […]

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