Big question, huh?  I think so.  It’s big and scary and complex and important, and yet something that it seems we’d rather sweep under the rug than talk about at parties.  But it’s always there – we’re always building towards something whether we know what that thing is or not.  And not many people I know are exactly where they thought they’d be when they started out, starting making their plans.  And what do we do when the plan gets us something/somewhere/someone that’s different than we expected? Marsha quoted this great saying the other day – If you always stick to the plan you’ll get exactly what you wanted five years ago.

I am not where I thought I’d be five years ago.  But here I am.  And now what?  How can we move forward?  Where do we start?  What’s the next first step?

Well, if you’re New Leaf, you decide to take that step by building your season around the question that is perhaps the scariest thing confronting you at the moment.  And that’s just what we’ve done.  This season, we’ll work together as an ensemble -with some old and new friends – to ask ourselves “How do we build a future from a present we didn’t expect?”

I just sent a “For Immediate Release” to the press announcing our season, and now I’m filled with that butterfly/jittery/first-day-of-school feeling.  And I don’t think it’s the coffee or the fear of typographical errors in my press release.  Because now, for some reason, it’s real.  Here we go.  We’re about to jump in with both feet into this season, this question, not knowing where we’ll be at the other side.  It’s so exciting – I am so excited about this season.  And it’s also terrifying.  In the best possible way. 

So here we go.  Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present New Leaf Theatre’s 2008/2009 Season.  Here’s the short info – but pick up the Season Announcement Press Release to get all the goods!

FALL 2008
Six Years by Sharr White
CHICAGO PREMIERE
How does our nation of families hold together through the push and pull of progress?

WINTER 2009
Touch by Toni Press-Coffman
How do you move forward when your worst nightmare becomes your reality?

SPRING 2009
The Long Count – an original piece devised by the company
How do we create this future while we’re living in the present?