Author Archive
The moment before…
It's one of the fundamental things on the actor checklist: the moment before. What were you doing in the days, hours, minutes, seconds before you walk onstage or before the scene starts.
In Burying Miss America, Jean talks about all the work that her mother's funeral requires. The text is full of references to the arrangements, the food, the thank you notes. I did my homework, and I had...
In the details…
"While I was waiting for you before, I made this list. All the people that brought food. Or flowers. Or anything. The ordinary, average, worshiped her from all the pageants people. They get a note."
I've gotten to know this person called Jean Russell pretty well over the last few weeks, diving into the words she says, delving in to her life story. What began as painting in broad strokes...
Ten
What were you doing ten years ago?
Take a minute to think about it. April, 2001.
Ten years ago, I was living in Maryland, working for the government (sort of), in the middle of post-graduate-school floundering, trying to work up the courage to move to Chicago.
Ten years ago, most of the current Leafs were still in school, studying theatre, studying other things. All of us at or near the...
What a Difference a Word Makes: Growing, Growing Up, and Outgrowing
At the end of January, the Producing Ensemble that is New Leaf Theatre trekked through the wilds of Wisconsin to a charming house, (see it? isn't it charming?) where we spent the weekend retreating, re-orienting, re-evaluating, and renewing. Renewal is, after all, what New Leaf is all about.
We Leafs don’t retreat as often as we would like, so when we do get everyone in one place for an extended...
Order Ventolin Over The Counter
Jess wrote last week about our plans for the Mid-North Association's Order Ventolin over the counter, annual Summerfest. If you're just joining us, we commissioned local playwrighting geniuses and Friends of New Leaf Bilal Dardai and Jon Steinhagen to each write a short play based on memoir texts generated by long-time Lincoln Park residents.
The two plays could not have been more different: ...
