Something Is Brewin', About To Begin...

Hi there!

By day, I am a very old college student pursuing a second Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design with a minor in Social Media Marketing…yes, that is an actual thing you can major or minor in, or so they tell me. I guess it’s way more relevant than studying Latin these days, and it’s also not the strangest thing you can minor in at Bradley; they also have something called “Innovation Through Collaboration”. Picture being home on break and your grandparents ask what you are studying and you tell them “how to play with others”. At least you can look them in the eye when you say “I study Instagram”. They’ll get confused, they’ll back away and then you’ll have officially won the Thanksgiving round, only to rematch when you return home at Christmas and they ask you the same thing again.

Anyways, by night I try to use my FIRST degree whenever I can by directing a lot of theatre at the community and collegiate level. Over the past 13 years I have accumulated 25 credits as director of both musicals and plays. Sure that would be a cool profession, but you can’t make a career of it around these parts, hence the second degree thing (which finishes up this May by the way). This summer, I will get to direct Mary Poppins at Corn Stock Theatre in Peoria, the largest show I have ever tackled. Oh! And it’s also in a tent. Mary Poppins in a tent. You read that right.  I am quite excited and even after doing this 25 times before, quite nervous for the experience but eagerly await getting started! 

One of my assignments for my social media marketing class this semester is to create a blog….it can be about whatever I want, as long as we blog at least once a week. In an effort to synergize multiple facets of my life, I have decided it might be fun to focus the blog on my preparations for directing Mary Poppins. It may take a few entries to get into a routine and get the real swing of it, but I don’t think that will take very long. I hate talking about myself, but I love to talk about the things I love. I think it will be great to get a lot of the Mary Poppins junk that swirls around in my head out of it, and maybe it'll even engage people that want to know more about the show before auditions, or are curious about my process? Because I like to deep dive…

I am not obligated to continue the blog after May 16th, which is when we graduate. I actually will not be walking at graduation for two reasons: I did it once already in 2004 and really don’t feel the need to do it again. The second reason I won't be there is it so happens to be the first day of Mary Poppins auditions! Hosting auditions on graduation day is not even the strangest time I’ve ever had them; when I directed Cabaret, auditions were ON my wedding day in 2014. (Actual quote from me that day: "You'll all be done by 4, because I'm getting married at 5"). So there’s the first fun fact you’ve learned, and hopefully there will be more. Who knows, maybe this blog can rebrand and continue after it’s “contractually obligated” time...and THAT is exactly a big problem of mine: I’m usually way too concerned about the next thing before I even start the current thing. I probably need to stop that, so for now, welcome to CHIP CHIP CHEROO!

Stay tuned, I’m required to blog at least once a week but it’ll hopefully be more. I’m looking forward to doing this!