Round-up of 2018

Here is a purr of fortune’s, sir, or of fortune’s 
cat — but not a musk-cat — that has fallen into the 
unclean fishpond of her displeasure, and, as he 
says, is muddied withal: pray you, sir, use the 
carp as you may; for he looks like a poor, decayed, 
ingenious, foolish, rascally knave. I do pity his 
distress in my similes of comfort and leave him to 
your lordship.

— Clown, All’s Well That Ends Well

It has truly been a fortunate year. From my brother’s wedding to a brilliant research trip tp the Huntington Library, not to mention a relatively dry and warm fall and winter in Portland, I am sure I’m at the zenith of Fortune’s Wheel, and so steady myself for rougher waters ahead. In reflection on a great deal of good news and satisfying work, this post cobbles together a few year-end notes.

Just a few of my favorite things I saw this year, including Everybody and Magellanica (Artists Repertory Theatre); Henry V, Romeo & Juliet, and Snow in Midsummer (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Strangest Yellow (Fertile Ground Festival); Wakey Wakey (Portland Playhouse); Uncle Vanya (PETE); Macbeth (Shaking the Tree); Silent Sky (Pacific University); and She is Fierce (Enso Theatre).
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Fresh Eyes on Artists Rep’s “Magellanica”

Dear all,

I’m back at it again this winter as a “Fresh Eye” for Artists Repertory Theatre’s world premiere of the binge-worthy Magellanica. All the better, I get to share this experience with my partner-in-crime, Matthew Minicucci, who is bringing a poet’s eyes to the rehearsal process. Here’s the theatre’s synopsis:

In 1986, scientists and engineers from around the world converge at the South Pole Research Station to figure out, among other things, if there really is a hole in the sky. In the darkest, coldest, most dangerous place on Earth, eight imperfect souls are trapped together. Utterly isolated from the outside world for eight and a half months, this research team must face life or death challenges, their own inner demons and depend upon each other for survival.

With epic scope in the tradition of The Kentucky Cycle or Angels in America, this play takes its inspiration from the true story of the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer at the height of the Cold War. Part historical adventure, love story and mystical foray into the unknown, it’s about a world that can either tear apart or come together for its own survival. It’s a vital story for today and an extraordinary excursion for audiences to the ends of the Earth.

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