What Happened?

Here's what happened. Gidion's Knot, by Johnna Adams. I've been busy rehearsing and opening this relentlessly tense play, and now it's up and running. Whew! Meanwhile, another powerful play, The Exonerated, is up and running, too, and you can read all about it here, at A Follow Spot, Julie Kistler's fantastic blog about area theatre and the arts. I hope I get to see it this week, if I can catch up on all the things I've neglected during the rehearsal period. This morning it was laundry, cleaning the bathroom, and rest. This afternoon, yard work! It's almost 60 degrees. But editing work awaits me, too. Sigh...

Gidion's Knot is the story of a fifth grade boy, as unraveled by his mother and his teacher in a parent-teacher conference of godawful woe. His mother keeps asking, "What happened?" There's another weekend for you to find out.

Fittingly, we are performing in a classroom of the old Bloomington High School, at 510 E. Washington Street, Bloomington, now the home of Mount Moriah Church, yoga and dance classes, and other wonderful organizations. We are in Room 320, down the hall from Illinois People's Action and The Immigration Project. Social justice everywhere.

Thanks to Lori Cook Baird for the classroom photo.

A Little Behind

Hmm, should this be illustrated with a picture of a little behind? Ha, I am in exhausted-thus-I-think-I-am-hilarious mode today, on the Hump of the Week in the blog. Nope, I appear to have chosen upside-down jazz hands in hot pink feathered cleaning gloves. But, clearly, I am hilarious.

It's also a Poetry Someday, as I posted a poetry book review, of Sparrow by Bethany Reid, over at Escape Into Life today. I am very behind in my poetry book reviewing, so this was a major accomplishment/relief.

And here's part two of the "official" story in The Art of Sports, a new blog at EIL, by Mark Lewis.

Oh, and here's me when I was little. With a little behind. In a little, tiny snapshot. Because I don't know how to make it bigger. I'm sure it'll still be here tomorrow, on "throwback Thursday," because I am...a little behind...

The Last Days

Lots of stuff happening lately, and I am too busy (and too busy being kicked off the Internet) to blog about it. So I will provide an untidy list of links on this Slattern Day in the blog between loads of laundry (and lint):

1. New sports blogger at Escape Into Life! Mark Lewis, a former newspaper copy editor in the last days of newspapers, is also a sports official! Check out The Art of Sports!

2. New set of translations up at EIL: poems by Circe Maia (in Spanish) side by side with English translations (by Jesse Lee Kercheval). Plus mixed media art by Sage Vaughn with butterflies, birds, and street scenes.

3. Kicked off the Internet. Back on the Internet. Inexplicably unable to connect again. Powers of deduction applied (since I have no powers of technology), leading to realization that the other networked computer in the house must be on and connected to the Internet before my computer can be connected. I hasten to say that this was not previously the case, lest you think me a broad of little brain. Well, it's true, I've killed (quite) a few brain cells. Because wine. As they say.

4. Fabulous new art, with wild and bright colors, up at EIL: Carol Lukitsch, thanks to Artist Watch editor Maureen E. Doallas.

5. Daughter came home again, for Transfer Day at ISU. Looks like we'll have a sophomore living at home again soon! Everything's looking great for a transfer into the changing Journalism program! Uh oh, see #1 re: "the last days of newspapers." But, fear not, that's part of the changing major: making sure you know how to do everything as a journalist: news writing, photos, video, broadcast, website, social media. Luckily, both my children do have powers of technology!

6. Announcement of new leadership at Heartland Theatre Company! Congrats to Gail Dobbins and Chris Connelly.

7. New book review by Seana Graham up at EIL: Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson, one of my own faves. My husband is reading the companion novel, Home, right now. We loved the film Housekeeping, and I started seeking Robinson out as an author after that.

Intersperse "play practice" and "line memorization" between each of the above, and there you have it. Plus laundry. Not very much dusting going on lately. I'm such a slattern.

Green Monday

Happy St. Patrick's Day! That makes a Green Monday of this Blue Monday in the blog. I am enjoying the last few minutes of the blue sky, as well as being back on the Internet! Thank you, Frontier, for the new modem. Why did we not realize this sooner? Oh, well, glad to be back and up to speed.

I'm always a little blue after the kids visit, because then they go away again...  Daughter is done with her spring break; son has gone back to Chicago after a visit. Even my sister and her daughter were in town this weekend! But now it's blue/green Monday all over the place.

Over at Escape Into Life, Scott Klavan has taken a look at the one-person show in general and Satchmo at the Waldorf in particular. The accompanying art by Jim Naughten also looks at the black man uncomfortable in the white man's "costume." Much to ponder here.

And I saw a giant leprechaun and many people wearing green on Saturday, coming back into town from the state volleyball tournament just in time for the St. Patrick's Day parade.

Blue + yellow = green

HAPPY PI DAY

I'm still kicked off the Internet, but I'm stopping in (somehow) to wish you a HAPPY PI DAY!

May you also have a HAPPY PIE WEEKEND!