No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on March 26, 2017

Or rather my lungs right now seem to want to come up my windpipe. I started this cough a couple of days ago and suppressed it with cough meds and drops so I could run the show. Last night was a bit of a challenge but I made it through to awake with a pounding head and a cough that just won’t quit.

My brackets are broken beyond repair. A number of interesting games in the tourney but the only team I have left is North Carolina. I would find it amusing if North Caroline plays South Caroline because of 1776.

Baseball starts soon. The preseason games have been interesting enough but it’s time to really play baseball.

I feel like a run down battery. I have no strength today.

In the women’s tourney, I think that an UConn vs. Notre Dame game would be an interesting one for the final 4. UConn is probably going to go all the way yet again.

Caroline and I had fun working on Footloose together. I was surprised that I got called out for special thanks for running the sound board.

Yes, I have seen the new Justice League trailer. Apparently November is turning into are you a Marvel Fan or a DC Fan since Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League both open in November. Looking forward to Wonder Woman and Aquaman. And of course Guardians vol. 2.

There are a lot of cars on our street today. I don’t think we have a parade or arts festival in the village. The fun run was last weekend and we aren’t to Memorial Day yet. So I guess it is someone’s birthday or other form of family celebration.

We were thinking of going to see Kong but I don’t think we are up for it. I am thinking more put on Fantastic Beasts and kick back kind of day.

I am very tired of coughing to the point that my ribs hurt. It is possible to pull a muscle coughing which makes it that much harder. I am also tired of the taste of menthol in my mouth from all the cough drops I am sucking on.

Quiet day at home is in order. Caroline declared it a jammie day so she is going to be wearing her PJs all day.

Inky and Fig, our cats, have given up the pretense that they don’t get along. They have been curling up with each other to sleep. There is still some cat fighting but over all they have gotten to be friends.

I see a cup of hot tea in my very near future.

I have the last of the War Doctor audio plays. It was one of the last things that John Hurt recorded. It is very good but I am going to be sad when I get to the end of it because that will be the end of the War Doctor as played by John Hurt.

I’m not much for grammar today.

And it is apparent someone is moving today from the house that is really a series of apartments.

At least Caroline is coughing less. She still has glitter in her hair from last night.

The WGA is informing their members that a strike might be in the offing over some rather complex but important issues like health care costs, digital streaming revenues, and how people are paid for the work they are doing. The SAG contract is up as of the end of June and currently is on strike against video game companies over compensation and working conditions for both vocal and motion capture actors. I still belong to Actor’s Equity so I do have a horse in this race too.

Peter was a good husband and went off to do the grocery shopping that had to be done today so I don’t have to cough my way through the store. I love him so much for so many reasons.

Off to make tea with a little honey in it. *cough cough*

I am grateful that Caroline and I got to do a show together.

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Posted By Kathleen David on March 25, 2017

A number of months ago at a Parent’s Meeting for this year’s Middle School play, I said, “If you want, I’ll operate sound.”

This week, as they say, “The Bill comes due.”

Sound was one of my fall back jobs when I couldn’t find stage management work. I am good at it too. I have a good ear and very long fingers. There was one project I operated sound on that the designer made me swear that I would show up unless I was dead because the soundscape that she created could only be run by me. At that point she couldn’t figure out how I could get everything running and timing out perfectly. It’s a knack and I had it.

So I find myself behind a soundboard for the first time in a long time.

(For the VI: This is a soundboard with a script on the right half.)

Parts of the job are like riding a bike and other parts felt very rusty. So I have been spending the week getting to know the show and my board.

There was a first for me in all this. First time I put a wireless mic on my daughter.

(for the VI: This is a photo of Caroline in profile. She has a wireless microphone taped to her face. She is wearing a brown shirt and her brown hair is up in a bun)

We had our final dress on Thursday. This is my view of the show. My microphone plot is on the left and my script on the right. We had a couple of mics that had to be passed around a bit which made sound even more interesting.

(for the VI:the sound board with the mic tracking sheet on the left and script on the right. The kids are on stage in the far background)

After three months of work on the casts part and a week of work for me, we finally get to opening night.

(For the VI: This is a photo from the back of the room showing the stage with the red curtains closed.)

Curtain Call. Caroline is the blob to the far left.

(for the VI: This is the cast of Footloose on stage during the bows. They are dressed in either church clothes or prom wear.)

So we did it. We got through the opening night. We have two shows today and then Footloose will become a memory. I have to say that I am very proud of these children and the dedication they have shown to this show. Special shout out to my assistant Kevin who has been on top of things from the beginning so I know that if I tell him I need ‘x’ done, it will get done.

I am grateful I could share this experience with my daughter.

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Posted By Kathleen David on March 22, 2017

I had a couple of topics that I worked out in my head at 3 AM but went to sleep and forgot what I was going to write. The one that stayed is something rather delicate so I decided to not write about that.

As one gets older, one starts to question what is going on in their brain every time they have an absent minded moment. We hear a lot about various brain problems later in life and wonder each time if we are sliding into Alzheimer’s or Dementia or some new form of our brain slipping away from us.

I can get distracted in my thoughts by something I see or hear and then I have to walk it back to remember why I went into the kitchen or whatever room I find myself in.

Right now my head is wrapped up in running sound for Footloose. We have some microphone problems that are being sorted out. I have a plan but now I need to revise it with the new data I received last night. This is where my head is going to be at for the next couple of days. I plan to take Sunday to reset and start up on things again on Monday.

I am not forgetting things as much as getting distracted by other things around me. Stress from various outside forces is not helping but I recognize that it exists and deal with it as I can.

My mind may not be as flexible as it was 30 years ago but it still works pretty doggone well. I still learn new things and retain what I have learned. I am still a good problem solver and the creative side is working just fine.

Still I have concerns about where my mind wanders to and where thoughts seem to vanish. I don’t think it is unhealthy to do so. I think it might be a bigger concern if I dismissed it out of hand.

I am grateful for thoughts that stick.

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Posted By Kathleen David on March 21, 2017

Today is World Puppetry Day where we take a moment to recognize the art and whimsy of puppets.

Puppets are important to me for many reasons. I have made life long friendships because of puppets. I have had some interesting adventures due to the puppets. Caroline owes her existence to a Klingon Puppet that Peter bought in an Art Show oh so many years ago.

I have enjoyed seeing a lot of different kinds of puppets and puppet performances. I am always amazed that what people can do with puppets.

I also have a lot of fun building them. I like watching people’s faces when they see a puppet that they like. I enjoy playing around with people with the puppets.

And I am pretty good at creating these puppets. I found a niche that works for me and I play in that sandbox for the most part.

I really think my calling is educating people about puppets and puppetry. I have done panels on the history of puppets, building puppets, and so you want to build a puppet. I will always treasure my time at the Center for Puppetry Arts working in the museum and everything I learned there.

So celebrate the puppets today! Think about your favorite puppet performance you have ever seen. About your favorite puppets. About when you first discovered puppetry.

I am grateful for all the people I have met because of puppets.

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Posted By Kathleen David on March 20, 2017

Yesterday I went to an artist’s brunch that a group of artists have been throwing for a while now. I joined the group last year. It is a big mix of people from all kinds of disciplines, which makes it even more interesting as we look and talk about each other’s work. Fired me up and got me to thinking about my art in a different way. I would publicly like to thank my gracious hosts for the lovely afternoon.

Today I am finishing up the sound paperwork for Footloose. I have my parameters and my script so I can see if I can sort out the puzzle of who gets a body mic when. That and we would like to get one monitor so that the kids can hear the music better. We have rehearsal this evening and every evening until we open on Friday.

Tomorrow will be the next thing on my list and so on and so forth until we get to Sunday where Footloose will be done and I can focus on other things like LunaCon and some private projects.

I am grateful for structure in its many forms.

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