JASON CANNON
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    • Awake and Sing!
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    • Chesapeake
    • A Clockwork Orange
    • The Comedy of Errors
    • Constellations
    • The Cottage
    • The Crucible
    • Dancing Lessons
    • Deck the Halls
    • The Diviners
    • Doublewide
    • Doubt: A Parable
    • The Dragon vs the Hiccups
    • Fools
    • Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
    • Gidion's Knot
    • Grace
    • Hamlet
    • Hand to God
    • How to Use a Knife
    • Imagination Adventures
    • Into the Woods
    • Joseph...Dreamcoat
    • Killer Joe
    • Last Rights
    • Lend Me a Tenor
    • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
    • Little Women the Musical
    • Love Song
    • The Marvelous Wonderettes
    • Measure for Measure
    • Million Dollar Quartet
    • Moonlight and Magnolias
    • My Name is Asher Lev
    • Noises Off
    • Old Enough to Know Better
    • Once
    • Other People's Money
    • Outlying Islands
    • Peter Pan
    • Peter Pan the Musical
    • Pinocchio
    • Rap-Punzel
    • Relativity
    • Robin Hood
    • Rumplestiltskin
    • Skin in Flames
    • Snow White
    • Stalking the Bogeyman
    • The Velveteen Rabbit
    • Way to Heaven
    • The Wizard of Oz
    • 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
    • Imaginary Theatre Company
    • Various FST Projects
    • Various Freelance Projects
    • Various University Projects
    • University of Missouri-St. Louis
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A key lime pie pilgrimage...

11/29/2018

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I moved to Florida almost exactly six years ago. Four years ago I was in a show, and the stage manager had a key lime tree in her back yard, and she would bequeath upon me BAGS and BAGS of fresh-from-the-tree key limes.

Obviously, I was morally obligated to turn such a treasure into pie. And discovered the best dessert ever anywhere for always and forever amen and hallelujah. 

So, just over two years ago, on my vacation through the Florida Keys, I embarked upon a key lime pie pilgrimage. I sampled seven different key lime pies in four days, asked probing questions, and just outside Mallory Square in Key West bought a cook book devoted to nothing but variations on key lime pie. I became a disciple. Nay, a prophet. Seriously. Ask anyone at work or in my family. They'll tell you.

The history of this sublime dessert is, like much of food history, a fascinating blend of opportunity, necessity, and ingenuity. It was the invention of sweetened condensed milk--meant to keep sailors and fishermen fed and calcified--that presented the opportunity. After devouring the contents, there was always leftover gooey goodness stuck to the insides of the can. Sailors would stuff shreds of leftover bread into the can, snatch a fresh egg from a nearby seabird nest, crack it in, squeeze the juice of the scurvy-battling and ubiquitous key limes over top, and leave that concoction out in the sun for a couple hours to, um, BAKE. And kaboom! Tart, sweet, custardy mouthparty.

Legend has it a certain "Aunt Sally" in the late 1800's on Key West codified this sailor concoction into an actual PIE, adding the graham cracker crust and whipped cream topping. Bless you, Aunt Sally. Bless you.

There are big-time debates still raging:  whipped cream vs. meringue, baked vs. no-baked, best crumbly crust component, etc. If you wade through my pie travelogue, your reward shall be my very own certified and approved basic key lime pie recipe, and perhaps I shall even reveal the secrets to my Jason Cannon-ized version... the Key Lime Colada Pie!

But first, the pilgrimage...
KEY LIME PIE #1, 7/31/16. Hobo's cafe on Key Largo. Whimsical, parfait presentation with the jar, and far less guilt when they tell you a portion of the pie proceeds go to a charity! The filling was well balanced with tart and sweet, but the graham crackers were simply crumbled and not baked with butter, thus no true crunch. But they graciously filled up my jar with another dosage of whipped cream once I was half way through. Bonus points for the little green key lime chocolate feet treats that go on top! Kept the jar.

KEY LIME PIE #2, 8/1/16. Mrs. Mac's Kitchen on Key Largo. Had this one for breakfast, yes, for BREAKFAST, after sleeping overnight in Key Largo, before zipping down to Key West. Funky Florida vibe. Had to let it soften a little--I'm sure I was the first to order it that day, it came straight from the deep freeze--but it was exactly what you think of when you think of key lime pie. No bells and whistles, perfect graham crust, but points off for canned cream. Whip it from scratch, it's not that hard! 

KEY LIME PIE #3, 8/1/16. Kermit's on Key West. Frozen pie on a stick! Dipped in chocolate. Was extra tart. My guess is they upped the lime quotient because of the extra sugar of the chocolate. Regardless... Fantastic. Front runner at this point.

KEY LIME PIE #4, 8/2/16. Blue Heaven on Key West. Abject silliness. The pie itself is good, not quite Kermit's good, and this experience confirmed that if forced to choose, I'm always gonna choose whipped cream over meringue. Holy fluffy gimmickry, Batman!

KEY LIME PIE #5, 8/2/16. The Key Lime and Coconut Factory on Key West. Waiting out some rain before a ghost tour. Limiest flavor thus far, and most "corporate" if that makes sense. But I powered through. Somehow.

KEY LIME PIE #6, 8/3/16. Hogfish Bar and Grill, on Key West. Yes, the hogfish sandwich is epic, but let's talk about this pie. Hogfish did a niiiiice presentation--notice there is no skimping on the whipped cream! BUT--they don't make the pie in-house, they get it from Key West Key Lime Pie Company. Not Shoppe, not Factory, but Company. And it was the best. An extra egg yolk or splash of lime juice or other magic juju resulted in the lightest of textures, and some devilish chef gleefully spiked the crust with cinnamon! Gah! 

KEY LIME PIE #7, 8/4/16. Green Turtle Inn on Islamorada. Almost a cheesecake texture, lighter on the lime but delightful with the berries, cream, and sauce. Most interesting variation was the macadamia and crispy rice crust. I like more tooth in my crust, 'twas a touch too soft, but the saltiness of the nuts was intriguing for sure!

Thus endeth the tour. And now, the payoff...
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Hobos' Cafe
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Mrs. Mac's Kitchen
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Kermit's
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Blue Heaven
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Key Lime and Coconut Company
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Hogfish Bar and Grill
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Green Turtle Inn
FLAWLESS KEY LIME PIE
This is for a 9-inch pie. Tips and tricks included.
CRUST
  • 10 Graham crackers, pulverized into crumbs, NOT a powder. Food pro works well. Or work out some aggression with a rolling pin. Add more crackers if you want a thicker crust. Easy place to play with flavors:  there are honey grahams, cinnamon grahams, chocolate grahams, they all work perfectly well. I know, I've checked. Heck, you can even use gluten-free grahams!
  • 1/3 c melted butter. Most recipes will call for a full 1/2 c, but I just find that overkill. I wanna taste lime over cow, and there's enough dairy coming up. WARNING! If you do go gluten-free with the grahams, bump the butter down another tablespoon. Trust me on this. Gluten-free grahams bake differently, take moisture differently, and if your crust is too glisteny-buttery-wet when you pour in your filling you'll end up with a trifle rather than a pie. I totally still ate that trifle, scooped it into highball glasses and went to town, but only after shedding copious tears.
  • pinch of salt.
  • about 1/8 c sugar. I go turbinado. This helps off-set the lower butter quotient, as it's the butter and sugar that "glue" your crust together.
  • Mix all this stuff together, press it into your pie pan, bake it at 350 for 10 minutes. If you have the time/patience, let it cool for a few minutes after taking it out, that allows the "glue" to harden a bit, and you end up doing a sneaky "double-bake" on the crust, resulting in extra crunch and totally avoiding any trifle-highball mishaps. You're welcome.

​FILLING
  • 4 eggs yolks. Use the whites for a healthy omelet later or something. WARNING! If you go the no-bake route, for the love of all that's holy please use pasteurized eggs. If you go the bake route, use whatever eggs you want. Just preferably cage-free. 
  • 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk. I like Eagle Brand the best.
  • 1/2 c key lime juice, but don't be bashful, you can splash in a little extra to taste without compromising structural integrity. I've found that simply juicing the entire regular-sized bag that crops up at Whole Foods and Publix when in season nets you the perfect amount of juice. Obviously nothing beats the real thing, but if you gotta go bottled, go with Nellie and Joe's. It's legit. 
  • 1 T key lime zest.
  • a splash of good vanilla extract. Most recipes omit this, and don't overdo it, but yeah. 
  • Using either a hand mixer or your fancy KitchenAid stand mixer (mine is red!), sprinkle the zest into the yolks and beat the living heck out of 'em for like 15 or 20 seconds. Add the sweetened condensed milk, beat it again, but more gently. Sing it a song.  Add half the juice, and keep on gently beating. If you look closely, you'll see the acid in the juice start to "cook" the egg-milk mixture. Like ceviche. Chemistry! Add the rest of the juice and the vanilla and beat one more time. Pour this dreamy concoction into your baked (and cooled??) pie shell. Give it a couple love taps on the counter to release air bubbles.
  • NOW! If you go no-bake, stick this sucker in the fridge for a few hours, or for as long as you can stand it. Overnight is fine. If you go the bake route, pop it back in at 350 for another 10-12 minutes. My preference? Baked. I just prefer the slightly firmer consistency and thicker texture, closer to custard, whereas the no-bake can gravitate towards pudding. And baked holds up better to traveling to grandmother's house and sitting out on the dessert table. Not that it lasts long...
  • You don't need me to teach you how to make whipped cream or meringue. Just make sure to finish off your pie with something white and fluffy!

NEXT LEVEL ALCHEMY
  • Crusts. You can sub in all sorts of things that crumble. Oreos. Pretzels. Nuts. Nutter Butters. Ginger snaps. Go crazy.
  • If perchance key limes or key lime juice aren't available, here's your hack:  equal parts Persian lime juice (the typical lime in your market) and lemon juice. That's right, you just pull a Sprite! The combo of lemon-Persian lime eerily mimics the key lime. No one will know but you and me. 
  • Dreamsicle! This is my father's favorite. Sub in sour orange juice for the key lime juice, go just a touch heavier on the vanilla extract, and oh my lordy it's like you're 11 years old getting all sticky on those orange push-up novelties from the neighborhood ice cream truck.
  • While the basic pie above will never do you wrong, it is also surprisingly facile. I've done salted caramel with a pretzel crust, mocha swirl, blueberry meringue...
  • But my signature version is the Key Lime Colada Pie, which I invented shortly after returning from the Keys. Oh. My Goodness. And if you really thought I was gonna divulge those specific details... well, let's just say I take that basic pie and refract it through boozy pineapple in three distinct ways. Cue the steel drums and tiny umbrellas.
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Disclosing my ballot for the 2018 midterms...

11/28/2018

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I share this as an exercise in citizenship, and to solicit further information. I’ve done my share of reading and research, but there’s always more to the story, and if anyone out there—in the spirit of sincere debate and truth-seeking—wants to fill in my gaps, I welcome that. I do not welcome ideological foot-stomping or mouth-frothing.

I share also on the off-chance someone out there hasn’t had the opportunity to fully ponder the wide and confusing array of amendments and nominees on Tuesday’s ballot. In which case I hope my disclosure is informative and provocative in a constructive way.

In no way am I insisting this is the exclusively correct way to vote. And I will own any instances of inconsistency in my thought. Humans are infinitely capable of mental, emotional, and moral gymnastics. I do my best to pull myself out of ideology and into thoughtful reflection, but I know I’ll never perfect that skill. Doesn’t mean I’ll give up trying, though.

PERSONAL CONTEXT
I’ve not ever been a card-carrying member of any particular party. I have backed candidates from multiple parties throughout my voting history. I have never believed in “perfect candidates,” especially in a two-party system. They simply don’t exist. I am consistently frustrated by the failure of the Democratic party to reject the false luxury of “ideological purity,” cutting off their noses to spite their faces. The time to hold your party and your candidate to account is during the primary. Likewise I am beyond appalled at the transparent hypocrisy of the modern-day Republican party, their complete abdication of decency, consistency, kindness, and humanity.

I also in no way subscribe to false equivalency, either in the media or in governmental practice. If 2016 has taught us nothing else, it’s that in spite of the similarities of how the two parties often conduct business and bend to big money, there are vast differences in philosophy and policy that do indeed manifest when one party controls all three branches of our government. I would like to believe that people who utterly disagree about the role of government can still have respectful and fruitful discussions about the most effective way for government to fulfill its obligations to the citizenry. Likewise, any candidate who speaks in terms of their opponents or the press being “enemies” has immediately eliminated themselves from my consideration. When politics becomes a zero-sum game, you have put power ahead of people, and have abdicated your responsibility to the long-term health of your country.

SARASOTA CITY COUNTY AMENDMENT
Change the date. Absolutely YES. Will save real tax dollars, and guaranteed to increase voter turnout for these key local elections. Supported by a dizzying array of groups from all sides of the political spectrum.

SARASOTA COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENTS
--Legacy Trail Extension (Resolution 2018-046): Yes.
--Citizen Petition Process (Ordinance 2018-039):  NO. If this were a sincere suggestion, I would be more open to considering it. But it appears to be more of a knee-jerk power grab by the City Commission, in response to the Sarasota City Charter Amendment getting on the ballot via petition, after the Commission had previously rejected it in a referendum. This makes me doubt the intention of this amendment.
—Charter Review Board Date (Ordinance 2018-039): Yes. Again, this will increase input from voters on important local issues.
—Beach Road (Ordinance 2018-036): Absolutely NO. This is a single citizen’s personal vendetta, basically, and he waged an incredibly misleading campaign. The road is already public, and it’s actually quite a positive in my mind that it is closed to vehicular traffic. It’s also short-sighted. Situations evolve, the needs of the community may change, and it’s non-sensical to include language like “never vacate in the future.”
—Preserving Property (Ordinance 2018-036): No. Misleading language. “Preserving” here is not used in the environmental sense. Like Beach Road, this simply ties the hands of the county in perpetuity, for no real beneficial gain for the community at large.
—Single Member Districts (Ordinance 2018-037):  I have gone back and forth on this, but ultimately I land on NO. When representation gets broken down into overly specialized areas, special interests can take control. We see this in the US House already. I also like the idea that the commissioners must make their case to ALL of Sarasota, rather than just to a couple neighborhoods, and that voters have voting power over ALL the commissioners rather than just one. I want commissioners accountable to ALL of us. The arguments about the cost of campaigning are compelling, but I think that should be addressed in campaign reform rather than limiting voices and accountability.

FLORIDA AMENDMENTS
Disclaimer—I am philosophically opposed to the “bundled” amendments. And I also view constitutions more as frameworks, separate from legislation. A useful metaphor: constitutions are the empty house, and legislation is the furniture, appliances, wall hangings, and landscaping. So amendments that get too specific and start to smack of legislation I am usually very hesitant to support.
1: Homestead. NO. Doesn’t benefit enough of the citizenry, will cause real financial hardship to city and county governments.
2: Property Tax Assessments. NO. Stuff like this should happen through legislation. This proposed amendment even comes from the legislature, so my suspicions on the intentions of this one are high.
3: Voter Control of Gambling. NO. And I’m quite adamant on this NO. I’m actually stunned the Democratic ballot guideline suggests Yes on this. Here’s all you need to know:  Disney and the already established big casinos are pouring millions of dollars into passing this one. So what does that tell you? All the gods protect us should large corporations be empowered to rewrite the constitution in ways that squelch competition. That’s entirely counter to our American narrative, isn’t it? Even more, the language of this amendment is intentionally misleading. This is NOT voter control of gambling, because it would require STATEWIDE citizen support of ANOTHER amendment to get another casino open. This completely eliminates LOCAL control, and places HUGE financial and logistical burdens on the voters it purports to empower. Why should folks in the panhandle get to vote on whether folks in Miami or Ft Myers open a casino, or vice versa?
4: Voting Restoration. This is a big big big YES for me. I searched a lot to find any compelling reason to vote against this one. I found none. Voting is a fundamental right. Punishment should not exceed the length of one’s sentence. Frankly, any legislation that seeks to make voting MORE difficult comes under immediate suspicion for me.
5: Supermajority. This is a disappointed NO for me. I like the part of this that makes any new tax or fee required to be a stand-alone bill instead of bundled into other bills. But how ironic that this provision is bundled in with a proven non-starter in the supermajority tax vote. Once again, tying the hands of our representatives makes them LESS responsive and LESS accountable. The time to hold them accountable for their votes is when WE get to vote on THEM. Any amendment or bill that protects the power of those in power, to me, is incredibly suspect. I don’t want to give our representatives more excuses or avenues of escape from accountability, and a supermajority requirement creates both.
6:  Right of crime victims/judges. NO. These bundles from the Constitution Revision Commission are mostly, to put it bluntly, dumpster fires. Some of what is in here is worthy of debate, but putting all these disparate things together is simply undemocratic and smacks of the worst sort of shell game politics.
7:  Survivor Benefits and Public Colleges???  NO. A ridiculous bundle, including another short-sighted, power-hoarding supermajority requirement.
8:  Struck from the ballot. For being another stupid bundle.
9:  No. This goes back to my preference for legislation on interpretive issues and for not bundling disparate things together. I don’t vape and I’m not fond of it, but there’s no reason for that to be a constitutional issue. I’m also all for addressing oil and gas drilling, but the constitution needs to set Florida’s philosophical point of view, and then responsible legislation needs to be crafted, and we need to hold our representatives accountable for that.
10. No. Another mind-boggling bundle, that also limits local control and situational reactivity.
11. Yes. Shockingly, yes. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. The Constitution Revision Commission actually bundled three wildly disparate things that all make sense unto themselves, so I’m voting yes here because the exception proves the rule.
12. Yes. Not a bundle, all of these things go together, and while it’s a lot, I think overall it’s a step in the right direction towards subverting the power of lobbyists.
13. Yes. This one goes to who we are as Floridians. There’s no “trickeration” here; the language the “no” lobbyists are pretending to be worried about is already in the constitution and hasn’t yet been able to be abused or wielded as a cudgel by those scary animal lovers. I’m happy to get into a discussion about conflicting incentives here; it’s endlessly fascinating in terms of human behavior and morality. But even though this one sorta straddles the line between constitutional framework and legislative specificity, it’s beyond time for us to believe the market trends here and also to simply evolve as humans.

NOMINEES
I have never voted a straight-party ticket. But that is changing for this election. Republicans, I don’t doubt many of you feel like your party has left you. But if your candidate has not in some way proven their integrity by denouncing or resisting the objectively immoral narcissist that now leads your party, then they no longer represent you, and this is your time to step forward and demand better. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the way to reclaim control of your party is to strip imposters or spineless sycophants of their office and then run legitimate candidates in the next cycle. If there were legitimate Republicans on my Florida ballot, I would consider them in true contrast to the Democratic nominees, weighing their policy positions. Based on my research, I am prepared, for the first time in my life, to go straight Democrat down my ballot on Tuesday.

KEY OFFICES:
US Senator:  Nelson. Note, this is as much a vote AGAINST Scott. Especially with Rubio already as Florida’s other Senator, this one is important. To my mind, Scott has proven himself willing to harm his constituents in order to enrich himself, his special interests, and his political ambitions.

US Representative:  Shapiro. Buchanan has not demonstrated philosophical integrity or representation of his full constituency. I will hold Shapiro to that same standard.
​

Governor:  GILLUM. And this one I’m actually excited to vote for. And DeSantis, throughout this campaign and the debates, has revealed himself utterly unready and unfit for this office.
Florida House District 72: Margaret Good.

Lengthy, I know. If you made it this far, the falcon flies west at midnight. 🙂

Go vote on Tuesday! It matters. It not only changes your community and your country, it changes YOU.
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Monday Musing, 11/27/18

11/27/2018

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​Hello Apprentices…
 
A Tuesday Monday Musing. Cool cool.
 
Two intertwined reflections on pathways.
 
The only way to expertise is repetition. The ONLY way to expertise is repetition. The only way to expertise is REPETITION.
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As Bruce Lee said:  “I do not fear the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks one time.  I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
 
This is the essence of expertise. Of mastery. Of rehearsal. Of effective replication of performance.
 
There may not be a lot of difference between your 1000th kick and your 1001st kick, but there will be a world of difference between your 1001st kick and your 7854th kick.
 
At the same time, the only arbiter of “real artist”, or “good artist”, is YOU. But note this:  being a good artist does not instantly mean all of your art is effective. Recognizing repetition as the pathway to expertise keeps you humble, keeps you working, keeps you focused outwardly, because note how in the attached jpg the essence of our art is in the emotional response of the audience. Do not seek their praise. Seek their catharsis. Their praise is fleeting. Their catharsis fundamentally alters how they interact with the world.
 
Get back to kickin’. ​
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EXCERPTS, with Thanks and Apologies...

11/27/2018

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Shakespeare was not only a brilliant artist, he was an equally brilliant, ahem, “borrower” of other writers’ ideas. So, to continue our evening of emulating the Bard, who never hesitated to snatch from other sources a character or plot device that caught his eye, I hereby present a little “found text” poem that I am calling, briefly:  EXCERPTS, with Thanks and Apologies to William Shakespeare, Bansky, Stella Adler, Thornton Wilder, Pablo Picasso, Thomas Merton, Andy Warhol, Chuck Klosterman, Jeremy McCarter, Natasha Tsakos, and Lady Gaga.
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FST Shakespeare Shindig, 2/26/18
O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend 
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
         But pardon, and gentles all,
The flat upraised spirits that have dared
On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth
So great an object.


The Magician makes the visible, invisible.
The Scientist makes the invisible, visible.
The Artist stands in between, indivisible.


Or put another way….

When you make music or write or create, it's really your job to have mind-blowing, irresponsible, condomless sex with whatever idea it is you're writing about at the time.

Because…

Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.

Therefore…

Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.

And why make art?...

Because art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.

Because art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

Because when life beats you down and crushes your soul, art reminds you that you have one.

Because art and love are the same thing:  It’s the process of seeing yourself in things that are not you.

So…
​

Keep that in mind the next time you go to the theater. The theatre… which is the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being. Some gifted men and women have built a community in that room, and the immigrant is you. ​
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Volunteer Appreciation, 4/11/17

11/27/2018

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An excerpt from a speech at a luncheon honoring FST's ushers and volunteers...

But here’s the thing, and this is the real reason we are breaking bread together today. None of these shows would have achieved their effectiveness and success and impact… without all of you. As the director of all those shows, I’ve been in and out of our venues and lobbies, I’ve shook many of your hands, and shared quick stories and even hugs. From you I’ve gotten feedback on the work, and direct accounts of audience response. But I’ve also seen first-hand how deeply interwoven you are not just into our culture, but into our art. 


Let me be clear. I talk at length about the importance of customer service with our apprentices and interns, because the patron’s experience doesn’t begin when the lights go down. The patron’s experience of our art begins… the moment they find parking. Actually, even before that, when they call or visit our box office. And every interaction a patron has with FST staff and volunteers has a direct impact on their experience of the art. If a box office worker is rude, or a house manager is indifferent, or a bartender skimps on the liquor, or an usher is cold… the patron views the art through a biased lens. The impact of the art—which is the whole reason for FST’s existence—is directly affected by the collective energy created by every interaction a patron has with us on the phone, at the box office, at the bar, in the lobby, and—LASTLY—in the theatre itself.

You… are part of the art. You are part of the experience. And I’ve seen you all in action enough to know:  that our art is better for who you are and how you treat our patrons. Many of you are patrons yourselves, of course, so I’m not telling you anything you don’t know. But please know that WE know, that I recognize, that no matter how brilliant I may be in rehearsal, and no matter how skilled our actors may be on stage, if the patron isn’t treated with respect and joy BEFORE the show, then they are not going to have a truly meaningful experience DURING the show. You set the stage. You make me look good. You make our actors appear even more compelling. You prepare the patron to RECEIVE the art. You are not separate from FST’s work or some mere addendum. You are integral to the work, the art, and the mission. 
​

And beyond this present day, you are impacting the FUTURE of theatre. You set such incredible examples for our interns and apprentices. You show them how to love the patron. You fill familial and emotional gaps in them that I, as a supervisor and consistently buried in rehearsal, often times am unable to fill. You remind them who they are doing their art FOR. Because art is not meant for the artist. Art serves the audience, and that relationship creates an experience that encompasses the community rather than just the individual. And that is why theatre and art are not frivolous, but vital.

You… are vital. And this luncheon today merely scratches the surface of how much we appreciate, emulate, and owe you. Truly, you are FST collaborators, shaping life-changing experiences for our audience.

From the bottom of my artistic heart, and on behalf of all the staff and interns and apprentices of FST, I say… THANK YOU.
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Volunteer Luncheon, 4/26/18

11/27/2018

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An excerpt from a speech at a luncheon honoring FST's ushers and volunteers...

Picking up after asking everyone to raise their hands for the various shows they had seen that FST had produced that season...

But seriously… all of those raised hands. Each of those hands represented a very real donation of time, energy, and attention. Every single raised hand reflected a commitment, a gift, a generosity that you all infused not only into the audience… but into the art on our various stages.
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All those hands. So many of you give so much of yourselves that you forced us to find new ways to recognize you. Like this year with the new Diamond Club. A dozen of you eclipsed the 100 hour mark. That is sincerely flabbergasting. Your generosity has literally changed how we can effectively measure your generosity.

All those hands. Hands that are integral to the art. Not just because you put them in the air, but because you use those hands to take and scan tickets. To distribute playbills. To move walkers and wheelchairs. To shake other hands in greeting. To point the way. To help the patron rise. To collect those same playbills, and to wave a fond farewell. Those hands give so much, and it is this giving that transforms you from mere volunteers into co-conspirators with the entire artistic team at FST. 

Playwrights give the play away to the director. Directors give the play away to the actors. Actors give the play away to the audience. Theatre by its very nature is an exercise in releasing ego, in giving away what is most precious and meaningful. And you all give away one of your most precious and meaningful resources… your TIME. And you do it with such grace and kindness and joy… you truly give not just your time but pieces of your SELVES. You prepare the audience to receive the gifts we are trying to give. You are not outside the art. You are part of the art. You are not ancillary to the audience’s experience. You are part of their experience. And I’ve seen you all in action enough to know… that our art is better for who you are and how you treat our patrons.

You and your hands… are vital to FST.

From the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of the entire FST family, of which I hope you know you are a beloved part, I say… THANK YOU.
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Monday Musing, 9/10/18

11/27/2018

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Hello Apprentices--​

Each Monday, you will receive a “Musing” from me.

These will be quotes, stories, thought-provoking ideas about theatre, acting, and artistry.

They are not meant to be the entire truth unto themselves. They are not meant to be rules, or in any way construed that I am telling you the one right and only true path. 
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They are meant to provoke. To inspire. To cause divine discontent and consternation. To simply make you think and feel more deeply about this art form and this business that you are exploring.

Let’s start with Stella Adler, who reaffirms what Caroline and I have been telling you for the last week:  that this is gonna be HARD. Fun, and fulfilling, and all the good fuzzy things too. But HARD. Difficult. Meaningful BECAUSE it’s difficult.
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Monday Musing, 9/17/18

11/27/2018

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Hello Apprentices--​

A couple little cookies/musings for your Monday.

The ADVENTURE one I find quite apropos as you all are embarking on rehearsals that specifically explore adventure. And think of any plot… how boring would a play be if everything simply went right for the characters? Same thing for you in rehearsal. Rehearsal is the place to risk, to look silly, to fall on your face, to embrace every opportunity to do it “wrong” so that you are one step closer to finding a glorious and effective way to wallop the audience with a choice or emotion. Don’t come in to rehearsal hoping to just get it “right” right away. Don’t be content with just the first, easiest, or even an early cool option. Go on the adventure. 
The O’Connor quote vibrates in a similar way. Use rehearsal to explore and figure out the character, story, and emotions. You won’t know what to do until you experiment and dive deep and try it and try it and try it again. You won’t know what you’re REALLY trying to say until you hear yourself say it. This is actually the essence of humility and artistry:  to honor the work in yourself, not yourself in the work.
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Monday Musing, 9/24/18

11/27/2018

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Apprentices--​

Give this jpg quote a look.

And during a walk or meal or moment of repose, chew on the following…

As the season spins up…
As rehearsals demand more of you, and tire you out…
As homesickness may start to set in…
As the steep learning curves of Tessitura and House Management and all other secondaries challenge your desire for instant gratification…
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As seemingly menial things like laundry and going to the grocery store and organizing the bazillion tickets for our patrons grind your patience…

…remember WHY we do what we do.

Cling to the commitment to simply move forward, at least a little bit, day by day, trusting that the BIG discoveries will manifest when the time is right and you are ready.

Re-invest in the never-ending work of CHANGING PEOPLE. Events are beyond us. People will always be before us. And they come to us, in our theatres, to be reminded why they do what THEY do. To be refreshed in their commitment to moving forward. To find the strength to re-invest in the daily things they do to also change the world by changing each person just a little bit at a time.
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Monday Musing, 10/1/18

11/27/2018

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Hello Apprentices!​

My encouragement to you this week, as we open Snow White, tech and open Unchained Melodies, and hurtle towards tech for Peter Pan, is to ponder the idea of DISCIPLINE.

The two graphics attached offer some insight into that term. Or better yet, that exercise. That intention. That daily process.

Two other definitions I really like are:

Discipline is the art of being prepared.

And--

Discipline is simply remembering what it is you truly want.

For if you focus on what you want—and I mean truly focus—then you will instinctively start to prioritize, and all the little distractions (ahem, facebook, ahem ahem) will fall away (and lordy I am just as guilty). Or at least have a quieter voice in your daily assessment of what it is you want to achieve.

How can you apply discipline to everything you want, and to everything you are already doing?
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    The serious theatre artist hard at work, trying to please his caffeinated canine copy editor...

    Author

    Theatre pro, amateur yogi, and competent home cook.

    Adoring boyfriend to Marvel Universe-loving girlfriend.

    Runner of half-marathons and daddy to awesome silly Rottweiler.

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    Lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan and addicted to the Gulf Coast sand, surf, salt, and sunsets (see above!).

    Open to clarification, correction, and commentary. Ideologues discouraged.

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