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I especially admire simple language that is to the point. You are a great writer! And singer! And dancer! and everything else you did to make this such a great show. Krista

I can’t get the music out of my head. I’m almost normal, almost normal… I was wowed at how the whole play came together. The story line is descriptive of my age group and one can identify with it all too well. The music, acting, singing is wonderful. You’ve got a hit on your hands! Nancy

“The Only Way Out is Through” is wonderful, funny, touching, not to mention well performed and wonderfully written. Von

I loved your show yesterday…the performance was great – it was very tight. Scott

Thanks again for a memorable evening…you touched cords of pain and strength in us all. Fabulous. Barbara

I so enjoyed your and your co-star. You guys were great together and the music was so good and catchy. Cathy

I thoroughly enjoyed your play! The staging, lighting, music, lyrics were splendid! Carolyn

My husband…said he needed to take notes of your lines regarding “stuff”; I am the pack rat of the whole family so all the “dead peoples stuff” is part of my attic clutter.” Carol Anne

It was funny, poignant, true, and completely enjoyable. My admiration goes to both of you for telling such a real story. Margaret

You hit a chord in every woman at your show….good for you !! Sharon

I could really relate to what you were saying. It was funny, poignant, true, and completely enjoyable. My admiration goes to both of you for telling such a real story. Margaret

I just wanted to tell you how much I loved your show. You are really gifted. Your lyrics, melodies, acting, ideas, all are wonderful. And you and the other actress are quite a team! I am telling all my friends about it. Marjorie

You have a great production there. Joan

BAKING A MUSICAL FROM SCRATCH: Playwright and Producer’s diary

While I awaited the music—six to eight weeks–I thought I’d get me a director. I was fortunate to be able to hire Chrisse Roccaro. I was really excited to have someone with her experience and level head as director, not to mention being a female of a certain age….

By this time I’d pretty much decided to put the show into the Fertile Ground festival time slot. This would maximize my woefully inadequate publicity budget. (Yes that glorious grant check continued to shrink radically as I discovered I’d have to rent lights, a board, and come by a sound system. What was I thinking? Oh right—the Sellwood Lodge space was a bargain. But the list of what it didn’t include was growing. Then there were new sexy items like Insurance to think about…)

We held auditions for the other actress and cast Cindy Lyndin in the dual role of Laine/Dr. Dopfelganger (both the visiting friend and Shelley’s Therapist. I am playing the role of Shelley.) I was delighted at the turn-out for auditions; how interesting to be on the other side of the table. I really appreciated what the women who auditioned gave us. I had to chuckle at the surprise of actresses when they arrived to find saw a clump of middle-aged women waiting their turn. Not so many roles out there…

Music shot back at me from my far and oft-flung arranger. Someone else understood my ideas—always gratifying. As a Tech theatre-phobe I suddenly wished I’d paid attention to my many unfulfilling hours of tech work in college. Finally Dug Martell and I agreed upon one another.

An important and sometimes difficult part of production of my own work has always been to kick the writer out of rehearsals. This is a little tricky when she has been the whole shebang for so long. For one show, I had to get a little nasty with her and send her to wait in the car until rehearsal was over. Fortunately, at this point it was a little easier.

By now, a month into rehearsals for The Only Way Out is Through the playwright has been pretty securely dispatched. And once again—I am amazed how different my own writing looks from the standpoint of actress than writer. I have to get used to it, remind myself, discover it again and yes—work hard to memorize it. You’d think it would be easy to get those words into my head since they once came out of it. But, no.

Now, we’re rehearsing on a mostly-full set in my basement with a few twists and turns and of course not the sound we anticipate. We’re getting choreography from Kerris Cockrell—that’s exciting. Every day I think up something else new to do, in addition to learning my part, connecting with everyone in the production, finishing last week’s mess and keeping the rest of my life somewhat afloat. I’m almost getting used to this… Tickets

BAKING A MUSICAL FROM SCRATCH–Playwright and Producer’s diary

SO FIRST I WROTE A PLAY: Maybe it was a crazy idea—aren’t they all. But I wanted to see more people like me on the stage. After all, there are a lot of us: educated baby boomers. career-women, divorced-Moms who’ve been around a few blocks. We’re reborn into a midlife world that allows us to be ourselves—outside the noisy realm of desire, glitz, war, and TV drama. I know, we’ve been a whiny generation, taking our (huge) share, maybe more, of the music, social movement, news, advertising bucks, and soon, social security and medicare dollars. We’ve subjected everyone to our discoveries, our crises and yes ladies, even our menopause. And as a generation, we haven’t exactly lived up to our promise. But in a small way, in the woman’s way of unheralded everyday life and discovery, we are just getting started. And it can be so good, even stepping through the rubble of the last 50 years and the landmines of now. How do we get that onstage in a fun, watch-able way?

I worked with a friend who was good enough to come over almost every week and read through/talk through whatever I was thinking about. We improvised a little bit, we got goofy, we got personal. I felt obligated to have something ready to share with her each week and a little pressure never hurts.

PRODUCTION MONEY–YOWEE: Within the last couple of years I’ve produced three one-woman shows from my original writings to be performed by me at an inexpensive alternative theatre space. They were consuming and self-funded. It’s been lonely and nerve-wracking (albeit wonderful.) I didn’t want to do that again.

This time I had a two-woman idea and a generous production grant. I felt very fortunate and a little grand. After I deposited the check I admired it in my bank account for a few months. It seemed huge–thrice my previous budgets. I knew I would hire a Director—that’s a must. I’d also hire an Arranger. (I’ve written songs for years and I’ve written two musicals for student-production and I’ve never stuck to Finale (the musical notation program) long enough to eek out a semi-respectable score. Enough of music-in-my-head.)

The first check I wrote was going to be my single biggest expense—arranging the music. This major commitment would get me a highly accredited musician on my side, clever arrangements, a score and recorded tracks for performance. Suddenly, in an EXCEL flash, the whole grant was committed away plus about another 50%. I was the proof of Parkinson’s Second Law–on steroids: Expenditures rise to meet income–and then some.

But nobody likes talking about money. After all, the important part is

THE PLAY: I worked up a good reading and singing of the play with my friend. Based upon the comments we got from our band of trusted, theatre-going friends, I completely rewrote the play, just in time to hand it off to Tod Rainey, the arranger, that week. Stay tuned for Installment 2.

1/23/10 Yes, when the show is over I’ll be posting new material. I just can’t write other stuff while I’m doing this. Please understand and check in. If you’re in Portland–come to the show.

1/22/10 See what the audience is saying.

1/21/10
1/10/10 We’ve been hard at it and the Tech is mostly there! getting comfy on the set. We got an overture today! wow. Risers, chairs. Like a real theatre….

1/3/10 We loaded the show in the space. The lights are up. Tomorrow we’ll give her a workout.

12/29 Line of the day: “I don’t want my head in a vice or my ass in a girdle.”

12/26 Three more weeks. Terrifying and delightful all at the same time. Have you got your group together yet?

12/18 The new version of the music is on it’s way. can’t wait.

12/14 I’d better do this new choreography one more time before crashing or it’ll never stick in my tiny brain. But how exciting.

12/10  Tickets make GREAT Christmas and Chanukah presents. They always fit and the color is right. Fertile Ground Passes:   For $100 you can get into EVERYTHING that’s part of the festival. (My show opens before the Festival begins. If you buy a pass from me I’ll honor it on the opening weekend of The Only Way Out is Through–January 15, 16 or 17–and you can save your festival weekends for the other shows. GROUP OUTING? email me and I’ll help you plan.

12/05 We had our first session with Choreographer Kerris Cockrell Thursday and that was a lot of fun (with a few creaks in the knewws the next day.) It’s another wonderful hit of seeing something that has lived in my own head for months now take more shape in someone else’s and come alive. You’ll definitely want to come see us rock out to the X Song!

11/29 It’s interesting coming to understand my own play as an actor. I feel like I’m looking at a scene from another side of screen with a vague sense of deja vu. I’m glad for the experience.

11/21 playing in props and costumes and NEW PHOTOS!! Take a look. That’s my co-star Cindy Lyndin, who plays Dr. Dopfelganger and Laine and sings like an angel.

11/16 It’s great to be singing this stuff. I’m transitioning from playwright to actor. And man, memorizing isn’t like it used to be. Just because those words came out of my head doesn’t mean they go back in so easily.

11/13 I have two set-rooms set up in my basement for rehearsals. The Clackamas Women Lawyers are excited about their evening-to-be at the theatre. Wouldn’t your group like to come? email me–we’ll tawk.

11/6  This was a big week as we started blocking rehearsals and got a choreographer.   I’ve set up a mini-set in my basement and the props, they are a gatherin.  I even scored some pillows for seating. I still need more tho’.

10/27 I should have 3 pretty scores now it’s time to cleanup the website. Time to put on my waders…

10/25  Have you “fanned” at the FB fan page?  I’ve starting a discussion page on bringing your book group to the show in January.  This would be a great night out and it’s not too early to start getting on everyone’s calendar.  Special pricing for groups, meet the author (oo-wheee) and best of all–you don’t have to read a book!!! nochowfun@gmail.com–let’s talk.

10/22  Suddenly they’re words coming out of an actor’s mouth.  And songs too!