I learned a lot about Shakespeare this year and did a number of shows that were either Shakespeare or Shakespeare related. I learned that, like almost everything in life, Shakespeare looks different through the lens of parenthood.

In 2015, my husband and I did shows about clowning, justice, forgiveness, and new beginnings. We brought our child with us to several theatrical endeavors and were blown away by how receptive our arts community was to having him around.

I learned it is harder to memorize now that I’m running on even less sleep and am constantly monitoring the health and well being of another human, but that I’ve still got it when I need it. I’m building back up my memorization muscles the way I’m starting to build back my physical muscles and I haven’t lost the confidence in my vocation as an artist just because it is now being shared with my vocation as a mother.

I had a blast, met new people, rejoiced in reconnecting with previous collaborators, and told some really beautiful stories. Bardolatry: HUGE success. We’re not sure what’s next in this area of life, but we know it’s never going to completely go away so we aren’t worried if next year the volume of theatrical endeavors is less or if we need a break from time to time. Ebbs and flows with Shakespeare and other similar work just seem to make us even fonder of the work we do.

In a reflection that one of my mom friends shared today, it talked about how true feasting and celebration puts you in a moment were time seems to stop, where it’s hard to tell how much time has passed because you are just busy living and loving and celebrating. That’s how I feel during the best moments with my son, and that’s how I feel during most rehearsals on a show I truly love working with people that inspire me. I’m so thankful for the opportunities we’ve had this year and so excited to continue to support and participate in the arts scene here in Phoenix.