Still a Storyteller: Thoughts on Returning to the Stage after a Long Break…

I opened a show this past Friday! If you are in the Phoenix area, it runs one more weekend and you can get tickets to see it HERE. It has been almost 2 years since the last time I was onstage. And while I directed a non-Shakespeare show in 2019, I think the last time I ACTED in a non-Shakespeare play was before I became a mom (when I was pregnant with my first)! So QUITE a long time. It has been so exciting to be part of the process of bringing a new play to life and to work with so many wonderful people again, but it has also been a bit of a roller coaster! Continue reading

Just Being is Inspiring

I mentioned in my reflection on 31 days of hiking that the whole experience provoked a TON of thoughts that I wanted to write about eventually… today’s post is one of those I have been drafting for a long time. Some weeks the post just writes itself over the weekend and is ready to post early the next week. Other posts, like this one, sit in drafts for weeks or even months. In both categories, I’ve had posts that feel deeply uncomfortable to actually hit PUBLISH on, but those are usually the ones that end up resonating the most so here we go… Continue reading

Much Ado About Directing Much Ado

I have had the joy of spending most of the past month co-directing Much Ado About Nothing with my husband. As we move toward tech week and opening night, I wanted to share a few things about what it’s been like to direct this play, in this time, particularly with someone I love so much by my side for the process. Continue reading

I’m Back! August goals and re-capping my July break…

Hello readers! I know it’s been a while and I realized I forgot to mention in my last post that I would be taking my annual mid-year blog break to enjoy some rest and recharge and think about what kind of content I want to write about the second half of the year. (Plus, with all the travel we did last month, I’m not sure how much writing I would have done anyway!) Continue reading

C is for Community…

I wrote recently about my love for fall and my gratitude that a rough summer was coming to a close. I had some idea of how isolating being so sick this summer made me, but now that I get a few days each week where I feel human again and can make it out of the house or actually cross stuff of my to-do list, it is throwing into sharp contrast how lonely I really was. Continue reading

Happy (belated) Birthday Shakespeare!

It’s no secret that I’m a Shakespeare devotee and this has been going around Facebook among my fellow Shakespearean practitioners so I thought I’d torture myself by trying to pick favorites even though it is kind of impossible to do so. Ask me again next week and many of these answers will change… Continue reading

Macbeth: Creating some creepy times

So today’s blog post is a bit of a cheat because it’s where I send you all over to look at the blog post on Class6’s blog about my history with the company and a bit about our production of Macbeth. Before I add the link I wanted to briefly add that it has been so good for me to jump in as an actor again on a full length production (Lunch Time Theater shows have been lovely and Miscast was a blast but those are so different than a full rehearsal process for a full length play!) This is not a traditional Macbeth and each person in the 7 person ensemble is integral in creating the world of the play within the conceptual world of the asylum. I hope anyone in the Phoenix area will decide to spend 90ish minutes with us and check it out but be aware it is Macbeth which means Shakespearean tragedy which means some dark themes and this production does not shy away from some disturbing moments.

Without further ado, here’s the link to check out aforementioned blog post:
http://class6theatre.blogspot.com/2016/03/meet-cast-of-macbeth-amanda-noel.html

 

PS: odds of another post before we open are slim… very VERY slim.