Our critically acclaimed run of Rajiv Joseph’s Gruesome Playground Injuries closed last night after eight-performances over two weeks.  I honestly can’t remember the last time, if ever, I was this entwined with a character, this invested in a role, this in love with the immediate creative team.  And so to be done feels like someone has ripped my heart out of my chest and left a gaping wound in its stead.  A tad dramatic?  Perhaps.  And yet, here I sit, marveling at the way the night air churns with this springtime thunderstorm, with an ache that has burrowed in and is taking no pains to ease.

Upon the start of rehearsal we created a little family – Director Natalie, Stage Manager Tamara, Adam, and I – to figure out the story of Doug and Kayleen. The intimacies we shared, the insecurities, the acceptance, the hilarity, the breaks spent piled on the sofa with each other – just a comfortable mess of limbs and laughter – all in service of figuring out the puzzle of these wounded people; it was exactly what I needed in my personal life exactly when I needed it.

To spend so much time together, to work so intensely for six weeks on creating a reality together, and to then just be done…it’s heartbreaking, really.  Being done – not spending my evenings with these lovely people – it just hurts.

And so tonight, I will let it be what it is.  And tomorrow… well, if this storm has any significance, tomorrow will dawn washed and more verdant.

Photos courtesy Justin D. Gallo Photography

In my last greenroom entry, I mentioned a little show I was rehearsing called Gruesome Playground Injuries. In it, I said about rehearsals, “…it already feels like the most important stagework I’ve ever done so far. And to stumble and search and love and thrill and ache alongside the most talented Adam Whisner is a gift.”

It has indeed been a profoundly moving process, and one that I am thrilled to finally get to share with you. We open this Friday and run for just eight performances over two short weeks. I can say this in all earnestness: this one is not to be missed. The script is brilliant, and I would recommend you see it no matter who was in it. I just get to be the lucky girl this time around.

What’s it about?
Gruesome Playground Injuries is the story of Doug and Kayleen, told over the course of 30 years between the ages of eight and 38. At times funny and sweet, at others heartbreaking, it’s an exploration of two lives and the pulsing connection between them, even when they’re apart.

Or, as the show’s official promo materials more succinctly state:

Gruesome Playground Injuries is a modern-day love story by Rajiv Joseph, United States Artists Rockefeller Fellow and Pulitzer Prize finalist (how does this guy not have a website?!), about the near-misses that pull us apart and the pain that keeps us together.

Who’s in it?
Featuring Leigha Horton and Adam Whisner
Written by Rajiv Joseph
Directed by Natalie Novacek
Presented by The Peanut Butter Factory

When is it?
Friday, March 23 – Monday, March 26
Thursday, March 29 – Sunday, April 1
All performances at 8 pm

Where is it?
Intermedia Arts
2822 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55408

How much?
All tickets $10, cash or check, available at the door

Photos courtesy Richard Fleischmann Photography

If it looks like I was rehearsing Gruesome Playground Injuries last evening without pants – yes, pantsless –  it’s because it was indeed a real possibility.  Last night remained fully clothed, but tonight – tonight is a different story.  As is tomorrow night.  And all rehearsal nights hereafter.

If I recall correctly, the least-clothed I’ve ever been on stage was in a slip.  So now, publicly dropping trou?  Practically begging the audience to examine my upper thighs under the glare of thousands of lumens?  This…this….hooooo boy…this is going to be painful.  But it’s supposed to be, and therefore so profoundly worth it.

We’ve only just begun rehearsals, and it already feels like the most important stagework I’ve ever done so far. And to stumble and search and love and thrill and ache alongside the most talented Adam Whisner is a gift.

…

A rising tide lifts all boats, no?  Let’s do this.

Any questions?

There are 17 actors portraying a slew of real pirates from 1717 (although the fearsome Anne Bonny and Mary Read are triple-cast; and I’m the only bird to play both women). The pirates represented served aboard the Whydah, save for Blackbeard and the “ladies” who were contemporaries of Bellamy and his crew.

This galley, and the scurvy knaves aboard it, are not to be missed. Dead serious.

And without further ado – a tease of the treasures that await you: 

 
Opening weekend lines to enter the Real Pirates exhibition. But in true piratical fashion, you’ll be passing up these lines because you’ll have plundered the tickets online first.

  
Captain Blackfrog’s Tavern.

Anne Bonny challenging you to a game of sheep’s knuckles, Passage, or Ship, Captain, Crew. She fully intends to win all your rum. And if she doesn’t – well – she’s armed.

Recovered flintlock pistols.

Grenades. And the precursor to the modern stinkbomb. No lie.

The Whydah at port, waiting for you to sign the Articles and step aboard.

Anne Bonny, public menace.

The Whydah’s hold.

Thomas Davis and Hendrick Quintor at work below decks.

Pieces of Eight. Many, many Pieces of Eight. Yes, it’s all real.

Sufficiently enticed, mateys?  As ye should be.

So, behold – my first national television commercial.  For Land O’ Lakes butter:

I was surprised to learn from a few friends that it’s already airing – at least in Minneapolis and northern California, anyway.

You ever have one of those career-defining moments where you think, wow – I’m really doing this – this is, somehow, actually real – I’m making a living doing what I love?  Standing in the editing suite, post-recording, watching my VO dropped over the final picture and music for this spot was that moment for me. There are no words to adequately express the feelings of joy and satisfaction and peace and comfort and gratitude and place that accompany a moment like that. And so I’ll just sit back and let it be.

If it looks like a brand-new copy of The Help, mailed courtesy of the Screen Actors Guild Awards, it’s because it is.

One of the many benefits of SAG membership include an onslaught of free movies ‘round this time of year, all in hope of earning my vote.  Makes a girl feel special.

While relatively tedious to compile, I’ve come to love these year-end reviews.  They remind me that I actually make a living at my craft, no matter how insecure I get during the course of the year about my abilities or accomplishments (or seeming lack thereof).  Lists like these remind me that I am doing what I love, and am being rewarded for it.  Lists like these remind me that my career choice bought me passage into my very first house, all on my own, and keeps me there.

Because let’s be honest – there is always a point (or five) in the year when I panic.  I think, ohmygod, they’ve finally realized that I’m a total fraud and NOW I WILL NEVER WORK AGAIN.  EVER.  This happens regularly.  Without fail.  And then I end up inexplicably landing another incredible gig and think, oh, well, okay – maybe I’m not that bad.  It is a joy and an honor to be so lucky.

Without further ado, my performance highlights of 2011:

January
Continued part-time work at the Science Museum of Minnesota on the Science Live team – performing live science demonstrations and science-related short plays for museum audiences.

Marketplace Events spots – third year running.  Ty Pennington and me on national TV and radio urging you to attend home shows across the U.S.  TV commercials aired on HGTV and ABC and their affiliates.  Recorded at Audio Ruckus.

VOs for General Mills, but I took very poor notes about this, and have no recollection of what it was for.  My guess is that it was, perhaps, some pickups for the 42 spots I did back in December for Progresso Light Soups, Yoplait and Yoplait Light Yogurts, and Big G Cereals national TV spots.  Note to self in 2012: take better notes.  Recorded at Babble-On for Shout! Creative.

February
Script workshop and stage-direction reading for public presentation of Carson Kreitzer’s new play, Behind the Eye, as part of The Playwrights’ Center’s Ruth Easton series.  Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and commissioned by the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for a world premiere in April.

Not much else to report other than travel to Florida.  It was warm.  I remember needing that.  Oh yes, and travel to Madison, WI, to teach museum-theater techniques to institutions across the U.S.

March
VO for the trailer of TRIUMPH67, an independent feature-length film that went on to become the official selection of the Twin Cities Arab Film Festival.

Spent the day in studio at Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), recording the voice for a sultry character in The Winner, a pilot for Minnesota Stories – a new program dedicated to showcasing Minnesota writers.

VO for Target – a short film about inclusiveness called You Make Us.  Recorded at Audio Ruckus.

April
Table-read of a new script by Patrick Coyle at The Jungle Theater.

The Winner, recorded in March, airs twice on Minnesota Public Radio.

May
VO for Cadillac.  With Laurence Fishburne.  I played his talking GPS.  Recorded at Babble-On for Fallon.

I bought my very first house, all by myself.  I think this is what officially makes me an adult, but I’m still not quite sold on that idea.  The only reason I’m including this here, amongst my gigs, is because those VO gigs are what made this possible.

June
Script workshop and stage-direction reading for public presentation at the Playwrights’ Center of Scratch, a new play by Shira Naharit.

Started rehearsals for Minnesota Middle Finger, Ben San Del’s Minnesota Fringe Festival entry.  Yes, Fringe is in August.  We started way, way early because of everyone’s insane schedules.  I think when all was said and done we only had 12 rehearsals.

July
VO demos for Hormel, recorded at Modern Music/Fischer Edit for BBDO.

Co-wrote and produced a short satirical 1950’s-style educational film, The Wonders and Worries of Nanotechnologyon behalf of the Science Museum of Minnesota for The Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net).  Film + Production by Teddy Media.

August
2011 Minnesota Fringe Festival, and my performance in Ben San Del’s Minnesota Middle Finger with the incomparable John Middleton and Tim Hellendrung.

VO spots (more, again) for Marketplace Events home shows with Ty Pennington – TV and Radio.  Continued airings on HGTV and ABC.  Recorded at Audio Ruckus.

Three-day script workshop at The Playwrights’ Center of Outcasts of Eden, a new play by Andie Arthur.

Served as host/barker for the AFL-CIO Labor Pavilion at the Minnesota State Fair, on behalf of AFTRA.

Cast in kaotic good productions’ The Cooking Show con Karimi & Comrades: Viva Las Roots! to be presented at Intermedia Arts in October 2011.

September
Cast as both Anne Bonny and Mary Read in the Science Museum of Minnesota’s next major exhibition, Real Pirates, as well as cast in the publicity crew for advance event appearances.  Exhibition opens mid-February 2012.

Attended the 7^th annual Ivey Awards – Minneapolis/St. Paul’s version of the Tonys.  Very, very swank.  Very, very inspiring.  I know I said that last year, but I still mean it.

VO spot for General Mills – radio spot for Yoplait Yogurt in the NYC market.  Recorded at Audio Ruckus for Shout! Creative.

October
Cast in The Peanut Butter Factory’s next production, Rajiv Joseph’s Gruesome Playground Injuries – a two-person show with Adam Whisner to be presented late winter/early spring 2012.

Went on a three-day writing retreat to northern Minnesota with the company of kaotic good productions’ The Cooking Show con Karimi & Comrades: Viva Las Roots! to create character and storyline.

VO narration for short documentary Does Every Silver Lining Have a Cloud?, a look at the effect of nanosilver on the environment, created by the Museum of Life + Science in Durham, North Carolina, on behalf of the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net).  Recorded at Babble-On.

VO for the National Marrow Donor Program’s annual council awards ceremony recognition film segments.  Recorded at Aaron/Stokes for Blue 60 Pictures.

Script workshop and stage-direction reading at the evening performance of Sarah Gubbins’ new work, The Water Play at The Playwrights’ Center.

Performances of kaotic good productions’ The Cooking Show con Karimi & Comrades: Viva Las Roots!at Intermedia Arts.

November
Performances continue of kaotic good productions’ The Cooking Show con Karimi & Comrades: Viva Las Roots!at Intermedia Arts.

Got my eyes did.  Yep.  Lasik.  No more contacts or glasses.  This changes everything on stage and in the recording booth, for the better.

Spent the day at the Hennepin County Courthouse, serving as a key witness in Faegre & Benson’s mock trial program.

December
VOs for Marketplace Events Home Shows with Ty Pennington – fourth year running!  Recorded at Audio Ruckus.

Appeared on Kare 11 News morning program as Anne Bonny, marketing for the Science Museum of Minnesota’s Real Pirates exhibition opening February 2012.

Script workshop and stage-direction reading at the evening performance of Kira Obolensky’s new play, Vasa Lisa at The Playwrights’ Center, co-presented by Ten Thousand Things.  Workshop in preparation for a late-spring full production by Ten Thousand Things.

Epilogue
2011, you treated my career well, and for that I thank you.  2012, we’re going to roll up our shirtsleeves and till this soil for continued growth.  My last major career goal was to make my living as an artist, which I have been doing for the last few years; it’s time to dream bigger dreams.  And then run to catch them.

Mero Cocinero’s PopUpKitchen opens tonight at Intermedia Arts!  It closes Saturday, November 5 (si, that’s just one short week), so be sure to swing by for a killer four-course meal served up by Mero and the rest of his comrades (yours truly included).  Seatings are at 7 pm tonight and tomorrow, and then again Wednesday through Saturday, November 2-5. Reservations recommended but not required.

In true Dia de los Muertos tradition, we’ll be honoring our ancestors through food, telling stories, and cooking together – all with healthy doses of laughter.  It’s highly interactive, so we may just hand you a knife and ask you to chop tonight’s carrots with us.

For ticket information and further details, visit ¡Viva Las Roots! at Intermedia Arts.  See you on the other side, mis compañeros.  There, we shall dance together.