New Alphabet Series! This one is C=Cacophony.

Read more about it plus all my other news and inspirations at the other blog
http://lydiaburris.blogspot.com/

or visit the others in the alphabet series on the Website

The Pee-wee Herman Show runs for a limited four-week engagement, Jan. 12- Feb. 7 at Club Nokia in Downtown, LA.

"It boasts 11 actors, 20 puppets and marks the show's first production since 1982."



Club Nokia

Tix

It's a rainy Saturday evening as I sit alone on the couch in my new apartment. The Christmas tree stands in the corner, disheveled from the two kittens constantly climbing it. I've got cookie dough chilling in the fridge (my solution to what to get everyone for gifts this year - homemade Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies). Jenn's at work at Build-A-Bear for the next hour and a half or so, then she's off to the theatre to Stage Manage tonight's show. I'll head down there myself afterward for the TU Company Christmas Party. But first, I've got some time to kill.

It's been a crazy year. A lot has happened. A lot has changed. A lot of plans were realized and a lot of unexpected things threw monkey wrenches into the works. It's been exciting and, for the most part, positive. 2009 has been a great year for us. So, just because I can, I'm going to brain dump the highlights.

Us
- Well, Jenn and I finally got married. After 18 1/2 months of planning and trips back and forth to the East coast for showers, meetings, etc., we tied the knot July 18th. Best decision I ever made was to propose to her.
- Before that, though, we had our "Engagement" Photo Session in Disneyland in February.
- The ceremony was at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Springfield, MA, right across the highway from the Basketball Hall of Fame. Jenn's grandparents had gotten married there, years ago, so this place was incredibly significant to the family. The reception was on the stage of the Belding Theatre at the Bushnell Center of the Performing Arts. Perfect for the two of us.
- We honeymooned in Belize for 10 incredible days. We spent 5 days in the rain forest (climbing Mayan Ruins, cave tubing, zip-lining through the Jungle canopy, and 5 days on the beach (sleeping, eating, riding around town in golf carts, snorkeling, watching meteor showers and enjoying sunset cruises).
- We got back from Belize July 30th, and 5 days later we'd found a new place to live. We moved from the Party House on Martha Street to our own apartment two blocks away. We're glad it's so close, as Jenn had a hard time leaving Erin, her best friend and roommate of over 10 years, behind. Not to mention the two cats they share, Hermione and Amelia. We did bring Miranda with us, though (she's sitting on my lap as I write this). Shortly after moving in, we adopted a little brother for her, Jake.

Me
- After bouncing around from job to job and using up all of my unemployment, I finally found a new 9-5 home as a Customer Service and Marketing Coordinator at Gentle Giant Ltd. Check 'em out and you'll see why I now love my job.
- Went back to DungeonMaster for the first time since late 2006. Brought back an old character with a new twist, got voted Fan Favorite, and survived the season finale to become a Guardian of the Flame.
- Followed the Red Sox daily from Spring Training up until they got swept out of the playoffs by the Angels. Painful way to end the year, but it was a great time. Went to 6 baseball games this season (Sox/Angels, Sox/Nationals for a 3 game series, Sox/Royals [Beckett's complete-game shutout] and Dodgers/Giants with my buddy Jim). I caught 3 home runs during batting practice at Nationals Stadium - two from Ortiz and one from Drew. Gave one away and had the other stolen by some little kid before I could give it to him. Seriously, the kid took it out of my glove as I was reaching in to hand it to him. Bastard. The third ball sits proudly on display on my bookshelf.

Family
Cousins of mine had kids, my folks moved from my childhood home to a new house just outside of Richmond, VA and my brother and sister-in-law got pregnant again. Their daughter, Sadie, is due in January.

Career
- After firing my agent last November, I decided to take 2009 off from pursuing the career and take the time to plan the wedding, move, etc. It was a tough decision, and I wrestled with it constantly at first. Early in the year, I'd sneak out for an audition here and there, but that stopped after I lost my day job at the end of March. After that, searching for a new job, planning the wedding and developing Theatre Unleashed really took up all of my time.
- Worked on a few webisodes produced by various friends of mine early in the year (episodes for Absolution: The Series and Rob's World, among others).
- Guest-starred on an episode of Star Trek: Federation One. The promotional graphic for that episode features a disturbing photoshop job of my head onto a Starfleet Uniform.
- Acted in The Way of the World, Tales of an Unsettled City: Beginnings, Acting Our Age, the World's Smallest Renaissance Faire, a few episodes of Pulp Graveyard Reader's Theatre and Through a Caffeine Haze: Watching the World Go By for Theatre Unleashed.
- Directed Through a Caffeine Haze: Watching the World Go By for TU. First show I've directed in years.
- Produced the World's Smallest Renaissance Faire and Cheap & Easy Neighborhood Magic for TU.
- Most importantly, I watched the story I had spent three years crafting, Friends Like These, open on our stage and achieve critical acclaim. It was the first show Theatre Unleashed ever put up to earn a "Go" from LA Weekly. It was also nominated for an Artistic Director Achievement Award for Best Ensemble by the Valley Theatre League. We didn't win, but hey, it seriously was just an honor to be nominated.
- I was also cast and featured in an episode of Conspiracy Theories with Jesse Ventura for TruTV. I'll let you know when it airs. I get hypnotized and turned into a Manchurian Candidate. It was fun.
- My Heaven, Your Hell and the Monster.com Spec Commercial finished post-production (w00t).

Super Sidekick
Late last year, I put out a call for composers to work with me in adapting my childrens play into a musical. I found Mike Shapiro (madbard ) through CraigsList, and he and I met frequently throughout the year developing songs for the piece. Although we didn't finish the whole thing by the end of this year like we'd hoped, we've made significant progress and we're shaping up for something really cool in February.

Theatre Unleashed
- The company accomplished and grew by leaps and bounds. 22 productions this year alone, 6 ADA Award Nominations and finding a new home at The Sherry are all just a small fraction of what we managed to do. I couldn't be any prouder.

Overall
- Looking back at the list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2009, I managed to do a lot of it! What suffered the most (not surprisingly) was my career. I didn't get a new demo reel cut together. I didn't get my new headshots printed. I didn't build a new career website and I didn't recruit new representation. Despite lots of talk and planning, there has still been very little progress on The Vampire Game and the Super Sidekick children's book (that's my fault, march__hare ). Jenn, Erin and I abandoned the idea of opening a Huntington Learning Center after learning about some of their less scrupulous business practices. Also, we scrapped our planned trip to Disney World with the gang due to lack of time and funds. Lastly, we're not hosting our folks for the Holidays at our new place. As much of a bummer as that is, it's also okay, as Jenn and I get to start our own Holiday traditions. All-in-all, it's been an exciting, productive year.

The Future
- Theatre Unleashed has some awesome plans lined up for next year: 4 Main Stage shows, the start of our own Childrens Theatre wing (and educational programs), monthly late night and fringe productions, a new website, and several improvements to our new home at The Sherry.
- Friends Like These is returning to the Sherry January for 3 weeks. Then, I'm going to produce it at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and fringenyc. I need to raise several thousand dollars to do that, though, so this should be exciting. I'm also submitting it to a play writing contest, theatre companies in other cities and publishers next year. You can follow the show's development on its website, become a fan of it on Facebook and follow it on Twitter.
- Mike (madbard ) and I are going to continue developing Super Sidekick: The Musical and submit it to the ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop directed by Stephen Schwartz in February.
- Gentle Giant will be sending me to San Diego ComiCon for work.
- I've also got ideas for some new scripts I want to write (a film, a new full-length play and a web series) that I'm going to start developing.
- I may start pursuing the acting rat race again, but then again, I may choose to focus on writing and producing. It seems like that's got a lot more potential for me right now, and it's going to take a lot of time and energy to really make those goals happen.

Either way, I'm very excited about 2010! I hope it's good to all of us. =)

Some fun small art. Good for gifts and such.


"Planter" 5" x 7" on paper
available for $25


"The Midnight Tree" 5" x 7" on flat cardboard
available for $25

( 3 more behind the cut )

I hope you know how WONDERFUL you are...

:)

I really can't stay (but baby it's cold outside)
I've got to go away (but baby it's cold outside)
This evening has been (been hoping that you'd drop in)
So very nice (i'll hold your hands, they're just like ice)
My mother will start worry (beautiful whats your hurry)
My father will be pacing the floor (listen to the fireplace roar)
So really i'd better scurry (beautiful please don't hurry)
but maybe just a half a drink more (put some records on while i pour)
the neighbors might faint (baby it's bad out there)
say what's in this drink (no cabs to be had out there)
I wish i knew how (your eyes are like starlight now)
to break this spell (I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell)
I ought to say "no, no, no sir" (mind if I move in closer)
at least i'm gonna say that i tried (what's the sense in hurtin' my pride)
I really can't stay (oh baby don't hold out)

both:baby it's cold out side

I simply must go (but baby it's cold outside)
the answer is no (but baby it's cold outside)
your welcome has been (how lucky that you droped in)
so nice and warm (look out the window at that storm)
my sister will be suspicious (gosh your lips look delcious)
my brother will be there at the door (waves upon the tropical shore)
my maiden aunts mind is vicious (gosh your lips are delicous)
but maybe just a cigarette more (never such a blizzard before)
I've gotta get home (but baby you'd freeze out there)
say lend me a coat (it's up to your knees out there)
you've really been grand (I thrill when you touch my hand)
but don't you see? (how can you do this thing to me?)
there's bound to be talk tomorrow (think of my lifelong sorrow)
at least there will be plenty implied (if you got namonia and died)
I really can't stay (get over that old out)

both:baby it's cold
baby it's cold outside

In preparation for both Hollywood Fringe and fringenyc, I've taken it upon myself as a producer to acquire the resources we need to make the production portable. The script already calls for a simple set and can be done with the most basic of lighting plots. However, the sound design is crucial and the World Premiere production soundtrack is something I'm particularly proud of. Our sound designer, Corwin Evans (an incredibly talented artist - I highly recommend him to anyone that needs sound work done) turned me on to QLab for the Mac.

Now, I've been a PC user since I was 13, so for years I've bashed Macs. That all changed after I got my iPhone. The quality of product is fantastic. The customer service I've gotten is top notch. In short, they've blown me away. They've earned a loyal customer that will stick wtih their line of phones for years to come. I'm pretty sure my next laptop will be a Mac, too. Anyway, enough of that. Back to the story.

So, yeah, Corwin introduced me to QLab and I was blown away. We can run lights, video and sound off of the fully-licensed version, but even the freeware is enough to run the sound cues for the production (which is all we really need). He was generous enough to loan us a spare iMac G3 he'd gotten off of CraigsList with QLab for the World Premiere run and the January re-mount. However, I don't want to stretch his generosity and ask him to loan us this machine (which he could rent out to productions or use on his own projects) for the entire summer. So, here's the call to action - we're seeking a Mac Laptop running at least Mac OSX Leopard or later. If you have one you'd be willing to donate, please contact me via private message. We're open to a desktop, but we'd prefer something easily transportable and able to be set up in a small space. Theatre Unleashed is a non-profit, and this can be considered a tax write-off. If that's not enough, you'll even be credited in the program! Thanks in advance!

Originally posted on friendsliketheseplay.com