Lately there’s been a theme around here. A theme involving theatre. And apparently it’s not enough to be in a play (now closed) or workshopping Shakespeare scenes via Zoom (potentially upcoming). I’m writing plays, too. This isn’t exactly a new development. I wrote my first play when I was about ten, then my sixth grade […]
Category: Theater
Theatre in the time of COVID
I asked the universe for one pretty giant birthday present. And the universe came through. I’m in a show and opening night was my birthday. Shakespeare. Taming of the Shrew. My character is one that usually gets cut from the film versions, but ends up being pretty central to most of the machinations in the […]
The Sound and the Story
I’m still figuring out how to even talk about the last few months. Despite the fact that I don’t feel like I’m grieving, I’ve had a practically pathological avoidance of anything to do with Gram and dealing with her death. This avoidance has snowballed to include most forms of communication. And writing. So I’ve been […]
Overachiever
I’m in a play. (Midsummer Night’s Dream!With so many amazing and talented people!) Back onstage for a full production for the first time since my daughter was born. This would be enough all by itself, but I am an overachiever. TW: pregnancy loss, profanity, current state of the US Not only am I a primary […]
And so it continues…
Figuring out this whole creative mommyhood thing feels a lot like Sisyphus with his boulder. I find the magic formula, only to have it all roll away from me again. With the prospect of a baby came the fear of losing myself – of not doing the things I love like writing and acting. The […]
Busy Busy Theatre Bee
Though I’ve been quiet on here, I’ve been busy. It’s funny how creative things seem to spawn more creative things. I’ve had a ridiculous number of offers and invitations to audition, participate in a reading of a new play to be presented to a professional theatre company, participate in a staged reading of Macbeth (as […]
Mixing Extremes
Saturday was crazy! An awesome sort of crazy, even if it totally kicked my ass. (Yeah, it did.) My day started with a workshop. A local theatre offers occasional master classes, and that day they held an audition boot camp. Which was exactly as advertised. Intense and amazing, and I was more than a little […]
Burning Out
I can feel it coming. Burnout tends to follow theatre shows, anyway, and the current one has the longest commute of any to date. So of course this hits when we’re barely halfway through. At least it’s good to know what my limits are. Unless I’m extremely passionate about a show, I likely won’t do […]
New Play Festival
In addition to the overflow of ideas in September, some bizarre part of me thought it would be an excellent idea to sign up for the 24 Hour New Play Festival. As a writer. This is how it works: a group of awesomely insane people get together on a Friday night and split into teams […]
The Devil’s Puppet Show
Oh, Internet. I have so much to tell you! Potential theatre-related opportunities are cropping up in the strangest (and best) of places. They may amount to nothing, but just the experience of trying will be priceless. Dracula has been insanely popular. Even our “slow” nights draw decently sized audiences. An iconic story like Dracula performed […]
Melissa Burkart 