Comédie et Tragédie

masks

Earlier this month I went to see the final dress rehearsal of “Evita” at Circle Theatre.  My friend Todd Lewis is playing Juan Perón in the wonderful production, but starring as Evita is Jolene Frankey, a woman I was doing a show with exactly twenty years ago.  She was but a little girl in that show, and now she’s a grown woman, a mother and a superb singer and performer.  To me it does not feel like that much time has passed… it’s startling.  (Oh, and Todd isn’t so bad, either.)

It brought my thoughts since then back to that time.  It was a critical point in my life.  Through those five years of experiences I was able to enjoy life and conquer some of my innermost demons… but it came to an abrupt, painful end.

Continue reading

The Birthday Post

birthday cake with lots of burning candles

Today I turn 47 years old.  It’s been turning over in my head since I got up this morning. FORTY-SEVEN.

That seems unfathomable.  How did this number sneak up on me so surreptitiously?

When you are young and primed for your life to begin, a number like that can seem a LONG way off.  You have dreams and ambitions as wide as the sky… and SURELY you have all the time in the world to make your conquests.

It’s a completely different viewpoint now.  Suddenly you realize that there’s a deadline to all of these goals.  The finish line seems just as distant, and you’re quickly running out of breath.

Does everyone feel this growing sense of urgency as they get older, or is it just me?

Continue reading