TGIF - 1/11/13

Checking in with everyone here on a Friday morning before I head out to walk dogs. This has been a rabbit hole of a week for both of us. Late last Thursday night, I started to come down with a terrible stomach bug. By Friday morning, it was serious. By Saturday, I wanted to go to the hospital.  By Sunday night, It started to let up a little.  By Monday, I felt something like a human being again. Unfortunately, Monday evening is when Matt started feeling bad.  So the rest of this week has been taking care of Matt as he battles his way out of this mess. I hope that today is the day he finally starts to feel human again. His birthday was yesterday, and what a terrible way to spend your birthday. Buddha, on the other hand, has lived for having us home so much this past week.


Auditions are coming up on Monday evening for my next project.  I am directing Thunder Knocking on the Door by Keith Glover and Keb'Mo at Creative Cauldron this coming spring. I am looking for an all African American, non union cast. Further details available here.  Please let anyone who may fit this know. I first fell in love with the show when it played at Arena Stage in 1998. I have never seen an audience have such a wonderful time in my whole life.  I still haven't.  Nothing that I have seen has set an audience on fire as much as that show.  Here's hoping that I can capture a bit of that fire for my production this spring!



Ok, that's all for now, gotta go walk the puppies, then tend bar at Dreamgirls tonight (here begins closing weekend of the amazing production).  I hope I can catch a nap in-between! 
I'll wake you all up when something exciting happens.
xoxoSGS

Hump Day update

What's up? What's new? What's going on? Well...I am fighting off a cold, now for the 4th week straight, which just really sucks. I am so tired of being sick, it is driving me insane. But that is hardly breaking news.

In other news, this weekend is a very special one at ArtSpace Falls Church, as the FOURTHwall cabaret series has been extended into September due to popular demand, and kick off the extension week is none other than Matt and Penny Conner. Yes, you heard right. Here is the press release:

"Matt Conner is going back to his roots of Gospel Music and celebrating with his mother Penny. A life long singer and former lead singer with the band "Lonely hearts",she will be singing some of her favorites including Consider the Lillies, Patsy Cline's Crazy, and The Rose, just to name a few. Matt and mom will be sharing stories from childhood including the Annual Christmas Pageants, that were written by Matt, and the many country funerals and weddings. Take a glimpse into a past that has one common family thread: Music!!!"

That is this Saturday, September 11th at ArtSpace Falls Church. Not to be missed. ‎571-239-5288 or http://www.creativecauldron.org/ for tickets.

What else? I just sang at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage for the 5th year in a row. We presented work in development at Signature, including "The Hollow" and "The Boy Detective Fails". You can watch the archive video HERE. Then when you get there, click on the 9/6/10 performance, and there we will be!

Fundraising continues for me and Matt's show, Night of the Living Dead the musical. The Kickstarter web page was started not 24 hours ago, and we are already at over $400!!! We have 29 days to go, so please help me spread the word! Even one dollar will help to raise the dead!!

In case I have not battered you over the head with it enough, HERE is the link to donate.

The first reading of the piece will be held at the Kensington Armory on Monday October 18th at 8pm. It is free and open to the public. Details to follow.

That's about all I know right now, but will check in with more news as it happens! Happy Hump Day, y'all!!!!

LIVEBLOGGING THE STORM - 12:50pm Friday

The snow began falling at about 9:30AM. It is still falling at a moderate rate. I will continue to LIVEBLOG the snow storm all weekend, as I will be snowed in alone. (Chris is at Signature in rehearsals for Sweeney Todd, and they are putting the cast up in hotels for the weekend to finish getting through tech rehearsals. Granted, I am never truly alone. I have my trusty pug as a companion, Gillian across the street, and Fred the other way across the street.
Also there is this.
I woke up with a VERY sore throat and a low grade fever. :( So I am doubting if sledding and snowball fighting is in the cards for me this weekend. Oh well. If I have to get sick, I would rather do it when I don't have to do anything else.
I have more than enough supplies, so I am ready to buckle in and weather it out. I will bring you photos and details of the storm all weekend.
Also: I am My Own Wife at Signature Theatre is cancelled tonight.

The Tale of the Tooth.

Buddha had his annual check up last week, and they found that his right front fang was cracked and would need to come out. This naturally sent me into the throws of panic and anxiety for the past 5 days.

As anyone who knows me can attest, my little Buddha is the love of my life. He knows me better than anyone in the world, and loves me just the same. The thought of my little one in pain is more than I could bear, so his surgery was scheduled for this morning.

As I got up and got ready to take him in, I saw my most hated and loathed of household pests in the bathroom, a centipede. I immediately reached for some toilet tissue to kill the little monster, but then rethought it. While a centipede is no spider, I quickly remembered the old myth of it being bad luck to kill a spider in the house and refrained from the old squisheroo. In all actuality, I thought that it would be extremely bad taste on my part to kill a creature on the same morning I was asking the universe to save another. So I let it quietly lurk on the wall, making a deal with it that today was it's extremely lucky day.

Soon, Buddha and I were in the car and on the way to the vet. Sadly, Buddha was very excited to go this morning, probably thinking that he was on his way to the park. His tail sagged quite a bit when we got out of the car at the Vet. So did my heart.

I stayed with him as he underwent the first shot, which was a sedative plus pain meds shot. This shot made him vomit about 6 times and then he got sleepy. I noticed in one of his little nausea attacks that a pumpkin seed came up. Tricky little bandit must have snuck one that fell to the floor without anyone noticing.

Then it was time to take him into the back, where they shaved a little patch on his forearm and started an IV. I held his little head and kissed it as his eyes got heavier and heavier. It was everything I could do to not break down into hysterics with every second that passed. I managed to hold myself together, and then they proceeded to the next step, which was to take him to the operating table and hook up the pain meds through his IV. He quickly was unconscious, and then they put a tube down his throat and hooked up the heart monitors. A lump the size of Nebraska started to grow in my throat.

I watched his heart come up on the heart monitor with much relief. A little electronic beeping noise was never so happy to be heard.

The surgery team quickly went to work writing things down and prepping for the operation. I had come back into the surgery room just to be with Buddha until he was unconscious, and now was my cue to exit before I could witness anything further that would scar me for life. It was my cue to exit and I knew it. I suddenly had the feeling of being completely obsolete for the time being.

I turned to go and barely got the words out, "Well, I'll just get out of your way now..." before my voice broke and the Nebraska sized lump made a huge push onward and upward. The doctor looked at my broken and redding face with pity before saying, "Please don't worry. He is going to be fine, I promise you." I shook my head gratefully but said nothing as I was afraid that the dam of tears would shoot out of my eyes if I did.

This was the hardest part, after all. Leaving him there and giving my faith and trust to others who I didn't know personally, who were suddenly holding my best friend's life in their hands. My feet were carved out of stone as I lumped out of the hospital. I felt dazed and blurry. I felt so totally disconnected that I felt like a boat cut from it's ropes. I got in the car, turned the ignition and started the car. Then Nebraska had it's way with me. I let the tears come and come and then got myself under control enough to drive home.

All morning I have been watching the phone like it is my job. hours ticked by, and my nerves ticked my entire body. I realized about an hour ago that I had not eaten anything at all yet, so I made myself a pizza. This made me incredibly sad, since I cannot even think of making pizza without having the little one observe the proceedings and wait patiently for the crust of each piece I eat. The apartment suddenly felt very lonely.

It is important to realize in these moments that this is, in a way, a dress rehearsal for what it will be like when the little one slips away from me for good. As horrible as that is to think about, it is a truth. A hard, horrible fact that no matter who it is, the centipede on the wall, little Boo, you or me - we all gotta go at some point. Ok - I didn't really dwell on it too long, though.

The phone rang and all my fears were laid to rest. He made it through the surgery just fine. It apparently took longer than they thought it would, and was difficult to get all of the root out of the bone, but they did. They also took out 2 other teeth that were apparently loose. So the total is three teeth removed in one morning. The little one will undergo pain medication and antibiotics for about ten days. I write this piece as I sit at my house and wait. I pick him up at 4.

So I have some thanking to do to everyone who was praying for him and thinking positive thoughts.

And as the Buddha Bear makes his recovery, and I wait on him hand and paw, I will pass on the updates to all of you. I also thank Matt, for without his support, this operation would never have even been a possibility. More to come later.

Much love and thanks,

SGS

Sick Again.

Well, just as soon as I had recovered from "The Plague", I have acquired a new treat. A coldish/fluish thing that currently has me laid up on the couch. I have not been ill so frequently in one season since childhood. Interestingly enough, Channel 4 talked about Virginia being the first state in the country to reach "widespread" flu break out levels this year.
Also, speaking of the plague, I saw this little gem of a news story this morning: Catholic University has been hit hard by "The Plague" which in actuality is the Norovirus. There are several ties to Catholic that run through Les Miserables, so I do hope that those folks stay healthy.
Everyone remember to wash your hands frequently, and take your vitamins and get plenty of rest.
Stay well,
SGS

The Plague

A plague has ripped through the barricade this past week and a half. Sorry I have not written much. Matt and I both got the horrible stomach virus that we lovingly refer to as "The Plague".
I have read of local outbreaks of a "norovirus" - much like those cruise ship viruses.
So I thought I would pass on this funny photo sent to me by Jordi Perry, who plays Gavroche ...



Stay healthy everybody!

Get Down with the Sickness

So, I have learned a valuable lesson this weekend. Before I get my panties in a twist about this, that, and the other, I need to calm down first and think about the situation. Yes, I am still sick, not really showing any signs of improvement, but I still got through the 5 show weekend, AND felt like I sang competently at my call back.
Now, I won't lie to you, I sure do wish we had today off, as my voice surely needs a rest, but...I also know that I will still get through it.
I've been pumping airborne, chicken soup, vitamins, lozenges, and Advil Cold and Sinus...with shots of Robitussin on the side. Sounds appetizing, huh?
I have finished watching the whole Star Wars saga ( yes, I'm a nerd), and now I am still feeling the need to view an epic saga, so I have started re-watching The Lord of the Rings trilogy ( yes, again...I am a nerd).
Tomorrow, Donna and I are being interview for a documentary being made about the Signature Theatre. This will air on Arlington Cable Access channel at a later date (details to follow). So, that should be fun...I hope I don't sound like Stritch while I am talking. That might be funny.
I am also happy to announce that my diet has been going very well (aided by this cold, too). I started out this run at roughly 170 pounds. I am now...(drum roll, please...) 159. I am very happy about this! I have basically tried to stay away from pizza and too much meat. I have been eating, when I eat bread, the Weight Watcher's bread (1 point for 2 slices), also, I have totally converted to the I can't believe it's not Butter spray, which is 0 points, for it has 0 calories. The south Beach and Lean Cuisine frozen dishes are fantastic, I highly recommend them. Also, South Beach puts out these little snack bars that are granola, peanut butter and chocolate. They are 100 calories, and when you feel a little peckish, they are really great to tide you over.
Well, that's all for this chilly Monday of Thanksgiving week. My Christmas Decorations are just about to bust out of the closets, but they will have to wait till after Thursday. They may have to wait until after the show closes this coming weekend. Well...maybe a few things might sneak out of the closet before the show closes, but the bulk will probably wait until next week. Probably. It is me we're talking about.
TTFN,
SGS

I SPOKE TOO SOON...

Well, about 2 weeks ago, Matt started coming down with a cold. He and everyone else in the universe, it seems. I kept telling him the usual things that I tell myself, like " It's not a cold, it is allergies...you're fine". That is my personal mantra during cold season. As everyone around me in the cast seemed to be succumbing to this cold, the backstage started to sound like a Tuberculosis ward. Instead of "Hello!", the new greeting seemed to be, "Don't come too close, I've got a cold."
That always makes me laugh, anyway...as if I can avoid illness if I stand 1 extra foot away from you. I would always say, "Oh, it doesn't matter-Matt's sick too, so if I'm gonna get it, I'm gonna get it."
When Lauren told me that she was sick, and I should stay clear, I laughed and said "My immune system is strong like bull...RED BULL!"
Heh.
Pride cometh before...later that same night.

Last Friday night, I was at Capitol City, and I had a headache. I felt like someone hit me in the forehead with a baseball bat. Kathy gave me two excedrin, and I took them. I sat trying to carry on conversation, while massaging my temples and neck. I soon realized that (duh) I should just stop pretending that I was listening and partaking in conversation and just go home. I made sure Matty had a ride home, and took to home.
I got home and drank a bunch of water. I suddenly felt tons better...hmm...maybe it was just a stress headache. I even bragged to Matty when he got home that I felt MUCH better.
We went to bed.
I woke up and oh yeah. That headache was the harbinger of the dreaded head cold that has been stalking through the theatre. (We like to call it "the creeping crud")
Funny enough, that sounds like the title of a movie I was watching last week...I digress.
I whined to Matty...I'm sick! I have a cold!
He said, "It's just allergies."
I guess I deserved that one.
Well, I drug my sniffling butt to the CVS between shows on Saturday and stocked up on the essentials...lozenges, chicken soup, and ...where is the Advil Cold and Sinus? A little sign says (located behind counter in Pharmacy).
???
I go and ask the pharmacist for a box. She asks for ID. ? I show it. She opens a folder that looks to be filled with registry forms...She asks me to fill in my address and phone number, and to sign my signature at the end. ?
I suddenly start wondering if I am hallucinating, so I ask.."Why?"
The woman sighs and says that because kids have been using certain decongestants to make Meth. Now you can only buy so much of it, and sign off for it. She tells me a story about a woman with about 4 kids, all of which were sick, and she was trying to buy several boxes for herself, husband, and the sniffling family around her. She was not allowed the multiple boxes.
Isn't that a bit ridiculous?
A few drugged up brats ruin it for everyone else.
I went about this past week pretty much like normal, as I didn't really feel bad, per se, the cold was merely an annoyance. Then the cough came. The cough started Tuesday. My voice started getting "thin" on Wednesday. It is now Friday, and we have a 5 show weekend, plus callbacks for Reefer on Sunday morning, and then no Monday off, because we have Thanksgiving off. I'm not sure what will happen, exactly. I am resting and not speaking unless I absolutely have too, and I will be going home like a good boy all weekend to get rest. I'm not pushing the panic button yet, as I have been much worse before...but it does make me a little nervous.
As most of the world says "TGIF", I say, "Oh God, here we go! Hope I can get through it!". Funny, that.
Well, ta-ta for now.
Luv,
SGS

This Past Week

So, it is early Wednesday morning.
2 weeks left in MFL, and the show is going great.
I am practicing music from the "Last Garage Hurrah" cabaret.
I am rehearsing "The Riddle Song" and "One Red Flower" with Will tomorrow.
I am currently obsessed with "Don't Blame the Prince" from The Fix. What an AMAZING song that I get to sing.
I have been on a kick of watching the STAR WARS movies of late.
Don't know why.
I have been falling asleep to either "A Christmas Story" or "It's a Wonderful Life" for the past 2 weeks.
Soon enough the Christmas decorations will emerge.
That is all the scoop tonight.
I am trying to get over a cold. EVERYONE has it.
Luv and more to follow,
SGS