2024! 2024!

 Oh heyyyyyyy.... 

Firstly, HAPPY NEW YEARS! Hoping the holidays have treated you and yours well. Lead with love. There's so much going on. 

December, along with 2023, is wrapping up (time being a construct, and all that.) 

This is me, post-pretending to be a bank president. 

- Bring Your Kids was a hoot! (next one on Jan. 13th!) 

- Family Dinner's last 2023 performance was last night, and was so so lovely. 

 - Glorious Human's ran gloriously at HUGE Wednesdays!

 - Unexpected friends came to Gigi's, and I had an unexpected dance squad!

 - I got a commercial! I'm so grateful. Fresh Produce of Sioux Falls took such care of me, and so many thanks to Meredith here in the Cities. :) 

- The sharing at Lyngblomsten went great. If interested, feel free to take a peek here. So many thanks to all involved, and to COMPAS! 

 So much of what I do runs on a school schedule: everything begins the weird ramp up to either May or December! January brings... 

 - Improv at CTC for 6th - 8th graders! Send your aged children!

 - A number of teaching projects with COMPAS begin... 

 - A new quarter at HUGE...

 - BRING YOUR KIDS! at HUGE! Saturday Jan. 13th, 4 p.m. show. 

 - Butch and I are ADORABLE! Please catch us at HUGE Wednesdays through February. <3 

 - Give the Drummer Some returns! Please watch us be everything, Fridays at 9 p.m. through February at HUGE Theater.  

 - And potentially other stuff. And maybe snacks.  

Y'ever look back at a year, and go something like, "I've been doing the same stuff for years"... Which isn't exactly true. And is actually, also, okay. Beyond okay - - it's sort of what one aims for, in many ways. And it's been really cool and great! (lots of stories, lots of singing, lots of performing, lots of silliness.. and so grateful for it all!) 

Look how fancy we are!

And... is there another way to stretch or grow or experiment? What's good, what's useful, what's healthy? What leads to excitement? What supports your community? How do you grow where you've planted? How do you help others grow? How do you continue to reach? Can you ask yourself bigger questions? Also, don't you have a physical body that should be walking more? Don't you have a house to order up? Do we subscribe to too many instagrams and substacks?  

 - Tend to your house (small and big) 

 - Attract, don't chase 

 - Let's reach and trial/experiment

- Work with joy on your puzzles

 - Listen to yourself (especially when you've been shown what's the deal.)

People have said way smarter things than what's above, but it's a start. 

Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy, and the new years/mid-winter continues to shift and fulcrum-point to new and good. 

Love!

December, said in a haunting way

 Hi!

November put the wraps on a couple of things! Including one that started in June of this year!

I've been lucky enough to work with folks at Lyngblomsten Apartments, specifically a group of hard of hearing and deaf ladies, and they just had their storytelling performance today! IT WAS SO LOVELY! I am so grateful for each and every one of them, for Holly, Annette, Sue, Marlaine (previously of COMPAS) for setting the whole experiment up, and for Asher who came to watch! Thank you! 

November also marked the opening of Cold Planet Warm Heart for Fortune Fool's Theater. People said nice things; the cast was fantastic. Huzzah!

Bring Your Kids had it's HUGE Theater debut and sold out!!! GASP! Here's our amazing house band (double-gasp) Mug Cup Can Straw!

You know that feeling one gets when a big project rolls up, and then suddenly, you no longer have the excuse you did a mere day ago? Indeed. 

Other things that wrapped up... Improvathon was a delight: thank you all who donated to HUGE! I played the White Squirrel bar as part of the St Paul Songwriter Rounds, which was awesome, and also surreal (my little punk ukulele will continue to punk, whether or not it wants to or not. Also, go see the Tennessee Stiffs, goddammit.) Glorious Humans continues into December with the silliest. Literally. The silliest. 

December December! 2023! WHUT. 

I'm in Family Dinner at HUGE. Saturdays Dec. 16th & 30th, 7:30 p.m. show

Bring Your Kids rides again at HUGE! Saturday Dec. 9th, 4 p.m. show, $5 kids/$10 adults. 

Glorious Humans present Anthology. Wednesdays through the end of December, 7:30 p.m.. HUGE

The online musical improv class I've been taking through Open Your Mouth and Sing in Brighton UK is having our performance on Monday Dec. 11th, 12 p.m. Zoom link here!

And I get to play Gigi's with RJ Vocal on Friday Dec. 8th, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.. Bring a friend, have a snacks, and relax to it all. 

There's a little bit of teaching, a little bit of rehearsal, and a little bit of potentially driving to Sioux Falls for a gig -- fingers crossed. Then it's off to visit very lucky holiday things and everything sort of restarts in its own way. 2024 2024. I was born in 1975, so it's all sort of mind-blowing, by the numbers alone.  

LOOK AT THIS ALBUM COVER AND VISCERALLY REACT I DID. It's... beautiful. 

<3

November, if a bit late

 Hi! We made it. 

October was taken up by directing a musical for Fortune Fools Theater and it opened last night! Lucky to have worked on it, and happy to have it in others' hands. The cast is so so good! The crew is amaze-balls. I hope it's the best run. 

I didn't schedule much, performance-wise, for October (cuz #musical),  EXCEPT for MONSTERPALOOZA at the Bryant Lake Bowl with the Rev. Matt Kessen, which was a goddamn delight. So many thanks to Matt, Duck Washington, and Elora Riley for making it so. 

For COMPAS, I finished up a Memory Café for the Jewish Children and Family Services (just wonderful), a one-off improv workshop for Dakota County Libraries (they were so good!), the shortest ice-breaker for MSS... All very lucky. I'm still working with an awesome group of Deaf Ladies at Lyngblomsten Apartments: they'll be doing a storytelling sharing at the end of the month. 

I got to go back into the studio for a bit: this sort of recording is the longest game, but so excited. 

I love October, and I'm sad to see it go, weirdly. It was a very responsible and busy month, some lessons were learned, and WE DID IT! And... we need some make-up October please. 

November, performance things pick up!

HUGE stuff! Family Dinner returns to HUGE! Right now, I'm scheduled to be in November 11th, 18th, 26th, and December 16th. Glorious Humans presents Anthology at HUGE Wednesdays through December, and Bring Your Kids makes it HUGE debut on November Saturday 11th! New stage! New excitement! Hold onto your butts, indeed!

Improv-A-Thon is HAPPENING! Please support Adorable (Butch and me) and Five Music Videos (my solo improv silliness) in raising funds for the best damn long-form improv theater around. Adorable at 10 a.m., Five Music Video at 11 a.m., Thursday Nov. 16th  at HUGE. 

I recorded a bit for the Out Cold horror podcast; the listening party is Wednesday Nov. 9th at Soft Cult Studio. #fancy

And finally, I'll be at the White Squirrel for Twin Cities Songwriters Rounds on Sunday Nov. 12th. 

Exciting! Cool stuff! Weird! Ope!

Something cool: Balls Cabaret returns (look at the old facebook pandemic times of it all)! The long-running open mic INSTITUTION, run by absolute angel Leslie Ball, begins again. Strike Theater, 2 p.m., Sundays... I'm so delighted. Many happy returns, Balls. <3 <3 <3 

SPOOKY SEASON COMMENCE!

It's almost here. October is my birthday month, and I dig it. Is it also the internet's favorite month? PERHAPS. It's somehow around the corner...

I've been lucky enough to get back into the studio; Matt Patrick at the Library is so so good, and it's amazing to work with him. Fingers crossed for an album out by the end of the year? That would be so very very cool. 

COMPAS has started up, with two memoir-ish classes... 

And, gem of gems, I was able to play Mary Jo Pehl's Garage for the Performing Arts again. Is it the loveliest? IT IS! So many thanks to Mary Jo for the opportunity! (And for Sam Baker-Harris for joining me Saturday!) 

OCTOBER! It's almost done looming. 

I'm directing Fortune Fool's new fall musical, Cold Planet Warm Heart; we start rehearsals next week. What will that look like? WHO KNOWS. The cast is awesome, the music director is lovely, the scripts and the songs... Right now, being a director is 7 parts admin assistant and 3 parts project manager... I'm hoping the majority of it will be getting out of everyone's way, and REALIZING (hioooo) the project. And take care of everyone involved. Once it starts, it's starts... so here we go. 

Otherwise, Family Dinner rehearsals at HUGE start up again. I'm still writing songs. Performance-wise, things get sassier in November. Made it through the start of school, soccer, and prepping/worrying over things starting. Very lucky for it all. 

Fall is coming... September?

Most of August was spent away from the Twin Cities, visiting family.. and also running away from family, which was incredibly incredibly lucky too. 

Learned bits:

 - I learned I like to walk! In nature, specifically. Without any agenda, and no desire to drive, I will walk around by myself in the pretty for hours.  

Example of pretty. 

 - I learned to drive on the left side of things! It was in general fine.. ahhhhh.. insanely skinny roads climbing up mountains, into tractors and giant buses, was bracing. 

 - I saw truly funny and beautiful people. So many thanks to Heather, Jules, and Joe of AndAlso Improv in Brighton, UK... To Carmen for showing me beaches. To Ruby for lunches under trains. To Willem for BarbieGirl. 

Lookit these dreams! 

 - I taught the AndAlso drop-in in Brighton, UK! Our focus was emotions, and everyone emoted beautifully. They were incredibly generous with their playtime and energy, and we had such fun.

 - I saw Joe Bill in Lyon, France, at the Lyon Improv Fest! WUT. <3 He was teaching Improv in Mixed Languages, and listening to improv scenes in other languages is just about the prettiest thing. Am I forever grateful for Joe Bill, and being able to take classes from him? (even if it's only been three workshops over 20 years? Isn't that strange too? I love what he teaches and him.) 

And these dreams too!

I'll try and type up a travel-thingie. It was a special trip and I am truly grateful. 

We flew back into Minneapolis on Friday, and on Saturday, I taught a session on Listening at HUGE's Summer Intensive. So grateful for the time and everyone there! (Thank you, Jill!)

And now, easing into at least September, if not the idea of fall. I have a COMPAS residencies with Lyngblomsten Apartments and one with Jewish Children and Family Service's Memory Cafe, both starting in two weeks. 

That being said, October loooms. Which I kind of like for October. Don't stop, you. 

Sending so much love. 

August - - shhhhhhhh

 Hi! On the quiet side of things... 

July was summer-camp-focused. I have been teaching some form of summer camp over the last 20ish years. And it's okay to be done. Right? (I have a hard time quitting things.) 

My expectations on summer camp are lowwwww. Safety! Fun! Try to avoid Exhaustion! ... exhaustion always comes. It's always a mixed bag, you never know what you're stepping into (on a daily basis), ever changing, ever tired, ever reminding students to listen to each other and celebrating them... (Plus, there's been this pandemic. We're all trying our best.) And watching the students do a better job socially than my generation has ever done.

The kids are alright. I'm just tired. 

 - Children's Theatre Company middle school... The theme was Holes. They DID SUCH A GOOD JOB. (And, was there one student who was too young for the class? Who I didn't learn was too young until the last day, after my teacher assistant and I wrangled and wrangled and reminded? BECAUSE HE WAS THIS MANY YEARS OLD? BECAUSE IT WAS HIS FIRST SOCIAL THING IN THREE YEARS? Who's parents were so happy and grateful and just lovely folks... The energy.. it goes.) 

Lesson: next time, do a grade check of the kiddos. The front office was also surprised when I told them on Friday, and shared how difficult it would be to avoid this. Which, honestly, bummer. 

See? Summer camp. 

 - Bakken Museum Young Makers for two weeks. 2nd - 3rd graders. Makin' stuff. (And yet, again, was there a volunteer the first week who seemed to be actively working against me and my teaching assistant? GAHHH! First week, a panic. Second week, new volunteer, and it was a lovely time.)

SUMMER CAMMMMMMP!

The only way to avoid this is, honestly, to stop teaching summer camp. As it's always, for me, been this Chutes and Ladders experience, as humans are humans, and it's a bit of a crucible. 

Also, now, I have children of my own. Who are summer camp age. This is probably making a difference in the spoons I have for this these age groups. The patience expands and contracts like lungs. Mix in some wild fire smoke, hot hot days, and some medical issues on my own kids' side... In many ways, July was a lot. 

Performance-wise, I've hit a couple of music Open Mics. Shout out to Zachary Scot Johnson and Minneapolis Cider... what a dream. Bring Your Kids had a performance for Eden Prairie School's Eagle Zone Junior (YAY!), and I head down to Mankato today to teach an Intro to Improv workshop for a summer library program through COMPAS. 

News: HUGE is buying a theater! GASP!!!! This is incredible. All the news here. No shows til mid-October, which is a bummer, but ALSO MAKES COMPLETE SENSE. 

We visit family out of town for a good chunk of August, and then September rolls out, and the year resets again. Rehearsals for Family Dinner begin, and the count down to October starts to tick. Not in a bad way. Just what's ahead, lovely and busy and challenging and also hopefully joyful. 

Hoping the summer has been lovely for you! 

July month seven of twelve

It's summer-ing the summer. 

Twin Cities Improv Festival 2023 was joyous and lovely. We are the luckiest, and thank you so to those who work so incredibly hard to make it happen. Holy crap. I performed with Give the Drummer Some, and got to see some incredible incredible folks. 

Summer is officially begun: the first summer camp of the year has been taught (Sketch comedy for 7-12th grader... AHHHHAHAHAHAH. Did you know that the Lorax was a formative movie for those currently aged 13-18? I DID NOT.). 

Our list of sketches:
note the two about funerals and old people

Hopefully July will work! Teaching summer camp in a pandemic/post-pandemic era is a moving target. 

Performance-wise, there ain't much, and that's okay! Got to do an open mic this last week, and might try for a couple more before August hits. As once August hits, it's nothing, and then September comes thumping in with all the things. #school #show? #directing #allthethings

Hoping your summer months are beautiful, that the fireworks are not too loud, and that this country expands the Supreme Court because ALLTHETHINGS. 

Love and onward. 

June Spoon

Will I start this blog with a "Hey oh no I missed the 1st!" I WILL! As the 1st of the month was eaten up, and that's okay! 

May had stuff. There was a week of almost nightly (and very fun) performances and a week at an elementary school, making newscasts with 3rd graders. (Thank you, COMPAS!) I finished up my Wednesday run at HUGE, which finished with a group called Lads and I'm still giggly about it. 

LADS!

I got eaten by editing said newscasts (16 tiny videos), helped chaperone my 4th grader's class at an art museum, had meetings, got a haircut, and got spit back out the other side. Bring Your Kids at the Bryant Lake Bowl! A solo music set at Gigi's! A one-off Mystery Cafe show! Adorable! I ate a lot of Tacos Johns. 

June, performance-wise, is pretty quiet. The Twin Cities Improv Festival is around the corner: it's our last one in the original HUGE building, and will be a gd party. 

I'm working on cleaning up what got pushed aside: mostly house stuff, laundry stuff, basement stuff. We have lived hard in this little house, and it shows. The stasis of the pandemic, and suddenly one kid is ten and one kid is five: the house could use a bunch of love, and I'm trying. Moving things out of the house. Giving things away. Throwing things away. It's a start. 

June/July is pointed at work: teaching a couple of summer camps at Children's Theatre Company and the Bakken Museum, and holidays will force everyone to slow down? And then August. And then fall. 

I've been very very lucky to be going into the Library Studio with the incredible Matt Patrick and recording. It feels like creating an album is like parenting: it's a long process. I want it done now, but it's okay that it's not. It's probably good that these things take time. But oh man. Matt is amazing, and I'm the luckiest. 

Onward indeed. 

May! Oh gob! May!

 How did it become May!? May 13th, even!?

April was a blur. The eldest kiddo is dealing with chronic stomach stuff - - and that truly upsets everything. Many things continued to go, even as many things were paused or interrupted. Hopefully, we're getting to a better feeling place. <3 

 - Poppa Pia finished up at HUGE Theater. IT WAS A RIDE!

 - There's A Crack in Everything came back and it was beautiful. So many thanks to Spencer, Dan, Felicity, and Will. What a dream. 

 

(I wore a fancy dress)

 - I coached the most wonderful group of improvisers and they rocked it. Throwback Night finished up at HUGE Theater and it was great!

 - HUGE Theater let me offer a two session listening workshop and it was LOVELY!

 - Arts and Apps, the COMPAS fundraiser, was so much fun. They also sent me home with a billion dumplings. I love a billion dumplings. 

 

(my activity! People did great, especially after I got out of the gd way.) 

 - I got to spend time with Matt Patrick of the Library Studio and I'm so so incredibly grateful. I go back for more in a couple of weeks. He's amazing. 

MAY!!

 - Something Musical presents continues on Wednesdays at HUGE Theater! 8 p.m. show. I've done my solo thing (5 Music Videos), and so many thanks to Eckberger and Laura, Nora, and Kelly for playing tooo!

 

(Obligatory pre-solo improv selfie) 

 - Micheal Rogers writes the funny funny, and it was delightful being a part of his part of 5/5ths. Thank you, Micheal!  

 - HR Seminar was up for Triple Double #swoon

  

THE LAST WEEKish OF MAY IS EVERYTHING. 

 - Friday May 19th, I go in for Mystery Cafe. heh. 

 - Sunday May 21st: I think I'm at Improv a Go Go! PWYC at HUGE Theater, 8 p.m. show. 

 - Wednesday May 24th, Something Musical presents 5 Music Videos at HUGE Theater. 8 p.m. show. 

 - Thursday May 25th, BRING YOUR KIDS! RETURNS!! Info here! Tickets here!

 - Friday May 26th, I get to play my music at Gigi's Cafe as part of Neighborhood Night! There's no cover, but do come in and have snacks! 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Gigi's. 

 

 - Saturday May 27th, Adorable is up for Triple Double at HUGE Theater. I cannot wait. 

 - Wednesday May 31st, the last Something Musical presents Lads at HUGE Theater. Sigh. 

And then June presents a big ole performance break. AND THAT'S OKAY. June gets busy in the ways that summer does, and rolls into July. And then August. 

And it turns out that, if you're lucky and get to coach teen improv for a while, those teens grow up into grown ups, and sometimes get married, and if you're double-lucky, you might get to go to that wedding and see a bunch of them. Oh man. CONGRATS, JACKSON!!! LOVE YOU SO!!

(free wine) 

There's a Very Pretty Song - April

There's a very pretty song by Simon & Garfunkel called "April, Come She Will"... And now we're already 8 days into. Who knew? 

The beginning of April meant Spring Break this year; there hasn't been much time to rest (or blog.) We went to Chicago to take care of some very fancy passports. Chicago likes scale. On a scale of small to Chicago, Chicago is filled with Chicago things. 

 - Singing a two minute song summoning Mothra was more fun than one would have thought. Thank you to the Rev. Matt Kessen and 10 Items or Fewer and Andrea! for the joy!

 - Throwback Night at HUGE has been a joy. I've been lucky enough to coach the group doing the Armando, and they are a dreamdreamdream. 

 - Poppa Pia at HUGE plays through April. The most surreal ABBA filled weddings you could hope for. 

 - Hear Her Stories at Mill City was beautiful!!

 - And the gift of playing Local Music Scene was so lovely. So grateful. 

April begins maybe Spring (per above), and the slow chunk and wind-up into summer until we land squarely in August. It honestly feels like this is how it works: not good or bad, just seasonal. 

 - I'm teaching a listening workshop at HUGE! It's a two session event and so very excited. 

 - There's a Crack in Everything returns!!! Sunday April 9th i.e. THAT Sunday i.e. TOMORROW. Details here!

- Something Musical is up at HUGE Wednesdays. It's a lovely mix of my solo show 5 Music Videos, Eckberger (sigh!), and at least one Nora Laura Jen & Kelly. Delights!

 - Art & Apps! A COMPAS fundraiser! I get to help out with this night, and it should honestly be delightful. 

Still taking guitar classes and Open Your Mouth and Sing online improv. Have started Katy Schutte's Write Your Solo Show (she's great!) Still writing songs. Some Bakken and some teaching for COMPAS (found object puppets!).  

I actually get to go into a studio and record this month (fingers crossed). I think I need to get over the idea of me being perfect, and let someone else help put stuff together. As if imperfect is undeserving. It's okay.

Got to see a bunch of beautiful people that I love these last two nights - - it's funny to get together with folks, who you don't live with, but have known for now over 20 years. We are our each others' cheerleaders and each others' community. Such lucky loves. Needless to say, we should have more parties. Love!

 

Tiny Desk Contest Entry 2023

 Everyone's doing it? Right?

Entered it as it felt silly not to. Recorded in my kids' room, at far too small a desk.  (more of my music at pennyandthebandits.com)

Eides and Tides March on

Chani was right. It does(?) feel like things are starting to rip. Let's find out!

March 2nd, I got to join an amazing cohort of actorly funny people for Rev Matt Kessen's Second Annual Monster Science Award show at the Bryant Lake Bowl. Last year's was absolutely giddy. This year's was very very silly. See above. 

Thursday March 9th, I have the absolute honor and privilege to play with Local Music Scene. Local musicians, improv comedians, all joy. It'll be at the Bryant Lake Bowl, 7 p.m. show. #happiness.

I've been coaching an incredible group of improvisers for the last two months, and this Friday, they open as part of Throwback Night at HUGE! They're doing the Armando, and they are the loveliest. Fridays, 8 p.m. through the end of April.  

Poppa Pia returns! The improvised ABBA jukebox musical comes to HUGE, Saturdays at 7 p.m. through the end of April. #voulezvous?

I'll be hosting Hear Her Stories, a night of storytelling in celebration of Women's History Month at Mill City Museum, happens on Friday March 24th, 7:30 p.m. show. The line-up of storytellers is awesome. Please come. 

And then a LATE SHOW? Stand Up Smack Down, hosted by Sarah McPeck, at the Bryant Lake Bowl. 

Some COMPAS at Family Means, some Bakken... All good stuff. #fingerscrossed

It feels like a lot, but then I have to check my lists and play the game of "What am I doing?" when it honestly feels like something's not getting tended... Friends are feeling overwhelmed, and I'm sort of teetering on that edge. I'm not quite overwhelmed, but WHAT AM I MISSING? 

Much love. 

Februuuuuuary

 A slow slow start. BUT in many ways not. January's been it's own weird slow-but-lego-clicking-to-the-future. I will take it!

 - The HUGE anniversary show, per precedent, so fun. Thank you to Chris Rodriguez for delight!

 - HR Seminar! Jim Robinson is a genius, and I will glare at anyone who says otherwise. You can watch us amuse ourselves here. 

 - I got to do my solo improv bit, 5 Music Videos, at Improv A Go Go. I don't really know where or what it is, but I love doing it. 

 - Nudge is nudging, and it's been so lovely. Getting around illness and just life, you can see us at HUGE Friday's at 8 p.m. through the end of February. What a dream. 

 - I'm now a part of Open Your Mouth and Sing's Musical Ensemble class: we're working on a musical invocation, and perform (online), February 8th and 9th. IT WILL BE VERY SILLY. 

 - I'm taking a BYOB Guitar Class at Sarah Jane's Music School, and it's the nicest group of humans. Big thanks to Evan Fox for being our captain. 

 - I'm coaching one of the Throwback Night groups at HUGE! We've been assigned the Armando, and they are truly fantastic. Opening in March!

 - Poppa Pia returns! We're currently in rehearsal, and also open in March at HUGE. 

 - MARCH, right? March involves singing some songs with Local Music Scene (so excited!), hosting for Mill City's Hear Her Stories, maybe going back to Family Means for COMPAS, and everything opening. February, thankfully, is getting ready. 

 - Will Roberts and I have been rehearsing music. We are FroschMaus. Will's amazing. More to come. 

 - Also, I'm starting those tiny little steps to recording an album for Penny and the Bandits stuff. First step, scratch tracks to drummer. Reach out to audio engineer. Find a saxophonist. Practice bass parts. Which is all good February stuff. HERE WE GO. 

And that's news. Lego-click-by-lego-bit. Grateful for February, and a little bit of time.