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.