Thinking out loud 11/7

I know I said I was getting a bit of break here once this show came down, but it doesn’t really look like that will be very true any more. I’ve agreed to TD Eleemosynary, which will only be the second set I’ve ever built. I just enjoy making things, so this should be a good time. It’s not a tremendous undertaking in terms of a build, and it gives Brian – our usual guy – a bit of a break. The money will come in handy, too, so that never hurts.

I also noticed that my stack of reading materials for the 0809 season is already getting a bit out of control. We’ll be churning fast and furious through all manner of scripts in the next several months trying to lock that season down as we’ve just begun this one. We already have some contracts out on things we’re pretty sure on.

Have you seen something out of town or want to suggest something to add to our stack? Email me and let me know. We’re always looking for good scripts.

Can you believe 0809 will be our tenth season? Amazing. Nov. 1998 will mark the official tenth birthday of Jobsite Theater. It’s a big marker. A time for celebration, reflection and decisions.

I’m always evaluating here how this whole thing is going. Every season. Is this where my heart is? Are we actually making progress? Are we continuing to do good things or are we just continuing to continue? Are we developing as artists? Are we developing the area? I’m coming out of that time of year right about now. It was hard, with some of the challenges we had at the end of the season. In all honesty those challenges made me even more committed to the area.

I really feel if I’m not making progress – personally, for the company, for the art, for the area – than I’m wasting everyone’s time. It’s why I rabble-rouse. It’s why I’m vocal. It’s why, in the end, I may throw caution to the wind in being outspoken (ok, my pride and temper play into that as well). So I got a little beat up over the whole writing through the website to Creative Loafing to reply to Leib’s review of Gorey Stories. That’s ok. His isn’t the only paper I’ve written to this month. I’ve written most of the papers here who cover theater. And not just for Jobsite, I make a habit out of writing anytime I see a disservice being done, and there are a few things certain to get me fired up and writing a reply on. I’m just that guy. See my earlier comment about progress.

I’ll likely never really be satisfied with what I have, with what this company has accomplished, while I can see all the potential – the room for improvement – around me. Be it in my own work, the work of my fellow artists, the support of our government and business community, the press, the development of a more supportive audience … all of it.

I have a really good idea of who’s jabbing back at me over there, from previous comment explosions that have been bragged about (it’s a small town). But … what am I going to do, I opened myself up to it so I gotta let it run its course. I’ll take my lumps and try to have a decent sense of humor about it.

I can’t believe the holidays are pretty much here and that 2007 will be over before I know it.

Oh, this is news, we’ll be looking to add a second big fundraising event about 6 months apart from Jobsite Rocks. The event, yet to have a real name or a solid date, will be a benefit for both Jobsite and local artists to be held where it all started for us – the Silver Meteor Gallery. We hope to have some real details on that in the next month or so. It should be between Boston Marriage and Ros and Guil.

If you haven’t been checking out the ensemble page, you can see who’s working on what through Ros and Guil, we should hopefully have A Dream Play finalized this week and we actually just have one role left to cast in Embedded.

For now, we’re looking great. We’re starting 0708 on high and things are looking good for the coming season and beyond. They never really teach you how to actually produce in college (not the two I attended anway), so my education by fire is ongoing.

Thanks for being a part of it.