WWC Theatre Alumni Blog

Greetings from an Idaho spud...or witch!

Hey yall! It's so much fun to read what everybody has been up to. Congratulations to Michelle on her engagement, and to Lorna and Casey on their job successes. I haven't heard from Bliss in quite a while. Your doing "The Robber Bridegroom"? I'm so jealous. You know, we used some pretty familiar barrels in "Pump Boys and Dinettes". :)

I'm trying not to have a permanent job if I can help it. After a fabulous summer in Texas I flew back to Chicago with every intention of staying there for a while. However I got a call from Jamie Young asking me to direct Pride and Prejudice at WWCC. Well it was one of those things that your not sure your ready for but know deep down that you should try and it ended up being one of the best times of my life. I think directing will definitely be apart of my future. As for right now, I'm making the transition back to actor as the witch in the Colonial theatre's production of "Into the Woods". After this I'm planning on heading back to Chicago so that I can actually live in the place that I'm paying rent for. Lisa, I would love to see you in December if we can arrange it!

I've been doing a lot of research on some Grad schools, but still not sure if that's the path to take. I'm still very "unsettled" so whatever happens, happens.

I hope all of you are well! Take care of yourselves and keep in touch!

love to all,

Kelsey

MICHELLE DOUGLASS is ENGAGED!!! Yup, that's my great news, friends. I met the guy a week after i got home from my mission to Chile, and we have been inseperable ever since. I would love to tell you the full story, but I don't have time right now to do it... however, I will send you to his website... he's a writer, so that's why he has one... its jakeblack.com. He posted pictures of our engagement on it, so that's why you want to go see it, k? I love you all, and would like you all to be able to come, so send me your addresses, so I can get the invites to you. There's a part on Jake's website that will let you write him, he checks it all the time, so send your address through there. wedding@jakeblack.com Hope to hear from you all. luv, michelle

DANA, please email me Belle Baggs' email. I would really like to get in touch with her, so glad to hear she is still dancing. Wish I could see/hear you sing with the choir (Kelsey just directed at WWCC? Cool)

CASEY, wow. Thanx for tootin' my horn brother!

Here's a little tootin' for Casey.. after he ran show for the Syren Dance Company the directors told me how much they loved him and how professional he was and that even Tony Marks (lighting supervisor for Paul Taylor Dance Co. and not one to throw compliments out easily) said Casey was really primo!

LORNA, you are learning the mandolin! Can't wait to hear it. You and Kelsey can maybe do a mandolin/ukulele thing around the potluck next summer in Cisco. How close to Chicago are you? I'll be there on tour Dec 2, 3, 4.

MILES, maybe try singing your history reading or do it with sock puppets, that might make all the boring reading assignments a little more fun :) A little something I learned in "ORAL INTERPRETAION" at WWC!

BILLY, way to get the blog back on. A little push and its RAINING blogs! Congrats on getting the new website up so fast.

Yeah Billy,

I knew Courtney, we've traded email again since she showed up on the Blog. We have a couple of feet of snow in the Wasatch mountains now and it's been raining in the valley all week. Cold and crisp. Halloween is fast approaching and we're looking forward to it. The leaves are turning down here but they turned in the mountains weeks ago. You'd think we were in Seattle with all the rain we've had. I'm not holding my breath but I may be in your part of the world in December. I'll keep you posted.

Daryl

Hi Casey, Lorna, Daryl, and Becky,

Cool about seeing Lisa. Lorna, Glad you enjoy your new job. Daryl didn't you know Courtney? Oh, Becky, the joys of motherhood! Funny how lives go their separate ways. Well things are great here. Nate and I worked the cows last week. The bull made it very interesting for us. Everyone is well and the weather is great. It got down into the upper 40s last week and gave everyone a real scare, but it is back to 80 degree weather now. Nights are cool, and campfires are great. Hope everyone is happy! Take care. Billy

Hi from Virginia!
I must admit that I am guilty of looking at the Blog without writing. This summer Jenny Rouse and I had a great time together letting our kids run through the water features at Liberty Park. She also let my daughter confiscate on of her son's baby toys. I have been experiencing life in a whole new perspective lately. My oldest son started kindergarten. I can hardly believe it. I will now be involved with school again for the next 20 years or so. Hopefully somewhere along the line I will actually be able to finish my degree. I am glad to hear Texas is treating everyone so well. The reunion sounded like fun. Hope all is well with the '95-'96ers.
Love,
Becky

I don't know a lot of these kids blogging since they were well after my time. I did see a blog from Bliss though so I better leave something since he knows me.

Bliss do you remember that skit we did in Jackson when they had people team up from different schools. The bikers running an arobics class. That was a good one. We won first place as I recall. I also think I was looking for a ride home on your bus as well. What a great time.

Daryl

~Hello everyone! So glad to hear that everyone is doing so well! I am having a fabulous time with my new job out here in Ohio. It is great doing work that constantly changes - you never know what is going to happen or where you might be off to each day! Just last week I drove some equipment down to Louisville and ended up loading in a show at the Louisville Zoo. It was fun sneaking around with the animals at 2:00 in the morning! There was a bluegrass festival going on in our hotel on the river. I was really tired from working but I decided to go and listen to the bands play. I sat and sang the old favorites with some complete strangers on the banks of the river. It made me miss y'all. I have been practicing a lot on my mandolin so I'll be ready to play whenever I make it down to Texas!! Take care all - Nate I need your phone number! Tootles!
Lorna~

Hey everyone! I just got back from watching one of our own on a big stage in New York City! Lisa did a fabulous job in the lovely Joyce theatre. Can't explain how cool it was to walk in and be handed a Playbill that had Lisa's name and bio in it. It was awesome, and she's like a rock star with all her fans and casually mentioning that the lady standing over there is Meredith Monk. Wow. It was a great experience, I really wish you all could be here to see it. The company was reviewed in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/07/arts/dance/07comf.html?oref=login&pagewanted=print&position= ) and they were one of the picks of the week in the Village Voice (which had a pic with Lisa in it).

I heard from Brandi Blake (now Brandi Fischer) the other day. She's in graduate school for mental health counseling, has a new puppy and is enjoying life. I also heard from Angel Vandegrift, when she's not playing Snow White, Ariel, or Mary Poppins at DisneyWorld, she has been rehearsing for a production of A Chorus Line. And guess what part she's playing Billy? Diana Morales, the same part she played for your show a few years ago. She's amazed that she got picked to play a Puerto Rican in Florida of all places.

I'm jealous of you Bliss. I loved that show. I had to start singing it when I saw your post about it. Dana, glad to hear things are going well for you- tell your little sister hi.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Casey

Hi Dana and Bliss. Glad to see you blogging. When it gets cold up there you should come on down for some of this mild Texas winter. That goes for all you other bloggers too. Nate and I will keep the fire going in the meantime. I have to go to a funeral Saturday for my cousin. We were very close as young'uns. We got our first BB guns together. It is very sad for me to have to go and bury him. The children's show is going very well. I forgot how much I like Children's Theatre. I have some talented actors, but I am having to start from scratch with rehearsal ettiquete with them. I will be going to the SWTA, Southwest Theatre Association, sister to RMTA, the first week of November. I will be attending auditions for possible summer theatre talent. I have two auditions in November and another on in January. Dana, have any of the Shearers given any thought to whether they want to come back next summer? I have just begun a department web site at: http://www.cjctheatre.com If anyone knows of young aspiring theatre people in need of higher education, send them my way.
We are in touch with LK Avelar if anyone wants his email (send me an email for it). I just planted about 5 acres of winter wheat. It is coming up right now. What a satisfying thing to watch the seeds you planted grow. Billy

Hi everyone. This is Dana. I just got on to check the status of some people and felt a little guilty, so I thought I'd better post something. School is going pretty well. I'm a little overwhelmed, but I think I'm getting the hang of things. It's so strange to be at a big university. I have my first choir concert this Friday. It's really nice to be back in choir again. I didn't realize how much I missed it. I got a job at the Idaho Museum of Natural History, which is really nice because it is on campus (right next to the Fine Arts building). It's a nice job, although it doesn't pay very well. As long as it pays the rent, right?

Hmm, let's see. I went to WWCC this weekend to see the show Kelsey directed. It was really good. I was so proud of my sister. She left for Chicago yesterday and she will be back in Idaho Falls in a couple weeks to do Into the Woods. I wish you all weren't so far away so you could come see it.

Anyway, that's enough about me. Congrats Casey on the gig. That's so awesome! I'm glad school is going well.

Billy, Colleen and Nate - I miss you and I miss Cisco!!! Tell it hello for me. I wish Texas wasn't so far away so I could come visit. I hope rehearsals for the show are going well. It's really weird not being in a show this semester. At least I'm in the dance company, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do with myself.

Lisa - I met an old student of yours who is in the dance company with me here. Her name is Belle .... something. I can't remember. Anyway, we had a nice talk and I caught her up on your life (what I know of it).

Wow. okay, that's all. I didn't mean to write that much. Hope everything is going well for all of you.

Love,
Dana

Hello all,
greetings from the Rocky Mountains... Glad to hear you found a children's show, Billy. Also glad to see that you and Nate are getting into the thick of Cisco, campus involvement can be fun, no matter what I used to say. Glad to see everyone doing so well - Casey remember the trick to running sound is making yourself look laid back while you do it...Congratulations on the gig. Things here are good. We just closed Early One Evening at the Rainbow Bar & Grille, a good run, and we entered as an associate entry in RMTA. It's in Pocatello and I should have six actors for the Acting Awards. Billy, remember our drive to RMTA in Pocatello with ...Red Ryder? At least I won't have to focus lights off an 18' A-frame, balanced on the balcony rail, eh? Starting Robber Bridegroom now, I'm a man short but we'll figure it out, maybe I can make one out of wood... Hope all is well, regards to all.......Bliss