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Rabbit, rabbit y’all!

Wow, this year has FLOWN by – I can’t believe we’re heading toward Fall already.

A quick sum up of the year thus far:

Turns out THE THREE MUSKETEERS can, indeed, be performed by only 9 actors. Barter’s spring production was a BLAST! Have some other theatres looking at it – we’ll see.

The Barter ENCORE Players had a great tour of ALICE IN WONDERLAND (the addition of Dax Dupuy’s music was a hit!) and the Player’s in-house production of PETER PAN was wonderfully received. Hurrah!

In February, Dax and I had a reading of our new musical BOOK WOMAN at Barter’s Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights. Barter’s Producing Director Katy Brown wept throughout and took copious notes. TRANSLATION: She liked it and there is still work to do. I was immensely pleased – can’t wait to get back to it.

GRANDMA GATEWOOD TOOK A WALK had great reviews at Florida Studio Theatre (Sarasota, FL), Ferrum College (Ferrum, VA), Public Theatre (Lewiston, Maine) and the Black Box Theatre (Moline, IL). It has two weeks left of its run at Barter Theatre. Audiences here our still being inspired by the magnificent Emma Gatewood and the Cast and Crew who pull it off every night.

Oh – and my adaptation of Clyde Edgerton’s WALKING ACROSS EGYPT got rave reviews at Cumberland County Playhouse this summer! Because that one’s published, I’m never sure who’s doing it when, so I was excited to see it went well.

As for this Fall…

Rehearsals have begun for my new Revolutionary War play KINGS MOUNTAIN which opens this September at Barter. Right now rehearsals are rather sporadic because of Barter’s rep schedule, but once we get back from summer break, they’ll be hitting it hard and I’ll get to see for myself what is left to do. Hopefully not much.

The Barter Players are also getting ready to start rehearsals for THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER.

Childsplay Theatre in Arizona will be producing my DRACULA this fall as well – can’t wait to hear how that goes.

As for MY WRITING…

You all – I got a lot going on. Incorporating the changes wrought by Dax’s music (it’s fantastic!) into the script for our musical HERE COMES SUZY SNOWFLAKE being produced by The Barter Players this Christmas. In the throes of rewrites (actually going very well) for my new play THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BRISTOL. Writing TWO new Christmas plays – 1) BLUE CHRISTMAS, about a married couple who are insanely passionate bout Michigan football and their daughter who might be engaged to someone from Ohio State and 2) STAR OF WONDER – a story centered around three residents of a nursing home in Roanoke, VA and their relationship to the Mill Mountain Star. And finally, working on a play (inspired by true events!) called THE GREAT TRICITIES UFO INVASION OF 1973.

As for MY LIFE…

Between reunions and visits, been able to spend a lot of quality time with family this year – a rare treat. Also made a couple of FANTASTIC Appalachian road trips with best buddy Leah Terhune – learned a lot about the very cool people who live in the hills of eastern Kentucky and the good work they do there. We’re already planning our next one.

Life is Good. I am so lucky.

Until next time, thanks for reading!