My kind of town.

Recently received my contract to perform at the 15th Annual Perinatal Bereavement Conference on Friday, October 13 at 8 PM. I have been looking forward to this since I found out there even was such a thing. In fact, it was shortly before the first reading (August, 2002) that I found this event - it's biennial - and I was, like, aw man, they need my show! But as it was only a few months before it was going off, it was pointless to even contact them ... though i think I did, anyway.

When it would have made sense to try and connect with them, in time for the 2004 conference, I was too wrapped up in Fringe appearances (both of them, actually) that I just forgot. When I found out it was going to be in Vegas, I think I was relieved I blew it.

But Chicago? Hey, as I have stated far too many times for it to remaining amusing, Chicago I my favorite city I have ever lived in that I have never actually lived in. I spent so many odd long weekends in the early 90s visiting friends there (and attending as many performances of Too Much Light ... as I could) that I still don't know why I didn't just dump everything and move there.

Not that we'll see much of the place during the conference - Toni and I plan on doing the conference in the small amount of time we'll be there. I don't have many details yet on what will be covered, but I'll provide them here when I receive them.

No he isn't, either ...

Latest Zelda & Orson photos

One of the 'compliments' often swung at Orson is that "he is such a little Gerber baby!"

Well, if in that you mean his is the kind of baby that, in spite of all reasonable requests, is too stupid or insensitive to remove your name from his mailing list, and as a result allows a series of advertisements to continue arriving at your house reminding you that another baby, the one for whom the unasked for coupons are intended, is still very dead, then yes, you could call him that.

He sure is cute, though.

Surviving Christmas

The holidays ended for us just a few days ago. After wistfully lamenting all of the missed parties this season, we more than made up for it in the days leading up to New Year's and the days that followed rushing back and forth across town to either attend or host events attended, largely, by my extended family.

Henrik, Brenda and Lydia had joined us from London. Lydia, eternally 6 in my show, celebrated her 11th birthday in late November. We hadn't seen her in two years, and Zelda was very excited about seeing her only cousin again. Lydia did not disappoint, as she was also thrilled to see Zelda and her new boy cousin, Orson.

My brother had let me know before they arrived that Lydia had heard the radio drama online in Britain. In fact, she'd listened to it at least three times by his last count. She said that, "through the play I think I am able to envision what they went through." This is actually the way my niece talks.

(Zelda, too, has begun to speak in interesting ways, deferring her mother's offer of, say, a piece of cheese by stating, "I would actually like an apple," though she does have a bit of difficulty wrapping her teeth around the word "actually.")

In fact, when the Hansens UK first arrived and we met up with them at my folks' house in Lakewood, Lydia made a point of coming right up to me and telling me how moved she was by the radio play. I think I embarrassed her by telling her how she is everyone's favorite character in the show.

Two bits of big news: While, yes, there was a rebroadcast of IHT on WCPN the day after New Year's, the big question of its success was always whether or not the powers-that-be would grant it a prime-time spot. Rumor has it that not only is this going to happen, but that it will be at 8 PM on Monday, March 20th - Calvin's 5th birthday. You don't get more poignant than that. It hasn't truly sunk in yet, but if they go through with it, it will make for a very special birthday feast, indeed.

Also, immediately following Calvin's Day, we are leaving for London, and I am attempting to put together a single live performance somewhere in the city. Wish me luck on that. It's what I call "touching the bases" - if I can pull that off and then mount a production in Athens I will have revisited all of the places we convalesced during 2001 and that are represented in the production.