Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tin Pan Lizzie
My niece Lizzie Gray and I are alike in a lot of ways. We both like Hello Kitty, mac & cheese, and the color blue. SHE likes Miss Matched socks; I like Miss Matched socks. I took piano lessons as a little girl; she takes piano lessons as a little girl. She plays really well for her age; I ... well, I said we're alike in "a lot" of ways, not in EVERY way.
To remind myself what I might've achieved, if ONLY I'd practiced (sorry, Mom), here is a video of Lizzie Gray (and Sissy - she DID practice. Show off.) playing the offertory at Hampton Park's children's church earlier this summer, as well as some footage of a song that Bess wrote that "doesn't have a name yet."
Watch to the end for a surprise guest.
Monday, September 26, 2011
"Adore"-able Performances
Though it's been almost an entire summer, since I've posted anything new, life in Greenville has gone on. Leslie and I still meet at Cracker Barrel about once a week. Sissy's dog Jessie still INSISTS on licking me, even though there are about 6,000 OTHER people she could be licking, and the kids continue to thrill and amaze me. They are, after all, the Four I Adore.
I most recently adored their work in CJR Productions presentation of Patch the Pirate's Camp Kookawacka Woods. Last year, Camden, Payton, & Lizzie Gray were in CJR's Misterslippi River Race. This year, Lila trod the boards, as well. As you can see by the program pictured above, she was a church camper (truly her mother's daughter). Camden was Eugene, who barfed on the bus en route to camp, and part of the Patch crew. Payton was the well-padded Tubby, and Lizzie Gray was a tick with a fetish for PB&J (truly her aunt's niece).I'm assuming everyone will be as enchanted by their compelling performances as I was.
Am I right, or am I right?
By the way, I'm getting married in 19 days.
So there's that, too ...
Friday, September 23, 2011
Today's Intro to Theatre class
I didn't meet Chris White until 2006.
Though our paths didn't cross before then, they seemed to be running on parallel tracks. He grew up in South Carolina; I grew up in South Carolina. He went to Furman; I went to Furman. He majored in Drama; I majored in Drama. Get the picture?
Even though the rigors of Rhett Bryson's freshman year Drama 11 class almost weeded me out of the major, I eventually did end up with a B.A. in Theatre and, several years later, found myself teaching the subject at Stone Academy. My tenure there followed that of .... guess who: Chris White.
That's how we met.
Though Chris had left Stone for a high school gig, his three children were still enrolled in the school, so I had the privilege of teaching them all in the year between leaving Lexington (UK) and starting in Athens (UGA).
Thus, the parallel lives of Chris and Kristin intersected at last.
Barely acquaintances, I was still always so impressed with the brilliance of Chris's theatrical work. Recently married to a wonderful woman I went to high school with, he continues to do all sorts of great creative stuff, not the least of which is making movies - like this one, which I love.
You will, too.
(playing opposite Chris is Harriet, the younger of his two daughters; according to Chris's wife, Emily, the whole production was a family affair. Stay tuned through the credits for proof.)
GOOD LIFE from Chris White on Vimeo.
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