Edith Stein Production - OPENS TONIGHT!

Edith Stein" by Arthur Giron

Directed by Joshua Campbell
***FREE Desserts and Wine on opening night*** 

Minneapolis Minn., February 9th, 2012"Edith Stein" is a stirring and passionate drama that has played to standing room only audiences throughout the United States. Set within the context of a controversial Catholic convent that was established outside the gates of Auschwitz in the 1980s, this play takes us back to Germany during the years following the First World War up until 1942. Based on the true story of Edith Stein who was martyred at Auschwitz, this is a gripping play about the power of faith, family, religious tolerance, mutual respect, and the remarkable triumph of the human spirit against all odds. Edith was a prominent female Jewish intellectual in Germany during the lead up to Hitler's reign of terror. A doctor of philosophy turned atheist and a Medal of Valor recipient during World War I, Edith Stein eventually converted to Catholic-Christianity and left her worldly pursuits behind in order to devote her life to prayer for the Jewish people and her nation in the midst of the Nazi horrors. In 1942 Edith was arrested and subsequently gassed to death at Auschwitz as a result of her Jewish ancestry and her unwillingness to compromise with evil or put others at risk. This play tells the story of her heroic struggle with and stand against the greatest of evils, depicted by a fictional Nazi official. (Two act play w/ intermission. Approx. runtime 110min. Produced by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.)

"Inspiring." - Northern California Jewish Bulletin "Magnificent theatre." - Valley News Dispatch Presented by the Open Window Theatre, a new 100 seat black box studio theatre in Minneapolis located just a few blocks north of the Basilica of St. Mary near the downtown Hennepin Theatre District. The Open Window Theatre is a non-union professional theatre featuring an intimate and memorable theatre-going experience. Find out more at: www.openwindowtheatre.org

DATES: February 9, 11 & 12; 16-19; 23-26
SHOW TIMES: 7:30pm Thursdays – Saturdays with an additional 2:00pm matinee on Saturday, Feb. 11th. All Sundays @ 2:00pm. (No performance on Feb. 10th). Post-show Q&A discussions are scheduled for opening night, Feb. 9th, as well as Saturday afternoon, Feb. 11th and Sunday afternoon, Feb. 19th.
LOCATION: Open Window Theatre, 1313 Chestnut Ave. #102, Minneapolis 55403 in the Metropolis Minneapolis Building. Free parking is available in the lots off of Linden Ave. W and 15th Street N
TICKETS: $12 - $22 with discounts for groups, advance tickets, students, seniors and children

Available at: www.openwindowtheatre.org or by calling Brown Paper Tickets at: 1-800-838-3006

A whirl of a tour - Nebraska and Georgia!

So Jeremy, Augustine and I just recently returned from a road trip for performances in Omaha, NE and Atlanta, GA. We can now add Georgia to our list of places we have performed in the country.

It was a trip I was looking forward to and dreading at the same time. Having our 1 1/2 year old in a car driving for almost 5 full days!! Insane. Augustine does not like riding in the car for longer than, oh, 10 minutes, so you can imagine my dread.

I hate having him watch to much TV or videos but this trip would be the exception. We survived the trip and he did amazingly wonderful! He stayed up late late and played with his babysitters like they were old friends. He is becoming quite the seasoned traveler.

Our performance of THE VITAE MONOLOGUES in Omaha was at UNO and although we often experience difficulties on college campuses, things went very smoothly and there were about 100-150 people at the show. I have to admit that doing this show while pregnant is pretty hard for me, emotionally. I cried like I never had before in a show. Thankfully I was supposed to cry and it worked but having a child and being pregnant seem to really make the show more poignant for me personally. It breaks my heart to think of aborting one of my children and and then to think of the woman who have an now regret it or can no longer have children due to the procedure. Besides my extra real tears I hadn't been able to eat since 12N that day and the show was wrapping up around 9pm. That is 9 HOURS of not eating for this pregnant lady. Not pretty! I actually started gagging (on stage!). Fortunately it was not noticeable since I am in a bowed position and can't be seen well. The thought of needing to hurl on stage was pretty scary.

The next day we headed on a 14 hr drive to Atlanta, GA for a performance of "LOLEK" in honor or JPII's feast day on Oct. 22nd. We were honored to meet a WONDERFUL couple from London who treated us royally. They even are planing on bringing us to London's West End for performances of LOLEK! (I can't help but be really excited about this since London is my "home away from home!") We also went to a Polish Mass and got to venerate a FIRST CLASS relic of Blessed John Paul II. It was a wonderful experience. Although we had a great time...as Augustine started teething and getting sick I was more than happy to head home. If only we could have clicked our heels and flew home.

"There is no place like home... there is no place like home!"

God has blessed us abundantly through this work and especially on this trip and we are so grateful for His great kindness!

JPII - Pray for us!

We are back at it again!

Here is one of the cast pictures from THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. We are doing an Encore weekend of this show - THIS WEEKEND! Tickets are selling slower than last time so we don't expect to sell out, but the show is truly excellent. I mean look at those costumes!

A few minor changes this time around is that I am also in the cast as "The Elf" (Father Chrsitmas' helper) and Witch's Army Member. I particularly enjoy the Army Member role as it is a total different style of acting than I usually get to do - cackling and grunting are not usually in my other roles at Epiphany Studios or at Stanbary Residence. Usually being the key word there. :-)

Life in this business is as crazy and stressful as usual but it certainly does require us to "cling to Jesus" lest we have a panic attack. Jeremy has been rehearsing all month for our new fall show Leaving Iowa which opens Sept. 8th. All the while preparing for a work trip to CA at the end of the month and publicizing our new season and the other 1,000 other things we need to do. Not to mention trying to figure out how to grow a money tree. Tips greatly appreciated!! Ha ha, no pun intended.

God has wisely kept us in the dark concerning future events and reserved for himself the knowledge of them, that he may train us up in a dependence upon himself and a continued readiness for every event. -Matthew Henry

God will never, never, never let us down if we have faith and put our trust in Him. He will always look after us. So we must cleave to Jesus. Our whole life must simply be woven into Jesus.
-Mother Teresa

"Fear is useless, what is needed is trust."

I'm posting these quotes right now more for my own sake than yours, but I sure hope they also bless you today. It is something we always need reminders of.

Kicked in action!

We are back at our strange capers with THE CATHOLIC SHAKESPEARE this summer!

The turn out has been a bit low but the hilarity ensues none-the-less. At Saturday night's performance Jeremy was sweating so much (it gets hot under those lights and in full costume) that during our Taming of the Shrew fight scene my hand slipped off his head throwing me into his pathway for his tuck and roll dive. I was smacked quite hard by his leg going full force and I blacked out, on stage, for a half second! For a brief second I had no idea where I was or what I was doing. Finally realizing I was on stage, and in the middle of my line no-less, I picked up where I left off. Remembering I had gotten hit on accident, but in the context of a fight scene, I allowed myself to grab my throbbing head. Ouuchhh! My head ache was gone by the end of the scene. Jumping on Jeremy's back and yelling, "If I be waspish then best beware my sting!" must have helped ease my pain.

That scene reminds me of when I was acting in "Oliver!" years ago and got whacked by a actor who was getting a little TOO into character as "the bad guy." He felt so awful and even managed a whispered "I'm sorry!"

We actors love to talk for hours in a play-by-play nature (much like sports lovers) after the show. ...And then you did ____! And I did this that and the other!! Oh, and did you see that? What happened there?

I am still chuckling today about how Jeremy got so excited and passionate with his nerdy "Quince" character that he accidentally slapped himself in the face! That is some serious skill my friends! (I am resisting the urge to type LOL all over this post. You are welcome.)

We have more shows this weekend so don't miss the fun! E-mail me for more info! Also, I have to make this pitch... BISHOP PICHE' is coming to the show on FRIDAY we will have a very holy celebrity in the house and we hope the place is packed for a great show.

See you at the Theatre!
Sarah aka Nikki Bottom

The Pope's Call to Artists!

One of our board members for Epiphany Studio Productions and The Open Window Theatre sent Jeremy and I this address from Pope Benedict to artists. Our mission and name was developed on JPII's "Letter to Artists" and it is a joy to have this mission affirmed once again by our Holy Father! See a short excerpt below.

Papal Address to Artists of Anniversary Exhibit

Never Seek Beauty Far From Truth and Charity

"...I would like to renew to you and to all artists a friendly and passionate appeal: never separate artistic creativity from truth and charity; never seek beauty far from truth and charity, but with the richness of your genius, of your creative impulse, be always courageous seekers of truth and witnesses of charity. Make truth shine in your works so that their beauty awakens in the sights and hearts of those who admire them the desire to make their existence, all existence, beautiful and true, enriching it with that treasure that never diminishes, which makes of life a work of art and of every man an extraordinary artist: [the treasure of] charity, love..."

Thank you Papa for affirming our mission in this work!

Holy Spirit of inspiration, dwell in all artists so that beauty and truth may be honored in art.

In the Divine Artist,
Sarah

First Camping/Work Trip

With another weekend of work approaching I began whining to Jeremy about how much I really miss family time with him since work takes up 90% of our lives. We haven't had a free weekend in some time! As I sadly began thinking about trying to figure out a work trip to St. Charles, MO for a performance I considered the delightful options of, A) drive 18 total painful hours to and from the performance with a 1 1/2yrs old or B) getting someone to watch Augustine for the weekend for the umpteenth time this month. Neither option was appealing. That is where camping comes in...

We decided to do what we do best... go with the flow and make the best of it and make the trip a family camping trip. Although leading up to the trip was a bit chaotic as we prepped for the work aspect of the trip and being gone for 5 days we headed off Thursday morning, not sure what to expect.

We drove to a half way point campground "Palisades-Kepler National Park" and set up our tent, pack-n-play and scrounged up some firewood. Augustine was a real trooper and enjoyed exploring the various sticks and stones as well as the new play land in the tent. Once it was dark enough he went to bed like a dream.

The next day we packed up and headed to our final destination - St. Charles, MO. We stayed with wonderful hosts who took us out to dinner on Old Main Street. It was so lovely and reminded me of Boston and Door County mixed together with cobblestone streets and lots of beautiful shops and restaurants. The history in St. Charles is that this lovely city set on the river was where Louis and Clark set off on their adventure to discover West America. It really had a nice cozy quaint feel and I wish we had more time to explore.

We had our show of LOLEK for a medium sized crowd who gave a standing ovation and raved about the performance after the show. I will never tire of people coming up to me after the show saying, "That actor is SO talented!!!!" I smile and say, "Yes, he really is!" :-)

We went to mass the next day and then were campground bound.

Awake                                                                             Sleep

Play

We set up camp in the exact same spot as we were in before. (When you don't have a reservation and the spot is open - why mess with a good thing?) As drops of rain began to fall we pulled out our tent camping rain gear - the laptop and a movie. We watched "Up" in our cozy tent while the thunderstorm raged and it was magically wonderful. Augustine sat alert and wide awake after his bedtime while Jeremy and I relaxed and we all thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It was a really great pick and I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it yet.

I am so excited we finally got to go camping as a family and the trip overall went really well. It was relaxing and rejuvenating and a lot of fun! I'm already looking forward to when we will be able to camp again and take our second Summer work trip to one of my favorite places - Hollywood, CALIFORNIA!

Trust

Trust is a really hard thing for us humans. We like to drive, we like to be in control.

Jeremy and I stepped out in trust when we started this local theatre, and we think it will survive the summer. We trust it will survive. Now is where the trust comes into play. Not just saying the word trust, but acting the word trust. There is a HUGE step between saying "Jesus I trust in you" and living "Jesus I trust in you."

Now is where the rubber hits the road.

Now we get into the nitty gritty day to day even minute to minute mental battle of trust. I'm certain anyone reading this knows what I am talking about. It's human, we struggle. Its so easy for people to say, 'just let it go' or 'it will all work out' or 'it's going to be ok' when in the present situation you feel desperate.

It is during these times when I lean heavily on my past experiences. I have a catalog, in my head, of feelings, emotions, and experiences. When I am struggling with trust I scan through my memory catalog and select instances when things worked out. The key is to select the times when things did work out. I equate what I went through with what I am going through and rationalize that this situation, these feelings, will also truly work out.

When I have an experience that did not work out, I category it as 'did not work out as I had planned.' I can often easily come up with a positive to the scenario and I can then also use these memories as encouraging instances. I try to make a point to make all my memories positive and learn from. It just seems like the most logical thing to do and most of all - IT WORKS!

Once I comfort myself with the truth, my past experiences, which are often steeped in faith and God, I can then, and only then step back and let go and trust. It is still a practice and it does still require energy which is why I call it a battle, but end result is usually the goal.

Jesus I trust in You. You are God, and you are my best friend. You clothe me better than even the flowers in the field.

Your ways Lord and not mine.

Sarah, your daughter.

SOLD OUT!

Oh, how I love those words! We were lucky enough to be able to sell out all five performances of THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. What a joy to add to the signage a sign that said, "We are sorry but this show is sold out." Beautiful music to my ears! I will tell you what is not beautiful, turning away sweet families and elderly ladies waiting at the door hoping to get in to the show. A good problem to have but not an easy one to say the least. I will gladly take that problem and dump my worries about attendance for all the rest of our shows. Uh, God, did you hear that one? Let me simplify my prayer... Please help us sell out all our shows and to Yours be the Glory! Your daughter forever, Amen.

Here are some great pictures from this fabulous show.

It is our best E-Rhapsody performance yet, the costumes and acting were superb and we got comments such as the following...
"I'm kind of a theatre buff and this is the best children's production I've ever seen!"

"I don't know anyone in the show but I had to come a second time because I enjoyed it so much the first time I saw it..."

"This show was better than the Minneapolis Children's Theatre or Stepping Stones Children's Theatre!"

"Were the costumes rented? They are amazing!"

Alright I'm like a gushing mom over all my "kids" in the program- but they are so talented and I am so proud!

In the Divine Artist,
Sarah

How green is our grass?

So tomorrow starts Production and Performance week for The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe! Get your tickets for this great show in our new space May 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th by calling 651-336-3302.

We have been so busy preparing the space: curtains, risers, chairs, painting, decorating and on and on... The work just doesn't seem to end for my dear husband who is thee HARDEST worker I have ever known. He stays up often until 4:00/5:00/6:00am and wakes a few hours later to keep working. 2-3 hrs of sleep per night is insane!! Sometimes he will even pull that all nighter thing and just restart a day without really ending the other. Where I say, 'I can't go on I have to go to bed,' he says 'ok, you can go to bed' while he plows on ahead. I don't know how he does it but he is amazing! He is doing the work of two full time employees and he somehow has been doing this for 8yrs. It really does blow my mind. He sacrifices so much for our family and this work and I am so grateful. While I go to my beloved book club or out for a 6 mile run with a friend he stays home and works, works, and works some more. Now all this work is not to be compared with workaholic. Jeremy loves taking a break and he knows how to let lose and have a great time. Anyone who really knows Jeremy knows that he is one of the most delightful and fun people there is to be around.Trust me, I know! Its just that he is so often forced into not getting to take a break due to the overwhelming work load.

I often thank God that we work together so that I can share in Jeremy's life so deeply and not feel out of the loop. I wonder sometimes what it must be like to not share in the daily grind with my husband. What would it be like to have just one of those normal lives? Where you can actually take a weekend for what it is - a break from work... Or, imagine this, coming home to a home and not your work place with duties and work needs staring you in the face. I really think the grass always looks greener on the other side and that if Jeremy and I didn't work together that I would miss him terribly and I would miss sharing in his work and passion. I'll take the good with the bad the pros with the cons and enjoy the green grass on my side of the fence. 

Keeping it real,
Sarah

When God closes a door He OPENS a WINDOW

Yes God has certainly Opened a Window for us!

Jeremy and I have been praying for a couple years about whether God would want us (Epiphany) to get our own local space. The dream was big, the shot was long. Can we really use the arts locally as a huge positive force in our local culture? Everyone wants our culture to change... what are we all doing about it? Could this be our next step in transforming our culture in a positive way? This space would provide us to produce high quality, positive, family friendly shows. We would have a home to host original and classic works that all fit within our mission. To educate, entertain and inspire! Besides all that I would now have a home for my own Dance Studio ECHO DANCE!

I have been a Ballroom dance instructor for years but without a home to host my classes. Not only could my Ballroom Dancing Classes and Dances mesh with the mission of Open Window but it would provide an additional source of revenue for this work helping to provide more financial stability.

Could Epiphany afford to take such a big leap of faith? Did we really have the local support it appeared we had? If we jump would we fall? Would we fail?? I guess that's where the whole 'leap of faith' thing comes in. Despite our concerns it seemed that God continued to open the door (or window in this case) towards Epiphany getting its own space.

And so despite many fervent prayers for God to close the door, if it was His will, He saw fit to give us this new space, birthed right out of Divine Mercy Sunday and our Patron Pope John Paul II's Beatification day as well as our 2 year anniversary! The lease was signed on a 24 hr deadline notice (someone else almost snatched the space right from under our noses) at 3pm (the hour of mercy) Monday May 2nd. There were so many beautiful signs from God that this is what he was providing for us. And although it was still a leap of faith for us both we felt strongly that this was God knocking on our hearts to sacrifice more and to continue this work.

And so with all that said I'm including a link for you to check out THE OPEN WINDOW THEATRE and its mission as well as details on the upcoming performances of  our Catholic Youth Theatre production of THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE featuring Jeremy Stanbary, my dear and talented husband, as Aslan the Lion! May 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th  at 7:00pm and May 29th at 2:00pm

Also, I have to throw in a pitch for my Ballroom Dance Classes and Dances! The first Ballroom Dance Social will be on May 20th at 7pm. It WILL include a a free Ballroom Dance lesson for those who are interested and will be a fun social atmosphere to gather with friends, dance and chat! I hope you can come and make this your home to Social Ballroom Dancing in the Twin Cities. Also, I will be hosting two sessions of Ballroom Dance classes this summer... Let me know if you would like me to send you the registration form and more details. Dates below...

Summer Session 1: Monday nights: June 6^th, 13^th, 20^th, and 27^th

Summer Session 2: Monday nights: July 25^th, Aug. 1^st, 8^th, & 15^th

Sessions Available:

·         5:30-6:20pm….Youth Ballroom (ages 12yrs-17yrs)

·         6:30-7:20pm….Ballroom-1 (All ages)

·         7:30-8:20pm….Ballroom-2 (Must have some previous Ballroom Dance experience)

·         8:20-9:00pm….Ballroom-3 (Must have a moderate knowledge/skill of Ballroom Dance)

More info to come but I just want to thank God for making this a reality and for providing for us and blessing us beyond what we deserve!

Sarah

Mini Work Vacation

Shortly after my beautiful baby boy turned one year old April 2nd, 2011.

*see future blog post on the exciting day!

Jeremy and I had to leave him for the longest we have ever left him. 4 days. Four days without my baby, I mean, my one year old. No, my baby. Always my baby.

Will I survive?

We had a 17 HOUR drive to DeSales University in PA for a performance of LOLEK. Not to mention the five hour trip we took to drop Augustine off at my parents house in WI. The drive was long but it was actually pretty fun to have that relaxing road trip feel without worrying about Augustine getting uncomfortable or fussing. I only watched cute videos of him and looked at awe worthy pictures of him.... occasionally. I only called home a few times... a day, and texted, well, a bit over my plan for this month. I really enjoyed spending some unplanned quality time with my fun, silly, and handsome husband, road tripping like the olden days.

After an over night stop in Steubenville, OH with family friends we completed our journey to DeSales by catching their 8pm on campus mass which was quite lovely. Our gracious host led us to an on campus guest house that looked like a beautiful bed and breakfast in England or Ireland that was to be ours for our stay...

...and handed us what she said were food cards that had $5,000 on them, we instantly knew that this was going to be a wonderful stay. She even said, 'go crazy' with the food cards. Starving artists say, 'yes mam!'

When this school wanted to book us a year ago I was due with Augustine and wasn't about to let my husband do a work trip on my due date. This year the booking made more sense and even though the host was not able to pay our full travel costs I just felt we needed to do this show and that God would provide for our needs. Yes the looooooong drive WAS crazy long and left us feeling loopy and half sleeping we made it safely and we quite enjoyed the rewarding perks of being here on a little mini work vacation. To top it off Augustine was doing great with my parents and building a special bond with my family and especially my dad and last night we had balmy summer evening weather.

Thank you Lord for these blessings that help restore our souls and give us peace, joy and hope.

Sarah

Behind the Scenes

Actors live such a glamorous lifestyle. Right?

Hahahhahhahahhha.....not so much.

Ahhh... that's more like it.
Jeremy and I just finished a three day run of shows and it was pretty tedious. The shows went great, but the nature of this work is so very very draining. I think most people do not realize just how exhausting this work is, and while we have a passion for our ministry's mission, some days we wonder how we survive the long days...

Here's a day behind the scenes:

We get on the road as early as 6am, if we haven't already driven right through the night to our destination. We arrive, and begin load in carrying large heavy boxes from the trailer to the performance location. Next we set up the show and equipment which takes as long as 8 hours. If things do not go smoothly that means we are left still prepping for the show minutes before the start of the show. I could go into great detail about what it means for things to "not go smoothly", but I will spare you the drama. We have some pretty crazy stories. The performance then requires us to pour our heart and soul and full range of emotion into every word we speak sometimes requiring full out fight scenes and long monologues packed with emotion and energy. Then, for example, Friday's show of THE SCRUTINY PASSION was followed by a short talk (by Jeremy) and adoration. We then have to tear down the entire set for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. If we have no volunteers to help us it can be pretty exhausting and take as long as 3hrs. Loading the equipment into the trailer can be knee cap dislocating (add a trip to the ER to top off the night) or back breaking (Jeremy has had 2 lower back surgeries). We find it is 11pm or even midnight and we have not eaten in 10hrs, the booking location forgot to pay us, we have been traveling and working for 16 hrs, and on a rare occasion Jeremy has to then drive overnight to the next location to repeat.

It's long and tedious, but is indeed a labor of love. It has many benefits and blessings as well and it is extremely rewarding to hear from the audience or booking host positive feedback on how the performance touched them deeply or inspired them. Sometimes we leave wondering how the next day will be provided for or where the next dollar will come from. I think God really allows us to journey in this way of unknowing to realize, in an acute way, that He is our provider and that none of this is for our own glory. I often think as I choke back tears back at the tech table during an especially moving or touching part of one of the plays... God allows me to do this work so that I can see these plays over and over. So that I can constantly be reminded of holy men and woman who were confronted with great trials and with the power of prayer and God's grace endured them with great faith.

One of the quotes from the play that I remind myself and Jeremy of often is this, "The gospel does not promise a comfortable life to any of us." Its true we are called to carry our crosses, and that is not a bad thing. Taking up our crosses and following Christ is rewarding in ways we don't often even see. When I die I hope God shows me what this work has done for people. Will I, God willing, get to walk through the heaven of pure JOY and PEACE and have Jesus point to people along the way, and as he does, I will know in an instant how my life, my husband, and this work impacted them? I sure hope so!

"Each one of them is Jesus in disguise. "

Mother Teresa

Sarah