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!

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

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

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

eat, sleep, breathe.... Shakespeare? -Part II

Our little aspiring actor, perfecting his "character."

The past week has been exhausting and crazy busy with the premiere of THE CATHOLIC? SHAKESPEARE. I have to say I am more than relieved to be done with it. Shipping Augustine off to Grandma's all week, leaving him home, and then the stress of preparations and exhaustion of performing.

So what does happen when you eat, sleep, and breathe Shakespeare???

Eat: ...or lack of eating real food. Result, losing 7 pounds... an easy way to get off the last few pregnancy pounds.

Sleep:... or lack of sleeping due to tossing and turning over "to be or not to be." Result, getting a nasty cold which only added to the tossing and turning.

Breathe:... only one things needs be said. Lack of oxygen can make even the most sane person loopy. Hellooooo!!

As fun as the show was and is I woke up this morning thinking, I have my life back! Well, sort of... I can cook a meal without running lines... I can sit and read Augustine 50 books, or the same 5 books over and over and over, without rushing him and distracting him with some other toy he can play with... I can even think about getting together with friends again and taking Augustine out of the house for more then a quick trip to Grandma's and back. Exhale.

Thank you God for getting me through this show. I am so thankful!