And it grows and grows...

Dale Morris as WC Fields (nose and all)
Photo by Darren Scott

 2012 has been quite a year.

• January, after bringing on Eric Poppick as director, we held a staged reading at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach, CA.  The response was very enthusiastic.  Thank you to Artistic Director David Ellenstein.  David scheduled us for a one-night full production (without the books in our hands) for June 19, 2012.  It was a big deal to look forward to.
  
  In the cast were Fred Harlow, Lisa Padace, and Dale Morris.
  
• Over the next few months we held four focus group readings with written questions for the invitees.  These answers and the discussions after each reading proved very important in the continuous rewriting of the play.
  
• The June 19, 2012 full production was a heady experience.  The audience was with us from the opening moment and the night and discussion afterwards was wonderful.  Even the cast and director and crew members were very happy with the performance.
  
• Prior to the June performance I had made preliminary arrangements to rent the 40 seat 4th Floor stage at the Tenth Avenue Theatre.  After the June performance I was emboldened to proceed with a 4-week run during the month of December later that year.  At the same time, David Ellenstein helping us as a mentor might, arranged for us to return to North Coast Rep. in November for two more performances.
  
• The Tenth Avenue run was a period of highs and lows.  Night after night audiences loved us but the critics were not kind.  It was confusing.  (more coming)