A Hearty WELCOME to a bunch of new readers, and my humble apologies to my regular followers for my long delay in entries.  This next batch of blogs describing recent New York theatrical ventures has been a long time coming. Since September, I’ve been suffering through weeks of soothing and loving care at home in beautiful Charlottesville, Virginia. I was growing sufficiently recovered from both knee and shoulder replacements in the same year, and exhausted by the unavoidable political fear-mongering on TV and in conversation.  Even compressing all five seasons of Breaking Bad into five weeks did little for me.

Impatient with the patience around me, I was itching to get a renewal on life in the big city.  So in early December, I finally made a run for it.  I robbed the budget, deserted my faithful wife  two favorite dogs and one cat, hopped the  train directly from Charlottesville to Penn Station, and managed to squeeze in seven New York shows in five nights. It wasn’t a record, but it did the trick.

However, before I get to them, I beg your patience for a small breach in tradition: a plug in favor of the home team in Charlottesville.  There is an extraordinarily lively theatre scene here, for a university town of less than 50,000.  Because I am one small part of it, I’ve chosen in the past to remain locally neutral.  In my commentaries, I have not yet ever discussed regional productions, including some I’ve directed or in which I’ve acted.  However, this one is a one-shot deal, and it promises to be so much fun I felt it was part of my responsibility to throw some audiences at it.  I’ve not yet seen it , nor am I in any way connected to the project, a directorial effort by my friend Boomie Pedersen.

Many moons ago, Boomie’s undergraduate degree came from the same source as my own (from many more moons ago).  She is a highly respected, consummate theatre pro, and Artistic Director of the Hamner Theater in Nelson County, Virginia.    She has never stopped learning her craft.  The play is her own Adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors, produced in partial fulfillment of the requirements for her MFA in Theatre Education, at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.  Both the production company and the ten-man cast are referenced above the title:  GOMDS [Grumpy Old Men Doing Shakespeare).  That’s my age range:  Gotta see it!  It opens this Friday, February 17, and closes on March 11.  Altogether, there are eight performances in Charlottesville and Richmond.  If you’re nearby and interested, take your pick!  For details: (434) 960-5936.

To be continued tomorrow!  New York!  I promise!