Homecoming

Homecoming
Wednesday, December 5th

I walked into the Wharton Center on Monday afternoon & it all came back. No tour of this theater necessary. The Stage Management office is across the hall from the dressing room Sheila Marie shared during The Taming of the Shrew ten years ago. The call desk sits 5 feet from the fly rail where I worked my first musical (Hello, Dolly!). Crazy to be back.

SM's dressing room.

My Office.

Of course, coming back to my hometown also means that I have a busy calendar. Load-in all day Monday and Tuesday with opening night. I also did 4 radio interviews on Tuesday morning and took a break from focusing the show's lights to meet with someone from the Alumni Association's magazine. Then there was the opening night party at Beggar's Banquet. This afternoon, we started rehearsals with James Beaman (who will take over as our new Sir Robin in two weeks). Thursday is family day - I'm headed home to Dansville for lunch with Mom, Dad and Grandma. Friday I've been invited to speak to students in the Theatre Department. Friday's show also has lots of family and friends in the audience. Saturday: two shows with family dinner between. Sunday: two early shows and load-out. Monday, I'm on a 7 AM flight to Washington, D.C. Not included here, of course, are all the restaurants, bars and stores I want to visit along with the people I hope to meet up with before and after the shows. I'm excited about all of it.

I've eaten at El Azteco twice since I've been back in town. I'm happy to report that the Topopo Salad and the Cheese Dip are a good as I remember. Beggar's is still one of the most charming and inviting restaurants around. In sad East Lansing developments: The Spartan Sports Den is no more. In nostalgic ones: I know almost no one in the Department of Theatre - Frank and Gretel are Professors Emeritus leaving Denice Detmer as my lone remaining link. The grad student who arranged my talk with student Stage Managers offered to give me directions to the Auditorium or meet me at the Wharton and bring me over. It might have been nearly ten years since I took a class there, but I bet that I could find my way to the Aud blindfolded. (I'd also being willing to bet that I could still climb up the fire escape, through the window in the dressing room bathrooms and then up and out onto the roof.)

It's been snowing here - lending campus a Christmassy atmosphere. The lighted decorations are up on all the dorms. They are, so far as I can tell, unchanged from my childhood. I haven't been feeling very Christmassy myself, but being in Michigan and seeing some snow has helped. Sheila Marie and I bought two advent calendars while she was visiting Columbus and we've been opening a window each night on the phone. It sounds cheesy, but it's really fun! Maybe while I'm in DC, I'll decorate and get into the spirit a bit more...

The snowy courtyard outside the Wharton Center.

In any event - I'm enjoying being back in the land of my people & looking forward to the rest of the week!

Even Kitty and Baby are getting in on the act!

I was interviewed by Mike Hughes of the Lansing State Journal a couple of weeks ago. you can check out the story he cobbled together here. (Ignore the misspelling of my name and the factual errors.)

JV