In the Noble Footsteps of John Edwards, Mark Sanford, and David Letterman, I Will Confess

I haven't written or submitted a letter to the editor in quite some time. I can't remember what month or year I had my most recent letter to the editor printed in the News & Record, but I'm thinking it's been at least a couple years ago.

I just wrote and submitted one today. I was inspired by a couple recent letter writers, as well as by all the news stories surrounding the romantic adventures of John Edwards, Mark Sanford, David Letterman, and other such manly men. It has really started to bother me that my own love affairs haven't received as much attention, so I've decided to provide some self-exposure and share some confessions of my own.

I'm hoping that Allen Johnson will decide that my tales are as worthy of publication as the stories of better known men.

One thing that might keep my own confessions from being as worthy of coverage is that I am unmarried. But still, a cheating man is a cheating man, whether he's married or not.

Stay tuned . . .

The Perfect Time for Your First Experience at the Open Space Cafe Theatre!

You only have four more chances to see "Dinah Was!" at the Open Space Cafe Theatre:

• Thurdsday, August 27, 2009 at 8:00 PM
• Friday, August 28, 2009 at 8:00 PM
• Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 8:00 PM
• Sunday, August 30, 2009 at 3:00 PM

When I dropped by Saturday evening, I was told that Friday's show is almost sold out. Hopefully it's not too late for you to get tickets for you, your loved ones, and your friends so that you can enjoy a wonderful night out on the town! (Bert's Seafood is right across the street from the theatre, and I also recommend Elizabeth's Pizza right down the street.)

You can peek in on some of the preparations behind this production.

Discover some of the other talented people behind this show.

Here's a glimpse of some of the characters in costume, ready to perform.

Tickets are $20.00 each. Senior citizens can get tickets for just $17.00. If you get together a group of 8 or more family members and/or friends, you can each get a $2.00 discount on your tickets.

Just call 336-292-2285 to order your tickets before the final shows sell out. If the voice-mail answers, just leave your name, your phone number, the date you hope to attend, and how many tickets you wish to reserve. Someone will call you right back to process your order.

IMPORTANT: If you haven't attended an Open Space Cafe Theatre production before, leave some room in your stomach for dessert. This theatre is small but in a very intimate, very positive way, and you sit at tables at which you can enjoy desserts and drinks purchased before the show or during intermission. The OSC Theatre is only one of the most recent additions to our community's great offerings, and if you haven't seen a show there before, now's a great time to take that plunge!

Are You Ready for the Big Picnic in Downtown Greensboro?

Between September 6 and September 27, you have 22 opportunities to participate in a picnic in downtown Greensboro. Click here and scroll to the bottom to see the calendar of dates and times.

Preparations and rehearsals are already underway to make sure all's ready for a successful "Picnic."

Compare the play's poster to the live-action photos.

Check out the costume and set images, as well as some background details.

Find out who's on the guest list for this "Picnic."

Preston Lane share his thoughts about the "Picnic."

And "INSIDE TRIAD STAGE" is now linked to WE101."

Remember: You're Invited To Attend This "Picnic"!

Remembering "Blood Brothers"

I made a horrible mistake on Saturday, October 11, 2008 when I went to see the musical "Blood Brothers" at the Open Space Cafe Theatre: that was the show's final performance. And that meant that I wouldn't have an opportunity to see it a second time. I enjoyed it so much that I would have seriously considered seeing it a second time, and I definitely would have tried to talk others into seeing it. I did get together a group of 12 others to see "Blood Brothers," and every one of us thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the show. We laughed out loud in parts, and by the end, I'm guessing that I was not the only one whose eyes became a little moister.

If you missed "Blood Brothers," you missed an incredible show. Two friends who saw it with me here in Greensboro had seen it in London two summers ago, and they both had liked it enough that they wanted to see it again. They also told me that an even tougher audience--the high school students with whom they were traveling--had also cited "Blood Brothers" as one of their favorite experiences while traveling overseas. Beyond telling a highly engaging story, Willy Russell's musical also confronts some of the issues of class and economics that have become even more timely here recently.

I'm definitely hoping that "Blood Brothers" will return to the area in the not-too-distant future.

In the meantime, the Open Space Cafe Theatre has a new-and-improved website for you to check out.

Middle-School Students Enjoy "Bloody Blackbeard"

Earlier this evening, I got together with seven current students, six of their family members, two former students, and a fellow teacher to see Triad Stage's "Bloody Blackbeard."

The verdict? Everyone enjoyed the show. The setting, the costumes, the music, the special effects--all are very impressive.

One student wondered if Poor Margaret's wooden face really looked that way in person. I told her that Kaleigh Kathleen Malloy benefited from at least a little make-up for the part.

There's a scene in which Blackbeard's bad side wins over, and to prove this point to the good-and-decent wife (Mary Ormond, played by Isabelle Gardo) he's most recently added to his less wholesome collection of wives, Blackbeard gives in to the pirates' way of sharing his wife with his crew (without her consent). It's not a graphic scene, but it doesn't have to be to get the point across. One of my students leaned over and whispered, "Mr. Floyd, you didn't warn us about that!" While I don't think it was ultimately too much for my students to handle, that's the one part I definitely would have prepared them for.

After the performance, some of my female students were interested in seeing and perhaps meeting young Blackbeard ("Neddie," played by Chris Wright) in the lobby. We saw some of the other actors, but if Wright came out, we missed him. He gained some female fans on opening night, partially for his performance and partially for his appearance.

I was disappointed when I found out that this show was going to open the last week of school, without any student matinees in its opening days. But I think it ended up working out for the best. For young people (such as my eighth-grade students), I'm not sure that "Bloody Blackbeard" would have ended up having as much universal appeal as Triad Stage's "North Star" and "The Diary of Anne Frank" had when we took our entire team to see them as field trips. I gave out letters and permission slips for "Bloody Blackbeard" to all of my students (about 96), and 9 of them ended up being interested and free for either the June 8th or June 10th performances. I'll also be seeing "Bloody Blackbeard" Tuesday night with two of my current students and one of their mothers. I think they too will enjoy it. If it had been a whole-team field trip, at least some students probably would not have appreciated the performance. This way, I think the students who signed on to attend will end up having a positive experience.

Thank you to the cast and crew of "Bloody Blackbeard" for doing such a great job. We had a really good time tonight, and I'm looking forward to seeing the show again Tuesday and Saturday. (22 friends and family are getting together to see it on Saturday.)

And a special thank you to Sherry Barr, Triad Stage's Director of Audience Services, for working with me to reserve seats ahead of time for my students to attend. She has helped me set up our past field trips, and she is my primary contact for setting up group reservations for friends and family to attend Triad Stage productions. She is always great to work with, and I thank her for everything she does--Triad Stage is lucky to have her!

Anticipating a Bloody Beautiful Performance

You can still purchase tickets for 24 of the 28 scheduled performances of Triad Stage's "Bloody Blackbeard."

In our popular culture, it's more common for us to get excited about an upcoming movie ("Indiana Jones IV"), but for about a year, I've anxiously awaited the third collaboration between two of our area's greatest artistic creators, Preston Lane and Laurelyn Dossett. "Bloody Blackbeard" follows two amazing Lane-Dossett productions, "Brother Wolf" and "Beautiful Star."

The three preview performances (June 8, June 10, and June 11) are sold-out, and a corporate sponsor has all the tickets for June 28, I believe. I'm getting together with some current and past students, as well as some of their family members, to see "Bloody Blackbeard" on two of the preview nights. On June 8, 18 of us will see the show, and on June 10, 4 of us will. A group of 22 friends and family members will also see the show on June 14. With plans to see "Bloody Blackbeard" three times myself, it's obvious that I'm optimistic enough to believe that it will be worth seeing that many times. If I can commit to seeing it three times, you might consider committing to see it at least once.

I missed out on far too many Triad Stage shows before finally seeing "Dracula" in 2004. Even since then, there were still seasons when I would miss some of the shows. But I didn't miss a single show during the 2007-2008 season, and there hasn't been a single production that I didn't enjoy. As busy as work and life usually are for me, I've finally realized that I have to make plans to attend plays or I won't end up seeing them. It's not enough to think in the back of my mind, "I'd like to see that play. I'm going to be sure to see it." Even more definite plans have to be made, and tickets have to be purchased, or it will be too easy to find excuses to postpone my attendance. Suddenly, I'll discover that time has passed, the last show's ended, and at no point did I ever make it to a show. Not having seen the show, I of course don't know what I missed, but knowing that I've enjoyed and appreciated every Triad Stage show I've ever seen (for different reasons and to different degrees), it's very safe to assume that if I end up not seeing a show, I certainly missed SOMETHING. And when I allow that to happen, I always end up suffering the regret that I allowed time to pass wihtout following through. Almost all of us need to work on keeping this from happening to ourselves.

As loyal fans return and as word spreads, I have faith that "Bloody Blackbeard" is going to do very well, and I suspect that many more shows will ultimately sell out. I suggest that you pick a date as soon as possible (June 6-July 8, excluding Mondays), that you pick your date(s) with whom to attend (family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc.), and that you order your tickets now. Don't forget that gallery seats are only $10.00 each, and remember that educators receive half-price discounts on all tickets. (You can't beat such deals!)

If you've never seen a Triad Stage production, this show is the perfect one to choose for your first Triad Stage experience.

Order tickets on-line. Or call the box office at 336.272.0160 between 10:00 AM-6:00 PM, Tuesday-Friday. Or just drop by Triad Stage during those hours. And after you've seen the show, let me know what you think of Triad Stage and this particular production. I hope you'll end up falling in love like I have; it's a wonderful feeling!

Please don't forget: the time is now.