Convergence
I'm probably too tired to post coherently, but I'm not quite tired enough to go to bed yet, so here goes.
I'm in the middle of a really exciting project I've mentioned in this journal before, the Indy Convergence. This is a group of people from artistic disciplines coming together in Indianapolis to do experimental and cross-disciplinary work, collaborate, and bounce ideas of each other. My short chamber opera, "Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater," is part of this. I wrote the story and composed most of the melodic material, and my collaborator, Meredith Gilna, a very talented and hard-working composition student, has done a great job of turning my little melodic sketches into real music. I'm also stage directing -- something I've done before, but not extensively. Fortunately, I've got great people to help me out with props, lighting, set, and so forth.
I'm also going to be involved in a play about Chernobyl and a project about the poetry of Kenneth Patchen. It's a fabulous group of people and it's really interesting to see how the different cultures of each artistic discipline work together. I'm doing movement and contact improv with dancers, reading poetry with actors, and there's lots more to come -- we just got started on Wednesday and have another entire week.
I'm still teaching my regular load, singing a few church services, and starting blocking for Pirates of Penzance pretty much on top of the Convergence projects, so if I were any busier I'd have to figure out a way to be in two places at once.
Meanwhile, in other news, Athena continues to decline and there's not much we can do for her except give her syringes of baby food and of water (she's so weak she can hardly hold her head up to drink) and lots of love. She doesn't seem to be in any obvious pain, so I'm not ready to make a final trip to the Vet's at this point. Narvi and Freya have been wonderful. I believe they understand more than I might have given them credit for. They've been lying down with Athena and mostly treating her with great respect, though I've had to get after them for batting at her tail. Today I had to carry her to her litter box and hold her up, and the kittens started to go into the box after her. I yelled at them, but then realized what they were up to -- they buried her pee for her -- a pretty touching gesture to make for an old cat who can't do much for herself these days.
I'm in the middle of a really exciting project I've mentioned in this journal before, the Indy Convergence. This is a group of people from artistic disciplines coming together in Indianapolis to do experimental and cross-disciplinary work, collaborate, and bounce ideas of each other. My short chamber opera, "Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater," is part of this. I wrote the story and composed most of the melodic material, and my collaborator, Meredith Gilna, a very talented and hard-working composition student, has done a great job of turning my little melodic sketches into real music. I'm also stage directing -- something I've done before, but not extensively. Fortunately, I've got great people to help me out with props, lighting, set, and so forth.
I'm also going to be involved in a play about Chernobyl and a project about the poetry of Kenneth Patchen. It's a fabulous group of people and it's really interesting to see how the different cultures of each artistic discipline work together. I'm doing movement and contact improv with dancers, reading poetry with actors, and there's lots more to come -- we just got started on Wednesday and have another entire week.
I'm still teaching my regular load, singing a few church services, and starting blocking for Pirates of Penzance pretty much on top of the Convergence projects, so if I were any busier I'd have to figure out a way to be in two places at once.
Meanwhile, in other news, Athena continues to decline and there's not much we can do for her except give her syringes of baby food and of water (she's so weak she can hardly hold her head up to drink) and lots of love. She doesn't seem to be in any obvious pain, so I'm not ready to make a final trip to the Vet's at this point. Narvi and Freya have been wonderful. I believe they understand more than I might have given them credit for. They've been lying down with Athena and mostly treating her with great respect, though I've had to get after them for batting at her tail. Today I had to carry her to her litter box and hold her up, and the kittens started to go into the box after her. I yelled at them, but then realized what they were up to -- they buried her pee for her -- a pretty touching gesture to make for an old cat who can't do much for herself these days.