A SOLO antipodean adventurer

Hey gang -

Greetings to many of you from the Other Side of the World. To the rest of you, G'day.
Llysa here with a long-overdue update from my time here (two weeks already!! How the %$(@@#! did that happen!?)

I am on-site in Adelaide with a few targets in my sights: doing a bit of producer-ship for The Snow Queen in either of its incarnations; attend the Australian Arts Market and get a bead on what artists in other places are thinking; see lots of stuff at the fringe, and SEE what artists have been thinking - both kinetically and ephemerally (trying to see more visual arts, particularly) AND do a little teaching at Urban Myth, seeing where and when Re[ACT]ion might happen. THEN, I will be going to New Zealand, teaching at the Fortune theatre in Dunedin("the Riviera of the Antarctic!") and meeting with folks I met at APAM. whoooo!

Much is percolating in my head - my mental velcro is VERY full already, and I still have 10 more days to go. I've seen two arts exhibits only, (one is a VERY large scale digital piece on historic buildings called Northern Lights - fabulous re-framing of familar places) but have managed to see 25 shows, and teach several classes.
The few things that are striking me: how grimly some folks are seeing the future or the past, yet in other places I've experienced incredible moments of grace, vulnerability and compassion.

Very interesting.

Music has had a personally powerful effect on me. I keep finding myself weeping at the sounds of voices raised together in song. (Not all songs. I didn't cry at the cricket anthem, or the drinking song.) But still - this is a path that we have been talking about re-incorporating, and obviously, we are in synchronicity with other creative types in the world. And lo! Two plays with music on the horizon!

I can hardly wait.

But - this is all for the nonce - I will leap back into the blogging fray more completely soon - just wanted to let folks know that I am alive, albeit alone (this is the first time since 1996 that theater simple has NOT performed at the Adelaide fringe, and Andrew and I have never been apart so long since 1989). If you see one of us, please give us a pat. Or a glass of wine.

Off to a show!

FINAL KING COUNTY PODCAST

PARK BENCH
PHASE 2 CONCLUDES WITH A OUR FINAL PODCAST FROM THE 2007 KING COUNTY PERFORMANCE NETWORK.
(Episode 13), DUVALL, WA.

Park Bench is theater simple's mobile interview outpost where we invite people to have a seat and have a chat.

Hi there!
As part of the 2007 Site-Specific King County Performance Network (funded by 4Culture), theater simple's PARK BENCH visited 7 communities in August and September. Today's episode, the last of our King County Performance Network podcasts, comes to you from the beautiful town of Duvall, Washington. In mid September, Park Bench played a doubleheader in Duvall. We started out right in front of the brand new shopping center, and finished the evening in McCormick Park, on the banks of the Snoqualmie River and the final night of Duvall's outdoor cinema.
Have a listen by clicking play (on the silver player just to the right; press the "posts" button to search past episodes), and also visit the theater simple "gcast" website to
stream it, download it, or get more info on past episodes:
http://www.gcast.com/user/theater_simple/podcast/main
the most recent episode will play automatically, while past episodes are at the bottom of the page.
We'd love your comments, so let us know what you think.

Cheers,

Andrew

NEW PODCAST !!

PARK BENCH
CONTINUES WITH A NEW PODCAST !!
(Episode 12), our day at the Redmond Farmers Market.
(Park Bench is theater simple's mobile interview outpost where we invite people to have a seat and have a chat.)

Hi there!
As part of the 2007 Site-Specific King County Performance Network (funded by 4Culture), theater simple's PARK BENCH visited 7 communities in August and September.

In late September, Park Bench made a visit to the King County city of Redmond, here in Washington State. With over a half a dozen potential sites for us to set up shop, we chose a place where farmers and artists and residents all come together, the Redmond Farmer's Market.
Have a listen by clicking play (on the silver player just to the right; press the "posts" button to search past episodes), and also visit the theater simple "gcast" website to
stream it, download it, or get more info on past episodes:
http://www.gcast.com/user/theater_simple/podcast/main
the most recent episode will play automatically, while past episodes are at the bottom of the page.
We'd love your comments, so let us know what you think.

Cheers,

Andrew

NEW PODCAST is up and RUNNING

More Park Bench Podcasts

In mid September, Park Bench made two visits to Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood. On our first trip we set up shop as part of Beatwalk (Episode 10), and now, today, we are feeding the city, at the farmer’s market.
Have a listen by clicking play (on the silver player just to the right; press the "posts" button to search past episodes), and also visit the theater simple "gcast" website to
stream it, download it, or check past episodes and get more info:
http://www.gcast.com/user/theater_simple/podcast/main
the most recent episode will play automatically, while past episodes are at the bottom of the page.
We'd love your comments, so let us know what you think.

Cheers,

Andrew

More Park Bench Podcasts

What have we been doing lately?

Well, a lot. But one thing in specific. Since our last entry we have posted four more episodes of Park Bench's internet podcast. (again you can listen to it right now by clicking the play button to your right).
Currently we have a dreamy set of interviews from an art event that we did here in Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood. We had folks weigh in on the importance of art and how art is a part of their lives. Have a listen, and also visit the "gcast" website to
stream it, download it, or check past episodes:
http://www.gcast.com/user/theater_simple/podcast/main
the most recent episode will play automatically, while past episodes are at the bottom of the page.
We'd love your comments, so let us know what you think.

Cheers,

Andrew

Park Bench's North American premiere PODCAST is here!

Yes, folks. The first of seven King County based podcasts is now available (just over there to the right, if you're interested). We've been busily rolling into different King County locations over the past five weeks and having the most fabulous conversations with folks, young and old.

(to the right we see Llysa conducting one of many interviews in North Bend, WA with the gorgeous Mount Si in the background. photo by Monique Kleinhans )

WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT? (if you don't know already)
As part of the 2007 Site-Specific King County Performance Network (funded by 4 Culture), Park Bench will visit 7 communities in August and September. We start with interviews from a visit to the King County Public Library in North Bend, WA, and in the coming weeks look for podcasts from visits to the cities of Auburn, Bellevue, Kent, Duvall, Redmond, and Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood.
Powered by Gcast, Park Bench is made possible by the generous support of 4 Culture and the local sponsors who brought us in to each community.
PARK BENCH premiered at the 2007 Adelaide Fringe Festival and Episodes 1 & 2 (with 3 & 4 to come) are taken from those Australian interviews.

for past episodes visit http://www.gcast.com/user/theater_simple/podcast/main

What is Park Bench?
Park Bench is theater simple's mobile interview outpost where we invite people to have a seat and have a chat.
Park Bench is a change of perspective that looks a little like a rolling hill that arrives into an urban environment (a mall, a parking space, or as part of a public event) and asks passersby to consider and share their thoughts while sitting and observing their present situation.
Park Bench hopes to capture, through a series of friendly interviews a small snapshot of a neighborhood, a destination, or a community landmark, perhaps revealing a philosophy about where we are and how we got there. These interviews are recorded and edited into an internet podcast.

Hope you enjoy.

Andrew

Footprints

This is one of my favorite photos from our final days in New Zealand earlier this year. I like seeing something tangible that shows the journey that we've been on together. (even though the water will soon come and wash it away).

This year has been a huge year for us as a company and as individuals. But although there is so much that changes in our lives (and sometimes at an alarming rate) I love knowing that there are some constants as well. One of my most cherished is the work that I get to do with theater simple and Andrew and Llysa (and all you other simpletons out there!...you know who you are!).

For those of you who don't know, this fall brought a big change for me, as I have moved to Montana--back to the area where I grew up. My move however, will not keep me from my Seattle ties and Seattle family...it just means I have to walk a little farther down the beach to catch up!

Here's to change leading us toward new and great things, ...and here's to the rocks in our lives that give us a sturdy place to stand, even as the ground shifts beneath our feet.
Big Love,
Monique

Just for fun... pix from the last month

So, we have this wonderful friend in Orlando named Philip, who works for the Magic Kingdom, and very patiently allows us to monopolize him once in a Blue Moon, and on this particular day off from the Orlando Fringe, we went to the Animal Kingdom with him giving expert advice and timing between attractions... this photo(taken by Mr P. Nolen) seemed very apt for the year of touring in general.

So - which do you like better - the retro dino-car (above), or the Airstream trailer-as-hot dog-stand conversion? (to the right) The things one must decide nowadays...

one last pic - the new house - and ground central for the new-improved
theater simple headquarters and artist outpost...
Y'all come and visit now, y'hear? (But maybe after we excavate from the boxes...)

New place, old friend, new adventure, old stuff

Hiya. Llysa here. Here we are in Stone Mountain, Georgia, just outside the perimeter of Atlanta... we are halfway through the last leg of our 2007 Monster Tour, (over 90 days on the road since January) and boy are we ready to come home!
One of the bonuses, though, was getting to see an prior touring pal of mine. Long ago and far away, I traveled for a year with Up With People, cast C, 1983-84. The tallest guitarist in the organization was in my cast - and is currently living here in the Atlanta area- Blaise Fitzpatrick. Who, much to my chagrin, looks great and pretty much the same as when we travelled in one of several buses through any of -what... 7 countries? He and his wife and daughters live nearby, and Blaise came out to see 52 PICK UP at Art Station.

It is an interesting perspective, to consider that I have been taking acts on the road(as it were) since 1977. As Blaise pointed out, my cast should be having its 25th anniversary, and since I actually toured in high school, with my jazz choir... oof.
Let's just leave it at "There are many miles behind me." And I'll add - I expect there will be many miles before I stop.

What is it that keeps me on the road, yet still anchored to a few certain places? (Seattle, the West Coast of the US, Charleston, Adelaide, Australia) We even own an Airstream, to facilitate that wanderlust, should we be so inclined. Is it the desire to see new places, new faces, meet those strangers who are merely friends yet unmet? Or for that feeling, when one gets home and sees familiar faces, that there is 'no place like home'? Or the inevitable comparison, of one place to another... one community to another? Or is it the friends in many places that happen to be geographically removed, although emotionally close?

And, as a parallel, perhaps that is one of the reasons we've done 52 PICK UP so long... the scenes themselves are familiar, but it's always the transitions that are different, and fascinating, or ironic, or painful, honest and funny. And always surprising. It's the juxtaposition of the familiar with the current moment/situation.

Another not-so-old friend has popped up again, as well. Our second podcast of PARK BENCH in Adelaide has been posted to GCast! Monique rocked it out, as well as editing and uploading a video version onto YouTube! (And don't go too far - a third podcast is coming soon.)
The links are:
podcast: http://www.gcast.com/u/theater_simple/main
(you can subscribe thru iTunes, too)
YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=thsimple

So, home soon........ and still transition. We move at the end of the month from Ballard to Magnolia here in Seattle. We'll be home, but between homes, exchanging one house for another, transitioning how we live, tour, and seeing if I can't shed stuff that isn't serving me, us, the company, etc... (hello, packrat Holland).

Wish me luck, and stop by... we'll be home, soon.

2nd Park Bench Pod Cast!

Check out our 2nd episode of Park Bench!

New Titles

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Most Noble Lady Llysa the Convincing of Barton in the Beans Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

How appropriate.

Andrew's is

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: The Very Reverend Andrew Litzky the Insouciant of Porton Down Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Yes indeedy.
How about

Empress Theater Simple the Loquacious of Lower Wombleshire
Again - rather appropriate.

or if the theater was a guy...
The Most Honourable Theater Simple the Liminal of Piddletrenthide Under Booth.

I am assuming it is Under the Lighting Booth...

Go forth, and relate to us your titles, willy nilly!

tarot.... synchronicity??

Llysa here. Went to a dear friends blog, after not having a second to read it... all sorts of info about all sorts of allsorts. but something that caught my eye was her tarot card (birthday coming up) that she had gotten online.

Of course, I must have one too.

You are The Lovers

Motive, power, and action, arising from Inspiration and Impulse.

The Lovers represents intuition and inspiration. Very often a choice needs to be made.

Originally, this card was called just LOVE. And that's actually more apt than "Lovers." Love follows in this sequence of growth and maturity. And, coming after the Emperor, who is about control, it is a radical change in perspective. LOVE is a force that makes you choose and decide for reasons you often can't understand; it makes you surrender control to a higher power. And that is what this card is all about. Finding something or someone who is so much a part of yourself, so perfectly attuned to you and you to them, that you cannot, dare not resist. This card indicates that the you have or will come across a person, career, challenge or thing that you will fall in love with. You will know instinctively that you must have this, even if it means diverging from your chosen path. No matter the difficulties, without it you will never be complete.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Seems rather appropriate this week. And I could even argue that most of theater simple's productions have in some driving way ALL to do with love, in some form.

Hmmm. Something to consider tomorrow, and through the next few days ,as we wrangle our way clear to our next season or two... especially that part about surrenduring. That's the thing with creativity - the faith that it will take care of you, if you give into it. (Or with spirituality...) hmmm. Anyone have any thoughts?

Happy Anniversary.....to us

One of the sweetest on-stage moments we've ever had happened day before yesterday.

Just to catch up (since our last entry contained the opening night horrors), our run here in Orlando at the Fringe Festival has gone quite well. With the exception of our late-night shows (of which we had two) all were well attended, and for the final three we really caught our groove. We are done now, and boy could our livers use a break.

On to the sweetness.

Audiences are always very pleased to find out that we are married, and even more pleased to find out that we have been married for so long. Well, our final performance was on May 27th, our anniversary, and we decided to let the cat out of the bag. Our final show was at the unreasonably early hour of 11:00am(!!!!!) so we kept telling people to bring their own mimosas. Not to be outdone, of course, we brought our own fixings to the theater. We had a nearly full house (90 people or so) and at the end of the show Llysa made the announcement from the stage that we had been married for 18 years, while I brought on the champagne and popped it. A lovely, sweet and very long ovation followed, after which something quite wonderful occurred. The lead reviewer for the major paper, The Orlando Sentinel, having just seen the show for the second time, stepped to the front of the stage and handed us a gift bag with a bottle of champagne inside and thanked us for being at the Fringe. The is the same reviewer who saw at wrote about Notes From Underground (1994) and Justice (1997, the last time we were in Orlando). Very nice.

We are home tonight, and then next Tuesday turn right back around and fly to Atlanta for the last of our out of state-country-continent tours.

Looking forward to summer in Seattle.

52 PICK UP review - Orlando Sentinel :) YAY!

52 PICK UP review - here in Orlando Hey from Orlando!

Stories about... US! (look - pic! and on page 2)
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
entertainment/stage/theater/
orl-fringe1807may18,0,5858321.story?coll=orl-caltheatertop

-- and the review (with a comment) is here:
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/
entertainment_stage_theat/2007/05/
fringe_review_5_1.html#comments

I suppose anyone can comment on it. Hmmm....

yay! (Bummer, though - it's only online - no paper copy to clip. Arrrrrgh.)
Speaking of Arrrrr-gh -

off to Dizzywhirled today - to the Animal kingdom with a park performer (who is doing a special Pirates show for high rollers tonight - he get to swash and buckle about pirate-ly with cutlass and actual sash... We are SOOOOOOO looking forward to getting to see him, and spend some time off-fringesite.

Llysa

There's A First Time For EVERYTHING

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

The scene: the Orlando Fringe Festival, which has grown by leaps and bounds since the last time we were here 10 years ago, with 9 air-conditioned venues tucked into the buildings that house the Orlando Shakespeare Festival and The Orlando Repertory Theatre, a lovely and lively beer garden in between, and most importantly....audience members to come and see the shows!!

The set up: our first show of 52 Pick Up (6:45 last Saturday), which is gloriously nearly sold-out, which has anticipation running high as it is co-written by TJ Dawe (a local Fringe god in these parts). The show is also running at 74 minutes, as best we can tell, and we have been informed that if the show runs 75:01, they will bring up the lights and STOP THE SHOW!!! And, in fact, the show right before us has been shut down by our sweet venue technician because it has gone two minutes over. One of the actors is in tears as they come off-stage. We are worried.

The cause: in our air-conditioned digs at the Orlando Shakes, we are sharing a green room (backstage lounge area) with two other theatres. We each have our own dressing room with a monitor that allows us to hear announcements from our own theatre, BUT the green room is also serving as the backstage for a gay-burlesque show called "Varie-TEASE" (flamboyant gay content is, oddly, what the Orlando Fringe has become famous for) with half-naked boys(?) in plumes and glitter running off-stage while throbbing club music slams us from their sold-out performance.

The effect: as we are worried about time and the show itself, we neglect to recognize the most dangerous dynamic in our surroundings; that because of the sound and frenzy from "Varie-TEASE".......we cannot HEAR the announcements from our own theater! Unwittingly we wonder towards our stage thinking "it must be about time" only to find that the lights are up, the audience is quiet, the clock is ticking (two minutes, perhaps!)..........and, for the first time in 926 performances, we are LATE for our own show :( !!

THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING.

The response: Llysa boldly steps on-stage to start the show, but Andrew (that's me) in a stubborn lack of comprehension and/or refusing to believe what is happening, stays in the wings. Llysa beckons me (with sweet daggers coming from her eyes) and finally I join and we begin performing for the most confused audience in theater simple history.

The outcome: although the concern, confusion (and perhaps annoyance) from the audience is palpable, we compartmentalize our own white-hot dismay, and set out to win them back. Mercifully, about five minutes into the show comes (randomly, of course) a great scene that receives a huge response, and an audible sigh is heard. The show goes great, laughter is abundant, tears are reported.... and we are so intent on "being" with them that we do the show in 69 minutes (perhaps by not breathing....ever!).

Epilogue: we drink heavily.

It is a far, far better thing I do.....

We're here!

Brief update - (hi - it's Llysa, at Panera Bread - free wifi! and yummy pastries!)

arrived after a flight direct to Orlando... let me tell ya - when your average flight in the last six months is 15 hours, a five hour flight seems positively SPEEDY. Much more boring not to have one's own tv screen in the seat back 15 inches from my face, but it's good to not be distracted sometimes... the clouds were fantastic, and cruising over the USA's topogrpahy is fascinating. Saw lots of interesting structures and patterns that if I had time, it would be very cool to research and find out WHY...

Landed in Orlando - got smacked upside the hair with humidity, got our rental car (did you know that in the state of Orlando, ANY extra driver is an extra charge of $9/day?? Even if married? Andrew is Driver X this trip...

Landed at our fabulous hosts - Kelly and Paul of the lovely home, cute cats and view of Lake Copeland...

now off to pick up Amy Salloway at the airport, direct from Minneapolis, who is coming in to perform KISS ME ALREADY, HERSCHEL GERTZ. She worked with us in Seattle in the days of Yore, debuting in the Elephant's child in our first ever adaptation to the stage. Yay!

COOLEST THING SO FAR ABOUT THE ORLANDO FRINGE - other than Beth, Ryan and Mark - the visual fringe aspect - I am looking forward to more of that.

anon, anon. Anyone have any food recommendations?

Here we go AGAIN! ORLANDO FRINGE 2007

Well, well, well... here it is , monday morning, and I am sitting here with my coffee, in my robe, contemplating with some amazement that this time tomorrow, I will be shuffling around an airport, nay- perhaps even boarding a plane AGAIN! This time, the simpletons are heading East, into the sunrise, to the world within a world that is the Orlando Fringe!! (orlandofringe.org)

We can hardly believe... so many things! Last time we performed in Orlando, we took JUSTICE - a brutal comedy by Kate Schlemmer, a Canadian writer. (Who - coincidentally, I saw in Seattle at the Seattle International Film Fest two years ago)This year, 52 PICK UP, by TJ Dawe and Rita Bozi, Canadian playwrights. TJ will also be in Orlando, and I just had a great chat with a friend of Rita's - small world! (Rita is happily ensconced in Calgary)

Life is definitely full of whirled peas right now for all the simpletons - we are two weeks in Orlando, home for 6 jam-packed days, then off to Atlanta for 6, where we will be performing 52 PICK UP for ART Station in Stone Mountain. (www.artstation.org)

We have joined current, nearly even old-fashioned technology, and now have a mySpace page (thanks, Andrew!) Please ogle it at myspace.com/theatersimple, and hey - BE OUR FRIEND!

There will be dispatches from the road again - we are thinking about lots of things in terms of plays, ideas, collaborators, vision, and we'll probably work 'em out online. Let us know what's up withchoo.

sailing into the sunrise soon -

Llys

home and away

Hey there - it's May 1!!! How did that happen??!

OK - Llysa here - in Phoenix. Lots of transition going on in my family - with my mom, with my theater, with ME in my living circumstances - and here I am - away from theater and home, but with family. Soon to be with more family (in California) but still not home, or theater. Then - off to Orlando - because we are returning to the Orlando Fringe after 10 years with 52 PICK UP! (See new pic! Nancy Santos in Charleston is responsible - she is an amazing photog - has given us some of the best show shots we have.)
Didn't we just return from Australia and New Zealand? Also - to Walla Walla, back to Seattle, to Phoenix, back on Thursday - to the Bay Area - back three days later, then a week later - to Florida. And did I mention we're also working the parallel life? Have I been home 72 hours in a row? (No, actually.)

Here's the glamour tip from the road - take your pillow. And know there are times you get to coast... and other trips that are uphill in every direction.

If you are on the East Coast - we hope we'll see you. (If not - you get a second chance when we are in Atlanta in early June.) Oh yeah - we're going to be performing in Stone Mountain in June. (YAAAAAY!)
Then - King County all the way for the summer.

more later - off to watch a lightning storm. And wonder at my current life. Whew. Is the moon full?

(PS - we're taking a collection of boxes for moving. No joke. If you have some in the Seattle-area to share - let us know. thsimple@gmail.com.)

Heading Home (for a bit)

After an amazing, eye-popping, soul-satisfying week and a half on the South Island of New Zealand, we are back in the hip and quite caffeinated town of Wellington for a couple of days before closing the book on this tour to Australasia. Truly, it is hard to imagine (ouch..I just tried) all that we've done in the space of six weeks (seven for Monique). Traveling, building, rehearsing, teaching, performing.....performing, performing, performing, and finally traveling (for fun) again.

The last week has been quite a bit of bliss for the simple trio; together with our mighty white steed (a Toyota Corolla named Daisy), we finished our circumnavigation of the island with a trip up the jaw-droppingly lush West Coast (a temperate rain forest on steroids) and a surreal day of kayaking with NZ Fur Seal pups in the Abel Tasman National Park.

We have one full day left to repack our unimaginably heavy luggage, meet with the folks at the Wellington Fringe Festival, and visit with our fantastic hosts Quentin and Marion.

Then.....two days after we get back we head off to Walla Walla, Washington (one of the great town names in the world) where we teach a symposium for our dear simpleton Burke Walker. A couple weeks after that we hop on a plane and once again put on the touring gear for the Orlando Fringe Festival and 52 Pick Up.

Thanks to all our blog readers, and to Monique and Llysa for putting up with me and my ramblings.

See you in the Northern Hemisphere.

The Long Way Home

Achieved by driving all the way round the South Island of New Zealand before flying home to Seattle.

And what fun it has been so far.

Since the simpletons can't do anything in a lazy manner (I reference 29 shows, 10 venue shits and 54 teaching hours in 16 days at the Adelaide Fringe for proof), it only stands to reason that we couldn't just plop down on some gorgeous New Zealand beach or mountain-side and hang for 10 days. NEEAAOOOO. In our first four days on the South Island we have driven 1500 kilometers, seen seals, dolphins, falcons and possums; the highest mountain, the coldest morning and the brightest stars; rain falling, snow falling and hail falling; bright sunshine, dark storm clouds and gale-force winds; and last night had a ripping good time with the fabulous folks at the Fortune Theatre in Dunedin.

.....and we have a week left to go!!!

Can I just say "WE LOOK FORWARD TO COMING BACK TO NEW ZEALAND".