Who needs sleep?

The days are all running together I can't keep them all straight. So much has happened since the last post! (this is not a bad thing)

The show is going really well. I can't believe there are only three more performances left. Last week, we had a bat in the theatre that really added to the ambiance of our little murder mystery. Normally when the sides are up, a bat can be seen in the beginning of a show, but then is able to fly out. Well, last Wednesday, the sides to the theatre were down and the bat could only get out through the back doors. Apparently it didn't get out until somewhere in Act 2, but he had already stolen the show. That was also one of our crazy thunderstorm nights and the real thunder trumped our canned thunder. It even came at times that could have been considered foreshadowing. One of the best places to be right before a thunderstorm hits is the beach here on campus. I sat and watched the storm roll in across the bay for a bit the other night. It was a spectacular view- each lightning strike outdoing the next. One even zapped our internet which spurred an impromptu game night in our lodge.

In terms of outdoorsy things, I have kayaked to an island, hiked throughout the state parks and swam some laps at the local YMCA. My favorite hike this week has been the Eagle Trail in Peninsula State Park. The trail is a two mile loop around the edge of the park that goes to the waters edge below some spectacular bluffs. This trail is labeled as a difficult trail due to the rocks that are everywhere along the path. And hey, this could happen too:

Self explanatory

Luckily, no rock managed to escape its lofty home while I was on the trail. I kept snapping picture after picture, but maybe this next one will give an idea of how small I felt next to these huge bluffs and this wasn't even the tallest view.

Look up!

I've also done a ton of dining out these last few days. And well, I've gone through two boxes of 60-count dairy pills in 65-ish days. You do the math. Some of my favorites have been the Gibraltar Grill where I had an opportunity to split two sandwiches with a friend. We tried the Stromboli (Italian sausage, marinara sauce and parmesan cheese) and the pulled pork, both on gluten free bread. We both agreed the pulled pork was the better choice of the two! I also went to Fred and Fuzzy's- a little outdoor bar and grill on a bay tucked away at a little resort in Sister Bay. That's where I had an adult grilled cheese sandwich with cheddar, provolone and swiss cheese along with tomato slices and pesto. YUM! With all of this eating out, I will definitely make it a point to do some Yelp! reviews for fellow gluten free eaters.

I've frequented a few wineries this week too, but the best tastings I did happened to be for cider and cheese. Island Orchard Cider has a tasting room and brews/bottles all of their cider on site. While there wasn't any activity in the brewing room while we were there, we learned about how this particular company only uses Door County apples to make their cider. The tastings were great despite not being able to have any of the Pear cider (they were out) and each of us that went bought a bottle to bring home. We also all decided not to enjoy any of the Door County beverages until we are home missing said Door County. We shall see how long that lasts. Today, a few of us went to Harbor Ridge Winery to taste wine and CHEESE! They had three cheese tastings available- a delicious gouda, a peppered parmesan/asiago and finally a smoked cheddar. Of the three, the gouda was my favorite. There were also about 30 more cheeses in the case and the lovely gal behind the bar let us sample whatever we wanted from there. Three words: Basil. Pesto. Gouda. It's like pizza without the dough. So I bought a little hunk of that and then we went over to the winery attached. As soon as I told the clerk what cheese I had, she brought out a red wine that pairs well with it. I wound up buying a bottle because she was right- it is the perfect marriage!

It is always a special treat when friends or family can come see shows. It is especially awesome when they make a trek to see a performance, like from Chicago to Door County for example. But here's an even better one: my high school drama teacher came to see The Game's Afoot earlier this week! She first cast me when I was six in The King and I at Bolingbrook High School. I played the littlest princess- imagine that- and when I bowed to the king, had to tug on his pant leg for him to see I was there. Brilliant, right? It made me so nervous to perform in front of someone who I have a great deal of respect for and who fostered the love for theatre in me from an early age. Thanks Ms B!

Finally, I hiked in Cave Point a second time. And while I had seen the sites, I was showing a friend around who had never been there before. This time, the lake was pretty calm and we were able to rock climb down to our own private cove for some beach and cider time. It was perfect. We didn't see or hear anyone the entire time we were there. We SWAM in Lake Michigan which is so very cold, but there was also a little section of rock we could sit in some warmer water. It felt like we were sitting on top of the water. What a cool view. Here was our spot:

Perfection

So I have three days left in this haven. Three more performances. Two more day time days off. One strike with some pizza after and then I am Chicago-bound. My time up here has been so refreshing and while I'm not ready to think about leaving just yet, I know I will be ready to go home come Monday. In order to make sure I do it, I am publicly dedicating tomorrow to cleaning and packing. It will also be raining, so I won't be missing out on too much outdoors-type stuff. Until the last post...

A Closing, an Opening and now a Vacation

I have a mere two weeks left in this glorious place known as Door County. I can't believe how quickly this time has flown and yet has seemed to roll along at a perfect pace in the moment.

The past week has been all about changing over from Sunday in the Park... to The Game's Afoot and spending time with visiting family and friends. The strike process happened as usual. The final curtain of Sunday came down and our crew began disassembling everything. We had been hearing rumors all week that this changeover was going to be the toughest one of the season. It proved to be just that. We went from a rather sparse set with large moving pieces, lots of flying backdrops and canvases and more props per person than I have ever seen to a lush living room designed like the Gillette Castle in Connecticut decorated for Christmas.

Sunday in the Park... full company shot

The Game's Afoot model

The real deal

Starting at 6:30pm Sunday and still working up until the moments before our 'opening at 8:00pm Wednesday, our crew furiously worked and barely slept to make the transformation. In the times that the actors have off, like meals and, you know, sleep times, our crew was on set nailing things into place, screwing floorboard pieces down, dressing the set with decor and period gadgets, painting walls, adding brick layers, rehearsing scene transitions... you name it, they did it. And our set is a terrific playground for us.

The Game's Afoot takes place in Connecticut in 1936. Back then, stage actors were of a higher status than we are today and lead a bit more glamorous lives than most of our working-five-part-time-jobs-at-once-to-make-ends-meet lives are today. My character in the play is a rising starlet ingenue actress, recently married. For funsies, I took this photo at our tech photo shoot. Every girl has to have a fainting couch, right? Fun fact- that dress is made of silk and was custom made for me. :-)

Aggie Wheeler fainting in the living room

Now I can't give too much away because that would ruin all the fun, but I can tell you that doing comedy is a serious business. It is more difficult for actors to put on comedy than it is drama. We always have to be on our toes, ready for anything- like random new laughter in places we've never heard it before. You have to take your part so seriously so you don't laugh during the real comedic bits that the entire audience is losing themselves over. This play has been a load of fun to put together and I feel like I am being brought up to the level these players have been at for most of their lives. This show has 8 people in it, one of which is our artistic director, along with the resumes of people I would have only dreamt of seeing in shows let alone being in one with. HAH! It's amazing.

Look at this beautiful cast!

Now my summer vacation begins. I perform six shows a week in the evenings Tuesday through Sunday, but otherwise, my time is alllllll mine. So far, I've gone to Cave Point and Whitefish Dunes State Park to tan and hike on this, my day off. I saw some really cool caves and got a little adventurous and did some rock climbing too! The weather was perfect for a beach day on the Michigan side of the peninsula- it is generally a little cooler over there, so 85 felt a bit more manageable.

I scaled part of this wall to get onto the separate
 larger rock in the back left

This one, not so much

On that note, I will leave you with this, the greatest ice cream up here and the faces that say it all. We were drunk off ice cream afterwards. Until next time!

Death by ice cream at Wilson's Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor,
with Zach Gibson and Eb Reyes

Once a Player, Always a Player

... a Peninsula Player that is. I've just come from a gala to support Peninsula Players and to thank the donors that make each season a possibility. I'm full of so much love for this community. I know how cheesy that sounds, but it is true. I'll try with words to express what this community is and what it means to me, but until you are here experiencing it for yourself, I'm afraid words just don't do it justice.

Throughout the week, a few of our actors and our music director have been busily putting together and rehearsing a performance for the gala not to mention the administrative staff who put together every detail of this event from invitations to menu selection to thank you's at the end. The grounds have been a buzz of excitement in preparation for this event. Since Sunday in the Park with George is the current show playing, the performers had an idea to represent some of Sondheim's greatest works detailing four Sondheim-isms: Content Dictates Form, Less is More, God is in the Details and finally, All in the Service of Clarity. The singers used the words of Little Red in 'I Know Things Now' from Into the Woods to meld together the web of songs chosen. I love most all things Sondheim, but I was especially taken with the final song of the evening pulling all the 'isms' together and that spoke to me as a young artist carving out my path.

'Feel the flow,

Hear what's happening:

We're what's happening.

Don't you know?

We're the movers and we're the shapers.

We're the names in tomorrow's papers.

Up to us now to show 'em...

'It's our time, breathe it in:

Worlds to change and worlds to win.

Our turn coming through,

Me and you, pal,

Me and you!'

-Our Time, Merrily We Roll Along

Now this type of event can be the type that actors hate to attend. You have to schmooze and impress and say the right things and be 'on' the entire night. I have to say, after going to the Peninsula Players gala, I didn't feel any of those things. All the donors I met were so interested in the arts and had such fascinating back stories about how they were introduced to the Players community and why they continue to support year after year. I think it has so much to do with what it means to be a Peninsula Player. The donors and board members see how it works. We- and when I say we, I mean every single person on our campus: interns, staff, actors, families visiting from out of town or living on campus as well- eat together, live together, work together both on stage and off, play together. Over the season, we develop such a team/family rapport and this happens no matter what time you arrive here. I arrived mid-way through the season and within the first couple of days, I felt welcomed and at home. This is the place where actors and staff bring their families here to stay for a week or two or the entire summer. It is a collaborative environment where everyone's voice is important even if the contribution or suggestion is not the ultimate choice in the group. This is the place that supports current and former players during times of need and loss. This is the place where people like our Artistic Director, Greg Vinkler, choose to stay for TWENTY FIVE years.

I'm proud to be a Player and will always be. 

2013 Peninsula Players Company