2015

 I suppose any sort of record one is making about one's life is inevitably touched more and more by death. Until finally, of course...the record itself just stops. But hey, till then...let's take a look at 2015.

There was a lovely memorial service for Josie Helming in Memphis. At the 2001 MSU Theatre Dept. reunion, which also marked Josie's retirement, Clif Gordon had set up a video camera so people could record their thoughts about the department and Josie. For this memorial service, I took that 14-year-old footage and edited together a tribute that was screened at the service. (It's here, for any interested parties.) 

And a month after this memorial for Josie, my college friend Emily Woodward Macy died. So sad. Such a beautiful person.

Wanda Wilson, proprietress of the legendary P&H Café in Memphis passed away too. And one of our cats, spelled variably "Keypot" or "Kipat", also died.

I had two Weston Woods films released: I'm Brave! and Scaredy Squirrel at Night, both the third installments of what you might call "trilogies" I've made.

And just for kicks, I released my 100 days of hair and beard growth video.

I went to the National Puppetry Festival in Storrs, CT, which was a wonderful experience. Along the way there and back, I visited old friends and colleagues Lester Malizia, Eddie Powers, and I finally got to meet the staff of Weston Woods Studios in person! Brian Hull and I also made side trips to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and two locations in Pittsburgh where puppets and set pieces from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood were displayed. A lovely, fun trip.

There was more performing for me this year too. I played the leading role of Owen Hartley in Smoke: A Ballad of the Night Riders, a musical written by David Alford that is presented semi-annually in Adams TN. I also got to record the voice of King Triton for Music Theatre International's official reference recording of Disney's The Little Mermaid. Excerpts can be heard here.

That's 2015.