I’m getting ready to get ready for my gig du jour, which happens to be a fundraiser for a wonderful Chicago creative institution: Chicago Dramatists. Their Blue Moon gala will be a smaller event than, say, the one we did last weekend which had close to a thousand guests or the one last month that had a $1250 ticket price! Hiring a big band like mine for their event is a big deal – a change of pace for them and I am honored that they think we will help raise the level of their event. We will work our asses off to get them up and dancing.
The cool thing is that there are some close ties between Chicago Dramatists and me. I took my first writing class for the solo performance there and my instructor was the fabulous Arlene Malinowski – solo performer, scholar and good friend. Ann Filmer is a big supporter as well. She is the director and dramaturg of “Station’s Lost” and founder of 16th Street Theater – a Chicago theater dedicated to developing and workshopping original work for the stage by Chicago playwrights. 16th Street Theater staged Arlene’s work and Tony Fitzpatrick has done numerous readings and such for them as well. Chicago Dramatists has the same mission and has been doing it for decades. It’s like the fates are making me take notice and create my own solo show. I can not be thrown into the company of these folks without feeling all of that creative energy.
I think I can do this folks. I think I can write and perform my own solo show and soon. I feel that is my next project. But first, I must take a shower and get dressed for work tonight.
