TheatreSquared and Me

I just got back from a whirlwind trip to TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I had a brilliant time. TheatreSquared is currently producing my show Around the World in 80 Days. The theatre graciously invited me out to attend opening night, do talkbacks with audiences, and be a guest pontificator lecturer at a theatre MFA class. If you have never been to TheatreSquared, hop in the vehicle of your choice and hasten your bad self to Fayetteville, AR. Surprisingly, Fayetteville was not at all what I expected.

I shall now recap my trip. My mom will be the only one interested in this post.

Around the World in 80 Days Opening Night

I almost missed opening night. My flight out of Minneapolis was delayed because the Delta crew failed to show up. Then the plane needed to be de-iced. Then there was a mechical malfunction. Then we changed planes. Then they couldn’t find a pushback crew. Then more de-icing. De-icing and not flying on a plane with a mechanical problem is good. Not being able to find the crew is bad. What the hell, Delta?

Fortunately I made it in the nick of time. TheatreSquared has put together a wonderful production. It’s no surprised since my good friend Mark Shanahan was at the helm. He’s a fantastic and imaginative director. He can direct any of my shows any time he wants.

What really made opening night special was being united again with Mark and my dear friend Bruce Warren. Mark directed the world premiere of my show Tom Jones last spring and Bruce killed it in that production. I absolutely adore Mark and Bruce.

Mark Shanahan, me, Bruce Warren

Bruce’s subtle performance in Tom Jones.

TheatreSquare’s Around the World in 80 Days stars Bruce, Cameron Folmar, Mason Azbill, Annisa Felix, and Gil Brady. Sean Hagerty (who has designed sound for three separate productions of 80 Days) and cute as punch Ashtyn Nilsen are the foley artists.

It’s a very lush looking production, thanks to costume designer Ruby Billig Kemph. Set designer James Fenton. And lighting designer Nathan Scheuer. Stage manager David Loranca holds it all together when he’s not off getting black market flu shots.

This production is very funny and there were acting and directing choices I had never seen before. And I mean that in a good way. Not in the “wow, that was something” way.

The best part of opening night? The bacon wrapped dates. I could have eaten them all night. Oh wait. I did.

Me next to a bus stop poster

The Quest for Don Quixote

Saturday morning, after a breakfast sandwich and a chai latte from The Little Bread Company, we got together to do a reading of my play The Quest for Don Quixote. It went really well. This is a script I nearly threw out a while ago but it seems to have some promise. I still have to do more rewrites but I got some great feedback from Mark and the lovely Morgan Hicks.

The Little Bread Company

TheatreSquared Talkback Surprise

After a damn yummy grilled cheese at Hammontree’s Grilled Cheese, Mark and I did a talkback after the Saturday matinee. We had a great audience but the biggest surprise was Bryn Smith from the Tahlequah Community Playhouse drove out from Oklahoma to see the show. Tahlequah (I finally learned how to pronounce it while I was in Fayetteville) recently produced The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge. Thank you Bryn and Jim for making the trip to TheatreSquared. It was great to meet you.

Free Champagne

I had dinner at Nomad’s Natural Plate, a great little food truck on Dickson Street. After the Saturday night show, Mark, Bruce, and I went out to have a drink at a wine bar next to TheatreSquared called the Wine Cellar. A couple at the place had just seen the show and  bought us two bottles of Champagne. Score! I was, however, shocked that the bartender didn’t know how to pronounce Veuve Clicquot. How can you be a bartender at a wine bar and not know how to pronounce Veuve Clicquot? That’s the Arkansas I was expecting.

My Digs

I stayed at the Chancellor Hotel in downtown Fayetteville. Convenient to TheatreSquared. Big rooms. Comfy beds. Indifferent weekend front desk staff. Broken pool heater. I was really looking forward to the heated indoor/outdoor pool, but alas.

Chancellor Hotel Room

I was incredibly disappointed with this sign

Sunday Eats

Two places you need to go while you’re in Fayetteville are Bouchee Bistro and Penguin Ed’s.

Bouchee Bistro is a pittoresque et charmant French bistro in downtown Fayetteville. It’s a great place to unwind, read a book, or embrasser votre amoureux. I didn’t have an amoureux but did have a to-die-for pain au chocolat.

Bouchee Bistro

Penguin Ed’s is one of the best BBQ places in Fayetteville. I had the pulled pork sandwich and a few gallons of sweet tea.

Penguin Ed’s

Drinking and Teaching

What’s theatre without drinking and partying? Sunday night we all went out to celebrate a very tiring week. Well, it was tiring for everyone in the show. It was a cakewalk for me. Monday I guest lectured at Michael Landman’s playwriting class at the University of Arkansas. Michael is a very funny and warm hearted guy and his students are awesome. I’ve guest lectured at other universities and I think Michael’s class was the most friendly and attentive class I’ve come across.

Downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas

Okay, I admit it, downtown Fayetteville is a bit odd. It looks like the backlot town square at Universal Studios. It’s kind of like time forgot this place. During the day it’s deserted.

Downtown square

The prettiest view downtown

At night people come from all over to look at the Christmas lights. And what a display. I’m bummed Mark, Bruce, and I didn’t have time to have our picture taken on a camel. Yes, there’s a camel downtown.

Downtown lights

Razorbacks are everywhere. Everywhere!

Maybe not the best place to sit on some stranger’s lap.

TheatreSquared Love Affair

What was tremendously wonderful about my visit was getting to meet and becoming friends with Bob Ford, artistic director of TheatreSquared and his wife Amy Herzberg. You’d be hard-pressed to find a lovelier couple.

Much lovelier than these two.

And for that I can think of no better reason to go see Around the World.