The Head That Wouldn't Die

Photos from the 2007 Last Frontier Theatre Conference
of TBA Theatre's
The Head That Wouldn't Die by Rand Higbee

So, one week New York City, the next week...Valdez, Alaska!

Just three days after returning from our Off-Off Broadway excursion and New York debut, TBA Theatre was off to Valdez to present a wacky, campy sci-fi spoof for the Theatre Conference. The script was read as part of the Play Lab last year and Dawson Moore, Conference Coordinator and good friend, thought it was a great script for the conference and for our company!

It was a challenge to bring such a big show to the conference especially with half the cast in New York right before we left but hey, we pulled it off! The audience absolutely loved the production and the script. I have to say, it was a lot of fun, and people have been stopping us all week to say how much they enjoyed it. So... thanks Shane for casting me in this crazy part and for having faith in my abilities even when I did not. Thanks to Lindsay, Elle, Leif, Carl, Wayne, Krissy and Todd for being so damn good in your roles. Thanks to Rand for the absolutely fun script and outrageous character. Thanks Megan for the wig and that great poster. Thanks Petra, Wayne, Shane and Dave for late nights on a crazy perfect set. Thanks Charlotte for making us look so good. And especially thanks Dawson for bringing us here!

The conference has been quite an experience - more on the conference in specific soon...

Broadway Bound

The New York Trip Cast

Okay, so the title to this post is a little unfair since I've already left New York, but hey, it's my blog I'll call it what I want.

Wow. What an experience. TBA Theatre was invited to present 2 shows which I directed at the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival. Arlitia Jone's Grand Central and 42nd and P. Shane Mitchell's The Resurrection of Humpty Dumpty. So I now have an official NY directing credit. And Shane has both a NY acting and playwrighting credit. And, most importantly, TBA has these credits!

At three years old, we are a young company but damn, we've been kicking some but lately! Now, I don't want to sound pretentious or cocky, I'm just so proud of all of us - as a team. Of Shane for leading us to this point. Of Arlitia, and Shane again, for writing such beautiful scripts. Of my cast for making a good impression on and off stage. Of Dave & Zieh for being my volunteer crew and all around good people. Of Wayne and Megan and everyone else in Anchorage who sacrificed so much to get us there but didn't get to go themselves -the glory is theirs as well.

It was an experience I will always cherish and, though not a perfect trip, will reflect on fondly.

My deepest thanks to everyone who encouraged us over the years, and stuck with us through the hard times when others fell by the way side. I will forever be in your debt.

And I would be remiss if I didn't thank the good people at Love Creek Productions who organized the festival - they made our experience even better with their mad organizational skills and great attitudes.

Here's to where we've been and where we are going!