So so proud of the Sing After Storms team! We did our first complete end-to-end run last night and I am continually amazed by their commitment, dedication, and passion for this work. Art saves us. Every time. In every way. We are lucky to have it, to feel its power in our bones.
Category: theatre
Inspired: Use the past to help you rise
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
I think about this line on my way to every rehearsal for Sing After Storms. A piece of my past is embedded in every character, every line. I wrote the play to make sense of things on the page that never made sense in my life. I suppose that’s why anyone ever writes anything—to be helpful, to be free, to be heard. We move forward though we can’t help but be informed by where we’ve been and what we’ve survived. It can dicey territory. We can be sucked into the past or use it to buoy us up and over it. I choose to let it help me rise, and intend to lift others in the process.
Inspired: Sing After Storms is Halfway to Opening Night
Yesterday Sing After Storms hit a huge milestone: we’ve now run every scene in the show, I’ve met with all of the production team members, and marketing materials are hitting the streets. A play is a vertical journey up a mountain and every once in a while you hit a plateau in the road so that you can rest and gather your thoughts and emotions for reflection. It’s a brief though necessary rest stop. We’ve got all the pieces; now it’s a matter of refining them and putting them together to tell a story that’s authentic, powerful, and memorable. I have no doubt—not one—that we will get there. Here’s another sneak peek at the work going on behind-the-scenes thanks to the abundantly talented photographer Marita La Monica and her trusty camera.
Inspired: Lost and Found
I feel lost and found. Lost because I’m drifting away from my consulting work because I don’t enjoy it. Found because Sing After Storms and our amazing cast and crew have made me fall madly in love with the act of creating theater again. I literally run to rehearsal and never want to leave. I relish the roles of playwright, director, and producer. They make me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt in a very long time.
I don’t know where this road will lead. I just know I have to keep following this road as far as it will take me because it feels so good to take this journey.
Inspired: Mary McManus’s Transformational Tuesday Post About Sing After Storms
Mary McManus, an incredible spirit and writer, wrote a post on her blog about Sing After Storms entitled “Transformation Tuesday: Christa in New York Sings After Storms“. The post discusses the inspiration behind the play as well as my process in writing, producing, and directing it.
I’m humbled and amazed by Mary on so many levels and the best part is that I met her through my blog. It’s relationships like this that make me realize just how blessed I am to have this forum, to write every day, and to know people like Mary. The world needs more people like her.
Click here to check out Mary’s post on Sing After Storms.
Inspired: Help Sing After Storms Distribute Postcards and Posters
To help promote Sing After Storms, we’ve ordered beautiful postcards and posters to distribute around New York City thanks to the brilliant design mind of Anuja Singhal. Want to help us get the word out about the show while getting some exercise? Lace up your walking shoes, grab a stack, and let’s go! Your local cafes, shops, library branches, gyms, schools, and community spaces all will do the trick. If you’d like to help us in our marketing efforts please email singafterstorms@chasingdownthemuse.com or leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll get right back to you. Thanks for your support!
Inspired: Rehearsals for Sing After Storms Begin Tonight
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” ~ African Proverb.
I could barely sleep last night. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning because tonight we’re beginning our rehearsals for Sing After Storms. The journey still feels surreal to me, kind of like I’m walking on sunshine or cloud 9. It’s going to be a fast and furious sprint, though we’re all up for it. And I know we’ll go far because we’re all in this together. Tally-ho!
Inspired: Behind-the-Scenes Photos at the Sing After Storms Table Read
The tremendously talented and stunning actors and production team members of Sing After Storms all got together last week for the table read and I wanted to give you a peek behind the curtain. All photos courtesy of the lovely Marita La Monica: Sing After Storms Table Read Photos
Inspired: Table Read of Sing After Storms = Success
I am beyond amazed by the incredibly talented team that has hopped on board the Sing After Storms train. When they arrived last night for dinner and the table read, I felt an instant surge of electricity. Talented, committed, and passionate, I am humbled and honored to be on this journey with them. They make me laugh, cry, and learn, over and over again. I will be saying thank you a million times over for this project for many, many days to come. Let’s do this.
Inspired: Table Read of Sing After Storms is Tonight
Today I’m putting on my theater director hat for the first time. I’m whipping up sangria and a Mexican buffet for the talented 15-member cast and production team of our play, Sing After Storms. For the very first time, everyone’s going to meet and we’ll run the table read to hear all of the actors say their lines. I’m off my rocker with excitement. This huge step forward feels amazing because we’re all taking it together. Go team!
You can grab your tickets to one of our shows in June at a 50% discount ($10) by going to http://www.eventbrite.com/e/sing-after-storms-friends-family-and-fans-discount-tickets-11129220799.
Christa Avampato 