Sunday, March 20, 2011

Artist's Life: The Production Details

Isn't the front of this postcard gorgeous? I'm so pleased with it. It describes the event I am producing on April 23rd at the Ashland Community Center to preview some of the songs in A New Wrinkle and to spotlight the subject of aging in life-affirming ways.

The program will include:
• An ensemble of singers with songs from A New Wrinkle
• Bestselling author, speaker and coach Dr. Rick Kirschner
• Improvisational comedy with Hamazon Carolyn Myers
• The gorgeous operatic voice of Pauline Sullivan
• Poetry, insights on aging, surprise guests!
Tickets $10 Available at Soundpeace and at the door

Robert Frost is the graphic designer for the card. I love his work and have worked with him for about 10 years on various projects. Check out his website to see more of his particular genius.

The postcard is one detail in my current event's production. And it's a very important detail. I will use the postcard for publicity and will send it to individuals who fund the arts, in the hope of attracting them to my project.

I discovered years ago that I love producing events. It always begins in imagination--visualizing and sensing the energies and talents of various people and how they might combine to create a moving experience--to me, that exercise and bringing it forth into reality is really fun. I feel confident I've putting together a great menu for this event, and that the result will be a delicious feast, a celebration of aging, creativity and community. I've wanted to produce an elderfest for 2 years now, and this event is my first step in that direction.

In order to preview some of the songs in A New Wrinkle, I had to find a pianist and 5 singers. Two weeks of challenge, frustration, including those inevitable moments of wish I never started this. That is usually part of producing anything, as you probably have noticed. Thank goodness my collaborator, the composer Laura Rich helped me with locating possible singers. Now the ensemble has appeared and we will be working with Jennifer Schloming, one of the top pianists in the area. Our first rehearsal is this Wednesday. Yes, it's pretty exciting. One of the singers performed on Broadway, another is a nurse, another a weaver. I am looking forward to our work together. After the April 23rd event, we will record 4 of the songs for a promo CD!

Who can I get to help with set-up and clean-up? What about a tech person for the PA system? How about someone for the door? What can I do to get the word out into the community, in addition to the regular news and internet channels? What about costumes? And so it goes. One month from now, it will come to fruition.

This event is a birthday present I am giving myself. When I first began thinking of my 70th birthday, I imagined taking a month off to travel, but the timing was off. One's creative projects have a life of their own. So here I am producing this event. Even though I am the orchestrator, I know that the event itself goes far beyond that organizing. It will contain wonderful surprises, new insights and opportunities for me and everyone who attends. I can see the faces of the audience as they listen to the songs and take in the other beautiful offerings everyone is making. Sage's Play in action. It is perfect, really. I feel happy. I feel happy.

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