QNEK

Wow, so much has happened since I last blogged. One of the biggest is that I helped Erin move. Yes, with her new marriage Erin is leaving LI to teach at U-32 high school in Montpelier, VT. I couldn't be happier for her. U-32 has an amazing program and a supportive staff. Basically, she's going to rock that house. I can only hope that when I get to be a theater teacher I find just as an amazing place as Erin. Also this past weekend I got to see many of my friends perform. My hats off to Jill Bearce and Lizzy Vinton in Vermont Children Theater's Cosmic Nightingale; and Kim Stacy and Jasper Craven in the performance by comedy group Aardvark Malarky. All of their performances inspired me and got me motivated to be excited once again for the show I'm doing this summer: Curtains!

We're kind of in a hard spot in the rehearsal process right now. The show is in less than a month and we know all of the choreography and blocking, we just need the extra umph that will bring it all together. It'll happen, I have complete faith in that for a play always comes together at the last minute. I'm so excited for this show!

I just want to give you, the blogosphere, a quick history of the Haskell and QNEK:

The Haskell Opera House was built in 1904 by Martha Stewart Haskell and Carlos Haskell. It is the only opera house in the United States to exist in two different countries for half of the Haskell is in the US and half is in Canada. It is also the only theater in the US with no stage (which is in the Canada section), and the only library with no books (also in Canada). It is an absolute Northeast Kingdom treasure. However, when the stock market took its decline not too long ago, the Haskell lost its endowment. The Board thought of shutting the beautiful Haskell Opera House down, but one woman wouldn't have it.

Enter Lynn Leimer, stage left.

Lynn saw the beauty and artistic creativity that was wonderfully alive in the Haskell, and she was not going to see it shut down. Her fantastically bossy diva attitude convinced the Board to let her take over as the House Manager. She started the QNEK Productions theater company ("Queen of the Northeast Kingdom" a.k.a. Lynn) in 1993 which became the resident theater group at the Haskell and she scheduled tons of amazing performances to make the Haskell the creative center of the NEK.

Enter Curtains, stage right.

This is not my first time working with Lynn. My senior year of high school we took our award winning performance of The Laramie Project to the Haskell to perform internationally for the community. My friend Kat Woodard has been stage managing and performing with her mother Carol Woodard for years, practically her whole life. We have gone and helped Lynn cleaned the costume barn which is fittingly stored at her house. I am so delighted to be a part of this creative group and show. Thank you QNEK for opening your doors to me. Please come to the show!

Peace out!