Wolftrap Virtual Season Launch... my little piece of the pie

HI all!  I've been sitting on a fun little project for the past week or so and AT LAST I get to share it with you.  I think this may just  be the first in a series of short interviews with interesting women. FUN, RIGHT??

OK, Let's do it...

Kim Witman of the Wolf Trap Opera Company is celebrating today’s announcement of the WTOC 2010 season by doing guest blog posts and interviews in a few places across the blogosphere.   You can see links to all the others here.   As always, WTOC is doing a wildly interesting mix of rep with some really stellar young talent.  I hope one day to join them myself, but in the meantime, let's take a peek into the mind of the lady pulling the strings.....



Is there a “typical” day for Kim Witman?

Typical non-summer day:  Corresponding with production teams, refining staff schedules and responsibilities for the season, planning special events for donors and patrons, writing supertitles, reviewing budget figures, writing and editing program books, planning workshops for the next commissioned opera, preparing preshow talks, managing databases, researching repertoire, writing artist recommendations for competitions, reviewing box office reports, remembering to breathe deeply.

Typical summer day: Whack-a-mole.  Show up and problem solve.

What is the best part of your day?

Depending on my frame of mind, it’s either a creative challenge (writing supertitles, brainstorming with artistic staff, researching repertoire for future casting) or a satisfyingly linear task with a tangible outcome (a beautifully geeky spreadsheet, a clearly-documented cut list, a well-edited bit of copy.)

What part do you dread?
      Meetings.  Thankfully, they are few.

If you had to sum up in one sentence what you want an audience member to take away from a visit to Wolf Trap this summer, what would it be?
      That they’re glad they came, for whatever reasons matter the most to them.

What is the thing you are most proud of at Wolf Trap?
      The positive regard in which our alumni hold their WTOC experience.

What is something you’d really like to see change at Wolf Trap?
      We desperately need venue renovations at our main theatre, The Barns.

What are the best books you’ve read in the last year?

The Black Swan (Taleb), Drive (Pink), The Last Lecture (Pausch), Three Cups of Tea (Mortenson), What the Dog Saw (Gladwell).  It’s not that I don’t read fiction, I do… it’s just that I haven’t really liked a bunch of what I’ve read recently.  And after I turned 50, I promised myself that I wouldn’t force myself to go any further than 50% through a book that I hated.  Life is getting shorter and shorter.

What blogs do you read every single day?

Yours, of course. 

Sadly, there are 175 blogs in my Google Reader feed.  I spend no more than 20 minutes on them a day, though, and therefore there’s lots of surfing.   About half of them are music and arts-oriented, and the rest are technology, marketing, psychology & general news and ideas. 

What are your three “desert island” bits of music?  

I am so spectacularly bad at this.  Every day I have a different answer.  Today, I will give you the 3 songs in my iPod shuffle that gave me particular pleasure during my most recent plane ride: “Slow Me Down” by Emily Rossum, a cappella version by the Virginia Sil’hooettes; “Take It with Me” by Elvis Costello, sung by Anne Sofie von Otter; and Handel’s Lascia ch’io pianga.  All kind of mellow, but that’s where I was that day.

What reminds you who you are?
      My kids and my husband.

Who are you leading? Where are you going? Does it matter?

I will lead anyone who trusts me enough to follow.  I’m trying to go in the direction of the dreams of those who trust me.  And it does matter.

What is delighting you today? 
          Feeling connected.


Hope you all are delighted with our little interview.  I know I am.... and can't wait to read the other blogs dedicated to celebrating the day!   As soon as the links are live, I will post a few over here.  Happy virtual season launch, Wolftrap, and thanks to Kim for sharing her time!

T-day countdown

Only two more days to one of my very favorite holidays: Thanksgiving!!

I love love love it.... delicious food, great pals, a nip in the air (fingers crossed!). A day fully devoted to the idea of gratitude for all the blessings we have in our lives. And a parade. Hello? What's not to love about this day?

For many years now I have reserved Thanksgiving as the holiday I spend with the family I have made for myself. I've lived quite far away from my natural family since I graduated from college, and 2 big trips in the space of one month just doesn't make sense, so I've developed my own traditions. I've spent T-day on Ellis Island with a childhood pal, around a sad little chicken in my first apartment with a high-school friend, with the families of various loved ones... upstate NY, Texas Panhandle, Texas Hill Country. For the last couple of years, I've spent the day with the family of a dear dear friend here in Houston, which has been wonderful. And last year I began a new tradition: Delivering home-made CINNAMON ROLLS!

Thank you Pioneer Woman for adding to the collective waist-line of those in my inner circle.
Anyway, I hope you are all looking forward to a very happy Thanksgiving as well, surrounded by people you love. xxoxox

Phone phobia

Until today I had thought I was alone with this malady, but Ree, the Pioneer Woman, apparently has it worse than I do: PHONE PHOBIA*.

To quote her directly, "I don’t deserve friends. I don’t deserve family. I don’t even deserve acquaintances. And I certainly don’t deserve an answering machine."

Why???.... because I refuse to speak to my loved (or otherwise) ones on the phone.

Well, refuse is a bit strong, I guess. I DO force them to leave messages because I leave my phone on silent most of the time. Messages that I am loathe** to return. Yes, I am often in rehearsals where I can't take calls, but let's face it: the truth is, I can't stand to talk on the phone. I don't know why, but it brings up some primal dread in the pit of my stomach. This is not particularly conducive to a thriving social life, especially in light of the fact that I spend the majority of my time on the road and my closest friends are flung thither and yon across the continent.

So let it be said: please don't judge my love and affection by my lack of willingness to communicate via phone. Let's just view this as another in the long list of charming neuroses that make me the special gal you all know and love, ok? If you'd like to discuss it... please send me an email. :)

* There is even a name for this: Telephobia: a psychological ondition in which one experiences extreme fear or avoidance of using the telephone.
**is this even proper use of the word loathe?

The perfect wedding

If one day I manage to settle down and get hitched, I imagine the whole thing will shake down a bit like this:

Which seems just about perfect.

Little story about this clip:

When I was in college I dated a guy who was very very funny and wonderful in so many ways, but not the most emotionally demonstrative guy (except when it was important to be. aww). ANYWAY, one day he was really sick with flu and decided to camp out in his dorm room for the day. I made sure he had some cold medicine, ramen noodles at the ready, and a movie to keep him company before heading off to my theory class. I returned a couple of hours later.... poked my head in the door... and found him sitting in a blanket cocoon with tears streaming down and big goofy grin plastered across his face.

"What's going on?" I asked, puzzled and a little concerned.

"It's just.... so.....BEAUTIFUL!" he blubbered.

And then he forced me to watch the part where the penguins sing "They're getting ma-aa-aa-rieeeeed now," about 12 times.
And then I got him to the infirmary, pronto. The end.

Sewin up some Love

I have been a big fan of Alicia Paulson over at Posie Gets Cozy for a very long time. When she posted a pattern for these "Pleasant Kitchen Dishtowels" several months ago, I just knew I had to make them myself...and I knew just the gal I should make them for: my pal Sus! I whipped them up just in time for her birthday.

And by "whipped up," I mean "laboriously struggled" for several weeks. hhaha. Ok, they were not THAT bad, but this was the first bit of embroidery I have ever done, and sewing the calico backings and trim was quite a bigger task than I planned on it being. BUT AREN'T THEY CUTE???

Getting ready for final packaging (the gingham fabric is just for presentation)...

Notice that each towel has a different trim and backing?

I think Thursday is my favorite.

But Saturday is pretty darn cute, too. ...sigh...

Helen takes a dive

My friend Lynelle, while very sweet, shares my diabolical sense of humor.
Exhibit A: this video she sent me last night. While I have seen this video many times, it never fails to crack my sick self up.

Meeemmmmmrieeeeessss....

Unpacking after a move means finding wacky stuff.... like old photos. hehehe

A Valentine for my Friends

Last night I could not sleep, and spent a lot of time rolling around processing random thoughts and remembering really odd stuff. One thing that came to me was the memory of this slightly corny but incredibly thoughtful poem that I found in an old anthology when I was in high school. I have been mulling over the nature of friendship a bit for the past couple of weeks, and to me this sums up my deepest feelings about it all:

What is a Friend? I'll tell you.
It is a person with whom you dare to be yourself.
Your soul can go naked with him.
He seems to ask you to put on nothing, only to be what you really are.
When you are with him, you do not have to be on your guard.
You can say what you think, so long as it is genuinely you.
He understands those contradictions in your nature that cause others to misjudge you.
With him you breathe freely-you can avow your little vanities and envies and absurdities
and in opening them up to him they are dissolved on the white ocean of his loyalty.
He understands. - You can weep with him, laugh with him, pray with him-through and
underneath it all he sees, knows and loves you.
A Friend, I repeat, is one with whom you dare to be YOURSELF.
--Unknown

We cross paths with so very many people on this earth, and it is sometimes difficult to know who is your friend. What I particularly love about this poem is that implies that true friendship is not something that is cultivated... it is a natural state of looking at another person, faults and all, and loving the whole thing. As I said to a friend the other day....It is a person you can look in the eyes and know that they are looking back with their whole selves, no pretense, no disguise.

I have been blessed with some incredible friends over the years, and my life is 100% percent richer with you in my life. Thank you thank you thank you.


ps. the pictures I used today are prints by two of my favorite Etsy artists: The Black Apple and CreativeThursday. If you love them too you can purchase them for your very own HERE: salt & pepper and sock monkeys.

Humor is funny.

My friend Lynelle is the Youtube master. Seriously. This is the latest jewel she uncovered:


ok. if that doesn't make you laugh, then something is wrong. Maybe you should watch this one instead:

Luxury

Well gentle readers, I find myself in an odd position this week: time off and no REAL pressure to get much done. Of course there is a never-ending list of things that I would be wise to get done. A short sample:

1. work on MacBeth (this is the most pressing of course, and I assuage my guilt by spending some time on it every day. but i'm not knocking myself out. please don't remind me of this if i am freaking out next month sometime.)
2. cleaning out my car, clearing out material goods that are superfluous in my life.
3. cleaning out my storage unit.
4. learning some new opera.
5. planning my trip to UK.
6. looking into language schools for next summer.
7. going to a museum.

Instead, I sleep late, have coffee with friends, bum around on my computer (finally got the replacement from evil corporate giant HP!), write really boring blog entries.

I am trying to really soak up this luxury instead of wasting time feeling guilty about it. I start work in Dallas on Monday, and won't have much spare time then!

ready for my close-up

Ever wondered what my pores look like?
here ya go...


This is an opening night picture of me and my buddy Elise... a brilliant young director in this crazy biz, and my partner in crime not nearly often enough. isn't she cute?

my friend, the NY Times source

My friend Doug is wildly famous. Not only has he appeared....suave cuff-links and all... on a craft segment of the Martha Stewart Show, he is now a highly sought after source for the New York Times. That's right, the NEW YORK TIMES, people. Read it and weep....


Exhibit A:

FASHION & STYLE | May 17, 2007
Mr. Right, It Turns Out, Does Not Take Classes
By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM
It’s difficult to find a man in a course, since men think they know it all already, or should.

You'll find the reference on page two of this incredibly depressing article. This is like something straight out of Sex and the City.

Sex and the City - The Complete Fifth Season (ps. they call the fifth season "the one without the men".)

Basically, it explains yet another really good reason that meeting an interesting & available straight man... wait, let us not even use the "interesting" limiter... is kind of like finding a unicorn. If the women of Manhattan can't find them---these lovely talented women, who have the 3.8 million men there basically trapped on an island---then what hope is there?

But back to Doug. Doug is one of those great people in your life that, even if you may not talk to them for months, the moment you pick up the phone, it is like you spoke the day before. He is smart and funny and cultured and thoughtful. I can't say enough great things about my pal. AND now he is wildly famous, with reporters knocking on his door and university types calling for his expert opinion. And I knew him way back when...

Random sunday night

This evening I went to the painfully hip Cafe Brasil to hear some of my friends sing opera on the back patio. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, the newish back patio was really nice and spacious (but not cavernous), and I was incredibly proud of my talented friends.

In other news: If you happen to be in upstate New York, you can stop in at the Living Word Assembly of God Church for PORN AND PANCAKES. Let me know how that works out, m'kay?

I am looking at my last week here in Houston. My time off, while not as productive as I had hoped, has been pretty enjoyable. And I did get some things accomplished. Hard to believe it has been a solid year since I was packing up to go to Merola for the summer. Ah Merola...


I call this one "Calvin and Hobbes and Josh."