I am writing this to you from snowy Columbus, Ohio.
The LAST OUT team and I flew in early this morning (I’m writing this late Thursday night in my hotel room) and rehearsed all day. The day culminated in a dinner at the epic Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, courtesy of our incredible sponsors. Food comas all around!
Anyhow, we’ll be rehearsing again all morning and afternoon tomorrow (that’s today for you as you read this!), then performing this incredible play Friday night at the Proscenium Theater on the campus of Ohio State University.
So if you’re in Columbus tomorrow/today, January 17, you can get tix HERE.
Storytelling tip o’ the week
Due to the traveling, this won’t be so much a storytelling tip as a “how to survive in enemy territory” tip.
See, my beloved Rebecca and her family are all from Michigan. If you didn’t know, the rivalry between University of Michigan and THE Ohio State University is, shall we say, a wee bit intense. Wolverines and Buckeyes do not get along. At all. It’s Hatfields and McCoys. Montagues and Capulets. Generational and deep-abiding mutual loathing.
I do not exaggerate. We drove past an Ohio State campus store on the way to the theatre this morning. There was a t-shirt hanging in the window. Printed on the front was: “Jesus Hates Michigan.”
I spent most of my childhood and a big chunk of my professional life in the Midwest. I have happily adopted rooting for Michigan (especially those delightful Detroit Lions!) as I’ve grown closer to Rebecca’s family. When it’s chilly, I wear an oversized U of Michigan sweatshirt while walking the pups. My favorite hoody was bought in Detroit and says “Michigan State of Mind.”
I brought neither of those articles of clothing on this particular trip.
The College Football Championship is on Monday, and features THE Ohio State University Buckeyes versus—oh boy—Notre Dame. And having spent several childhood years in northern Indiana, I’ve been a Notre Dame fan for a long, long time. And a couple of Rebecca’s cousins are also huuuuuge Notre Dame fans.
I am not making my rooting interest public while on this trip. Discretion being the better part of valor and all that jazz.
But check it out. While driving to the aforementioned dinner, we turned onto—no joke—CANNON DRIVE. I’m not sure how I’m going to break this news to Rebecca’s family…
I’m supposed to fly out first thing Saturday morning. But if you don’t hear from me next week, it means my true allegiances were leaked to a marauding horde of buckeyes.
We’ll get back to hardcore storytelling tips next week. If I escape Columbus.
The Page&Stage Podcast: Expression is Second Nature
A reminder to check out this week’s podcast—Episode 1 of Season 2! From a young boy full of fear to a man destined to influence arts advocacy, Cedric Hameed's journey has seen him engage in significant soul-searching, especially about his relationship with art. He chats about the thrill of playing basketball with legendary NBA stars and how he transitioned from athletics to spoken word poetry, influencing lives and shaping futures along the way. He also talks about the creation of his first published book of poetry, BALANCE, and the power of self-expression for poets and non-poets alike.
Thanks as always for reading, and have a great weekend!
Jason “I have a Drive??” Cannon