Missoula

Patuxent River, MD
Hello Friends,

Lets pick up where I left off - my first time in Missoula.

After accepting the job I settled my affairs in Seattle. I arranged to leave my stuff in the condo that I was living in thanks to my friend Jason and quit the show I was in. I remember the director of that production, this spindly 25 year-old something who thought his vision for the play was amazing, telling me that I was making a huge mistake to run off on tour and that I would do much better if I stayed in Seattle (HA!). From there I headed out to Ohio for a bit of visiting and then back to Portland for one last hurrah and then I flew to Missoula from there. If I had only known how important a role the City of Portland would play later in my life. Funny how the world works.

Flying into Missoula International Airport for the first time is a special experience. It's hard to describe. If you ask Joe Q. Public what they know or even think of when you say "Montana" odds are they come up with "Buffalo" or "Snow" or most likely "Dances with Wolves". So when one goes to Montana you really have no idea what to expect. This was the case when I landed in one of the smallest planes I had flown.

Your aircraft parks at one of six gates and you walk less then thirty seconds and you are at baggage claim. During that thirty second trek you pass by at least five very impressive taxidermy pieces ranging from grizzly bears, to deer, and of course the coup de grace is the mountain lion killing a goat in its mouth. It's a bit awesome.

I arrived in Missoula three days before my training to meet up with my college room mate Pat who took a Greyhound down from Havre to hang out. As I was early, the company did have to pick me up (though in retrospect I am sure they would have had I asked, which I didn't because I didn't want to impose on this new company that hired me) so I figured I would just catch a cab to take me to my hotel.

With in minutes of collecting my bag the airport was deserted. I called a cab and they claimed they would be there in 15 minutes. They also claimed they could get me to the hotel for less then $20 cash as that was all I had in my wallet and they did not take cards. So gazing at the hills that surround me I began to worry that my dwindling cash supply would not see me through and until training began as I waited for the cab.

And waited.

And waited.

About 30 minutes after I called a fancy hotel van pulls up (my hotel was not that fancy) and asked if I had called about going to their hotel. Of course I hadn't and explained as much. The lady, who was about my age, looked around and not seeing anyone asked where I was going. When I told her I was going to another hotel and that I was here for Missoula Children's Theatre her face grinned and she offered me a ride into town for free. I couldn't believe it.

So I hopped into a strangers van and ventured forth towards downtown Missoula. Now mind you I wouldn't have hopped into just any van and my creeper bell wasn't tingling. As we drove in she told me all about Missoula. Where to go, what to see, how much I am going to love MCT. She herself was a student at the University and worked at the hotel as a part time gig. After a brief 10 minute drive I was at my hotel and her van vanished into traffic.

I never saw that girl again, but her kindness left an indelible impression.

Pat arrived later that day and we spent the next few days exploring Missoula, reminiscing about college, and making promises as to what we wanted to do with out lives. If I remember correctly we were both going to be Professors at the same college some day. Those few days passed all to quickly. Suddenly I was beginning my training at MCT and Pat was returning to Northern Montana. What began that first day of training would change my life forever.

The Adventure Continues - ML

How it all Began

Patuxent River, MD
Hello Friends,

So this is my last week as a tour actor/director before I move on to the home office and I have been doing a lot of reflecting. What a better way to do that then to re-tell my MCT story (no worries I will be making broad strokes with these entries). Let's start at the beginning...

It was the end of June 2003. I had just finished my nine month internship at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. I was desperatly seeking work that would allow me to still act and teach. I was in a production for the now defunct Seattle Fringe Festival playing a father to a disturbed son in the depression (Trestle at the Pope Lick Creek)to which I was recieving no pay and drove 20 miles one way for rehearsal. The world was scary and exciting and I had no idea what lay ahead.

At the end of that faithful June I attended a theatre open audition were you spend one minute and thirty seconds performing two monolouges in hopes that some theatre company sitting in the darkened audience may call you back at some point in the near future. When done, I thanked the faceless crowd and made a calm confident exit (a dance that had been engrained into me from my college years). Before I could reach the door a voice called out from the populated void, "Matt, can you sing?"

My reply came quick but not as confident as my attempted exit.

"Yes."

I was handed a half piece of paper for a place called The Missoula Children's Theatre asking to come back TODAY for an interview about some tour thing.

A callback?! Today!?!! Usually you wouldn't receive a callback for weeks, sometimes even months!

At this point I can't remember if I was even excited about the callback or not. I was a little leery of something called "tour" and during my time between I headed back to the Rep and printed of my teaching resume as it had not been with my acting resume. At the Rep I distinctly remember someone even telling me to stay away from the Missoula gig. They hadn't heard good things about it or had a friend of a friend who had done it and didn't like it. Still, a callback is a callback and I went back with resume in hand to see what this was all about.

Upon arrival I was greeted by the two Missoula Reps; Beth Martin and Victoria Larson. I handed them my teaching resume and took my spot with about 5 other callbackees. I don't really remember much of the schpeel, though I know what the schpeel is; it is a 45 minute talk about how awful the job is. Working with kids every week, crazy drives and partners, staying at weird homes, the list goes on and on. (To be fair, this is actually the best tool we have for recruitment as candidates are openly encouraged to politely leave the moment they know that the tour is not for them).

I don't know what I did or say or maybe it was the fact that I brought a theatre teaching resume to an acting callback, but after about 30 minutes of the schpeel Beth decides to pull me out of the pack and starts to have a one-on-one interview with me. She wants to know about how I grew up, what I like about acting and teaching, on and on we go. It felt like a good 30 minutes. By the time our talk was finished the other candidates had all gone. I felt thrilled about this opportunity but knew better then to get my hopes up. Polite farewells were made and the promises of being in contact were spoken.

On the 30 minute drive back I received a call from Victoria asking if they could hear me sing over the phone since I had failed to do so at the callback. As I was driving on the interstate I politely asked if I could at another time. A time was set for two days later.

During those two days I sang my heart out to everything I could find. Any musical CD, old voice lesson books, the TV - anything! It had not been specified as to what they wanted me to sing so I prepared song after song for their consideration.

The two days passed and the call came at the appointed time. The kitchen table was full of sheet music and songbooks ready for action. I was nervous! I had sang in church and few musicals in High School, but never for a professional gig! Brief pleasantries were delivered and then:

"Alright, lets hear you sing!"

"Well, what would you like?"

"How about 'Happy Birthday'?"

Staring at all those books and music I gave my best version of that tell-tale song all the while looking around for some gag show TV camera. It was the longest 15 seconds of my life.

"Great. We will be in touch."

That was it. Done. I felt a bit deflated.

A week past, then two. I tried not to think of it but as any actor will tell you until you hear no then, to you, it still feels like there could be a yes.

When the call came I of course wasn't expecting it. However the offer was timeless. Nine month contract, starting in September. I was given a week to think it over, I am pretty sure I called back later that day.

The Adventure Continues - ML

Cozy New Jersey

Deleware Township, NJ
Hello Friends!

Things are rainy and cold in the rural areas of New Jersey but thankfully old man winter has yet to be seen. This week Calida and I are staying in a quaint guest house in a very rural horse pasturey area. It is very picturesque and every night when we come home dinner has been left for us on our stove! It's like having a magical little food elf making us gormet dinner and then disappearing before we get (said elf also leaves a lot of wine and cheese as well!).

I am fighting a wee head cold and I haven't had much energy to get out and about. Thankfully Calida and I are both into really good George RR Martin books right now so we are passing the time well. Oh and there is on demand cable in our house too (yeah, that kind of guest house).

This weekend Calida's family is coming to see the show and then a holiday week off before Maryland in which one of us gets their wisdom teeth removed (I will give you a hint, its not me). if this post is a bit wonky my apologies as I am doing this all from smartphone for the first time.

The Adventure Continues - ML

USFS DC Blog Post

Albany, NY
Hello Friends!

Real quick, here is a link to a nice blog from the United States Forest Service about our workshops in DC. Yup, that's me in the background getting kids to use their "binoculars".

The Adventure Continues - ML

Artsy Kids!

Menands, NY
Hello Friends!

So children at Menands school have two options when Missoula comes to town. They can either audition for the show or be part of an after school art class about the show (or just not be part of it all). We really didn't think much of it until we started seeing posters and an amazing banner hanging in front of the school today. I really love it when schools use our visit to encourage cross curricular activities. Enjoy!









The Adventure Continues - ML

A Five Week Vacation

Albany, NY
Hello Friends,

The past five weeks has been good. Almost too good. From the blustery lands of Canada we spent two weeks off in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Then a week in Connecticut, two days of workshops in DC followed by pretty much two weeks off again spent with our respective families in Ohio and Pennsylvania again. And now we are in the heart of downtown in Albany, NY.

The sheer amount of off time has been overwhelming. It has been great to spend so much time with family and friends but it also wears on you to know that you are doing a whole lot of hurrying up and waiting. Thankfully, we are back on the road with two weeks (New York and New Jersey) and then ANOTHER week off followed by our last week in Maryland the week before Christmas.

Since there has been a gap on the blog (that happens when one is on vacation) lets recap some highlights of that break:

- Water park fun with family at Kalahari in Sandusky, OH.
- Great food and wine and even better company in Cincinnati, OH.
- Making my niece up like a zombie for Halloween.
- Delicious food at Corky and Lenny's (There is nothing daring about it, just go).
- Meeting Mama Lerew.
- Having a doll filled and enjoyable week in Old Saybrook, CT at The Kate.
- Doing 4 workshops in urban DC for the United States Forestry Service.
- Eating Ethiopian food (that is daring).
- Enjoying home cooked meals in York and Stewartsville, PA
- Celebrating Thanksgiving with my family which, in actuality, is a very rare thing as my family is never near each other on Thanksgiving.

It's been a lot of traveling and in retrospect a lot of eating but it has been worth and the end of tour is looming in the horizon (only three more weeks left!). It's going to be a great time.

The Adventure Continues - ML

Monticello & Niagara Falls

Mississauga, ON (That's Ontario y'all!)

Hello Friends!

Fall tour has been whizzing by in a blur of singing children and long drives. I write from land of our northern brethren of Canada, but more on that later. In the past few weeks Calida and I have gone from Central Virginia to Northern New York with out nary a moments reprise and it has taken a small toll on our health as we are both battling chest colds but we shall overcome!

Two weeks ago we were in Lovingston, VA, located pretty much in the middle of nowhere. It was a gorgeous place surrounded by rolling hills of trees. Not far from where we were was Thomas Jefferson's home of Monticello. The icon home of our 3rd President can be found on the back of the nickel and was a wonderful stop.

First you are greeted by the new visitors center which was quite impressive and full of interactive exhibits showing how Jefferson ideas of independence have since spread across the globe. From there it was a short shuttle trip to the house itself. Though the building is not very large on the outside, the surrounding grounds more then make up for it. We had a couple of minutes to kill before our tour and took in Mr. Jefferson's gardens. Quite an impressive assortment of vegetables. Supposedly he was very interested in seeing what types of plants could or could not survive in America so he planted many different types and documented their growth.

The tour of the house was awesome. We went through all of the rooms on the main floor and our tour guide was very good. It was impressive to see how Jefferson remodeled the house three times and continual thrived to make improvements to not waste not any space in his home.

Sadly our time was a bit limited as we had to skedaddle back to rehearsal. We could have easily spent the whole day on the grounds as many other guided tours were available. If you are close by you should check it out.

After Virgina we spent a long weekend at Calida's home in York, PA with friends and family and I even got to experience a Teepee bonfire hosted by here brother. It. Was. Awesome.

From there we arrived in northern New York in the town of Lockport, none too far from Buffalo. The week was a lot of fun especially since my Nieces, Sister, Bro-in-law, and Gammy were able to come up and see the show. The following day we went to the always impressive Niagara Falls where hopped on the world famous Maid of the Mist. This was great. You put on a poncho, get on a boat, ride pretty much into the middle of the falls, get soaking wet, and then go to a gift shop. It was quite an experience to see my 2 year old niece and my Gammy both holding on for dear life while enjoying the falls.

Now we are in Canada in Mississauga. It is a nice burb of Toronto and everyone here has made us feel very welcome. Next up is some time off where family and fun await.

The Adventure Continues - ML