Last summer I was approached by Tom Selleck’s Moustache, a new pop band in Minneapolis, to choreograph some songs as part of their album release party for Heartbreak 101. I jumped at the opportunity and chose ‘The Obscure’ as one of the numbers I would develop into visual storytelling.

Inspired by the song’s atmospheric melody and its lyric, “Are you vivacious or are you demure,” my collaborators and I developed the stories of two couples who (unlike the song which suggests a failure to “fall in love the snow”) come into relationships—one is vivacious, quick, and complex, and the other is demure, slow, and simple. 

I recorded the video with my iPhone at the live show March 23rd, so you can imagine the accompanying sound quality. This version replaces the live sound with the recorded version of the song from the album. You can hear more at www.playmymoustache.com

Opening night for Venus in Fur at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis!  Starring Sarah Nedwek and Jay Stratton, and directed by Seth Gordon.

This was my third time dialect coaching with Seth, which brings so much more trust into the process.  Sarah Nedwek, who plays Vanda, brought in wonderful choices for actor-Vanda — a gruff, unplaceable accent that carried aspects of a few different American regionalisms. For Dunayev, we developed an updated version of Standard American Stage Dialect (not unlike the Skinner work I do with my students), and we looked to German and Romanian sounds for her character Venus. It really came together beautifully.

Opening Night of Jon Jory’s adaptation and production of Sense and Sensibility at the Rep!  Many of the actors had done the show previously under Jon’s direction, either at ATL, or at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre, or both.  What a glorious company of actors: willing to collaborate and develop dialects based on authenticity as well as character, a wonderfully knowledgable and dedicated ensemble.  

Though we did, sadly, mourn the loss of /ˈweɪ̆st.cətʰ/, choosing /ˈweɪ̆st.cəʊ̆tʰ/ instead. (The real-life Colonel Brandon and Marianne were not available for comment.)

Speed-the-Plow at New Jewish Theatre. Directed by Tim Ocel.  With Chris Hickey (Gould), Michael James Reed (Fox), and Sigrid Sutter (Karen).

Closing night for ‘Good People.’  As one of the cast members remarked in a closing night card to me, “[The run] was a wicked pissah.’  

(Note: In no place in the dialogue of ‘Good People’ does Mr. David Lindsay-Abaire mention the phrase “wicked pissah.”  He does however say “fuck” and “cocksucker.”  Which is just fine with us.)

(N.B.: Today is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birthday.)