On The Road — Page 86

Around Town

September 19, 2013 at 8:23 am by Claudia

I used to travel quite a bit, especially when I was coaching for a company that produced national tours of Broadway musicals. I would find myself in a new city for 3 or 4 days at a time, often without a car. No problem. I love walking around a new place, getting to know it, discovering hidden beauties, gardens, interesting architecture, parks, historic sites. I’ve been walking around Hartford lately. Though it’s a city in which I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the last two years, I have much to explore. Here are some photos from my walking tours during the past few days.

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1. Presbyterian Church 2. Gardens at the Butler-McCook Homestead 3. Apartments at The Linden (love these balconies) 4. Butler-McCook House, built in 1791, gorgeous 5. Flowers at The Linden 6. Brownstones 7. Butler-McCook House 8. Flowers in the Butler-McCook gardens

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1. Imposing door 2. Ornate grillwork at The Linden 3. Flowers at The Linden 4. Beautiful walkway and park

I fell in love with those apartment balconies, very reminiscent of New Orleans. And those brownstones speak to me, as do the flowers, the architecture, and all the little discoveries that awaited me during my walks. It’s such fun. Exercise and new-to-me places – that’s a good combination. I topped it all off yesterday by taking a book to the park. I plopped myself down on a bench and read for a couple of hours. It was too nice a day to stay indoors for long.

Oh, and I also walked by the library where two guys who sang and played the blues were giving a lunchtime concert! An unexpected delight. Of course, the interior of the library soon called to me and I checked out 3 books. I’m only here for 9 more days. What the heck am I thinking?

I can’t help it. Like a magnetic force, a library calls to me. Books, books and more books. Amen.

Happy Thursday.

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Moody Skies

September 18, 2013 at 9:05 am by Claudia

It’s no secret that I love to take pictures of the sky. Ever changing, it fascinates me. Though I love a blue, blue sky with fluffy white clouds, I also love what I call moody skies. Monday was a moody skies day.

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It looks like it’s going to storm, doesn’t it? It never happened. The sky kept shifting, changing, throwing a spotlight on certain buildings while others were in shadow. It was amazing. Part of the sky was full of dark clouds. Part of it was a beautiful blue.

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Maybe I could make a name for myself as The Sky Photographer. All skies, all the time. What do you think?

These were shot with my iPhone, which has turned out to be very handy for those times I don’t want to lug my Canon around.

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I’m dieting, my friends. I want to lose about twenty pounds. Maybe more. No more sweets (it’s been four days without them.) More exercise. A small salad for lunch. No more ice cream. You’d be proud of me – it sits in the freezer, untouched. I’m not especially enamored of the aging process, but why make it harder by carrying around extra weight?

For most of my life I was tall and thin and could eat anything. In fact, I was so thin that one of my professors in grad school asked me if I was anorexic. Uh….no. But I was forced to exercise in that program, there were lots of movement classes and pilates (before they became all the rage) and I was as toned as I was ever going to be. Until I hit my fifties, I could pretty much eat anything I wanted without gaining a pound.

Those days are over. So I’m going to be mindful about what I eat. I’m going to walk more. I don’t kid myself that I will go to the gym, because I won’t. But walking? Yes.

On my walk through the park the other day, I gathered some natural beauty for the apartment:

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The trees are beginning to change around here, ever so slightly. There is a nip in the air. The nights are cooler. Summer, I don’t want you to leave, but apparently you are going to whether I like it or not.

Happy Wednesday.

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Stagecraft on Exhibit

September 17, 2013 at 8:42 am by Claudia

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I took a long walk yesterday, which was my day off. I was doing my best to delay adding up all my deductions for our tax return (we always file an extension.) It’s all very complicated, my coaching fees, my living expenses out of town, and now, ad income and Etsy income. Yikes. I don’t like doing this kind of stuff. I’m not someone with a head for figures. I’m in the Arts, remember?

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Anyway, I took lots and lots of iPhone photos which I’ll share with you throughout the week. First stop? My favorite place in Hartford – the Hartford Public Library. Honestly, if I could work anywhere (besides the theater) I’d work here. It’s my dream library; airy, full of windows and books and computers and research materials, with a café and art exhibits.

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The café, called The Kitchen. Look at those very stylish chairs I see all over Blogland. This library is hip. I must grab a meal there this week.

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I didn’t come to the library to check out a book. I came for this exhibit: Hartford Stage Stagecraft. It’s the 50th anniversary of Hartford Stage and it’s being celebrated all year long. It was founded by Jacques Cartier, who, as it happens, is a former colleague of mine. We were on the faculty of the School of Theater at Boston University. I worked with him for five years and coached several of his productions, both at BU and at the Huntington Theater. We had a little reunion last spring when he attended a performance of Twelfth Night.

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This exhibit highlights some of the props, set designs and costume designs from the past 50 years.

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Beautiful dress, right? It’s made out of paper. It’s called The Map Dress. Here’s the story behind it:

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A close-up:

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Stunning.

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For the character of Mrs. Malaprop in The Rivals.

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For Ariel in The Tempest, a production that I coached.

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For Hartford Stage’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird – costumes for Atticus and Scout. Be still my heart.

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A display centering on the current productions in The Rep: Macbeth and La Dispute.

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And a lizard costume for Edward Albee’s Seascape.

This exhibition will be touring throughout the area during the course of this 50th Anniversary Season. If you live nearby, I think you’d find it fascinating. Even I, who have seen more costumes than I could ever begin to count, find this part of the creative process fascinating. I am in awe of costume designers and the people in the Costume Shop who bring those designs to life.

Around Town

Moody Skies

Stagecraft on Exhibit

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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