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A Time Out for Carolyn

12/28/2021

Early in 2021, my daughter Carolyn called and suggested an idea for a new picture book. Every Christmas since 2016 I have created a picture book based on one of our funny family stories. The first one featured our middle son. The reaction from the siblings was, "Mom, there are seven of us. We each expect our own storybook."
I was true to their expectations for the first few years...
2016 - Is This Cowboy Food? featuring Matthew
2017 - Who Will Be My Friend? featuring Katelyn
2018 - Too Many Sisters featuring Michael
Then, it got harder for me to come up with ideas. So I started combining two kids into the same story.
2019 - The Wonderful, Marvelous, Magic Bunkbed - Cami and Mitchell
2020 - Spin Around Dresses and Click Shoes - Kathryn and Carolyn
Evidently, combining stories was nice, but did not fulfill the request.

Carolyn age 3

Carolyn actually suggested that I create a picture book using the story I often told about her when she was 3. I knew immediately the story she meant, and I started stammering "B...b...but no one would believe it!" "Sure they will," Carolyn said encouragingly. "And this time, I think you should create this picture book without words."
"B...b...but...I....I. can't possibly..."
"You can do it."

Well, I toiled over this story for many months. I even track tested it with some of my friends. I didn't think I was a clever enough artist to tell the story adequately without words. And the early testing bore that out. So, by the time I took it to be printed, I still wasn't convinced that the art carried the plot well enough. But I got a few copies printed anyway. Then, I stewed over this questionable decision while away on a 2-week trip. When I got back home I knew I had to redo the whole thing, but this time with words. Not a lot of words, but hopefully the right words. By then I had just a couple of weeks before Christmas!

Camilla Joy age 2

The very best compliment I got after the families had all opened their copies of the picture book was from my youngest granddaughter. Her mommy told me that she insisted they read "Time Out for Carolyn" at bedtime. Then she wanted to read it by herself 2-year-old style. She especially liked the Author page where I placed a picture of myself. She pointed and said "Gramma" over and over again. My grandmother heart is melting.

Camilla Joy reading "Time Out for Carolyn" to go to sleep

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12 Days of Christmas Giving

12/20/2021

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Last night I watched a program on PBS about the "Twelve Days of Tudor Christmas" hosted by Lucy Worsley. She explained many of the traditions that were popular during the time of King Henry the Eighth in Tudor England. Now, I was interested because I have English heritage. Some of the the traditions she highlighted, I had known about, but some of them I knew just a smidgeon about or was curious about because of Christmas songs and carols I have sung in the past.

Wow! From this vantage point of more than 500 years, I really wonder how people survived in those days. (We live such cushy, comfortable lives nowadays.) Just hearing about the comfort gap between the rich and powerful and the peasants was sickening. But, would I have actually chosen to eat the food delicacies of that time? I don't think so. Boar's head? Mince meat pies? Turnips? Lambs' brains? Nope.

The celebrations of Christmas started on December 24th (the evening when Jesus was born) and lasted into January for 12th Night (when the Magi visited the Holy Family). Before that, the Church mandated fasting through Advent from meat and dairy with absolutely no celebrating. So, when the 12 Days of Christmas began, the feasting and celebrating could really begin --- complete with decking the halls with boughs of holly, eating colorful food delights, and no work!

Some of the celebrating was way too raucous and filled with intoxication for my taste. However, I am grateful for the tradition of singing great sacred choral music about the Savior (that is still sung from that time), and also for the tradition of singing of carols going door to door to spread holiday cheer. Mumming, not so much. (You'll have to look that one up.)

Although I am not a fan of how commercial the Christmas season has become in our day or how the Christmas season seems to start at Halloween, I am very grateful for many of our modern traditions. I love Christmas trees, lights, gift giving, feasting with family and friends, and all of the wonderful music. I love going to concerts, plays, programs, and holiday parties. I especially love singing with my family and going caroling.

My family members have opted to have less commercial celebrations for Christmas. They would never go for raucous reveling and giving expensive gifts (like the Tudors had to give to King Henry VIII). But they do go for giving small gifts to each other and giving service in the community. The gift I love most is when we sing together. That makes my Christmas special!

Here is a song many of us sang for a Family Show we did for the Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitor's Center. Enjoy "A Christmas Carol" with the Bailey, Bullock and Perry Families and Friends.

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Embellishment and Improvisation

12/9/2021

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Having directed many shows in my life, I am always curious at how "live" theatrical productions can be so different. Sometimes the contracts stipulate very narrow margins for the liberties the actors and directors can take with their interpretation of the material. For example, Disney is very guarded with their products, Other companies are not.

I went to a very delightful show last night "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" at the Hale Center Theater in Sandy, Utah. I was very curious about how they would make the flying car fly. But they did it and it was amazing! This must have been a very expensive show to mount. The technical problems were enormous and then add to that lighting, costuming, crazy inventive props and set pieces, and then the doubled cast, choreography and costumes... The list seemed endless.

But what made this show doubly delightful was how the actors were so skilled at improvisation and embellishment. I doubt that the show has been even close to the same each night. I even heard that one night, the lead actor playing Caractacus Potts convinced the actor playing Baron Bomburst to do something special for his daughter in the audience. During the Birthday scene, he asked the Baron to get the audience to sing "Happy Birthday" to his daughter. He did it without even interrupting the flow of the show. Now, that's impressive.

These actors really knew how to work the audience for laughs. Some of the scenes were just hysterical. And again, I wonder how much of that was in the script and how much was improvised and embellished as the mood dictated.

These kinds of embellishments and improvisations are not what I can expect from my very young actors. But I do like to practice acting games and exercises in the hopes that my little thespians can get a taste of working the audience for laughs. It can be such fun!

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Simple Steps to a Good Program

12/6/2021

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What goes into making a good program? Even events such as a Community or School concert or even a Christmas party for the Church congregation, would benefit by following certain tried and true steps. After all, you don't want to lose your audience.

I have attended several community and school concerts and several Primary Presentations these last couple of months and have also been to two Ward Christmas parties so far in December. The people who planned these events could have used some coaching as to how to put on a successful program.

Just like attending a Theatrical show, audiences nowadays expect certain production standards. That means, they want to be able to UNDERSTAND the speaking and singing, SEE everything clearly, and FIND ENJOYMENT in the experience. People are not ignorant. They can tell when the planners and performers have adequately prepared. (There is nothing worse than having your audience walk out partway through the event!)

1. Planning and Preparation
Obviously, not all performances are equal. (And they need not be to have a successful event.) For example, not all school or community bands have top-notch talent. Not every ward is blessed with people with musical or artistic talents. But they can be well-prepared! That's why planning by a committee is so helpful. Together, the committee people can offer ideas and take stock of resources that the director alone may not be aware of. Despite COVID anxieties, good planning and adequate preparation can guarantee a successful event.

However, there really is no audience with enough patience and graciousness to accept ill-prepared children singing a song grossly out of tune! Please don't expose your audience to that trying to pass it off as "entertainment." Just because someone wants the opportunity to perform, doesn't mean that they should. Some performances are best reserved for private family parties.

2. Set up (physical facilities)
Know your venue. Set up tables and chairs for a good flow --- such as for getting food and eating, for visiting, for seeing the show, etc. Locate and have enough microphones for the performers or speakers. Try out the lighting before the arrival of guests. Have adequate lights for the pianist or other musicians. Make sure any other tech devices (audio/visual) WORK -- well before beginning the activity.

3. Timing and Movement
Be aware of how much time the different aspects of the event will take. Don't waste time in unnecessary movement or set up between "acts." Make timing and movement maps and stick to the plan! Guests will get "antsy" if they perceive the activity lagging or going on too long. Many just get up and leave.

4. Story Arc and Supporting a Theme
Having a THEME is very useful to keeping the audience engaged. It guides their thinking and expectations. Be mindful of following a story arc --- have a clear beginning, middle, and end --- hopefully with a proper climax in the right place.

Follow these guidelines and you too will have a successful event!

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A Time Out for Carolyn

12 Days of Christmas Giving

Embellishment and Improvisation

Simple Steps to a Good Program

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