Hey friends, I’m here to share a quick As Ever, Sam update today! Rehearsals for my new World War 2-era Christmas drama are picking up speed, the set is under construction, and our first performance is less than three weeks away!
Yesterday I posted a new behind-the-scenes video on YouTube, which you can view at this link on the Kittywham Productions channel. It’s just a four-minute highlight reel of dropped lines, dropped props, and other shenanigans that happen during rehearsals. It’s not possible to laugh too much, is it…?
Also, we checked another task off our list this past weekend when we recorded some audio segments for the drama. As Ever, Sam is different from any of my previous plays in that, while the curtains are closed between each scene, the audience will hear exchanges of letters between the characters being narrated. These letters were some of my favorite bits of the script to write, especially those from the title character Sam to his sister Alice.
Anyway, we recorded all the letters last Saturday and had lots of fun in the process!
And lastly, I just want to share a picture of one of the beautiful sets that is in the works. The props are still unfinished, and of course no one’s in costume yet. But one by one, walls and set pieces are going up (sometimes in makeshift ways for now!), and we’re starting to get glimpses of what the final whole will look like. I just love the wall in this scene, fashioned from real walnut, that the crew built for us. A photo simply can’t do it justice!
Our construction team is just amazing. Remember the ship they built last year? And this year they’re building all kinds of things for us: they recently created two sturdy but lightweight tree stumps out of, like, chicken wire and spray foam. (You can catch glimpses of them in the new behind-the-scenes video: they look so realistic!) Anyway, these guys are crazy good.
If you’re interested in watching As Ever, Sam performed live, we’ll be streaming our performances on the Kittywham Facebook page (and, if all goes to plan, our YouTube channel as well). Save the dates on your calendar!
Sunday, Dec. 13, at 4:00pm (Central Time)
Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 6:30pm
Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 6:30pm
P.S. On an unrelated note for those of you who listen to my book review podcast, I’m releasing a bonus episode tomorrow! Although the first season of Unknown Friends is officially over, I have a short wrap-up episode for you. I’m sharing my three favorite books from the 30+ books I reviewed this year, plus a few honorable mentions I couldn’t leave out.
Even if you don’t read any other books I’ve discussed this year, I hope you tune in just to catch my top recommendations and put those few books on your reading list. They’re works I plan to return to again and again in the future.
You can stream my Unknown Friends episodes here on Apple Podcasts or wherever you usually get your podcasts. Thanks for listening!