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What a great cast! Thank you to everyone who auditioned for this show! Such a great turnout made my choices tough! Looking forward to starting rehearsal! Something to laugh about in uncertain times! Yay!

Full cast for “Arsenic and Old Lace”!!

ABBY BREWSTER — Patti Hasbrouck

MARTHA BREWSTER — Pamela Bilderbeck

MORTIMER BREWSTER — Travis Brown

JONATHAN BREWSTER — Ken Hermens

TEDDY “Roosevelt” BREWSTER — Frank Kowal III

DR. EINSTEIN — Rob Sim

ELAINE HARPER — Megan Woodward Emerick

OFFICER O’HARA — Anthony Redelsperger

OFFICER KLEIN — Justin King

OFFICER BROPHY — Robert Condron

REV. HARPER/LT. ROONEY — Walt Haight

MR. GIBBS/MR. WITHERSPOON — Ed Schoaps

Right now, we need all the laughter and enjoyment possible. If you’re in the Oregon area and want to spend some time with me, I’m holding auditions for “Arsenic and Old Lace” at Pentacle Theatre - Salem, OR this Saturday, Nov. 9 from 1:00-5:00pm.The show itself runs from January 31 to February 22, 2025!

I’m a fun director and we could all use some laughter in our lives!!! Looking forward to seeing those who can come! Missing all of the rest of you who can’t! ❤️❤️❤️

“People will come Ray…” Have fun out in the corn dear James Earl Jones! Enjoy the mysteries of the universe. You were an incredible human! 💔

Seriously!

As someone who lived in California for 40 years, I’ve been familiar with Kamala Harris for a long time. I proudly voted for her as California Attorney General and as my Senator. I was happy and proud she was chosen as Vice-President to Joe Biden in 2020. As sad as it is to have Biden decide to step down, it’s a brave and patriotic move and I whole-heartedly support Kamala Harris for President in 2024. For those who don’t “like” her, you most likely don’t know her and you need to research her. I’ve followed her for years and know that anyone who underestimates her is in for a rude awakening. I seriously doubt Trump will debate her. And for those who have “issues” with women in lead ship or people of color — GROW THE FUCK UP! It’s the 21st century!

I fell in love with this young girl in 1983 and remember spending the first of many birthdays — her 21st — with me. Today, we celebrated her 61st! Still together! Still the girl I fell in love with decades ago. Still a fanatic for baby goats, so today we went to a baby goat farm. I wouldn’t trade any of the intervening years for anything! That look when she was holding the baby goat is the 20 year old I fell in love with way back when! Happy Birthday, baby!! ❤️❤️❤️🐐🐐❤️❤️❤️

I fell in love with this young girl in 1983 and remember spending the first of many birthdays — her 21st — with me. Today, we celebrated her 61st! Still together! Still the girl I fell in love with decades ago. Still a fanatic for baby goats, so today we went to a baby goat farm. I wouldn’t trade any of the intervening years for anything! That look when she was holding the baby goat is the 20 year old I fell in love with way back when! Happy Birthday, baby!! ❤️❤️❤️🐐🐐❤️❤️❤️

I fell in love with this young girl in 1983 and remember spending the first of many birthdays — her 21st — with me. Today, we celebrated her 61st! Still together! Still the girl I fell in love with decades ago. Still a fanatic for baby goats, so today we went to a baby goat farm. I wouldn’t trade any of the intervening years for anything! That look when she was holding the baby goat is the 20 year old I fell in love with way back when! Happy Birthday, baby!! ❤️❤️❤️🐐🐐❤️❤️❤️

Watching the game with my “kids”!

I love keeping in contact with my former students! ❤️

Lots of people have special days today — January 14th. My nephew Kevyn turns 34, my niece Kambria and her husband David have their one-year wedding anniversary, many friends have birthdays, too. The one, though, that always seems to nestle in the warm recesses of my spirit is for my late father-in-law, Francis Xavier Blackwell! “Dad”, I couldn’t have been more fortunate than to have had YOU as my father-in-law. You taught me so much and I think about you nearly every single day. I love and miss you! So, in your immortal words, you’re now in heaven “kicking the hell out of 108!!”

Catching quick breaks in the constant rain to take my dogs out for a walk. Love these goobers! ❤️

I’ve been so busy doing several things lately that I’ve neglected to explain my cover photo. So — briefly — I am in a concert version of the Stephen Sondheim musical “A Little Night Music” (A Little Night Music in Concert) at The Elsinore Thestre in Salem, Oregon one night only…this coming Saturday, April 29th.

We have an amazing cast of actors and singers and we are performing with a 32 piece orchestra! It’s going to be amazing!

Sorry it’s such late notice, but I’d love to see some familiar faces in the audience. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve been onstage singing with such an amazing full orchestra (and wonderful cast)! Check out the link above for ticket info! I hope to see some of you there!

Today is a day I knew was inevitable, but it still saddens me deeply. Harry Belafonte, the legend, passed away at 96. To list his massive accomplishments in life would take pages — if you don’t know who he is or only think you do, look him up. You’ll be flabbergasted. He was SO MUCH more than just a singer! The man broke barriers and was a key player in so much Black History and WORLD History that I simply can’t do him justice with mere words.

What I CAN say is that somehow (the actual story is touching and adorable), this wonderful man became a part of my family in the late 1950s — before I was even born! And he stayed that way. We saw each other dozens and dozens of times over the decades and I have some of the fondest and funniest memories! Sadly, we didn’t often take photos back then. Oh, to have had a smart phone in those days. The best one I have of the two of us is from 1986. But I will ALWAYS have my memories of his bear hugs and his teasing, his funny sense of humor and his wonderful gravelly voice, his sage advice and his devotion to this Oregon family. I kept meaning to see him in person in recent years, but time just gets away from us all. Now I will just have to satisfy my sadness with memories.

Rest now, you amazing and wondrous human being! I loved you dearly! I’ll bet you had quite the Ramp family delegation meeting you in heaven! You will always be a HUUUUGE part of me and I credit the best part of me — my compassion, my politics, my stubbornness, my love of others unconditionally — to you. Goodbye dearest Harry!