Sunday, June 10, 2012

The Sabbatical - The Project Period Audit

Part of the purpose of The Sabbatical is to take a break from this thirty-four year juggernaut that I am going to call The Project Period.  I have never been particularly successful at engaging in sustained attention to a traditional career path, but have instead lurched somewhat compulsively from one engaging project to another.  Often juggling multiple projects at the same time.  This post, which I will probably have to edit over time as my memory allows, is dedicated to a listing of the activities of The Project Period.

Many of these projects are in addition to the employment that I had at the time.

S&T Enterprises - 1979 to 1981 (or so????)  Entrepreneurial activities with Scot Torkelson that included Firewood Sales and Insulation Services.  Brief.  Intense.

UMN Hospitals Materials Services Renovation Project - 1980-81 -- Student job that turned into a bizarre little student fiefdom in the UMN Hospitals and Clinics.  Also with Scot Torkelson.

Theater in the Round Technical Advisory Board -- 1981-8? -- A period when I was working with Teresa Blanchard to help this wonderful community theater continue its work to provide quality technical theater support for its productions.

Non-Aligned Players - 1985? - A short lived theater company, also with Teresa Blanchard.

Kapers for Kids and Funsteps to Learning -- 1988-2000 -- Shepherded a small, family business through two existential crises.  Worked with Bev Greene, Jeanne Balzum, John Marzitelli, Sheri Sheeks, and a host of other folks who were touched by this project (which still lives on).  Although this overlapped with some of the work I did at Theater in the Round, this was a period when I was pretty focused on this one project.  Of course, I was experiencing a new marriage and the birth and parenting of two great kids throughout this period.

Plymouth Jr. High Program - late 90's and early 2000's??  about eight years -- Worked with Bonnie Janda.

Plymouth Playshop Theater Camp -- Provided technical and acting coaching for this growing theater camp with Jo Holcomb and Janice Hardy.

RAHS Drama - 2001-2012 - This was a huge project in which I really learned what it means to provide an educational experience within a theatrical environment.

Eat Street Players - 2006-2012 - Artistic Director with Jo Holcomb.  Lots of energy here.

MN Thespians - 2009-2012 - Established the MN Thespians State Chapter Conference -- Established a great relationship with some cool folks from The Guthrie and from MN high school theater programs.

The Infinite Academy - 2010-2012 - Efforts with Sam Tanner to find a home for a new way of doing education.  This project never landed but was critical in helping me to develop my thinking about theater and education.

Roseville Area Schools Staff Development -- 2007-2012 -- Tried to figure out how to have an impact on education within the system.  Tough nut to crack, there.

Families Moving Forward at Plymouth Congregational Church - 2011-12 -- Small but intense projects to provide short term housing for homeless families.

All of these activities happened on top of or along with the day to day process of having a family and earning an income.

This is a rough sketch that I'll add to as I think about what I've been up to.  It's good to know where you've come from as you consider where you might want to go.


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