The KID Tour - A Nurse Ratched Perspective

I have dubbed this the “KID” Tour.

Most of the turds, I mean……tour participants, are twenty-somethings which, to me, is a KID. They are quite a group of people and I am honored to have worked with them. I could never have left home for so long at their age. I’m so proud of them. Everyone worked hard and played hard. But, the most important thing is the show was successful – at every venue! Despite any fatigue, travelling, building, rehearsing – come 8:00 pm – everyone in places – all are ready to give a great show.

We all know the tremendous amount of work that goes into producing a show. Imagine doing that in five weeks at eight different theatres! The planning that goes into this tour begins the previous year. The organization it takes to bring 15 people and “herd” them around Ireland WITH luggage is amazing. I am in awe of it all.

THANK YOU to each and every one of you who made the “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” tour successful:

Susan Rhea – Director extraordinaire and the funniest person I know. I hope we made you proud. Fun times!

Mark Rhea – Tour Manager and room assigner. It’s not easy deciding who has to sleep with whom, and I won’t go into details. (actually he makes the tour happen!) Mark Rhea aka McMurphy – Let’s just say the standing ovations didn’t start until you made your bow – enough said. (love, Miss Ratshit)

Rich Montgomery – (and this is totally unbiased) – aka Martini, Tour Production Manager and Senior Biscuit Tosser – you try getting all those “kids” up early to load their luggage in the van, THEN fit it all into the van (pink beast included), then take it out of the van when one or two of them shows up late so more can get squeezed in……also includes organization of the loading of the set, props, costumes, etc. – and making us laugh by squirting water on himself – on purpose. Oh, and yeah, he made the audience laugh quite a bit as a hallucinating inmate who deals cards to someone who isn’t there. (I could go on, but I won’t….) Love you baby.

Amanda Boyd aka Nanny – Stage Manager Delight! Can anyone’s smile light up a room OR theatre like hers? Can props get set in a flash? Can lights and sound be inserted with precision each and every night? But most of all, can anyone stay up as late as she can and still look beautiful in the morning????

Dan Martin aka Scanlon and Lighting Designer/Technical Director – Isn’t that ENOUGH? Try wearing so many hats in 8 different venues and still carry off being a bald rapist in a mental institution who wants to blow up the world wearing a wife beater.

Kevin Adams aka Chief Bromden – The “Keegan” wig never looked so good, an Indian never felt so good, and that flannel shirt never smelled too good…thanks for driving us all over Ireland!

Daniel Steinberg aka Aide Williams –He sings, he plays guitar, he acts, he drinks, he now does lighting and he smiles the best smile ever! You can be my aide anytime babe. (As Dorothy said to the scarecrow, “I think I’ll miss you most of all …”)

Patrick Mitchell aka Aide Warren – Can you say HAIR? That man has a suitcase just for his hair products. Dear Danny – It was a great Summer I’ll never forget – love, Sandy.

Melissa Hmelnicky aka Twitch/Nurse Flinn – Despite that late night laugh and HEAVY pink beast of a bag, this woman can shake an egg!!! (inside joke – ask HER) Thank you for laughing at all of my backstage jokes even if you didn’t think they were funny! Candy Flinn lives!

Mike Kozemchak aka Harding – A limp wrist never looked so good! Mahvelous! The Kids may call you DAD, but you can stay up with the best of them. You’re so bawdy…….

Joe Baker aka Billy Bibbitt – He also sings, plays guitar and has awesome red hair that goes crazy late at night! It seems like yesterday you were a no neck monster in the first Keegan show, then we had to kiss onstage, then I had to make you cut your throat…..I can’t wait for what comes next! It’s always a privilege Joe Wonderful….

Eric Humphries aka Cheswick – I hope I taught you some manners while you were with us…..I tried. J You also learned CHAIRS 101 and how to take a lot of crap from a lot of people and still smile and give a hug. I hope you shaved. Go Skins! And, I made you laugh………………..

K.J. Thorarinsson aka Ruckly and Dr. Spivey – Old MacDonald had a farm – with CHICK CHICK here and a CHICK CHICK there, here a CHICK, there a CHICK, everywhere a CHICK CHICK. (Please learn a new word before I see you again…. ) You can tell a man from the women who surrounds him. In that case, this man is something else! HAlooooooo!!! and thank you to KJ’s Mom for a fabulous lunch! This man got up after 2 hours of sleep just to tell us goodbye – enough said……….

Jane Petkofsky aka Sandra – I’m not going to mention the “L” word (and I don’t mean lesbian). Sandy baby! As a fellow “older” person of the Group, you can hang with the best of ‘em. Thank you for keeping me snapped up and pressed. I would say I enjoyed being on stage with you, but you jumped out of the window too fast! p.s. I think you should keep the wig.

Steve Shiny Shaw aka Ruckly stand-in – So, this guy from Scotland meets us in Galway, builds our set, then goes onstage as the lobotomized inmate who apparently clucks like a chicken (for some reason). Sounds weird, but boy do we love him!

I will miss you all so much. It was an amazing journey from start to finish – and it’s not over yet!

Until then……BEHAVE YOURSELVES BOYS!

Love,
The Big Nurse

the things i can't say

this is amanda, i'm saying that because i didn't before. words really cannot describe this tour. i touched upon that before. but i'll try. i'm sitting here post contest. a contest that mark proposed. he asked that all of the talented musicians on this tour come up with a song that would describe what this was all about. this beautiful struggle, time, dedication, companionship and love of one another to be put into chords and lyrics. a pretty tall order to fill right? but all four that entered, and in order of straws that were drawn, joey beaster, daniel steinzo, kj and mcpatty brought to the table the best. and all were so proud. mcpatty won. no one is ready to leave. all laughed and teared up at appropriate moments and understood on some level that the realization of what happened on this tour will not be felt until we are all home and back to the  "normal". the lives that were touched just by being around each other. getting to know souls that would otherwise not have met one another. lives being altered, some more so than others by the love and honesty that was given. sure i've had some jameson tonight but that does not inhibit the absolute certainty that this huge cast will be forever be connected by what we've all experienced here. we may not keep in touch as what happens in tour life, but somewhere in our lives there will be moments where we will think about someone in this cast that we will all regard with love. what a strange place to be. at the end of a run and not want to be away from the people we've been forced to be around. i feel this more so than others because i live in ohio for the time being, but i know the sentiment resounds with all. thank you keegan. thank you mark. thank you susan and dan and richie. my cupeth run over.

DESPERATION

Closing night in Cork tonight...

I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that's it for now...more to come later.

-Melissa

Greetings from Cork!!

And now the end is near, and so we face our final curtain....

After our lovely stay in Thurles, we packed up and headed south for Cork, detouring briefly to check out the impressive Rock of Cashel. Well, folks, it appears we're coming full circle. It's funny how this tour has been mapped out. Our start in the small, yet vibrant, city of Galway helped to ease us into the Irish way, and take a much welcome break from the rush of the American mindset. Time and again, we have been pleasantly surprised by each of the smaller villages we have visited along the way, enjoying each others' company and that of the many friendly locals we have encountered. This has been a dream of a tour, and I will truly miss everyone that I have had the pleasure to work and play with over the past five weeks. Sure, we'll see each other again stateside, but there's something special about what we've shared here on the Emerald Isle.

So here we are in Cork, a thriving cosmopolitan city full of shops restaurants, cafes, museums and galleries. We've left the small villages behind to ease ourselves back into city life and prepare for our return home to DC. This is our last hurrah on the tour, and boy what a hurrah it is. First of all, we are performing in a 100+ year old opera house called The Everyman Palace, and it is stunning! It seats somewhere around 650 people, and I understand we will be pretty much sold out Friday night. Our smallest house, thus far, has been an audience of about 130. They may have been a small audience, but they were certainly very enthusiastic. No word on the count for tonight, but I believe we neared 300 last night. Just awesome.

One of the best things about Cork is that it is arguably the music capitol of Ireland, and we have only been too willing to check out some local (and not so local) talent. After our show on Tuesday, we rushed out after a quick pint in the theatre bar to The Old Oak to see an awesome bluegrass band. Mark showed up and impressed all by showing Melissa a few quick moves on the dance floor. Who knew he had it in him? When the band wrapped, we headed off to a bar called Cranelane Theatre, where we caught the tail end of a solo acoustic act.

Last night, we started off at a piano bar called Classic to show support to a female acoustic/piano duo, half of which we met the previous night at Cranelane. Shortly thereafter, we headed back to Cranelane where we checked out a lively 4-piece rock band and danced our collective butts off with Richie and Melissa kicking it off. Joey B and Amanda joined the fray shortly thereafter. Their energy was so infectious that even I got out there and flailed about for a bit. Hopefully, no one remembers that part of the evening. :)

That's all for now. The Cork Folk Music Festival starts tonight, so it's a safe bet we'll be hitting the music venues once again. I'm looking forward to it.

Cheers!
Mike

The Shnozberries Taste Like Shnozberries...

Cheers to the lovely fans, friends, and family of the Keegan Theatre - or random devoted blog readers that may stumble upon our little postings. This is Melissa* coming to you tonight LIVE from the bustling city of Cork - our last official theatrical stop on our whirlwind tour. It is honestly INSANE to think that this adventure is coming to a close. But never you fear - we've still got plenty of days left for mischief and mayhem ;)

*color chosen in honorarium to my luggage which has aptly been named the pink beast or the pink behemoth - please feel free to contact me if you are in need of tips on how to pack your whole life into one bag AND carry it up three or more flights of stairs...I am now an EXPERT (and will NEVER do this to myself again...). For more efficient packing tips contact Joe Baker.

RE-CAP on THURLES

We reluctantly departed from the beautiful Albany House in Thurles this morning, leaving behind the wonderful Eleanor and Jenny. I think we all wanted to stay on the grounds for another week and use the time to decompress and enjoy the clear skies and open fields of Eleanor's home. I wish I had the capability to upload my pictures to this computer - alas that is not the case. I will just say that the B&B we stayed at in Thurles was stunning. It is an older and stately plantation type home decorated in a victorian/parisian style (complete with textured velveteen wallpaper that I think everyone caressed - and Richie may or may not have licked/tasted...hence the name of this post...just sayin'). The main house sits on acres of land which provide a home to cows, horses, chickens (the chickens graciously provide the eggs for breakfast every morning) and the occasionally roaming troupe of ruffians...OH...I mean actors.

Coming into the house after a turn around of loading out in Longford, driving to Thurles, loading in at The Source (not to be confused by the 14th street theatre of the same name), and performing a show (which was happily received - another awesome audience) in less than 24 hours was a real treat. Eleanor gave us free reign of the parlor and back patio area for late-night shenanigans - so that first evening we enjoyed the string-stylings of KJ, Daniel, Mike, and Joe in the candlelit parlor. There was some buzz about the Albany House being possessive of paranormal energy - so the candlelight was very fitting and completely in support of KJ and Mike's psychedelic improvisation. A few of us definitely nodded off in the comfort of the couch and cozy chairs. It was the perfect cap to a busy, busy day. And I must give a shout here to those who were in the vans and rolled into Thurles early - they pulled long, hard hours, did so without grumbles, and performed/called a beautiful show on Friday night despite being exhausted.

The next day we had free to roam Thurles. I wandered aimlessly for hours - no coat and beautiful weather again. Nothing too exciting there - just enjoyable conversations with shop owners. An interesting note though: All shop-keepers that I spoke with in Thurles are not actually living IN Thurles. Kind of goofy. One gentleman didn't even know what or where the Source was. Because of my "American accent" he asked what I was doing in town (Thurles is not known for being tourist central) so I told him I was performing at The Source and he asked me "Is that some kind of night club?". Now - I don't know what that says about ME ( I ASSURE you, Mom, I was appropriately attired) ... BUT SERIOUSLY?!??!? Thurles is small. VERY small. The Source is the second BIGGEST thing IN Thurles by size if not by reputation (the Cathedral would be the first). It houses a library, a theatre, and a cafe and is architecturally modern. It sticks out. COME ON! I digress...

Our second show in Thurles was just as well attended (though the aforementioned gentleman was most likely not in the audience) and well received. The Thurles audiences were, in my opinion, two of the best that we've had by way of vocalization. They were not shy to call out what they were thinking and definitely honored their impulses on MULTIPLE occasions. It was great. We then loaded out (in UNDER AN HOUR!! new record - granted we had more tools and more hands because our friends at Source are fabulous people) - grabbed some curry cheese chips (seriously USA - there is a bandwagon to jump on in the form of curry cheese chips...GET ON THAT - all I'm sayin' is Jumbo Slice meets curry cheese chips...it would be BRILLIANCE beyond anything ever before seen by mankind) - and went home to feast and toast to our 5 shows in 5 days in two venues feat.

Sadly we got home to find that our generous hostess had broken her foot! Jenny came out to the patio and had a nip with us and filled us in. Apparently Eleanor was getting ready to come to our show earlier in the evening when she had a mishap with some stairs and broke her foot. :( Poor Eleanor! She didn't get to come to the show - which is a bummer for us because we were looking forward to performing for her - worse than that, she's had to cancel a trip to Spain! But of course she was up and about this morning to say goodbye to us instead of sleeping in... If you are reading this Eleanor - I hope you are feeling a lot better tonight and thank you and Jenny again for everything!

And thus ended our stint in Thurles...

ON the ROAD AGAIN

We hit the gravel drive this afternoon and headed off to Cork with a stop at the Rock of Cashel. I could give you this whole run down of what the significance of the Rock of Cashel is - but I'll admit that it would be completely "Wikipedia'd". I failed to look up any info on this tourist destination beforehand and didn't really pay close attention to the tour guide during our visit because I was busy looking around and taking pictures ( again, I wish I could upload them). I'm not gonna lie - I'll admit I'm bad with that stuff sometimes. In my defense, I will say that it is located on the top of a hill and the wind was a-whipping and words were getting swallowed outside (though the guide had a lovely accent and clearly was dedicated to her diction). However - even without knowing the cultural significance it is a really beautiful architectural survivor from the 12th century and it's related to St. Patrick (I did half-hear those parts). I figure in this specific incidence I will do reverse research and appreciate the history of the site post-visit... for OUR further education

After a fairly uneventful drive - save a few bicuit-tossings (please consult Richie, Amanda, or Sheri for a complete definition) - we arrived in Cork at around 3:00. We are living in apartments here - so complete kitchens and living rooms are provided - much like in Galway (I just hope the shower works better than in Galway). Unable to load in today, we were left to our own devices this evening and that's why I've found myself at an Internet Cafe following dinner and some grocery shopping. While I sit here and type - I know other members of the clan are intensely anticipating the Redskins/Cowboys game and are hoping to find a pub in which to watch it - probably in search at this moment for a pint and flat-screen. I'm thinking of calling it a night (LAAAAAAAAAAAAAME) - but it's always dangerous to say that because THOSE are the evenings you end up out until the sun comes up.

MOVING FORWARD

Tomorrow will be an early call - 9 am - the earliest that we've had in a while. I love that 9:00 am to me at this point in the tour sounds like 6:00 am call would've sounded in the beginning of the tour. We'll load in, have a break, and open in Cork!

I have to say - I'm very excited to explore Cork and very excited to do the show on this particular stage - but I'm not yet ready to come home - and Cork = Closing. Don't get me wrong - I'm ready to see family and friends and not live out of a suitcase...but this really has been the best adventure of my life so far. Not to get all mushy and sentimental yet...but it's already feeling a bit bitter-sweet. That's a good thing though - just because it's been such a blast. I'm a very very lucky lady.

On that note - I shall say goodbye for now and goodnight! To all of you reading this at home - I hope everything is brilliantly well and I send sooooo much love!

Cheers,
Melissa

Keegan in New York

I know this is not about the Ireland tour. It is about the wonderful adventures of Keegan beyond DC. In three hours I will be having the pleasure of seeing Love, Peace, and Robbery for the third time here in New York. Our new island group has, as always, brought to the stage rich performances that bring the charachters and the story to life and touch your heart. To those of you in DC -- you have a wonderful treat to look forward to when this show comes to Theater on the Run. Matt Keenan's phone conversations to his girl friend in New Jersey (with only his end of the conversation heard by the audience) makes you think you can also hear every word and intonation of Tracey in New Jersey's end of the call. Eric Lucas makes us understand how difficult it can be for any of us to stay on the high road in the face of adversity. Bruce Rauscher plays Matt's dog, Eric's estranged wife and 13 year old stepson, and a police investigator all of them completely convincing and with only minimal help from costume pieces. Dan Martin while in Ireland managed to creat lighting that in itself filled the sparce set of only three chairs. Mike Innocenti and Christina Coakley made everything run smoothly with the wonderful spirit that they bring to those life or death elements of production and stage management And under, around, and behind all of this was Kerry Waters direction that brought her imagination together with our own to make us fall in love with this both funny and touching human story.

On both Friday and Saturday evenings the theater had a full house and there were a number of the audience members who took the time to stay after the show and talk with the cast and director. (The bar in the theater provided a convenient meeting spot.)

I want to say how proud I am to be part of Keegan and what an amazing accomplishment it is to have Keegan's work being performed on both sides of the Atlantic on the same evening. We owe a great debt of gratitude to all of those members of the Keegan family who made both of these productions possible.

Greetings from Longford!

HEL-LO!!!!

Well, friends, what can I say? This has been quite a ride, and I'm not sure we're all ready for it to end. It's hard to believe we only have 11 days left, but it's true. I remember when we were all marveling at hitting our 2-week threshold not too long ago. My, how time flies!

I think the best part about being on tour are those intangible moments that one can only truly appreciate by being here. Each town has its own unique vibe and cast of characters. The only trouble is that we move on so quickly that it's truly a challenge to remember where we were and what we did just two days ago. Galway ranks highly on the list because it's where we overcame so many challenges to get this show up on its feet. It also served as the perfect backdrop for our many, many (many) celebrations before grabbing some Charcoal Grill curry chips on our walk back to the apartments.

Isabella's place in Dun Laoghaire really gave us all a chance to enjoy each others' company on the back patio, playing music and singing songs well into the night, accompanied by the musical stylings of Daniel S. and KJ. Kilkenny was great fun, and Roscommon was a cozy little surprise of a town. One of my favorite stops thus far has been Monaghan. Because all rooms in town were booked up, we were put up in a small B&B in the sleepy village of Glaslough (pop. 500), about 6 miles away. Several of us were a bit dismayed at the prospect of staying well outside of the town center, but Glaslough's charm got the better of us.

To kick things off, the sun came out and stayed out!!! Yes, the SUN!!! As if that wasn't enough to lift our spirits, our B&B, located just outside the lush grounds of Castle Leslie, was hosted by some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet. Josie, the lady of the house, tended to us as if we were her own, as did her husband, Brendan, and sons Adrian and Barry. To further raise the bar on future accommodations, the B&B pub, (too) conveniently located downstairs, stayed open until the crowd, a friendly mix of guests and village locals, decided to go home. Instrument playing is encouraged, and we were only too happy to indulge. KJ and Daniel S. got things started the first night. I joined in on bass for a bit, as did Patrick/McPaddy (Miss Rocket to some of us). I hit the sack relatively early that night, but I understand the music continued well into the night.

On the 2nd night we were a bit dismayed to hear that the pub would be closing at half-twelve (12:30), but soon discovered why. Our bartender and his buddy brought in a couple of guitars and started playing an awesome set. KJ and his girlfriend, the incomparable Ithunn (HEL-LO!), joined the fray with his guitar and the party really got started, with locals and guests taking turns entertaining the crowd and enjoying each others' company. I joined the mix, as well, playing "Mary Jane's Last Dance". Amanda backed me up on vocals and McPaddy played supporting guitar. The details are fuzzy, but I believe Melissa played the shaker egg. After "Mary Jane", McPaddy took over with "The Sweater Song" and "I Will Survive". The only downside of that night was that it was the only night that Daniel S, who has been a constant and beloved musical presence on this tour, decided to turn in early. We missed you, BRUTHER! The craic was goood that night. Fortunately for Daniel, the next night was a repeat of the same. :)

On Sunday, the witty and mischievous Michael Diskin paid a visit, and took Mark, Richie, Sheri, Amanda & myself up to the village of Auchnacloy, in County Tir Eoghain (Tyrone), to watch Tir Eoghain vs. Ciarri (Kerry) in what is apparently the Super Bowl of Irish Football. Auchnacloy is just over the north border, so we weren't sure what to expect as we walked into a local pub to watch the big event. We turned a few heads as we walked in, but no one seemed to mind we were there. At one point before the match, there was a flurry of activity at the bar, after which one of the locals came over with a pint glass full of names. We were being invited to participate in the football pool!!! Whoever picks the player that makes the first goal wins the pot. None of us Americans had British pounds, so Michael Diskin gave one to Richie, who just happened to pick one of the best players on the Kerry team (we were in a Tyrone pub). That made us a little nervous, since we had no idea how hot the rivalry runs in Auchnacloy. Sheri murmured "I hope he doesn't win" at one point, which made me chuckle. The game started shortly thereafter, and everyone settled in to watch the action.

I must say, as one that doesn't follow many (okay, any) sports, Irish Football is one exciting game to watch. It's a fast-moving mix of soccer & rugby, with some basketball-style dribbling thrown in. Unfortunately, Richie's guy didn't score the first goal, but Tir Eoghain, our adopted team, won the match. The best part was when the locals broke out fries & pizza for the entire pub, including our table. I remember getting a little verklempt at the welcoming gesture and the surge of pride and cameraderie that buzzed throughout everyone in the place. It was truly an awesome experience. Thank you, Michael, for getting us out that day.

We bade farewell to Monaghan/Glaslough this past Monday, and are now in Longford. Our first night was spent watching "RAW", a show that features the daughter of our Glaslough B&B hosts, Josie & Brendan. Her name is Charlene McKenna, and she is apparently an up-and-coming actress over here. She's quite good, actually, so look for more of her in the not-so-distant future.

Getting back to Longford. The jury is still out, so I'll write for later. Plus, the sun is STILL out, so I'm gonna go get me some.

Cheers to all!

Mike