Gratitude: Theatrical Involvement

Rehearsal for Overnight Sensations last year. That's my favorite ex-wife Christina with her back to the camera.

Today, I am grateful for:

Live theater. Roanoke has become something of a Mecca for live theatrical productions and that suits me just fine. I love the form and I urge people to see live productions whenever possible, even when they aren't all that great. It is almost as much fun to see a bad play as it is a good one and the simple act of theater is a true joy.

Tonight I will join 12 writers and directors and about 36 actors--some novices like me--to put on Overnight Sensations at Mill Mountain Theatre. These six plays, 10 minutes each, were written last night and will be produced today and presented at 8 p.m. tonight for free. It is a gift to the community and my guess is that, like last year, it will be a near "sellout."

One of the gifts I have managed to give my grandgirl Madeline is the love of theater. She's coming to visit from Spain in two weeks and we have a date to see "The Wizard of Oz" at Mill Mountain Theatre. This one's selling out fast (tickets $18 and $12, which is absurdly low) because we know it will be of high quality. Come see what Roanoke has to offer tonight and in the near future. Our theater is among the best in the U.S. for a city this size.