Fourth: If all else fails, drop a dime on a buddy.

Great things continue to happen. Six rehearsals down, two remain. More than 400 seats are filled. With every ticket purchase my excitement (and anxiety) builds. The Strand came through again. We get to move the set in on Thursday night, rather than the planned Saturday morning. The cast will actually get to be on stage for the final day of rehearsal. These guys are fantastic and I can’t wait for you to see them in action.

The wildly talented Alia Christian agreed to let me use her original music in the play. She will also play the reception that follows at the theatre. I could not be more thrilled to have her on board. Her songs will add a new dimension to the performance. If you would like to preview her music, check out her myspace page.

Reconnecting with old friends is one unanticipated benefit of putting this event together. I have had contact with four Navy buddies that I hadn’t spoken with in years. It was great hearing about how Tom’s kids had built and extreme sledding ramp in Connecticut and were hurling themselves into the air, and Ron’s struggles with a pre-teen boy. I seized the opportunity to contact my old law school classmates as well, several of whom will be attending the show. Becoming disconnected is far too easy. I must redouble my efforts to stay in touch with long-time friends. With out the support of family and friends, few meaningful accomplishments are possible.

The Affair is in the home stretch; it’s the bottom of the ninth; the fourth quarter. Much remains to be done. Programs must be printed. Final tweaks completed on the sound design. Who knows what obstacles lie ahead, after we finally get the set onto the stage. All in all, it’s been one fantastic ride. Hope to see you there Saturday night!

That's strike three:

No, I haven’t quit or been called out. As I’m sure you have caught on, my blog subtitles are lines from THE AFFAIR. Things move swimmingly along. I estimate that about 100 decisions per day must be made about some (or every) aspect of the play.

What an exciting week! Rehearsals finally, and what a relief. The cast is fantastic. The guys and gals are bringing it and with each read squeeze out more laughs. Few things are more exhilarating for a writer than to hear your words read as you intended. These guys are pros and it was great having all six of them together for the first time.

The euphoria is of course short lived. After those fantastic rehearsals, I began to fret over the set design. A Sunday telephone conference and Monday morning meeting with Maria Hickman, put me at ease. Maria has some really fantastic ideas that will really spruce up my minimalist set. It felt great walking around on the stage as the pieces start to come together.

Marketing the event occupies a great deal of my time. I picked up some window posters this week that look great and met with the printers about a larger poster idea. My friend, Otis Brumby, III, came through for me over at the Marietta Daily Journal. A quarter page ad hits the paper tomorrow and Wednesday in the special inauguration section and the ad will also run in the neighborhood newspapers as well. I continue to twist the arm of everyone I know and meet until they relent and purchase a ticket. Monica’s efforts on Facebook have yielded great returns. It’s hard to believe that we’ve sold over 200 tickets already! I’m getting nervous again.

This week, I tackle sound and light issues. Another 500+ decisions will be made. And rehearsals continue as time counts down to February 7, 2009. Tickets can be purchased online at www.EarlSmithStrand.org, over the telephone by calling 770-293-0080, or in person at the box office. Hope to see you there.

Second, if you dudes would just listen:

Play preparations continue at a feverish pace on THE AFFAIR. The final meeting with Christy Rosell of The Strand to finalize the contract went off without a hitch. There were a seemingly endless number of decisions that had to be made. Ticket pricing, technical support staff, reception, catering, my head was spinning. But Christy guided me through all of it step-by-step. Earl Reece and Christy are great assets to the theatre.

Marketing the event is a full-time gig. Whether it’s an impromptu pitch to Kristin Crisp’s co-workers at their holiday party or an introduction by Earl to Sam and Lisa Olens at a wedding, I’m selling. (Special thanks to Sam Hensley for announcing my event at his wedding. That was above and beyond the call of duty). I enlisted the help of many friends and supporters to fill these 500+ seats. With their help, information about the play has gone out to many community and internet bulletin boards, newspapers, magazines and, of course, Facebook. I conducted a photo shoot last week, and with the help of Ben Bailey, the poster for the play should be up all over town within the next few days.

I find the business side of the production to be less enjoyable than the creative, but it is a necessary part of the preparation. Twisted Wing Productions had to be incorporated with the Georgia Secretary of State; bank accounts were opened and insurance quotes were obtained. Next up, tackling business licenses.

I worked in some time for the fun stuff. After multiple auditions, the actors are in place. Jason Giuliano, Ted Huckabee, Candace Mabry, Stacey Turner, Courtney Hogan and Ben Bailey round out the fantastic cast. I felt that I had picked some outstanding individuals, and that was confirmed in a Wednesday night table read. I can't wait until our first rehearsal on January 15, 2009.