Sue's News

A New Milestone

There are lots of wonderful things cooking in my universe, and when I can, I will fill you in, Dear Readers (I promise).

For now, I'd like to tell you that my heart skipped a beat earlier, as I saw that readership jumped to TRIPLE DIGITS on Sunday (a day I didn't even post).

I'm filled with gratitude for your loyal, growing, and continued readership.

--Sue

Add comment May 18th, 2009

Graduated Growth

Monday night, when I met my hubby for dinner in the city, I saw a young man in a bright purple cap and gown, walking down the street like he owned it. He was feeling like he could take on the world, and just passing him for a brief moment, I felt the same way.

On line at the drug store the other day, the cashier told me the next day would be his last at community college. I congratulated him and wished him well.

This is one of my favorite times of year because of all that wonderful energy.

We tapped into that today at the first day of the 3-Day CTI Intensive. (The upcoming TRU Intensive at the end of the month will also be amazing.)

We took in so much, but afterwards, I think I can speak for both of us in saying, a veil had been lifted… the veil of ignorance. Suddenly, things we wondered about were clarified. And it was only the first day!!!

Knowledge is not only power, it’s growth.

–Sue

Add comment May 15th, 2009

On the Road to the White House

It seems famed producer Rocco Landesman (one of the producers of “The Producers“) has been chosen as the next chairman of the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) by the Obama administration.

Besides chasing Pooh in England, one of the best things I did there was see theatre about three or four times a week. Theatre is so revered in England… It’s a part of who the English are as a people. Seeing so much theatre was better than any schooling could be… and though I was so happy to have the opportunity to get such good seats at such a good price, I was saddened that the arts were not treated the same way in the U.S.

I’m hoping, as I’m sure many are, to not only get the desired funding, but also to get the country realizing (and it starts with Capitol Hill) how important the arts are to our daily lives.

I think we’re on our way there, if amidst all the chaos, the current administration is choosing a chairman to shake things up as many feel Landesman will.

Bravo, Mr. President. Bravo!!!

–Sue

Add comment May 14th, 2009

A Character Who Captures Hearts and Minds

I was at the post office today… I’m there about once a week, and usually strike up a conversation with whomever helps me at the window.

Today I was sending a postcard to some friends in PA, among other things. As I was leaving, the clerk remarked on what a lovely card it was. It had Winnie the Pooh and Piglet (the originals) walking hand in hand. A simple and sweet charcoal sketch on a cream background…

I told her about the real 100 Acre Wood the stories are set in, and the real dolls that live in the New York Public Library. I told her of the town nearby (East Grinstead), where I started my tour of the English countryside.

It was not only a welcomed distraction, it was a revelation. Immediately, she asked if there was a book she could read on it. I told her to go to the town itself, and she smiled, as if to say, “it’s a little easier reading a book.”

The Pooh stories, or any great stories, do that… They bridge gaps between people and whisk them off to another place entirely. (And franchise opportunities help too… especially to bring the characters to a broader audience.)

Pooh, not a complex character by any means, has managed to capture the hearts of so many because he never tried to do so… He just is. Whether he’s being a “bear of little brain”, or whether he has a rumbly in his tumbly… More than anything, he enjoys the simple pleasures in life, allowing us to do the same.

Three cheers for Pooh!

–Sue

Add comment May 13th, 2009

In Their Own Words

The theatre was small… the stage barely held four people standing with mics in front of them… The only scenery to speak of were red and black panels of cloth, and the performers all wore street clothes.We sat on bistro chairs, and they were packed nice and tight.

Not your typical night of theatre, but easily one of the funniest nights in memory. Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words was so random, outrageous, and amazing — but most of all, it was incredibly telling.

From Kenny Loggins‘ love letter to his wife that was more like a love letter to himself… to Hedy Lamar’s addiction to stardom:”Once you’ve been a star, everything else is poverty”… to Neil Sadaka’s fascination with his dietary habits — the details bordered on compulsive, and could bore a dietitian, or make her laugh until she cried, like we did.

Suzanne Somers fashioned herself as a poet, and claimed that houseplants were running her life. She wished she didn’t have to get a babysitter for them. Eminem spent pages going on and on about an incident at an awards show… if only he did more than take the same ten words and jumble the syntax in sentence after sentence. And Marilu Henner chastised the public for eating dairy, claiming it lowers libido.

These are things you just can’t make up!!! But the funniest line of the night was when a father leaned over to his teenage daughter as we heard a passage from Maddona’s Sex book and said, “Don’t tell your mother you’re hearing any of this.”

Enjoy!

–Sue

Add comment May 12th, 2009

“What’s a ‘Modern Classic’?”

As we sat enjoying a Mother’s Day meal with my in-laws, and they looked over my new business cards, my father-in-law asked with a quizzical smirk, “What’s a Modern Classic, one of your plays?”

“Not necessarily… but it’s not going to be anything political, or based on a movie, or anything that people can’t relate to in 50 years.”

Here, friends, I’ll offer a deeper explanation:

A Modern Classic endures… more than mere commentary or a sign of the times, it is a reflection of where we’ve been and where we are headed. Though it may have an off-hand reference that might date the time it was written, or produced, it’s far from dated material. Themes that are universal, experiences that are essential to the human experience, these are at the heart of a Modern Classic. Real people populate its world — people we all know and recognize as ourselves, or others who have been a part of our lives, no matter how big or small a part they played.

I tend to focus on family because I see family, those we’re born into and those we choose, as dynamic and organic… a perfectly natural place to start, because against the backdrop of these relationships, we grow the most.

Theatre-goers, and people in general, want stories they can hold on to, stories whose value is apparent not only because of their production values, but because of their inherent quality… because it’s obvious time and care were taken to tell these stories.

Some may think I’m crazy to take months or even years to write and produce stories, especially since the final product is seen and heard in a matter of minutes or hours, but I know it’s worth it, because an epiphany that happens in a moment can change a whole life — or even many lives… and even lifetimes to come.

–Sue

Add comment May 11th, 2009

Happy Mother’s Day!

Just Because…   [ --Susan Hodara, 2009]

Because of how tall you’d let your roses grow,
Because you let us stay home from school when we didn’t want to go,
Because you let us play in the tub until the last suds drained,
Because sometimes you walked with us in the rain…

Because you’ve always been my biggest fan,
Because you taught me how to take a stand,
Because you always worried about my hair,
Because with all you do, you take so much care…

For all these reasons, and a million more –
I love you, Mom.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Love,
Susan

Add comment May 8th, 2009

For the Greater Good… Boot Camp!!!

In any community, there are always those who manage to rally everyone together because they know the VALUE of community. It’s usually a thankless job, and sometimes even goes unnoticed. Bob Ost of Theater Resources Unlimited is one of the few who realize what must be done for the greater good of the many.  In emails, and on TRU’s website, Bob posts opportunities for actors, writers, and anyone else who’s looking for it — opportunities to get one’s work out there and noticed.

Bob also reaches out to producers, those who are established, so they can share their wisdom and give back to the community, and those who are trying to get a foot in the door.

He takes getting a foot in the door so seriously, he offers Boot Camp for fledgling producers yearly. TRU Boot Camp 09  promises to be informative and entertaining and most of all, educational!

Described as: “Basic training for producers, geared to those of you producing at the reading and Equity Showcase level, with particular application for those planning to produce in the upcoming summer festivals. Moderated by TRU’s Director of Self-Producing Artists (S.P.A.) Mike Roderick of Small Pond Entertainment, with TRU president Bob Ost.”

Keynote speakers include:

- Kristin Caskey, vice-president of Fox Theatricals (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Legally Blonde, Caroline or Change, revivals of ‘night mother and Death of a Salesman)

- Cheryl Wiesenfeld, producer (The Exonerated, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty, In the Continuum, Legally Blonde, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Caroline or Change)

- Randall Wreghitt, producer (Impressionism, Grey Gardens, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Beauty Queen of Leenane, Hedda Gabler, The Waverly Gallery)

Register by May 8th, and the nice guy that Bob is, he’ll even take $25 dollars off tuition.

Here’s to making great theatre, and learning how to do it well!

–Sue

Add comment May 7th, 2009

The Mysteries of the Universe

All that work, all that time reading… watching… learning. I’ve finally come to understand that the universe does work with you when you put things out there…

I was so scared for so long (read:YEARS) about “Disillusioned“, since the subject matter is so sensitive… Imagine how FLOORED I am at the response I’m getting… and how I see this happening more clearly by the day.

Words cannot describe the wonder I’m feeling right now.

In gratitude,

–Sue

Add comment May 6th, 2009

Nurturing Dreams

Last night, Scott and I saw an advanced screening of PBS Great Performances: “In the Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams” at the Paley Center. (Premiering May 27th. Check local listings for times.)

It was an energy and emotion filled show. They filmed so many wonderful moments along the way to Opening Night through to the 2008 Tony Awards. (This year’s nominees were announced earlier today.)

It was something after the screening, during the question and answer period that struck me… One audience member said he has seen the show 15 times (I hope for such loyal audience members when it’s my time), and was wondering if Lin regretted leaving the show. (Miranda was not only the creative mind behind the show, he was also its star.)

Lin’s answer was so tender, he said, “I’m the show’s caretaker… I go there like three times a week. Sometimes I give notes, but most times, I’m there to see the cast. They’re like my family.”

And I guess that’s where he should be at this point, since he’s already given the show to the world… nurturing it, watching over it, as its steward and caretaker.

–Sue

Add comment May 5th, 2009