What Next? NYC...

I'm moving to NYC. In seven days. Uh, yikes.

Goals for the first year are modest. Settle in to a first year of full-time teaching. Write three new plays. Win a Tony award. Just kidding on that last one.

Last summer was, maybe, the hardest summer of my life. But it made me think hard about what matters to me, and I boiled it down to "plays, family, table" -- Plays as in writing them, making them, performing them, teaching them -- basically contributing to this craft as best I possibly can. Family as in the one I already HAVE, and the one I hope one day to MAKE. The kids, the partner. And Table as in Community. The idea of building a table and bringing people to it, and always making room for people who need a table. In a narrow and broad sense. Everything else -- lots of money/recognition/material goods/exact location/etc -- it may not be bullshit, but it's not where I want to focus my energy.

This year was incredible. Productions galore -- a short film, three plays. A first chance to direct. Three great acting opportunities. New friendships. Deepened old friendships. If most of the lessons I learned, my first two years, happened in the classroom, most of this year's lessons happened in the rehearsal hall, or on stage. That's a blessing.

This next year...I have no idea what's coming. We'll see. But if anyone has any words of wisdom for the Big Apple, I'm all ears.