Opening Day - "The Crucible" at THT Rep (Patreon)

Friends, this is it. After three preview shows, we are more than ready for an audience on this, our opening day.

What a ride it's been.

Along the way, I have felt every imaginable insecurity possible and have asked myself all the questions. What business does a folksinger have in professional theater at this stage of her career, at this stage of her life? Why would I take much less money and give way more time to this than to my concerts, where I make a decent living and sing for friends in rooms where I feel at home? Why would I agree to drive an hour and half each way, six nights a week, to rehearse a small supporting role? I've forfeited sleep, called in reinforcements to make sure Pickles doesn't feel neglected, basically abandoned my local friends, spent my earnings in gas to and from, skipped the gym for a month straight ... all for a supporting role in professional theater.

Why?

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When I met Dave Carter in 1996, back before I was a folksinger for real, I had a comfortable graphic design/corporate communications gig in Portland, Ore. I had money to burn, friends for spontaneous adventures, a little music on the side -- a fun, easy, well-oiled life. And then Dave and I connected and made a go of it, first by playing little gigs around town and then contests out of state, national conferences ... All the while, I wondered: What business does a graphic designer have in folk music at this stage of her career, at this stage of her life? Why would I take much less money and give way more time to this than to my design work, where I make a decent living and often work from home? Why would I agree to drive long hours to perform a small supporting role? I forfeited sleep, called in reinforcements to make sure my cat Nick didn't feel neglected, abandoned my local friends, spent my earnings in gas to and from, skipped the gym ... all to be half of Dave & Tracy.

I'll tell you why. It was FUN.

Not party fun. Not wine and weed fun. We were never those people. The work challenged us. Thrilled us. Stretched us. New people, new places, new roads, and always new and better venues and partnerships to pursue. We brought beautiful songs and the story of ourselves to the stage and felt the impact of this beauty on our audiences. They told us. They showed us, in applause, tears, hugs, laughter, and so much love. We went out there for fun and got back so much more than we expected.

After the pandemic, I came to understand that the lonely life of the solo folksinger had mostly become unsustainable for me. A lot of us singer-songwriters realized this. And yet, I also saw that my commitment to telling beautiful stories with other artists had not changed. I started studying theater in 2018 and that seemed like a more viable path.

And so, here I am. Back at the start in a way. Still a folksinger -- I'm not foolish, after all -- but following the fun. Playing Francis Nurse with a cast of 19 powerhouse women in an innovative "all gas no brakes" rendition of "The Crucible." What a life!

Won't you come?

Thank you so much for my life in the arts. I would not be who I am after all these years and stages and miles if it weren't for your support. Thank you, thank you, thank you.