We’ve been having a lot of fun with some great audiences. Two more shows!

I had been busy building props since I got back from the Zen Mountain Monastery shakuhachi making retreat.

I needed a prop that could double as a shadow screen and tabletop stage for puppetry

Setting the lights for the puppets during the tech.

One of the performers uses a phone on stage.  She took this picture last night while performing! I’m the sailor on the right.

The kids had a cousin visit on opening night so we went on an outing the following morning. I took them to one of my favorite places on the planet - the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What an incredible place.

I never get tired of experiencing other cultures and ways of living.

I take every opportunity to show Sasa that there are successful and talented women in all aspects of our culture. Here, I discuss the significance of Georgia O’keef’s work.

Then, we went to the Guitar exhibition. I love guitars. I’ve been playing informally since I was 13 years-old. I actually used to build them. This is where my passion for instrument making first developed.

After we got home, I was lucky to catch a quick nap before the evening’s show (I thought that stage energy was draining, but it’s nothing compared to running around Manhattan with three kids). Here I am as my Japanese Anime school girl character playing the shakuhachi before the puppetry section. I know this may look strange to those who are not familiar with Asian theater. But, historically, Chinese and Japanese theater and opera did not allow women on stage. Female roles were performed by men.

My work acknowledges that history and propels it to the contemporary world using Butoh dance influenced by Kazuo Ohno. More on this later.

Just need to pack and ship a shakuhachi to South Africa and then it’s off to the theater!

Did I mention lately…my life rules!

Have a great day! Perry