I had the pleasure of attending rehearsal — as I’ve been contracted, like a disease, to provide sound design — for Liz Shipe’s holiday play, Upon a Midnight Clear: A Tale of Jack Frost. I use the word pleasure sincerely, as the cast is hard-working and understand her play, and the play itself is simply delightful. Simple. Delightful.

It focuses on a cobbled mythology of different Pagan and Christian magicks, and I couldn’t help but be swept away in it. Everyone involved, with the possible exception of the one person I didn’t get to meet, invested pieces of themselves I rarely see, and the entire atmosphere gave me a warm fuzzy.

We’ve cast our show, Bachelorette, with some truly stellar Milwaukee talents, most of whom I’ve never worked with before. Marcee’s superior hosting and organizational skills made the whole process a massive success.

I’m curious to see how this Thanksgiving will turn out without my grandfather. More importantly, I wonder what Christmas will be like. Will I need to assume a leadership role, paterna familis? I can do it, I suppose. Maybe it’s a good thing.

“You can’t just think of yourself, just this one time. ‘Cause it’s Christmas.”