Judy and I love performing regularly at Petterino's Monday Night Live, downtown right next door to the Goodman Theater.  Here we're singing along with co-hosts Denise McGowan Tracy and Beckie Menzie at the piano.

Singing a duet on stage at the Park West for Chicago Cabaret Professionals' Nineteenth Annual Gala.

Once Upon a Time

Judy an I have so enjoyed various permutations of our nostalgic Once Upon a Time, a show featuring songs from our childhood, our parents' childhoods, and a few even from our grandparents' time.

Here we are around Christmas time doing our thing for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland.

In rehearsal at Big Shot Piano Lounge and Restaurant.

Together "in the moment" during the shooting of the short film "Cheat Cheat, Bang Bang."

As Seen on TV!

Here we are suited-up and ready in L.A. for our close-up on the set of our "national" AT&T U-Verse commercial!

A Shayna Maidel

The Illinois Theatre Center of Park Forest opened its 34th season Friday as the only professional Equity theatre in the South Suburbs. The opening production is the Holocaust drama A Shayna Maidel by Barbara Lebow. The production runs through October 11.

A Shayna Maidel  is a memory play in that moves back and forth in time, from New York City in 1946, to flashbacks of Poland immediately before and after the Holocaust. Mordechai Weiss and his 4 year old daughter Rose come to America in the 1920’s, before the Nazis come to power in Europe. Rose’s older sister Lusia and their mother plan to join them later, but illness prevents them from traveling. They are eventually sent to a concentration camp. After the war, Lusia comes to New York to join her father and sister.

The New York Times described A Shayna Maidel as “…a powerful, deeply affecting portrait of a family, which conveys the aftermath of the Holocaust through a poignant, imaginatively conceived examination of one divided family’s experience… a tribute to the sustaining power of family and to man’s indominability.”

Real life sisters Angela and Jacquie Beyer make their ITC debuts as Lusia and Rose. They are joined by another newcomer, Samuel Hicks, and by ITC veterans Bernard Rice, Judy Rossignuolo-Rice and Jeny Wasilewski. The production is directed by Etel Billig.

"A Shayna Maidel" is Yiddish for "Pretty Girl."  Judy and I were thrilled to be a part of this poignant portrayal of a family of survivors.  The Southtown's October 8, 2009 review of our performances was complimentary: "Bernard Rice offers a measure of humanity that saves the character from becoming a total ogre," and "Judy Rossignuolo-Rice comes through as a loving Mama."

ITC Benefit

Judy and I sang benefit performances for Illinois Theatre Center last month. A great pleasure for us, for a good cause. As victims of the financial crunch, ITC has lost many thousands of dollars in grants and donations. Judy and I are proud to have contributed to this fundraiser.

Blogging Hiatus

Please read today's post on my Meta blog, which explains my recent absence from these pages.

What’s Age-Appropriate?

In theory, an actor can portray any age.

Multiple Auditions

My wife and I audition frequently. We have yet to audition together—meaning going in together to audition as a couple for two available roles at once.

We are considering whether or not this is a good idea, and under what circumstances it might just work to our mutual advantage.

Making a Commitment

One of the challenges of marketing is the fact that you want people to sign up for your services but you can’t be two places at one time.

I have an opportunity in August. Should I cultivate it, or leave my calendar open for a more lucrative or more otherwise appealing offer?

Nothing is more frustrating than scheduling conflicts.

An Entry Each Day?

It’s a challenge to have something to write here every business day because plenty of business days go by without any significant news on the two-for-the-show front.

Part of the problem (if it is one) is that this blog is not a conversation as much as others are, but more like a log of events that may offer insight into our progress mounting shows as a duo. Until we have more duo gigs, there won’t be much to report.

Wish us luck.

Solo

Judy and I each have our own one-person show we play in our head. Someday they'll play on a stage.

Tipping Point

Not today, but one day there'll be a tipping point, a point past which Judy and I will take our show(s) on the road. Each day brings us closer to that point.

Be Original

Writing an original show is always an option. I had good luck with original shows for schools years ago. An original show allows you to tailor an educational program for ocassions, the age and interests of your audience. It's also my passion, to write shows.

Who's Out There?

One place to start is to assess who’s out there doing the same thing, especially in our area. Chances are no one is, but we should find out. An initial search has turned-up nothing so far.

Work Stoppage

How to start? Watch out for that first step in a journey of a thousand miles, it’s a doozy. Or it will be once taken, I’m sure. Unless we count this site—but I won’t, it’s just a half-step.

The title of this post refers to the fact that so far, this is all there is.

A List of Two-Character Plays

Late in his career, Tennessee Williams wrote “The Two-Character Play" (it was also called “Out Cry” in one of it’s revisions). Descriptions of it sound intriguing. Anyone seen it, or heard of it?

I’m developing a list of two-character plays, and it’s slow going. I want to find shows that would be appropriate for Judy and I.

Suggestions welcome!