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SEPTEMBER 2008
I just started my fourth year on the directing faculty at The New School for Drama. It is a master of fine arts program where the students pay a lot of money to study for a professional career while earning a Masters of Fine
Arts degree. It's quite a responsibility in my mind to help train the next generation of artists. I take very seriously the work of compelling them to live their lives as artists whether they ever make a dime in their chosen profession. As most of you know who check into this little forum, I hammer that home as often as I can.
Considering the world we live in and the very important choices we have to make daily, one of our only life lines to a peaceful and fulfilling existence, I believe is to train ourselves to live our lives as artists in everything we do.
I am very lucky to have the opportunity to share with this
next generation some tricks of that trade. It's all in how you look at what you need and choose to do. From doing the dishes to performing Hamlet. It's all in how you embrace your world.
AUGUST 2008
"August. The dog days of summer. Tomatoes and corn. At least in the part of the country that I inhabit at the moment. If we're lucky enough to wake up to the sound of birds rather than traffic and have a moment in the day to reflect on the sounds that take us immediately back to a moment in our childhood and the smells of cut grass we should remember as well to keep precious that childlike awareness of the magic that surrounds us and those moment of happiness that sneak their way into our private world."
JULY 2008
"I read the Declaration of Independence on the morning of July 4 just for the heck of it. It proves to be an extraordinary work of daring, brave, dangerous, and noble ideas.
Daring in that it says, once and for all, enough is enough.
Brave in that it throws sand in the face of the greatest power at that time.
Dangerous in that they had everything to loose including
their lives.
Noble because it brought us to where we now live.
It behooves us to remember that if we can see farther it is because because we have stood on the shoulders of giants."
JUNE 2008
A lot of politics on the mind lately. As it should be. I was at the gym
recently and heard a young man saying he would rather be drafted today than have Obama as president. I asked him how old he was. Seventeen, he said but would be 18 by the time the election came around. Then I asked him why he disliked Obama so much.
"I'm a Christian" he said," and I don't like what his reverend says and he's part Kenyan and his allegiance would be to Kenya."
There was a woman there as well who was saying he was stupid who turned out to be his mother. "No don't call him stupid", I said. "He's just not informed."
I told the boy that he has every right to think whatever he wants but I
urged him to get informed with the facts instead of spewing up hash that he heard from others. So I guess the message is, know what you are talking about.
MAY 2008
April showers bring May....
There is nothing like getting your fingers in the dirt. Try it. I may
have written about this before but here goes again.
Whenever I start to get a bit anxious or unfocused I go out and stick my hands in the dirt. I plant something or weed something or create something in the yard. Somehow by doing that it helps me get over what I call "my bloated nothingness" and get on with life. Why this is I'm not sure but it puts things in perspective and I start to breath easier. And it's cheaper that going to therapy.
April 2008
"As I move across the blacktop that constitutes our national highway tumbling toward the other coast I cannot help be affected by the ever changing landscape that moves from lush to harsh and back again. Sort of like life isn't it?
And as I find that my birthday resides in the month of April, I am reminded that time is passing as fast as the scenery outside of the car window. There is so much to be done and, in a Zen way, nothing to be done at all. Now if we can wrap ourselves around that we might be able to get something done. Happy Birthday to all of us!"
March 2008
" I sit at the desk looking out over the Hudson River. I have to leave my
pickup truck at the bottom of the drive because the snow is too deep to get up the hill. It's cold. Just two days ago, in California, I woke up from a dream where I was on the ocean trying to get to somewhere that I couldn't remember. When I opened my eyes my dog was snuggling up to me smelling faintly of the sea. I had taken her to the beach the day before to delight in her new found joy of doggy body surfing.
At times it's hard not to feel rootless when you move around so much. Traveling at twice the speed of sound you forget how fast time flies as well. Slow down I say. It will be alright. There are people in the world who love you. And if not, there is a dog smelling of the ocean waiting for you to come back."
February 2008
"It seems that I just don't have the ability to stop traveling. At present I am commuting 3000 miles every week on top of trips both personal and professional every week. Tiring but not boring I must say. As long as I remember how to stay in one place and not feel the need to go when I've been in one place for more than a week I will be fine. I hope.
It's good to be at home.And it's better to be able to be at home no matter where you are."
January 2008
"Happy New Year. What the hell does that mean? I found myself saying it to everyone last week. From waiters to agents to gas attendants. I think it's an attempt to connect with the world around me and to say "Hey, I see you and I care that you are here." I don't know, the older I get the more I feel the need to pay attention to something or someone other than myself. That's a good thing to think about this year. I'll try to remember that when all gets crazy around me.
All the Best
July 2007
Amazing how the weather affects us. It's been a very beautiful early summer here in the hinterlands. I'm building again and it's very satisfying. And when the weather cooperates it's even better. When those around me get impatient when it rains or is humid or cloudy I just sit back and know that as sure as the day is long it will change and so will your mood. I have so many irons in the fire and am pulled in so many directions at once and ride the roller coaster like all of us but, as I said you'll wake up and the sun will be shining and all is well. Or maybe it wont. It will be grey or raining and still you live knowing that it will change and before you know it a day comes along that makes you glad you're alive. Weather. Quite something to contemplate.
All the best, Casey |
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June 2007
What a magnificent spring it turned out to be. With this probably being the last summer I will have mostly to myself, with the Greene Arts Festival (you can check out the beta web site at (www.greeneartsfoundation.org) starting next summer that I am the artistic director of (and will take up most of the rest of my life!), I am looking forward to, believe it or not, cutting the grass. A friend of mine bought a state of the art lawn mower that we share and I have to say it is the closest I will come to knowing what it feels like piloting a Cardassian space ship. No kidding. What a thrill it is to fly across the green field sculpting patterns in the grass. I can hardly wait for it to grow so I can do it again. Maybe it stems from growing up in a city and now living in the country I'm not sure, but the pleasure I find in the meditative act of of the art of grass mowing is a bit surreal. All of this is to remind ourselves : simple pleasures.
And if I can keep my dog from trying to bite the tires as I fly by it will be even more sublime.
Casey |
May 2007
It is a breathtakingly beautiful May in the Hudson Valley. Having just returned from the west coast after a 3500 mile drive across the country. I must say that I am thrilled to be "Home". An interesting concept that "home" is isn't it. "Home is where you hang your hat. " Home is where the heart is." And there so many more cliches I'm sure. I was a gypsy for so many years because as an actor you go where the work is so you are rarely settled. It has become harder and harder for me to pick up and go when I get called to work because I love my home so much. There is a great line in a James Taylor song, "Home, build it behind your eyes, carry it in your heart, safe among your own." I did that for many years but I am glad to say that I am happier when I actually get up every morning and look at it as well.
All the best,
Casey |
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March 2007
I have been traveling back and forth across the country every week for the past two months. Not an easy thing to do I must say. I look out of the window of which ever airline I happen to have gotten the best flight on and check how the world below is doing. A lot of snow in the middle of the country I must say. I wonder what all those lives are about 35000 feet down. One of my favorite things to ruminate on is time, as some may know, and I find myself thinking in terms of three hours ahead or three hours behind because of the three hour time difference from coast to coast as well as the four and a half hours to fly east as well as the the five to six to fly the same distance west because of the jet stream slows us down. Now this week we go to daylight savings time which "springs" the time forward an hour. All this to say that I am shocked about how often I am thinking about where I am going to be in the next few hours and how hard it is at times to be in the hour that I am living right now. I keep working on that and am glad when I notice something that I may not have because I am thinking about where I am going to be.
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February 2007
February already. I apologize for missing last month. I have so many irons in the fire that it's hard to to see which one is going to get hot first! I seem to work better and somehow be able to focus better when I have many things to do and to help create. It takes an ability to be able to compartmentalize and to be able to let go of one thing to zero in on another. Also I find that somehow the universe has a tricky way of letting one thing compliment another even when we may not realize that the two are related. It's a wonder how , when you commit yourself, the number of unseen hands that appear to help lift you out of the mire.
All the best
Casey |
December 2006
It has just turned cold here in the Hudson Valley and is starting to feel the way I expect it to and want to feel when the holiday is getting near. When you wake up in the morning with an unexplained and vaguely excited feeling that something is about to happen. The Christmas feeling I call it. It must come from from a childhood sensation. I have just finished directing a play and found myself telling the actors a number of times that there is a reason that it is called a "play". There must be a childlike sense of joy that infects the work no matter how grave the subject matter and the thrill of being able to tell a story must carry the day so to speak. All this to say that we must keep the child in us alive and I hope you all wake up in the morning with the feeling that something is going to happen. Something good.
All the best
Casey |
November 2006
There is an Indian summer taking place up here at the moment. It's warmer than it should be for this time of year. The sun shines on a different path through the sky. And it's election day in the US. I won't let my politics hang out here but it's a very important day. We must take our democracy and our ability to choose seriously. The most important thing to remember is that it's how you live your life that makes the strongest political statement.
All the best
Casey |
October 2006
I hope wherever you are that October is as magnificent a month as it is here. Cool, painfully clear nights. An artists palette of colors covering the trees. The promise of something wonderful about to happen. This is what I look forward to every autumn. It's a perfect time to "live in the flow" as my sisters say. That means, to me at least, that you allow yourself to stay in rhythm with the universe. To a large part we create our own reality and we need to trust that if we put out good, good will come back to us. That's what I am feeling strongly at the moment and I feel it's a good thing. I hope you feel that same way.
All the best
Casey |
September 2006
Where did it go? Weren't we just looking forward to the summer? Wasn't the anticipation of what we were going to do and encounter just in front of us? That should teach us a lesson. There are millions of words written about time when I was at Juilliard, in voice class we would repeat over and over, "Time is but a stream I go a fishing in." to develop rich even tones. Have you ever been somewhere and thought, "This is never going to end?' or "Where did the time go?" when you were having a good time? The point being time doesn't change. Time is. It's our perception of it that varies. A friend of mine is fond of saying,"You have a cup of coffee and a bagel and you're fifty. What the hell happened?!" I believe Ben Franklin said, "I had a great life, I just wish I realized it while I was living it." I work daily at realizing I have a great life.
Best~ Casey |
August 2006
August. Just saying the word seems to carry weight, don't you think? Hot, insect loud nights. I love it. The epitome of midsummer. I will be in Italy for the first two weeks and am reminded that the wise man travels to discover himself. You sit in the warm evening with the feeling of holding something just above your shoulders, anticipating what the cool fall will bring, and which direction your head will turn. It's a delicious sensation. Not living in the future, just knowing that it will happen. Enjoy the rest of the summer whatever it is you are doing because before you know it.
All the best
Casey
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July 2006
"Summers here. I'm for that!" as James Taylor says in the song of the same name. I find myself in the midst of building a porch and am constantly amazed at what we are able to do if one puts their mind to it. The most important being that there are no mistakes. Just opportunities. If you mess something up, start again because you've just learned something. At one point I started painting, pictures not houses, and a dear friend and great artist taught me that there were indeed not mistakes and to not erase or get a new canvas but to use what you've done and create from there. A great lesson. So in building this porch I've made many mistakes. I learned, fixed, and by God now I have a porch! |
June 2006
I've had a very interesting and a little unsettling spring so far. For some reason I have had more opportunities to work, mostly acting on stage, than I have in a long while. Some very interesting, others not so, but all flattering by way of just being asked to the dance so to speak. I have turned all of them down. I am a little shocked at my self for doing this but in my heart of hearts I decided I would rather stay home this summer and plant some trees. It's somewhat of a revelation when you realize that it's just as or even more important to know when it is the right time in your life to stick your hands in the earth and make something grow. Today I am going to go outside and plant 150 hostas and 100 day lillies. The only thing I am sure of is that I will feel like I accomplished something today. |
May 2006
Just returned from a convention in Paris. Met some terrific people and some old friends who came a long way just so we could chat. It made me realize that, like in one of my favorite movies "It's a Wonderful Life", how we are not really aware of how many lives we touch in our short ride on this planet, and we should take solace in and get inspiration from the greatest gift and honor we have and that is the very life we have the good fortune to live. So thanks to all of you who I'm lucky enough to have contact with while we're here. When sky's are gray, it helps to remember that we are not alone and what we do resonates.
All the best
Casey |
April 2006
"As I sit here on what I consider a national holiday (April 4th, my birthday), I am being haunted by a passage written by William Saroyan. In the prologue to his play "The Time of Your Life," he says, "In the time of your life, live so that in that good time there shall be no ugliness or death for yourself or for any life your life touches." An important notion to keep in mind as we enter the next decade of our (my!) lives."
Best~ Casey |
February 2006
Interesting month February. A good month to decide what to get done first. Being steeped in a production of Chekhov's Three Sisters at the present moment, I am overwhelmed at the ability a beautifully written and realized picture of humanity has to inspire and center a fast and furious life. The laughter through tears, the discovery of profound love, and the nihilistic pondering of what really matters. Anyway....there is poetry all around you and a world full of inspiration."
Best~ Casey |
January 2006
A new year. A very new year for me. I think that's why I like golf so much. Not being particularly competitive, I feel that every time I step up to hit the ball it is a brand new beginning. You have an opportunity to change the course of the whole game. Every time. Not being a great golfer that is a good thing. Many things are already taking shape for this year and I find myself thinking ahead a little more than I like, given my obsession for trying to stay in the moment. Also a necessity for golf. You must stay in the moment. Don't look ahead till you've hit the ball. So step up to the ball, by which I mean your whole life, and relish your new beginning.
Happy New Year!
Casey
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HOLIDAY GREETINGS!
I want to wish everyone a great Holiday season and to thank everyone who took the time to support the charity and to thank all of you for the care and concern you have shown over the years. And I want to publicly thank Diane and Cindy for their great talent and energy and help and we look forward to many more years to come!
Onward and upward!!
Casey
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DECEMBER 2005
December is here and having just built a house in the Hudson valley, directed The Three Musketeers, and about to go off to Virginia to direct Three Sisters things have been a bit hectic. But thrilling none the less. With a great trip to Germany to kick off the Enterprise Blues Band and more European engagments pending it doesn't look like it will be getting any less so. I hope all who read this will have a great December and remember why we are here.
All the best
Casey |
OCTOBER 2005
I love October. Whether you're in a warm climate where the change is most noticeable in the quality of light or in a colder climate where the air cannot but help to make you aware that the season is changing along with the leaves. The promise of what the holidays will bring and my most favorite.... Halloween. I don't know why I like it so much but I am always thrilled when it shows up. So sit here and light a fire and feel lucky.
All the best
Casey |
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SEPTEMBER 2005
Always new beginnings. Anyplace in the world is great to be in September. The end of summer and the beginning of fall. Neither has really come or gone yet. That magical in between time when so much seems possible. The empowering feeling of starting something new. Whether it be school, work, a play, a film, a book. Walk outside and look up.
Casey |
JUNE 2005
I drove across the country recently to discover there is a country there. You can still find it but you have to be willing to look. Yogi Berra once said ," When you come to the fork in the road, take it." So I did. Met some great people, ate some great food, and got some great ideas. So if there is any chance for you to come to the fork in the road, you know what to do......take the road less traveled.
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MAY 2005
I seemed to have missed April! I was busy bringing in a new year. I believe you should celebrate the entire month of your birthday. And I did!
As for May...Big changes happen in May. The land changes, spring happens, people come and go.
I've done a lot of coming and going recently. Australia even....May will see me traveling a lot and the need to stay present is felt even more profoundly.
I will be doing a lot of building this summer and I expect it to teach me a great deal. There is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment when you turn and say "I built that" whatever it may be. A home,a chair, a child, whatever. So build something and stand back...
All the best~
Casey |
MARCH 2005
"Water, water everywhere and all the boards did shrink..." anyone know what that is from? That's what it has been like here in not-so-sunny California....but without water, the roots won't go deep....or so they say. I love the rain but not this much. This March I will be in San Antonio for the anniversary of the fall of the Alamo speaking to the descendants. A great honor and a reminder that we need to choose joy in the face of the sorrows of the world. And to honor our family. Real and chosen. Look forward to spring. |
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FEBRUARY 2005
February always seems a great month to get things done. There is a feeling of kinetic potential that something is going to happen soon. And of course it does, Spring. This is going to be an incredible year for the entire planet. A new age seems to have arrived and we must not let it slip away. Take action. Start in your own life. We must keep in mind the concept of joyful participation in the sorrows of the world and make your life and those around you a more joyful place.
All the best,
Casey |
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