Years ago, I read a very cool article about making New Year’s resolutions. I may still have the article in my archive somewhere; that would be an interesting find. Anyway, the author said that instead of adding more things to do during the year with our New Year’s resolutions, we should resolve to reduce theContinue reading “Reduce, At Least”
Author Archives: stephenschrum
Concert or Karaoke?
When did live music performances and concerts become sing-along events? A few years back I attended two of the annual ROSfest events. ROSfest is the Rites of Spring progressive rock festival, formerly held in Gettysburg, PA in the excellent Majestic Theater. This was the first time I attended an event where the line for theContinue reading “Concert or Karaoke?”
Christmas E = mc2
Because it’s all about the relatives! Actually I wanted to write about some memorable Midnight Mass stories. As Catholics we sometimes had a few options, such as going to Mass at 5:30 PM Saturday evenings instead of Sunday mornings, and of course, Christmas Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. One time we were preparing to goContinue reading “Christmas E = mc2”
“The Christmas Spectacular”
Audio Chimera Episode #58 is available. Billed as “The Christmas Spectacular,” it is, actually, not that spectacular. It contains memories of past Christmases growing up, when there was always arguing. Similar arguments continued into my married adulthood, so for a good reason, Christmas has never been a favorite season of mine. Part of it alsoContinue reading ““The Christmas Spectacular””
Can I get a little STEAM?
Not steampunk. Not this time at least, although it has been a recurring theme for me: my theatre production of Birth of Merlin used this aesthetic, and of course, my novel Watchers of the Dawn is aptly subtitled A Steampunk Adventure. Here I am referring to the addition of Art to STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering,Continue reading “Can I get a little STEAM?”
The Mind’s Eye
Years ago, I wrote a Christmas newsletter. It started as a parody of those you get from people who talk about how their kids’ books are on the NYTimes best seller list after winning a Nobel Prize. Then the newsletter, dubbed The Mind’s Eye (from my first independent venture, The Rational Mind Theatre Company) becameContinue reading “The Mind’s Eye”
Cleric! Pass the Elixir of Health!
There’s an old quotation, sometimes credited to the movie The Princess Bride, that says, “If you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything.“ I recently had a bit of a health scare. Waking up in the middle of the night, I rose to go to the bathroom. Suddenly I found myself off balance andContinue reading “Cleric! Pass the Elixir of Health!”
Let’s Speculate!
Episode #57 of Audio Chimera contains the third episode of my audio drama series Kid Again, about a man who suddenly finds himself young again and back in high school. The series asks the question: What can he change about himself and his experiences that will make this time around more fun? Having been aContinue reading “Let’s Speculate!”
Why Actors Are Scum
Right up front: I totally disagree with the title. But that has been a long-held belief by those not in entertainment. And so, as a follow-up to my last blog post, I wanted to delve a little more into why actors and theatre people have often been, according to an Ordinance by the British ParliamentContinue reading “Why Actors Are Scum”
From Terminally Shy to “Watch Me!”
In Episode #56, I try to find an explanation for how someone (me), who exhibited what I have called “terminal shyness” (see Immaculate Misconceptions, page 16, where I explain why I don’t sing in public), can transform into a college professor of performing arts who has presented at national and international conferences and who hasContinue reading “From Terminally Shy to “Watch Me!””