Disclaimer: My intention is to always see a show within the first five performances. I have a couple reasons for this strategy. One, if I like it, I can help promote people seeing it. Two, I don’t want my experience to be tainted by those reviewers who come before me. It’s my practice not to read ...
I was born happy and constantly try to get back there
I’m by nature upbeat...thankfully! My disposition has been like that from birth. My mom documented in my baby book, “Katy is a sweet lovable little girl with a very sunny happy disposition.” Yes, she’s my mother but I saw what she wrote in my sister’s book. She can be trusted on this early assessment. My genetic composition is ...
“Buzzer” (Goodman Theatre): 2 Against 1 Dynamic
Goodman Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of BUZZER. What rightfully belongs to me because of my race, gender, education, or class? Playwright Tracey Scott Wilson asks this question again and again. Wilson pokes at personal embers to see what sparks flame. Her trio is a mesmerizing science experiment of complication. Two are white, one is black. Two ...
Who am I? Answered by my 14-year old self
Flashback Friday! I continue to comb through my youth. My baby book is less book and more like a 1963 to 1985 time capsule. Here’s an essay I wrote at age 14 which is eerily accurate to my current beliefs. “Who am I?” by Katy Walsh 3-21-77 Who am I? I am a person. A female person who is neither ...
“Russian Transport” (Steppenwolf Theatre): Darker than Dark
Steppenwolf Theatre presents the Chicago premiere ofRUSSIAN TRANSPORT. Playwright Erika Sheffer tells a family story from the inside out. The audience is immediately at home as a mom forces her daughter to vacate her bedroom for company. The teenager protests. The mom ignores her. The scenario is familiar. The dialogue is authentic. Their obvious routine ...
I Got Hand!
Back to reality. I’m on week 4 of “How to Train a Wild Elephant.” I had to suspend last week’s lesson on filler words. Although I do want to write in concise sentences and not go on and on and on about nothing of particular relevance, I speak succinctly. I’m blunt. Some say ‘curt.’ I’m a brevity ...
Enjoying tourism without the tourists
If given the choice, I prefer to write with an ocean view and soundtrack. On Tuesday, It got up to 69 degrees. And we got coatless. Days in the South have a way of rolling in like a wave. Always being the first riser, I take Trixie on her first walk of the day. The beach is ...
Meanwhile, back at the Beach…
As Chicago celebrated President’s Day with another snowstorm and snow thunder, I continued my respite in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The temperature was around 45 degrees with a biting wind on Monday. Myrtle is still recovering from recent ice storms. Trees and branches litter the side of the roads. And tourism is way down. So, ...
We did the Charleston
South Carolina is a gentle state. Myrtle Beach is nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway (starts in Massachusetts and ends in MIami). The coast is the hard kind of sand that makes walking easier. Shells speckle the path. The waves roll in with a soft, lulling roar. The brisk temps 40s/50s keep ...
Hello, Myrtle!
2014 Chicago has been 45 days of -30 to 20 degrees. I’m gotten used to wearing two scarves, a coat, a sweater, a long-sleeved top, leggings and a skirt. When I peel a layer of clothing off, it comes with a layer of skin. On my dark apparel, it’s most noticeable. I strip off a ...