| Dear Friends: Adelaide Fringe is finally over. It was a great success. My tech team, Pete and Meg (PSST) were absolutely wonderful. I am so lucky to have them. And they will be with us in Avignon too, We started the festival with Etsuko and her Koto Music Concert. It was highly appreciated. We had a local Belly Dance Group which was also very successful. My dancers (Kumiko, Fumiko and Yuka) came and danced with me. On monday we all went to Gumeracha and had a swim in the waterhole and a barbecue. This year we were finally able to pick and eat the blackberries. Delicious. Satoko had her Adelaide debut with Requiem which touched many people. I woke up one morning to find my car window smashed and the ignition all ripped open and cables all pulled out. Very annoying. Jorg called the police, insurance company and had the car towed away to be fixed. Since you cannot be carless in the midst of the festival while running 3 venues, it was another challenge to find a rentacar. Finally Jorg found one for me to rent for one week. Bad timing. But I suppose there is never a good timing for having your lovely little car smashed up. Don't they have better things to do? You wonder what this world is coming to. So everyone came and left in a flurry and I started my preparations for the last week of the Fringe and also for my trip to New Zealand. The last week had two shows, Unenlightened & Alone with James Kingsford-Smith and Death Conversation with Subash Thapa of M Art Theatre from Nepal. Both were serious shows with a meaning. I left them and everything in the very capable hands of Meg and Pete and went to Auckland. Jorg was supposed to come with me but then the floods in St George took place which was the worst flood in history. They needed his help and he was really the only person who could do it. I don't think there was anyone else who could have done what he did. This was about saving a town and lives so he had to go. So in the midst of the fringe madness my car was damaged and the St George was flooded. I flew to Auckland where I spent my days in the theatre rehearsing with Mika (www.mika.co.nz) and his Tribal Pop Opera. Mika is an amazing person. I was one of the 5 guest artists and played the part of Taniwha, the Lizard Queen. Very appropriate. It was the opening of the Aroha Festival. ( www.arohafestival.com ) Jorg spent his days flying and getting data and getting eaten up alive by the incredible gigantic mosquitoes. Probably good I didn't go. Wolfgang was there too, processing all the data Jorg brought back down to earth. They worked non-stop. And David and Mark of Gentol were there organizing everything non-stop too. And the waters kept rising non-stop too. I believe that the next step would have been to have Noah build an ark but luckily, the rain stopped. Jorg was picked up by a helicoptor from St George since all roads were closed, and taken to Roma (Queensland not Italy) where he flew to Brisbane, then Sydney, and then to Auckland and arriving three 18 hours later at midnight. He was tired but yet he spent the following day from morning to help me set up and prepare for my show, Empire of the Senses, which was on that night. Inspite of all the chaos that went on that day including the projector not working, the show went up on time (with the projector working) and we had a beautiful show with a wonderful audience. It was small and intimate and great. Next morning we were up and out to the airport by 7am. We flew to Sydney where we went our separate ways. Jorg was still needed at St George. I went back to Adelaide. It was the last day of the Fringe and I arrived in time to see the last show which finished at 10pm. Then my team and I started the long process of striking out and cleaning up. We finished way past midnight and the theatre was left in fabulous condition. I walked back home (no car yet) and went to bed. It was a busy but very satisfying festival. It was a hectic and chaotic but very satisfying month. Looking ahead the year is filling up with all kinds of projects. Much to do. Much to look forward to. |