Photo by Jason Squire
After a hugely delightful 2023 touring season of Ha Ha Ha Da Vinci, I decided to do something that I have never done; I turned down all gig offers and carved out a period of many, many months off the road to develop the show further.
The temptation to keep touring Ha Ha Da Vinci in its original form and to continue playing shows every night was incredibly strong, but I felt another pull. I wanted to come out of this next year with something tangible, not just with more stories from the road. I wanted to push myself further, to learn more, to delve deeper. And I wanted to make more of that magic - that magic that is inherently what it is all about to me: helping audiences feel - even for a moment - a sense of wonder, delight, and that perhaps anything is possible.
So in September, I stopped touring and asked myself these questions:
What could I do next that would open even more exciting doors in the future?
What could I do next from which I would learn the most?
And the most important question...
What could I do next that would bring the most joy, not just to me, but to the people around me?
With those thoughts in mind I decided to embark on the formidable task of turning Ha Ha Da Vinci - a one-act, festival-length show - into an evening-length production.
This has been a big, challenging project, and one that has answered all three of the above desires: opening up the doors to start booking standalone theater shows, pushing me to learn how to develop this work - and my own work - further, and most importantly, it has allowed me to tap into that deep well of joy; one that I cannot wait to share with audiences.
As I start to look towards this next chapter and stepping back out onstage, I’m filled with all those familiar feelings: excitement, wonder… and of course, plenty of fear.
I can’t wait to share this new work with you. Here’s to the joy ahead!