It has become clear that the title of this blog is not really fair or accurate.  Yes, in the depth of winter, there are at best 4 house of daylight, but each day rushes to the endless days of mid summer by adding  7 minutes of sun light.  As a I set out to write at 630 PM.  But it is a nice hook.  and the undeniable  brevity of those first days, the pitch dark mornings  and lingering jet lag - ok it doesn't hurt that I talk to Darla on Skype when I return from school and her day is starting.  Time is out of joint   - but not as Hamlet whines, oh cursed spite....  but because it is maybe the nature of time.  

This has been a social week.  Three nights of dinner out, including with Karl August Olfssonn who was a grad playwriting student at OU 92-95 I believe.  Had dinner at his house.  It was nice to see his wife Austis, his daughter who was born in Athens, OH, and his youngest who is I think 6.  His eldest is 25 or so. .. Karl is one of the most famous people in Iceland.  He has been the head writer and one of the stars of their weekly comedy series for more than 20 years. The show is political, topical, satirical - and according to Karl, in these times where their government has fallen, their economy is bankrupt, and people are taking to the streets literally daily, they are being kept on their toes.  It would kind of be as if the Tracy Ullman show were on for 22 years, mixed with a bit of Saturday Night Live.  

This last week I began  the second of my classes allowing me to encounter the Theory and Practice program from the start and the finish.  The 3rd year students have each returned from a semester abroad - Amsterdam,  Glasgow, Brno.  Now I am teaching them their final directing class.  A series of composition so-called 'devising' projects.  Leave it to the Brits to devise a term for the kind of work I have been doing all my career - and many others.  Decroux devised every piece he ever made. I despise the term devise.  To me it feels precious and pretentious.   I understand it. I wish I had a better term to suggest.  I still feel it is a term that comes form a contrast to obedience to playwriting as THE source of theater.   That's another conversation altogether.  In any case, the students in the program are from diverse backgrounds -  theater, visual art, design.  One of the first  year students earns his living as an Icelandic commentator for Ultimate fighting on TV.  

Newsy stuff for me.  Darla will arrivein one week and stay for 9 days.  Excursions are being planned and the blog  - which could hardly be more infrequent, may paise.  I am also invited to Oslo and Fulbright is helping here.  I'll be visiting Bredan McCall who is rector at TITAN, An independent Theater School in Oslo.  Looking forward to that.  Lucky to have met him through Peter Schmitz.

OK, now I'll just post some photos I have been intending to