Eastern PA, Southern NJ and DE Roundtable event- a first for local stagers.

Kate, finally a chance to get back to you and say thank you for an interesting meeting.  I've been lost for the last 2 weeks editing a book.  Not on staging, sadly, a 175 page collation of memories and letters for our retiring pastor.  It has given me lots of ideas for the kinds of "books" you and I, and others with some legs in this business should be producing.

The meetin:  not at all what I expected, having just come off a gentle, well-mannered, totally enjoyable meeting in NJ with the Tri-State NY, NJ, CT gang.  In Maple Shade, there was a really disparate group and with way more passionate disagreement than the New York meeting.  It's hard to believe a Philly group would make a NY group seem like pussycats but it was true.  Furthermore there were some women there who were, generally speaking, unpleasant, to say nothing of WRONG on everything they said!  It was bizarre.  And that that one woman allowed her assistant of 3 only months to dominate the conversation with irrelevant observations about "society", (among a whole tons of other stuff), blew my mind.  We could have ALL learned so much from the VERY DIFFERENT model Busy Bee operates under.  I was really saddened when it became clear just how much of an opportunty that would have been, had we been able to (gently) corral that girl.  How is it they inspired you to go into the business? I can't imagine how, given how they make money.

However, you handled all this with aplomb and grace.  You were way less formal than I was expecting from your blogs.  Just as knowledgeable, filled with lots of nifty tips and tricks you generously shared ... when you had the chance.

 And, of course, Kim Dillon was every bit as elegant, insightful and fun as she appears here.

While I enjoyed meeting you and Kim, whom I clung to like a drowning man overboard, I am seriously skeptical how a group like that could ever unify enough to create an ethical organization that would be worth joining.  I now see how RESA has experienced such growing pains.  I'm not sure, Kate and Craig, I'm not sure this industry should be saved as it is.  It really needs such an overhaul to be able to cohese and move forward constructively, with elections, open spirit, simple kindness and courtesy, and honesty.

You are all courage and optimism, Kate, my friend.  You have my heartfelt admiration and you deserve every nice thing that comes your way and then some.