It won’t receive a Tony award or any other for that matter, but last Thursday I saw LEAP OF FAITH, the musical at Blank Canvas Theatre, an intimate little place that holds only about 100 people in an old warehouse on W. 78^th Street in Cleveland.  I’ve seen several plays there and have never been disappointed but last Thursday, even though it wasn’t my favorite play seen there, was one I’ll never forget.

Right before the show started, the Artistic Director and Founder of Blank Canvas, Patrick Ciamacco came out and told us that the lead for the show had fallen ill and instead of canceling the show like they had to do the weekend before because of multiple illnesses, that he would be filling the role of the lead actor and apologized that he would be having full script in hand and further apologized that he had just gone over the musical pieces he’d be performing and hoping it wouldn’t take away from the show.
Utt-ohhh didn’t get sighed out loud, but I believe the audience of about 70 people thought this might be one to escape by intermission.  WRONG!

Patrick’s THE SHOW MUST GO ON mentality for me, WAS THE SHOW.

He shared in his Director’s note:

It’s always been my goal for Blank Canvas Theatre to present shows that are rarely, if ever, produced in the Cleveland area.  We strive to give you, our audience, an opportunity to discover something new, whether it be a recently-written piece or a little-known show.  Leap of Faith opened on Broadway on April 26, 2012 but despite its impressive credentials, an all-star createive team, an EGOT winning composer, multiple Drama Desk Award nominations and a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical—it ran for only 20 performances.  That’s just twice the number of performances that Blank Canvas Theatre will present!  While no piece of theatre is ever perfect, Leap of Faith certainly has its flaws.  But it is still a story worth telling and seeing something new is always fun.

I saw the film, Leap of Faith in 1992 and remember being intrigued by Steve Martin’s performance in a very different type of role than he usually played.  Religion was not a crucial part of my life growing up, and while religion and belief in God play a role in Leap of Faith, I find that the story of Jonas Nightingale means much more.  To me, this is a story about faith in all its forms: religious faith, yes, but also the faith we have in the world, the faith we have in our friends and family and most of all, the faith we have in ourselves.  We may sometimes lose faith in those we love because of their actions or our feelings.  We may lose faith in ourselves, doubting every decision and choice we make.  Each of us has flaws, and we all may feel like we are far from being who we want to be, but with faith, we can succeed.

I hope that you share our faith that this show will succeed both as an evening of entertainment and as an opportunity to consider the role of faith in our lives.  Thank you for taking a leap of faith in coming to see a show that is most likely unknown to you—and thank you for supporting live theatre!

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”  Martin Luther King, Jr.
Patrick Ciamacco
Witnessing what Patrick did on stage that night will never be award winning, but more importantly, never forgotten by those of us in attendance.  He not only took a huge Leaf of Faith, he GIFTED  IT, and for then as in right now, (and I believe a part of my ‘forever’) I’m a severely grateful beneficiary
SO.            .            .
what Leap of Faith
have you not only taken recently
but have gifted another.            .          .          ?
THE WORST STEP OF ALL
IS THE ONE
NEVER TAKEN.          .          .

• Rebecca Zucker is an executive coach and a founding partner at NEXT STEP PARTNERS, a boutique leadership development firm and she’s worked with AMAZON, CLOROX, and SKOLL Foundation to mention a few and her research is telling us to QUIT, errr, to just pause, take some time OFF. . .interestingly enough, I READ THIS ARTICLE as I was doing exactly what she was suggesting. . .

Many of us have had our summer vacation plans cancelled due to the pandemic. Perhaps you planned to visit family or take your annual beach vacation. Or maybe you were scheduled to celebrate a milestone with big trip — a food and wine tour of France or an African safari. Whatever your thwarted plans entailed, you might be thinking of skipping a vacation altogether. And given that productivity has been hampered for many of us over the last few months, it’s easy to think, “I should keep working, so I can get more done,” or “What’s the point? I can’t really go anywhere.”

Don’t give in to this limited thinking. Several studies indicate that performance nose-dives when we work for extended periods without a break. In addition, the benefitsof taking a vacation are clear: It results in improved productivity, lower stress and better overall mental health. It also spurs greater creativity — for example, Lin-Manuel Miranda conceived of Hamilton while on vacation.

Research on elite athletes shows that rest is what enables them to perform at peak levels, and the same is true for us. Taking a vacation allows us to come back feeling refreshed and recharged, with renewed focus. Some companies are even requiring employees to take time off. Vacations may even help your personal bottom line: Research shows that those who take more than 10 days of vacation are 30% more likely to receive a raise, and those who take regular vacations have greater job satisfaction.
HEY NOW!!

While your plans will likely look different than before, below are some guidelines to help you reap the benefits of vacation, wherever you go or DON’T GO. . . .

Get a change in scenery. Vacation doesn’t need to entail extensive travel. The fun of it is going somewhere that is different from your daily life. This may be a short drive from home, an extended road trip, or an excursion to the other side of town. One friend rented a beach house on Lake Erie for her family 30 miles from her home. I have a lot of friends who either own or have rented an RV with their family and drove to the mountains with another family. (Each family had their own RV and got tested for Covid-19 before leaving.) Another colleague took a solo weekend a few hours outside his city at an Airbnb to read and reflect. Another friend planned gourmet food excursions in Tremont and around the city, seeking out the best versions of her favorite foods in different neighborhoods across town and she did it solely by “take out.”

Plan ahead. While a spontaneous getaway can be exciting, research shows that the stress of poorly planned vacations can eliminate the positive benefits of time off. In particular, planning a month ahead and focusing on the details in advance versus figuring things out while on vacation has been shown to result in a better vacation experience with more positive outcomes. Planning ahead also gives us something to look forward to — something that Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, says not only makes us feel good, but also adds an “atmosphere of growth” to our lives and makes us optimistic. Even if you’re only going across town, you can still identify which days you’re going to take off and plan what you’re going to do in advance.

Identify the type of experience you want to have. The ideal vacation is different for each of us. What is your idea of recreation? What allows you to recharge? What nourishes you? For some, it’s soaking up the sun by the water. For others, it’s a creative pursuit, exploring a new location, trying new cuisine or engaging in an adventure sport. Knowing this will help inform potential destinations and activities. You might not be able to take that cooking class in Provence, but you can still go to the countryside, have a gourmet experience, and cook Provençal cuisine.

Spend time outdoors. Research shows that spending time in nature benefits us both mentally and physically. Moreover, these benefits are reaped whether you are in a national park or an urban park, and with as little as two hours in nature per week. Whether you’re traveling or staying home, build in time outdoors as part of your vacation, whether it’s taking a morning walk, skipping stones on a lake, watching the waves crash at the beach or picnicking in a small park. Being outside also provides open space and more social distancing (aside from the occasional crowded monuments or visitor centers).

Unplug. A 2017 Glassdoor study showed that two-thirds of Americans work on vacation. Doing so has been found to negatively affect intrinsic motivation and causes us to enjoy our work less. Unplugging from work is a big part of what makes vacation feel like vacation. It’s down time for our brains from the barrage of cognitive demands that come with our jobs. It creates the space for creativity to emerge and allows us to be fully present with our families or travel partners. My friend who went on the RV trip sans laptop and cell reception felt liberated and like he was able to truly slow down and reset. He let everyone know in advance he’d be unavailable during that time. My friend who rented the beach house brought games, puzzles, a good book, and some wine and relished being able to disconnect from work. To be sure, disconnecting can feel difficult — many people fear missed opportunities or the back-to-work email dread. Identify a colleague who can answer questions while you’re away and indicate this as well as how you’ll be following up (if at all) in your out-of-office message.

Create memories. Vacations are also great opportunities to create lasting, positive memories. Several studies show that recalling happy memories can head off stress, anxiety, and depression — something that is much needed in our busy lives and even more so in current times. Since it’s easy to capture the most enjoyable moments of our vacations with a smartphone, go ahead and record singing around the campfire while eating s’mores. Take pictures of the scenic views, your picnic spread, the fish your teenager caught, or the thousand-piece puzzle your family put together. You’ll enjoy revisiting these memories in the months and years to come.

As easy as it might be to keep on working and skip a vacation, don’t. Following the suggestions above can provide you with an experience that leaves you refreshed and re-energized, and you don’t have to go very far to do it.

In my case,
the best
H O L I D A Y
I take is the one
I DON’T. . .
I relax by working
. . .I know that sounds strange
but while I was recently off
I still conducted a steady stream of funerals
(WHICH IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS I BELIEVE I WAS BORN)
I read
I READ A LOT
I wrote
I WROTE A LOT
I walked
I WALKED A LOT
We one-day’d trips
WE ONE-DAY’D A LOT
otherwise I come down with a severe case of
LEISURE SICKNESS
(go ahead, GOOGLE IT)
It’s an illness
that attacks when you very suddenly come to a stop and start to relax, it throws your hormones off balance. This then, affects your immune system and makes your body vulnerable to getting sick. . .who knew that Adrenaline not only helps us cope with stress but actually boosts our immune systems to help fight infections, I know, I know, it’s the
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm of the Day
but here’s a sure-fire remedy:
PLAY JUST AS HARD
Now that’s some
H O L I D A Y I N G
we could not only all use
but benefit. . .

HOLIDAY ON
(it’s a great cure for color blindness, too)

It wasn’t his best known movie.     .     .

neither Matt Damon or

Will Smith’s.          .          .

Charlize Theron’s, either;

Directed by Robert Redford

it came out in 2000.          .          .

It’s an adaptation of a novel by Steven Pressfield

that uses golf as a metaphor for one man’s spiritual and philosophical journeys;

Damon’s character, Junuh goes to World War I

and doesn’t come back the same

as a man

or a golfer.          .          .

when things seem hopeless

a mysterious gentleman named Bagger Vance (WILL SMITH)

volunteers to serve as Damon’s caddy/coach

using a mixture of ancient wisdom

and past-life knowledge to help Junuh

R  E  M  E  M  B  E  R

the swing

errrrh, the LIFE

he’s lost.           .          .

It all comes to a Perfect Storm

in the Woods where Damon’s ball has gone askew

and he’s ready to

CASH      IT      IN

on all levels.          .          .

and then the

QUESTIONS

are asked of him

a   n   d         u   s

with the lush SOUNDTRACK

of Rachel Portman accompanying us note for note

as much as word for word:

ARE    WE    IN    A    GAME    THAT    CAN’T    BE    WON,

ONLY    PLAYED.          .          ?

Do  we  walk  towards

WHERE    WE    HAVE    ALWAYS    BEEN.          .          .?

Y O U.        .        .

Your HISTORY

YOUR   ONCE   UPON   A   TIME

IS  NOW

AS MUCH AS IT EVER WAS

IT  IS  NOW

ALL OF IT

in BLINK-OF-THE-EYE-QUICKNESS

It’s all just a moment ago

as much as it is your next breath.          .          .

It’s time to come out of the Shadows;

TO  KNOW

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

and that

YOU NEVER HAVE BEEN ALONE;

PLAY THE GAME.          .          .

PLAY YOUR GAME.          .          .

The ONE you were meant to PLAY

The ONE given to you to PLAY

when you came into this World.          .          .

TAKE   YOUR   SHOT

Strike YOUR BALL

DON’T  HOLD  NOTHING BACK

LET YOURSELF REMEMBER

NOW IS THE TIME!

Swing Freely

and   B E

the Miracle of YOU

instead of just

PLAYING      A       PART

(Now.     .    .that’s living

not existing

not sustaining

not surviving

L       I       V       I       N       G

in vivid, brilliant,
C O L O R)

QUIET   ON  THE  SET

Ready

and

A              C              T              I              O              N

(no cameras necessary)