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Tommy Hensel

Sparkling Isolation – Day 85

June 11, 2020 //  by Tommy Hensel//  Leave a Comment

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Phototropism.

Yesterday I noted how much weather impacts my mood. Today, after a rather gloomy day yesterday, the sun is back out and temperatures are moderate with lower humidity. That means I can finally get outside again today.

My day yesterday moved back towards the direction of “normalcy” in some ways. Things related to my job were not appreciably different than any other early June day with the exception of meetings online rather than in person. I still have deadlines related to the end of the fiscal year. There are still annoying people asking for useless bits of information – I guess to justify their paychecks.

On a more positive note, yesterday I made a reservation to go out to a restaurant tonight to sit on their outdoor patio. It has been impossible to get a reservation for a “table for one” since patios reopened. Apparently, nobody wants to “waste space” on a single diner when they could have two people at all of their two-tops. That has been supremely depressing to me.

Luckily, I am friends with many restaurant people and contacted the bar manager of a restaurant I used to frequent. So tonight, for the first time in over twelve weeks, I will actually dine at a restaurant. Those who know me well know just how significant that is. I have a side gig as a restaurant reviewer and have a robust Instagram presence related to restaurant food and cocktails. To be away for twelve weeks is a bizarre experience.

Yesterday was also the first time I received an email about booking a performance at my theater and thought, “I might be able to do that.” It is a potential free concert in October with one of the military music ensembles which tour around the country. I am calling the Sergeant in charge today. It made me feel, briefly, like a normal arts presenter again.

Today, I have moved my “home office” back into my kitchen to catch the bright sunshine beaming through my east-facing windows. Like the title of this post says, I feel as though I am phototropic like many plants. I yearn towards the light.

That, of course, is also a metaphor. Today’s sunshine reminds me to revisit my thoughts of the past few “sparking isolation” posts to continue my journey towards new energy.

It’s only Quarantine if it comes from the Quarante province of France. Otherwise, it’s just Sparkling Isolation.

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Category: ThoughtsTag: Sparkling Isolation

About Tommy Hensel

Tommy Hensel is the Director of the Fine and Performing Arts Center at Moraine Valley Community College (www.morainevalley.edu/fpac), a position he has held since January 2008. A native of Columbia, South Carolina, he has worked for more than 35 years as a professional actor, singer, stage manager, director, and arts presenter. He holds a B.A. in music and a B.A. in communication from Florida State University and an M.A. in theater from the University of South Carolina. He currently serves as Chair of the Illinois Presenters Network and is a board member of NAPAMA. He served as co-chair of the 2018 Arts Midwest Conference and currently sits on the professional development committees of both NAPAMA and Arts Midwest.

Prior to his move to Chicago, Tommy was an 11-year resident of the Seacoast region of New Hampshire where he served as Executive Director of the Rochester Opera House and sat on several non-profit arts boards. He has served on grant review panels for the New England Foundation for the Arts, New Hampshire Arts Council, Vermont Arts Council, and Illinois Arts Council. During his years as an arts presenter, he has also served on the juried showcase panels for the Arts Midwest Conference and Performing Arts Exchange.

Among his many theater credits, Hensel was the founding artistic director of the Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival (now part of the Gamut Theatre Group in PA). He has over 50 professional directing credits to his name and an extensive resumé as a theatrical performer and cabaret singer. In Chicago, he has a side "gig" as a restaurant reviewer for The Local Tourist website (http://chicago.thelocaltourist.com) and blogs about travel and food at https://www.tableforoneplease.com.

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