The next few days are going to be very busy in the Brandeis-McGunigle household...

My daughter Hannah is performing in Shakespeare for Children at the Performance Loft in Redlands this Thursday and Friday at 7pm. The show, directed by the luminous Katherine Thomerson, contains excerpts from 5 different Shakespeare plays; Hannah is playing Juliet (the balcony and the death scenes.) Tonight was dress rehearsal, and Hannah blew me away; I cried my eyes out.

To make Friday more complicated, both of my husband's bands--Old Brown Shoe and Bucksworth--are going to be playing that night at the Fender Museum (the concert will benefit the museum's Kids Rock Free program.)

And speaking of benefit concerts, this Saturday marks Inspire Hope 2: Riverside Responds to Hurricane Katrina, the benefit show I am organizing with my friend Nancy at Back to the Grind in Riverside. It will be an evening of spoken word, belly dance, and music (and yes, Old Brown Shoe and Bucksworth will both be playing short sets, so if you miss them Friday, you can get a taste of them on Saturday, along with a taste of lots of other wonderfully talented local artists.) A silent auction begins at 5:30; the show begins at 6:30 (and should stretch well into the night--over 20 performers have committed to the event.) Every penny raised will go to grass roots hurricane relief efforts. If you have any questions, please let me know...

And because it seems every single one of us has to perform this weekend, my son Arin will be gracing football fields with his school marching band on both Friday and Saturday. I wish I could quarter myself (or maybe clone myself) so I could be in four places at once.

Come Sunday, I think we'll all be ready to chill (hopefully together)...