Barry's Life in Napa Blog

Early March, 2020... For me, it doesn't get any busier than it was the first 10 days of March one year ago. On top of prepping and hosting the morning drive radio show on KVON, I anchored our election night coverage, sat in as a "guest teacher" on a friend's acting class in Santa Rosa, had a couple of fund development meetings for the Lucky Penny, rehearsed Sweeney Todd, and prepped the theatre for "Local Bands Night" on Friday (always a money maker at the bar). Plus two teaching sessions for the elementary school theatre project that would culminate on Tuesday, March 10th. There wasn't enough time to worry about having too many things on my plate because I had too many things on my plate. Navigated that week, gave the best I had to each chunk of it, and steeled myself for the week ahead which would lead into tech week for Sweeney.  One year later I am home before dark every night and sleep a glorious number of hours each night, sleeping so indulgently t

It's mid February, 2020. I have a business meeting over a drink at nice Napa Valley bar and grill. There's no way of knowing that such simple pleasures will soon become off limits for more than a year.   At the theatre my biggest worry is the new law, AB5, that is going to turn community theatre financials upside down. But our rehearsal room is busy with dance classes and vocal lessons, and two new projects are underway - rehearsal for Sweeney Todd, and a theatre arts unit for a local elementary school that will wrap up in three weeks, on March 10th. That turns out to be a significant date.   On the weekend, I catch a show in Rohnert Park and see my granddaughter perform in Sacramento. We sit shoulder to shoulder and there's lots of hugging like always around theatres. We go out for food, naturally. There are no hand sanitizer stations, no markings on the floor six feet apart, no one wears a mask because it still seems the thing can be contained. Or it's like earlier sc

The first two weeks... One year ago today the calendar was chock-a-block with things to do and places to go. It was Saturday, February 1st, 2020, and over at Lucky Penny we had some classes for kids going and a rehearsal for our upcoming musical. I was set to work a half day in a local tasting room, and the Kiwanis Club of Napa crab feed was a highlight on the social scene that evening (which tells you a lot about Napa). Roddy Ricch had the number one song that week but I don't think the DJ played it at the crab feed.  One day earlier, on January 31st, 2020, the first positive coronavirus test in the Bay Area had been recorded in Santa Clara County.   One year ago this week we were meeting with potential donors for our biggest fund development project in Lucky Penny's 11-year history, and we hosted the Boys and Girls Club and Poetry Out Loud at the Community Arts Center. Most of the morning radio shows were kind of B- that week even though the California primary was only a mont