Luke Leonard

1.  Have you ever had a transcendent experience?  

Today.  


If so, what happened?  


I adopted an alter ego.

2.  If you had to pick one sense and lose all others, what would it be?

The Sixth Sense.

3.  What is your favorite attribute in a person?  

Discipline.

4.  Describe your happiest accident.  

Having a splinter go under my thumbnail all the way up to my knuckle while "bear crawling" over a telephone pole during a football drill.  My thumb got infected and the knuckle swelled with puss.  For months I would sterilize a needle by burning the tip with a match, then poke a hole in my skin to push all of the puss out.  Eventually, tiny splinters began to surface.  It was quite fascinating and entertaining.

Honestly, I don't know.  I love happy accidents and look for them when making theatre.  (The answers to these questions will surely change.)  I experience and keep an eye out for happy accidents all of the time.

Maybe my happiest accident to date was attending the MFA Directing program at the University of Texas at Austin.  I applied on a whim thinking for sure they wouldn't accept me since they only take one or two directors per year, so I feel it was sort of accidental.  It turned out to be an experience that surpassed my expectations and fulfilled some wild dreams.

5.  If you had to choose one personal object to leave behind when you are gone, what would it be?  

Option 1) An archive of my work.  Option 2) My boots.  My daughter keeps saying that she wants a pair.  Option 3) A necklace my mother gave to me that reads, "Be the change you want to see in the world."  Option 4) A seed to plant from the more than 400 year old majestic oak tree that my great-grandfather used to climb when he was a boy.

Jacob Rogers

1.  Have you ever had a transcendent experience?  If so, what happened?


A recent transcendent experience? Well, my grandmother Leota just survived an unexpected and 10 day tie-up in her bowels. Being that she is 93, we (the family) were told many things... including not to expect much. She's not at home & still recovering; I'm very happy she's still with us.




2.  If you had to pick one sense and lose all others, what would it be?


The sense of sight. It provides a lot of info the way current events, and something about those we're sharing them with...




3.  What is your favorite attribute in a person?


Fearlessness is a good attribute. Explains for some the tendency to take risks & make sacrifices (or so I'm told).




4.  Describe your happiest accident.


Well, there was a "happy accident" for me in high school. Driving an old car I had to a friend's house one night, then backing into another person's car while trying to park with a fogged rear windshield. The driver of the car was upset at first; but we settled the damage and have been good friends ever since.




5.  If you had to choose one personal object to leave behind when you are gone, what would it be?


Perhaps such a personal object would be a letter or a postcard to a certain someone. Not sure which communication or important person just now, but exchanges like that have always intrigued me.

Karie Hunt

1. Have you ever had a transcendent experience? If so, what happened?

I don't know that I have. I look forward to one in the future!


2. If you had to pick one sense and lose all others, what would it be?

Sight. As much as I like to communicate with my voice, I take in so much information with my eyes. I would have a hard time going from being able to see all the amazing things in this world, to not being able to see anything. Communication, of course, would be a lot harder, but I feel confident that I could learn new ways to communicate. Losing my sight, I wouldn't even know where to begin getting past that.


3. What is your favorite attribute in a person?

Warmth. Warmth relaxes me and makes me feel like everything is going to be ok. I find real warmth in a person is something that is hard for people to fake. Anyone can be funny and charming, but not everyone can make you feel at home just being around them.


4. Describe your happiest accident.

I would have to say running into my now fiance, Louis, at a mutual friends party. There are so many small decisions that led to that night and moment, and my life is forever changed. It's more complete now.


5. If you had to choose one personal object to leave behind when you are gone, what would it be?

My teddy bear Cookie. It's one of the few constant items I have had with me my whole life, and I like to think it represents my personality: fun loving and always there if you need a hug. She is a little worn in, but all those wears are from times she was hugged and loved. All my wrinkles come from happy memories.

Andrea Miller Rhodes

1. Have you ever had a transcendent experience? If so, what happened?

When I met my husband Michael there was a complete rush of knowing. Earlier that night I was driving to the wedding where we met, alone, picturing what it would be like. Heading there I had a clear, connected vision of meeting someone, extending my hand to introduce myself and him saying in return..."Hello, I'm Michael."


2. If you had to pick one sense and lose all others, what would it be?

Sight


3. What is your favorite attribute in a person?

Sense of humor


4. Describe your happiest accident.

Discovering a little town called Tivoli.


5. If you had to choose one personal object to leave behind when you are gone, what would it be?

My 'second' wedding ring, I bought it in Ireland a few years ago. A beautiful Celtic design symbolizing an eternal bond...and a connection to our 'second' country. Our story.

J. Keith Van Straaten

1. Have you ever had a transcendent experience?  If so, what happened?


I take transcendant to mean that the feeling I had rose above (transcended!) the mere reality of the circumstances. By that brilliant definition, I have indeed, usually when listening to live music and/or making sweet love. 


2. If you had to pick one sense and lose all others, what would it be?


How could anyone choose anything other than smell? You can get through the world without smell, and in fact i'd venture to guess make a tidy profit off your disability too (freak shows, crime scenes, cleanup sites, etc). Losing any other sense would be cause for a major adaptation of lifestyle. Smell is mostly a luxury, save for the occasional detection of gas leaks and/or fresh donuts.


3. What is your favorite attribute in a person?


Willingness. Not to be confused for wilfullness. Or for Williamsburg.


4. Describe your happiest accident.


Dunno if it qualifies as an accident per se, but the choice of where to go to college has had a monumental effect on the rest of my life. What at the time seemed like an easy decision (especially since I was only admitted into one school) continues to show itself to be one of the most significant forks in the road of my life. It's almost not fair that such a crucial choice is left to a dopey 17-year-old.


5. If you had to choose one personal object to leave behind when you are gone, what would it be?


My computer. It's not that great, but it contains so much info about where i've been, who I interact with, and what I created. Plus, there's porn.

Stewart Skura

1.  Have you ever had a transcendent experience?  If so, what happened?

i No nO wOt Dis mEens.


2.  If you had to pick one sense and lose all others, what would it be?

DAYfuNeTELEe SMeL BCUz mY nnOS eES DEe pARt Of meE DaT I LvOe BEcuZZ i No hOo U R wIT mY NoSS. I No WEn U r neeR mE.

3.  What is your favorite attribute in a person?

WeL I WoOde saY iF u R NisE tO doGs. Dis MEEns u R niSe.


4.  Describe your happiest accident.

WoN TImE i FinD sUm PooP in De yaaRd enD I koOd RRroll aRownD Een itt aNd smElLedde Nise foaR De QeueeNe.

5.  If you had to choose one personal object to leave behind when you are gone, what would it be?

I nO No.  I TiNK mY rOPE bEcuZ i LvOE eet anD Eet Is fUN. I LvOe eet soo MUcch. I LVoE u to.