BWW Blog: Meggie Cansler - The Wine Country Speakeasy and More

Transcendence Theatre Company had an INCREDIBLE week!! We closed DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY and also held a special and NEW experience, the Wine Country Speakeasy.

As we embark on a new journey with a new cast, here is Meggie Cansler to tell you all about it...

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Oh my, friends! How can it be the end of August already??? The third show is complete and we have sent off another cast inspired to live the life of their dreams and welcomed in our final cast to go beyond the usual limits and create a piece that will leave them vibrating with joy for a lifetime.

Sound lofty? Hardly. That is what this company does! It certainly did it to me and Transcendence Theatre Company continues to touch everyone it comes into contact with - be it community members, patrons, random visitors, or artists that have given us their time.

I always tell people on their first day, "I dare you to try and leave unchanged. It just won't happen. This place, these people, and the magic that is Son-home-a is infectious." I haven't been proven wrong yet. More and more people flock to be apart of Transcendence and no one ever wants to leave. It is a truly magical experience, and as it grows and grows, more and more people are changed, affected, and become believers in the power that art can change the world.

Caption: Celebrating the closing of "Dance the Night Away" at the Jack London Saloon! Seems appropriate!

This last week the Speakeasy was the talk of the town! Me oh my oh! What fun we had collaborating and creating the world of the 1920's. Our audience came dressed up and ready to play. We remained in our characters and mixed and mingled with people who knew us well. They were tickled to create names of their own, dialects of their own, and outfits of their own!

The property of Cornerstone Sonoma became our playground. There were so many nooks and crannies and places where you never knew who you were going to come across or what scene would be happening. In one place, a tap dancing bloke, in another, standards being sung by a dark haired goddess. Or perhaps you came across a tarot card reader, a MAD red head who had been drinking since she woke up, a blonde wanna-be starlet looking for wealth and fame, a penniless love-struck musician, or a dandy looking to fulfill your dance card needs... You never knew who you were going to find! And in the end it all culminated with a performance that left people talking and wanting more.

I told you in my last blog if you didn't make it, you would have all the FOMO (fear of missing out). It truly was the event of the season! Shall we bring it back? Vivian sure wants it to...

Caption: Meggie Cansler or "Vivian" sings about her love for jewels in "Diamonds Are Forever"

Janis Snyder, Transcendence's costume curator, took things to new levels with her eye for this period. The costumes were incredible. I haven't stopped hearing about "Vivian's" dress since. Now, if I could only afford to buy it! Hopefully we shall see it again... Or you can purchase your own at Bella Vita in the Sonoma Square!

Caption: Patron Manuel M gets more than he bargained for with these saucy ladies: Keri Safran, Meggie Cansler, and Jessica Coffman

Sound like a fun evening that you would like to be a part of? This experience could very well take place again... but you need to make that happen! Go to the Transcendence website for more details on hosting your own private Speakeasy Experience.

Caption: What a cast of kooks. No one knew what to expect!

Now we begin the Gala Celebration! Our last concert and always a special event and fundraiser for Transcendence Theatre Company so that we can continue making this very big dream happen.

We hold some very special people in our hearts this year that we will remember always.

Our lovely Carole Barbour, who has inspired the hashtag #CaroleDiem, the wonderful Kenna Thomas who gave is the gift of Rachel Louise Thomas, one of our special starlets that gives the gift of smiles to so many, and my Grandma Eleanor would have been so in love with this place.

Benny Goblin (the saxophonist who played the first musical note ever for Transcendence), Russel Dickinson and Baja Mama (from Punta Banda, Mexico where Transcendence Company originated), Barbara Cullen (who we knew from the WillMar Center), and our Director Roy Lightner's grandfather Louis Drackert III, among a few other dear friends and loved ones.

We revel in the memories and keep them in our hearts, but the Gala Celebration will be special to heal all of us missing people that have left an indelible mark on our lives. After all, while it is the centennial of Jack London's death, we celebrate his LIFE as we sing in the ruins of his winery. We celebrate him and all of the lives lost, and raise our wine glass high in the sky for all they have given us.

Cheers, my friends!

To the best summer ever, well lived days, and for living in natural magic!

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Meggie Cansler is a Resident Artist and Artistic Coordinator with Transcendence Theatre Company.

Transcendence Theatre Company's Broadway Under the Stars 2016 Season runs from June through September in Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen, CA only 45 miles north of San Francisco in Wine Country. More information and tickets available online at BestNightEver.org or call 877-424-1414, Ext 1.

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