30 Days of NYMF Day 18: Captain Gravy's Wavy Navy

The Wavy Navy Plays at Night
A Day in the Life of Captain Gravy's Wavy Navy: Where's the Moon?
By Jeff Katz, co-writer of Captain Gravy's Wavy Navy

People always ask me what I'm doing up at 3:00 in the morning e-mailing them.  I tell them to imagine my own surprise when I get a reply at 3:03am from the show's director, Elizabeth Lucas….or the 3:07am response from producer David Leidholdt….or the tardy 3:15 am message from my partner in the great adventures of Captain Gravy, David Cooper.   And then my fiancée appears from nowhere and shows me an email that "I have to read."  That takes me to 4:00 am.  

My communications with the "Gravy Creatives" have come from over 1500 miles away.  Shortly after Katrina, I moved back to my native New Orleans.  I now market coffee and it has worked wonders in the development of this project. But it also involves lots of e-mail…. so, between the two; I'm up to over 200 a day.

The invitation to the NYMF serves as a personal tribute to New Orleans and its incredibly strong people and culture.  Part of the show is set on the bayou.  It's almost spooky how topical the swamp dialog is today. But that's New Orleans.

Currently, I get daily updates from David C. but it's hard to match the explosive energy a talented partnership brings to a project.  The adrenaline rush is far more effective than coffee, although it does not make you less anxious about the process.  Not having seen rehearsals, I will be experiencing this production for the first time.  I have not met over half of the cast.  It's an emotion that's hard to describe.

I would really like to write more, but its 2:30 am and I recently received emails from Rachel the Stage Manager, the 2 Davids, Elizabeth and have to do some assorted press stuff. I think they total about 20 more e-mails.  E-mail sucks. 

Visit www.nymf.org for tickets and more information.