The World According To Crystal

Investments and the future dominated my brain last week.

I met with a financial planner to roll over my 401K and with an accountant to get things rolling for From The Hip Communications, my new biz.

If you know me at all, you know that I hate dealing with money unless I’m giving to charity.

The most important investment I made last week, though, was to a girl I haven’t even met yet. All I know is that she will graduate in 2015.

I made a six-year pledge to Circle de Luz, a giving circle that helps Latinas get through a vulnerable time in their life: 7th grade through high school graduation.

Here’s the group’s mission statement:

Circle De Luz radically empowers young Latinas by supporting and inspiring them in the pursuit of their possibilities through extensive mentoring, programming, and scholarship funds for further education.

“Radically empowers” sealed the deal for me.

Rosie Molinary, my dear friend and fellow fierce woman, created the circle after the 2007 tour for her book, Hijas Americanas: Beauty, Body Image, and Growing Up Latina. Rosie was asked repeatedly:  “But what I can I do to help?”

I joined because the young women in Circle de Luz’s Class of 2015 may become doctors, lawyers, teachers, mothers, nurses, journalists, artists, etc.  And they might be inspired to create giving circles to help others.

Call it paying it forward. Call it investing. I call it money well spent.

If you pick up the latest copy of Charlotte magazine or cruise its web site, you’ll see an essay that originated on this blog.

Here’s the back story: Rick Thurmond, editor of Charlotte magazine, read my “Learning to Breathe Again” blog entry (May 12) after seeing a link to it on Twitter. He asked to print the post in the July issue. And, oh, then he asked if could I make it longer… the magic words every writer longs to hear from an editor.

Here’s a link to the expanded piece and a link to Rick’s lovely words about my life in his letter from the editor. During the editing process, he asked thoughtful questions and pushed me to go deeper about what was going on to prompt my departure. Many thanks to him!

It’s only been out for a few days but I’m getting emails, tweets and Facebook messages of support and kudos. I’m grateful and blessed.

I hope the essay provides hope to someone who is struggling through this difficult time. I found my silver lining in this doom and gloom. I know others can, too.

Feel free to email me if you have questions or just want to chat: crystaldempsey.personal@gmail.com.

Still wanting to see “Fairy Tale Chronicles”? But you still want the “FOC” (friend of Crystal) $5 off discount? Go tonight… the “FOC” has been extended… see post below.

Big shout out to Chris Hill, the wonderful son of Kathleen Purvis and Wayne Hill, for being such a great stagehand, through sickness, health and inclement weather, to the “FTC” production.

And if you want some French yummies or want to say hi, swing by Amelie’s French Bakery & Cafe after the show. I’ll be working and would love to get ya hooked on what this divine place has to offer.

à plus tard!!

Members of "The Fairy Tale Chronicles" cast include (from left): Tonya Bludsworth, Chandler McIntyre, Catherine Smith, Mark Scarboro, Tom Scott and Darlene Parker Black

“Fairy tales can come true. It can happen to you. If you’re young at heart…”

I always thought that opening line of  Frank Sinatra’s “Young at Heart” so poetic.

Until I realized that most fairy tales aren’t kind to women, and we shouldn’t want them to come true.

However, “The Fairy Tale Chronicles” playing at Theatre Charlotte have made me rethink my position.

Theater producer/actor Donna Scott (and my dear friend) conjured up the vision for this show two years ago after her second successful production of “The Body Chronicles.”

She asked local writers to deconstruct and re-imagine the tales of evil stepmothers, harpies, shrews and gullible dimwits.

More than 150 local artists and patrons of the arts community worked with Donna to develop the best entries. Five of those original pieces are being performed by some of the best actors working in the city. The playwrights include Jennifer Hubbard, Marla Brown, Iesha Hoffman, Stan Peal and Shannon Reichley.

Keep your eye on Mark Scarboro in "The Fairy Tale Chronicles." He's so funny that I almost peed my pants.

The director, Sheila Snow Proctor, is pretty damn awesome, too! (She just finished the multi-character supporting role in “Southern Rapture.“)

Did I mention that the original music is by the one and only Gina Stewart (actor and member of Volatile Baby and Doubting Thomas)? Oh, and there’s been a whole arts festival going on during the two-week run? ***I’m going to see Slam Charlotte’s Concrete Generation perform at 7:30 pm Wednesday, June 10.***

So, here’s the deal I have for you: For the June 11 (Thursday) show of “The Fairy Tale Chronicles,” get $5 off of the price of each ticket you buy if you walk up to the box office and say “I want the FOC special!“

FOC = Friend of Crystal.

Regular ticket prices are $21 for adults; $19 for seniors; $12 for children 12 & under. Yes, the show is kid-friendly.

The performance starts at 8 pm and is general admission. The earlier you get there, the better your seat and the parking spot. This offer is only good for the June 11 show.

Theatre Charlotte is at 501 Queens Road. Click here for deets.

Read Observer Theater writer Lawrence Toppman’s preview and review of  “The Fairy Tale Chronicles.”

See ya at the theater Thursday for a night of original, local entertainment!

PS: If you can’t make it and you know someone who might be interested in going, tell them about the FOC deal.

I’ve been doing a lot of firsts these last few months.

One of the more fun firsts was recording a JellyCast, a fancy way of saying a podcast with Josh McGlinn and Nathan Longbrook of CLT Jelly. We gathered a few weeks ago at Estelle’s SouthEnd during the regularly scheduled #CLTJelly.

Did he or didn't he have nipple enhancement? Photo from Entertainment Weekly.

***I know at this point some of  you are thinking “Crystal, honey, what the hell is #CLTJelly?” No worries. I didn’t know what a Jelly was until mid-April. It’s a casual gathering of people who want to co-work (click here for a deeper, more thoughtful explanation). BTW, the CLTJelly crew moves around. Click here for locations.***

It was a blast. Actually, it was very much like doing a radio show but there were no station breaks or laser hair removal ads.

What did we talk about: artistic garbage cans, Babe the Pig, my journalism career, the buff Dane Cook, how to kill your man’s request for a 3-way, one man’s fear of cereal, and my ability to give good authenticity.

For the record, I think Josh has a trademark pending on “good authenticity.”

Warning: it’s PG-13 in spots, and it’s very free form.

Click here to download the JellyCast.

Mad love to Josh, Nathan and special guest and CLTJelly regular Summer Plum.

What would topics would you like to hear us do a JellyCast on? Suggestions welcome.