You want to be in our show! (You know you do...) + info on CINDY'S BRAIN

Hello all!

It's been a WHILE since I've blogged. Why? General laziness and ennui? Nothing of note to say? The elections are weighing too heavily on me?

NO!! None of those things. For those who don't know me well, the news is that I had to have urgent brain surgery a few months ago (November Friday the 13th, to be specific) and I've been healing up since then.

I HAVE A FLAIR FOR THE DRAMATIC -- is my claim. Yep. My problem was a 1.5cm colloid cyst that was just hanging out in my 3rd ventricle, near the Foramen of Munro. Doesn't it sound like I know what I'm talking about? It's like the geography of the moon in there. It could've caused sudden death for me, but it didn't. We caught it before it caught me. My surgeon is the head of neurosurgery at UCLA. I had excellent care there, and my husband and family have been amazing in helping me get back on my feet, literally and figuratively.

So now I have a bald spot about an inch wide on the top of my head the shape of a hockey stick, and a plate and screws permanently in my skull. No one can see the bald spot well because I've learned to camouflage it. Speaking of the elections -- I've seen enough Trump the last few months to have mastered the combover. I'll post a photo of my 'do at some point on the site. You have to look pretty hard to see the bald spot. I may even post a photo of the bald spot and scar! And possibly my MRI from the day before surgery, just to be sure your stomach turns. You'll be fascinated, I'm sure.

In October we presented about half of my new show about Anaïs Nin as a workshop at a very sweet theater in Santa Monica. The response was great. We worked out 10 pieces out of our total 20 for this workshop. Want to see some of it? Head over to anaisninunbound.com There's footage!

Then my husband Jack and I went to NY to visit our daughter Gracie at her college for family weekend, which also weirdly coincided with our 20th anniversary. The school also happens to be about 15 minutes down the road from where we were married. We celebrated, and saw our kid, and had a great time.

Home again, and to an appointment with a neurologist to have a look at my MRI, which threw my world into chaos. Just to be clear, I wasn't frightened in the slightest. Everyone has to die -- or so I'm told. So if this was my time, I was cool with that. But I got a new lease on life now.

After January, I began composition on the rest of the show. I'm happy to report that I can still compose, so yay for that.

We've had a couple of people drop out of our cast, so if you're interested in auditioning, please email us @ anaisdanceopera@gmail.com.

Questions/comments for me? Leave 'em below.

XOXO,

Cindy

#brainsurgery #colloidcyst #anaisnin #henrymiller #rockopera #cindyshapiro #janetroston #michaelquiett