Sunday, April 29, 2018

Belly Laughs and Whipped Cream

I realized as I gave my iced-coffee a healthy squirt of whipping cream this morning that every day should include this delicious mouthful of sweetness. That and a good belly laugh. I'm thankful I'm able to provide some of those for the folks here on the Emerald Coast. And not just here, I have groups around the country and the world who perform my shows.  So, in a sense, I'm helping to promote World Peace through giggles and guffaws.

We handed out a few of those last night at Samuel's Roadhouse Grill in Crestview with a show I wrote in 2010 called HORSIN' AROUND WITH MURDER. The show centers around a real-life event that occurs every 4 years called the Federation Equestre Internationale (French: International Federation for Equestrian sport) World Equestrian Games. For those of you with inquisitive minds and would like more detail, here's a little blurb from their website:

"The FEI World Equestrian Games™, held every four years in the middle of the Olympic cycle, is one of the biggest events on the global sporting calendar, combining eight equestrian World Championship caliber events in a pre-determined location. The FEI disciplines – Jumping, Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining – are all included on the competition schedule, while equestrian-focused demonstrations and exhibitions will also be hosted throughout the duration of the event. The 2018 edition of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ will be held in Mill Spring, NC, over thirteen days from September 11-23rd, 2018 at Tryon International Equestrian Center."

In 2010 was asked by a murder mystery theater owner from Lexington, Kentucky, Dana Edison of Bluegrass Mystery Theater, if I had a show about horses. I didn't, so decided to write one. I had to learn all about this event and the disciplines involved. Honestly, it made me want to hop in the car and head up to the event! And I still feel that way.  Maybe I will this year!  But in the meantime, I hope you can come see HORSIN' sometime this summer - it's on the schedule for La Paz in Destin, and won't be back until 2022 when the games return. The actors in the show - Cynthia Bergquist, Susan DeJesus, Jim Downum, Chris Manson and Sally Whitesell, are fantastically funny. And I couldn't spread all this World Peace without talent like theirs. 

Thanks to all!  -- Paula Hilton 

Deneeze Areshot (Susan DeJesus) and Houston Dallas (Jim Downum)  get cozy near the horses.

Taryn Wear (Cynthia Bergquist), Deneeze Areshot (Susan DeJesus) and Cheyanne Sassy (Sally Whitesell) make nice.

Steed Roper (Chris Manson) and Cheyanne Sassy (Sally Whitesell) make nice and make cozy!