I'm only just getting round to mentioning this, but count me overjoyed that Larry Hembree is the new Executive Director of the Nickelodeon.

Larry and I go way back. His background is in community theatre, and he's a terrific actor and director. The first time I saw him was when he was at Clemson, appearing in David Mamet's The Water Engine. The next time I saw him, a few years later, was when he was the artistic director -- or whatever they called it -- at the Fine Arts Center in Camden, and proved over and again what a marvelously creative stage director he is. I might also add he's great with kids: for several years, Katie was in the FAC Arts Arising program; she went in a little shy, she came out fearless.

Larry is great at working with people, he has terrific artistic instincts, intelligence -- as anyone who has read his theater reviews can tell -- savvy and vision. He's perfect for the job, and I can't wait to tell him in person.