Well, I'm dug back into my burrow after a fortnight out of the office. I've been doing some in-depth theatrical investigation of a story by one of my favourite pin-up boys, Anton Chekhov. It's been a chance, rare in my life, to concentrate on one thing for a whole two weeks. Well, almost one thing: I did see a few shows, and still want to think a little further on the MTC's production of Pinter's The Birthday Party.

But stepping aside from the quotidian pressure for a little while has been a much-needed opportunity to touch base, and to reflect on the things I value, in life as much as in art. They're the same things I've always valued, but to articulate them is difficult; perhaps this constant unfolding and evolution, this desire to express what it is that delights and hurts us, is the entire practice of a life. Anyway, while I've been pondering the meaning of existence, work has been piling up on my desk: piles of envelopes and a few hundred emails in my inbox, reminding me of a bunch of things that have gone under the TN radar lately. I'm slowly catching up, which seems to be the refrain of my days.

Among several interesting events and shows, I missed the launch of the Store Room Theatre's 2009 season. Relaunching after a hiatus of public performance, artistic director Todd MacDonald has put together an ambitious program that looks rich, various and deeply interesting. It's a staggeringly diverse program that includes new work by Ming Zhu-Hii, Ross Mueller, Tommy Murphy, Cerise de Gelder and Lee Blessing. One work, designer Anna Tregloan's The Dictionary of Imaginary Places, is part of the Melbourne Festival program. (Tregloan's last piece at the Malthouse, an installation/theatre piece called Black, was a fascinating immersive experience.) Which reminds me that we're coming up to the Melbourne Festival's official launch next week, and I'm working on a thorough preview of Brett Sheehy's first program. Watch this space.