Well, I’m back home in New Orleans, so how appropriate to find some news from here to write about, however unfortunate. I learned that Le Petite Theatre has had to lay off many of their workers. My grandmother used to take me here when I was a little girl. It’s where I saw my first production of Hans Christian Anderson’s, The Little Mermaid. I remember being completely captivated by the set design. Uh-oh, that may have been an early introduction to decorative painting. I later did a stint with set design — as a scenic painter at Arena Stage. I received a bunch of hands-on training there. I also learned…