Reflections.....

There was a lot of love in this production. There was a lot of headache too, lol, but there was so much laughter and love. I learned several lessons in the past couple of months. I finally learned the value of delegation. I also thought up a more efficient audition process.:o)
This cast was made up of veterans and newbies, kids that didn't really know each other a few months ago. Yesterday, there were hugs, jokes, and tears of goodbyes. My kids are so precious to me. I love directing these shows because I get to watch them transform as actors and as people. I get to watch them grow with the knowledge they glean from their production, from each other, and from me.

I'll miss these kids and I look forward to the next show. 

Tech Week and First Weekend

Two weeks ago, I was terrified. The show wasn't where it needed to be. I hadn't seen all of the costumes, and I hadn't had one rehearsal with my entire cast present. There was slight conflict within the cast. I was a mess. Last Monday, second day of Tech Week, I had a mom text me within 30 minutes of rehearsal, telling me that her family was sick and wouldn't be at rehearsal. I lost it. I bawled all of the way to the theatre, crawled above the tech booth (no lie) and cried until I heard the kids getting restless below. I had reached the final breaking moment that evening.

Tuesday rolled around, and it was as if the clouds had lifted. The cast was there, the costumes were there, everything fit into place. 

Thursday night's dress rehearsal was in front of a small audience, who responded well to the kids and fueled the kids with the right amount of energy. 

Opening night was fantastic. The kids took it up a few notches and presented a great production each day, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The most memorable moment in this production was when Stone (Digory) accidentally replaced "pair of spectacles" with "pair of testicles." That was a heartstopper, though I laughed quite hard. 

I realized today that we are in the final days. We reach this moment with every production, and it never gets better. Despite the headaches and tears, I will miss this cast, this production.