In the Mind of a Director

Ten minutes until house opens! Where did the pins go? I thought I put them here last night after the performance… Last night’s performance really brought down the cast, tonight is going to be hard. I will have to give a pep talk then. Ahh, there are the pins. Now where did I set down the skirt? Seven minutes until the house opens! I will have to remind the cast that every audience is different and some are really dead. It was not their fault that the audience thought that the show was not very funny… or if they even thought that. I mean they loved it; they just were not very expressive. Pin in, only through one layer. Remember that this repair only has to last one more night. House is open, fifteen minutes to curtain. Has our effort really only boiled down to three performances? It is so sad that our months of practice have come down to this. Ten minutes to curtain. At least we could share it. I remember the hardest time, tech week, or in our case, tech day. The day where we had to work for nine hours from line to line, and cue to cue so that the technical aspect of the production could be added. This day can be defined as the time where everyone has to learn how to run around with a positive attitude, with three hours of sleep from the night before and have a load of four hours of homework still to do. Five minutes to curtain. One-inch border around the whole hem of the skirt, remember, and pay attention to where that needle goes. The actors have done a wonderful job. Look at them running around backstage and having fun. We are the great big family of thespians just living for these times behind and onstage. I am very proud of all the work and effort they have put into this production. There the skirt is done. Two minutes before curtain. I’m on the speech tonight? Ok… let me think for a minute. Places!

Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to tonight’s performance, we are so excited to have you tonight. Well, sort of, after last night’s audience we will only be happy to have you if you actually react to the acting by laughing. Please be a good audience. Out of courtesy of the actors please turn off your cellphones and please take no photographs. We have actors doing acrobatics and tricky movement onstage and even the red light is distracting. You would think that they already know these things, but there is always someone who is not following the rules, even when we state them directly. Also, this is a comedy so please laugh! *laughter* Ok, what did I say that was funny? ‘please laugh, it is a comedy’… ok it might be a bit funny. Wait for the curve in the laughter… Please enjoy the show!

Lights down. Music. Actors in place… cross fingers and … action.

(507)