My creative team and I decided to produce Seussical, Jr for my "swan song" show. Not because it was a favorite of mine, or even a burning desire. I'd never seen it, I just know that it existed and hadn't done too well on B'way. I'd been told by other drama teachers/directors that is was just FUN to do. Good enough for me.
So we did it. And we did it freakishly well! Much of the time you know what kind of production you have. A good one. A great one. A show. And thats all I thought we had....was a show. But it was ok...we really were having fun and it would be over one way or another.
People would ask how it was going, and my reply would be: it's going. And then it was our first big "putting it all together" rehearsal -- not really a run through, certainly NOT a dress rehearsal -- just a working on all the little things we hadn't had time for. This rehearsal is usually filled with yelling and anxiety and stress. Not so. We finished early. My nearly 100 7th and 8th graders were cooperative and hard working. Hmmm...maybe we had more than a "show".
Then we had our first dress rehearsal. And, oh my! We had a good show. A really good show. By performance time we had a GREAT show. Probably one of the best I've produced for the middle school. And one of the best things: it was SO incredibly evident how much FUN they were all having. It was really beautiful. And many people remarked on seeing how much fun the kids were having. I was so proud of them and happy for them.
It didn't suck for me either: to have so much of what I "preach" show up live in front of sold out audiences!
It was a nice way to say goodbye to the my middle school home of 15 years.
No comments:
Post a Comment