the monster show

who would have known that such a souffle of a show, such a lighthearted, airy romantic comedy, would be so much work?!?
i have been yelling at the kids a lot. but on wednesday we had our first four-hour rehearsal and they finally started stepping it up a bit. thursday was good too. on friday, two students left the theatre for unexplained reasons and i had to yell about that ("what do i have to do-- cut my arms off and throw them at you?!?!?"), but at the beginning of the week i decided to start giving it all up to jesus, and that was a good decision. it's their show. let them do what they will.
fortunately, i have my brother-in-law danny, who is a home builder, and he has been the channel through which a lot of the immense set has been built. today we had a tech day in which we got all the remaining flats put up and painted, doors hung, trim glued on, stencil designs painted on flats, chairs and tables acquired, props organized, tickets printed, portraits gathered, sound cues solidified, hats made, hairstyles agreed upon, makeup bought and experimented with, more painting, painting, painting, and the list goes on...
it's been really satisfying work. the dedicated kids break my heart, just a little bit more than the undedicated ones who suddenly show an interest when they realize "hey-- this might be something after all!"
and once again, i'm thrilled for opening night.
they open on wednesday. more to come.