Benefits of Theatre

This blog post originally appeared on the HMAC website:

I recently wrapped production on my most recent directorial job, Valley Theatre's Wise Women (which co-starred Miss Sarah!).  This production was really rewarding for me because the cast was made up of all people I have directed before.  Having them together like this made think back to the first time I worked with each of them.  All had a certain amount of natural talent at the beginning, but I've been able to watch it refine over the years.  They seem to grow more natural on stage with each production.  As they become more comfortable their confidence builds, and that is something that is valuable off stage as well.
In my semesters teaching acting at HMAC, I've really enjoyed that chance to work with younger actors.  It gives me a chance to lay a strong foundation of the fundamentals of acting.  I'm able to focus on the little subtleties that I don't often have time to deal with in a typical rehearsal environment. Having a handle on these basic principles (posture, projection, expression, gestures, etc.) will help them to stand out that when they go out to auditions for plays, but it is also applicable outside of theater.  They are things that will be helpful when you are talking in front of groups, in regular social settings or even with jobs down the line.  My theater background has hugely beneficial to me in my day-to-day life, and I really think it can be a great tool, particularly for building confidence.  Wise Women was a lot of fun, but I'm really looking forward to getting back into the HMAC classroom with a fresh crop of students. 

Wise Women is go for launch!

It's always a little sad when a show comes to end.  Wise Women has been a lot of fun to work on, and, while I'll be glad to have some free time again, I'll miss it.  Amy made cast t-shirts, so at least we'll get a souvenir!  I'm hoping the cold won't keep too many people away!  Anyway, we open tonight!  Shows run Friday 12/13 and Saturday 12/14 at 7pm down in the Houghton Fire Hall.  Here's my brief director's note:

We’ve talked about doing a Christmas show for several years now, and finally the time was right.  I read many scripts before stumbling across Wise Women.  This one stood out to me because it was sentimental without being cheesy, fun without being too light and the characters seemed lively and interesting.

The cast has been great to work with.  They are all people I have directed before and most have worked together at some point or another, so we had a really easy dynamic that just made things fun.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy the show as much as we enjoyed putting it together.  Oh, and Merry Christmas. -NG

Theater: hate/love/whine/hate/love.

Every time I'm gearing up to do a play, one thought runs over and over in my mind:  I don't want to do this.  It's taxing, it's complicated, it's time consuming, it's a pain.  It would be nice if I could say that once the show starts I don't feel that way, that I am swept away in the magic of theater - but that's not really true.  My feeling of not wanting to do it continues throughout the run, any time I'm not currently in rehearsal, working on the set or watching the finished product.  When I'm actively working on the show, I love doing it.  It's exciting.  It's good old-fashioned fun.  So why don't I remember that when I'm not doing it?  I have no idea.

I'm currently directing my 16th show (Wise Women with The Valley Theatre), and I've felt this way basically every time.  I guess that's due, in part, to my pessimistic nature.  I can't fathom the idea that I might actually enjoy myself, despite all of the evidence to the contrary.  It's a really attractive quality of mine.  I remember and forget how much I enjoy it with each rehearsal, and by the end all is well because I'm happy that I did it.   So basically all of the complaining is just a big waste of time and energy for me. I think it's probably my wife who suffers the most from this phenomena, because she's had to endure a conversation like this one at least a dozen times:

Me: I don't know why I do this.  I hate it.

Her: No you don't.  You enjoy it.  You find it fulfilling.

Me: You don't know.

Her: Trust me.

Me:  Seriously, this will be the last show I do.

Her: No it won't.  You say that everytime.

Me: I don't think I do.

Her:  You do.  

Me.  Well, whatever.  I don't like it.  It's dumb.

Her: You're wrong.  Whenever you come home from rehearsal you are all energized and talking about how much fun all had.

And so on...  (At this point I usually fake a headache or starting singing showtunes to change the subject.)  What it comes down to is that I hate directing plays, it's draining, and this will probably be my last one.

So, in conclusion.  I love directing plays.  It's fulfilling in a way nothing else is.  I'll never stop doing it.  And you should come see Wise Women next weekend (12/13&14) because it's a great show and we've had a ball doing it. I'm just a whiny-pants.

Wise Women '13!