It's a Matter of Trust
Every production that I've ever mounted can usually be summed up with one 'buzzword'. When we produced You Can't Take It With You that word was "Family". Last year for Anything Goes you could have summed up the production with the word "Energy". For All in the Timing, that word must be "Trust". From top to bottom, beginning to end there was a back and forth of trust. Last May, former department chair Darla Max put together an amazing cast. When they returned in the fall, that cast had to trust that the new group of directors taking on Darla's role would continue her vision for pushing our students and allowing them to grow as actors. We owe Darla a big thank you for giving us such great students with whom to work, and putting them in places where they would shine as actors.
The trust continued when I reached out to other faculty to direct three of the seven pieces. Directing can be a daunting task. I knew that Leslie, Kathryn, and Andrew are master teachers and would be able to pull moments out of the text from a different perspective than a seasoned stage director might. They have wonderful relationships with their students and there was nothing but trust that they would bring the students through the process with artistic grace. Conversely, the guest faculty directors needed to trust the students for their guidance navigating the unknowns of the rehearsal process. The cast of Words, Words, Words had the additional unknown of working with a student director, someone they have seen on our stage many times, but with whom have never worked in a leadership role. It was amazing to see Luke find his voice as a director, learning to trust his insticts, and for the actors to trust his ability to help bring out their "inner monkey." Thank you to my colleagues and my students.
In addition to a student director, I decided to entrust most of the design responsibilites to students for this production. Five students took on major responsibilites as Lighting Designer, Costume Designer, Scene Designer, Assistant Technical Director, and Backstage Manager. In my five years at THS, we have not had this many student leaders on one production. The trust that they showed in me when I told them they would be able to shine in these roles is only parralleled by the trust I put in them to take the art that is most important to me and run with it. I honestly wish every audience member could have been a fly on the wall for our "Tech Rehearsal" last Sunday. To watch these five people collaborate, communicate, and lead our actors through the process of adding scenery, lights, sound, props, and costumes to their respective scenes was nothing short of breathtaking. Thank you to our student leaders for their trust in themselves throughout production week. Even though I may be tough on you sometimes, it's only because I know what you are capable of (even if you think you aren't). I am very proud of all of you.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the institutional trust that has devoloped over the last two months. When I was appointed Department Chair, the school trusted me with the responsibiity of moving a strong department forward. I was tasked with developing a program that reached to all divisions and enhanced the already strong curriculum, as well as retaining the ideals and principles that were developed through the tenure of our two former department chairs. Now a department of two, the Theatre Department must work more collaboratively than ever before - in unison, even. Thank you to the school for the amazing opportunity to lead and impliment my vision, and a bigger thank you to Rachel for trusting my ideas, and enhancing them with her own. We make a great team and I look forward to making more theatre with you.
The final bit of trust is all of us trusting you, the audience. Every person on this team can work as hard as they have for as long as they have, but without you, we have nothing. Thank you for trusting us with your children, for trusting us with your precious time, and for trusting us to open your hearts and minds to the art of theatre.
I hope, we hope, that you enjoy the show.
