I was in my teens when I first saw the movie The Shawshank Redemption starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. It would quickly move to becoming one of my favorite movies. Later, I would read Stephen King's novella Rita Heyworth and The Shawshank Redemption. It was a tale that spoke to me during a time of uncertainty.
When I began my theater journey in 2015, I never thought that I would end up directing a show. It wasn't in my thought process until recently. After a rewatch of the movie I began to think that it had the potential to become a great stage show. I did my research and found that it had already been done. It was the push I needed to give directing a try.
The Shawshank Redemption is above all else, a story of hope. It is a story that shows that when all is set against you, you must never lose hope that things will turn out. Hope and resilience will see you through.
Theater, and particularly community theater, builds a sense of camaraderie that I've often felt is unique. You spend two months with a group of people making something beautiful and unique. As a first-time director, I had the pleasure of bringing a story that I love to the stage, and those who helped me along the way helped build that sense of camaraderie and friendship. It truly is a family effort and as the audience, you are the final piece to that puzzle. I hope you enjoy the show and remember "hope is a good thing...and no good thing ever dies."
