Directing "Scrooge"

This has been a busy week as we draw closer to opening night of the play, Scrooge, at a community theatre here in East Texas. Tonight is dress rehearsal and we open tomorrow. I am directing, as well as playing a small role, and the nerves are going into over-drive.

We are a small theatre, so there is no real depth of tech support, etc. People step up to help, which is great, but we never seem to have a designated stage manager or producer who take care of all those responsibilities for the show that shouldn't fall to the director. And no matter how hard we all try to plan and organize, it seems like there is always a new problem to deal with every day. Actors who can't continue so we have to find replacements. Props that we forgot we needed until almost the last minute. Who is going to do sound and lights? Who can do make-up?

There is always a lot of pressure to get a show mounted, especially one with a large cast and lots of set changes, sound and light cues. But when it all comes together and the magic happens on stage, it is all worth it.

So I am going to go to rehearsal tonight, take a deep breath, and let the magic begin.