Today is one of those days. I’ve spent half the day procrastinating and the other half emailing and now the third half (yes, I realize what I said) will be spent hopefully doing something useful. Today started just fine. I was hyped about getting lots done: getting info to the newspaper about the new play fest we’re working on here in Helena, MT; finishing the edits on a new script for the catalog; designing an ad that’s due tomorrow… then I got an email that one of the actors in the play I’m directing for the fest has decided he can’t do it this year… And the lights went out. It isn’t so much that I’m absolutely married to this script. I can abandon it and choose something else to direct. It’s just that sense of running down the trail only to discover that you’re headed in the wrong direction and you barely have time to reach your destination as it is. We all know that theatre is like that. It’s the only profession that, when a deadline is set, it’s set. And you have no choice but to meet it. The lights come up no matter how far you’re behind and running to catch up at the last minute is no fun. No one likes the curtain to rise on a half baked production. Thankfully I contacted an actor who I’ve directed twice before and he seems up for the challenge. We’ll see if this cast of four can make the commitment to cross the finish line on time. If not, the day will be gray but the lights will rise all the same.
