On Closing
This show was a fantastic experience for me in many ways. I was unsure of what to expect. There is always a sense of anticipation and uncertainty when I accept a job that requires me to travel, especially when it is located so far from home.
The Opera House provides a crucial service for the community. It brings people together, both on stage and off, providing opportunities for residents to express themselves creatively and experience theater.
In my short four weeks there, I felt welcomed and embraced by the residents. Working with the children in the cast quickly become my favorite part of rehearsals. Aged 9-14, this group of young people reminded me to never stop playing on stage - that theater is fun. After the opening number each night, they would race offstage giggling. At first this irked me as a theater professional; don't they know they're being too loud for backstage?
No, they didn't know and that's okay. They were experiencing the adrenaline rush that comes from presenting an imaginary world onstage. There was a full house; of course they would feel giddy.
I can recall a few transformative moments in my childhood when I thought, "This feels right. This is what I want." One of those early moments happened in theater camp when I was about their age. I wonder if this experience had that same effect on these young people. The stage is a magical place.
I hope to spend more summers in Stonington.
The Opera House provides a crucial service for the community. It brings people together, both on stage and off, providing opportunities for residents to express themselves creatively and experience theater.
In my short four weeks there, I felt welcomed and embraced by the residents. Working with the children in the cast quickly become my favorite part of rehearsals. Aged 9-14, this group of young people reminded me to never stop playing on stage - that theater is fun. After the opening number each night, they would race offstage giggling. At first this irked me as a theater professional; don't they know they're being too loud for backstage?
No, they didn't know and that's okay. They were experiencing the adrenaline rush that comes from presenting an imaginary world onstage. There was a full house; of course they would feel giddy.
I can recall a few transformative moments in my childhood when I thought, "This feels right. This is what I want." One of those early moments happened in theater camp when I was about their age. I wonder if this experience had that same effect on these young people. The stage is a magical place.
I hope to spend more summers in Stonington.
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