And So It Goes

The time has come for yet another show to close. I've done this enough in my life that I've developed a sort of ritual when this happens. Every show I've done has meant something to me and this is no exception. Traditionally I say goodbye to a show the night before it closes because that's when I feel most connected to the experience itself and allow myself to remember what I love about it before I have to truly let it go.

The last show I closed, to be perfectly honest, was less than ideal. My final show happened to be the final show of the company as well, though the actors didn't know it at the time. Between preparing to leave some of the best friends I've ever had, preparing to move across the country, and knowing that my theatre company wouldn't be there when I got back was pretty overwhelming for someone like me. Closing that show meant closing a chapter in my life and I wasn't entirely sure I was ready to do that. I'd been preparing myself for that event for months. I knew when I started my internship and then my job that eventually I would leave. But what I didn't know was how much those people would change my life. How could I say goodbye to those people who embraced and accepted me for who I was from day 1, who christened me both with my nickname and my theme song, and who reinvented why I loved my job so much?

Today is the two month anniversary of A Doll's House closing and the day before American Night closes and that final day at the Willows is far behind me (though the people are still very close to my heart). I feel really lucky and honored to have been part of this crew and although I'm excited to move on to new projects, I will miss the routine of coming to that theatre, hanging out with those people, and running that show. This show has basically been my life since I got here. There were a couple weeks of downtime in the beginning but once this show went into tech, it was all consuming. It has (and will continue to) defined my experience at YSD. I made some really amazing friends, got to experience what it was like to work on a Rep show, and was part of this fast paced, witty, and often temperamental show. It wasn't easy getting to opening night by any means but once we hit our stride, it went fairly well. Not that there weren't plenty crisis-managing situations but those just added to the excitement.

So with this I say goodbye to a show that I will always hold close to my heart. Not necessarily for its content because, frankly, I detest politics. But for the connections I made with people and the thrill I got while completing these scene changes and being able to work with people I really admired. Janet, our stage carpenter, said that the first year students who are assigned to the run crew on a Rep show will forever have a bond due to the nature of the beast that is devoting yourself to a Rep show, and I believe that that's true. I believe that I will remember this show and the experiences I had working with these people for a very long time.

This was an excellent start at YSD for me and now comes a crazy week of projects and midterms, followed by stage managing a show at the Yale Cabaret, and then comes the real test: ASM for Sunday in the Park with George. That will be my true defining moment of the semester. Here's hoping that it goes well :)