Reunions and Opening Weekends...

The show (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas) opened this weekend. It has been a fabulous first half of the run as all five of our shows have SOLD OUT. You always want the show to be successful, but I try not to focus on that as a measuring stick. Instead I tried to focus on making the show really good, and fun and to promote it as best I could so that we could get people out to see it. It is so gratifying to see the audiences come out and to see them be so appreciative. I saw the show Opening and then returned yesterday afternoon for the Sunday afternoon. On Opening we had a nice strong show but I knew the cast was a little nervous and tentative... they have certainly loosened up and are sinking their teeth in with confidence and pure enjoyment - it is so nice to see the show grow without seeing it go off the rails!

Also this weekend I had my 25th High School Reunion. For the two previous reunions I was Chair (10th) and heavily involved (20th) but for this one I could not put as much time in. I was involved in all the discussions and passed along information and handled Facebook and the nametags but that was about all. But you know, since this was our third, we actually kind of know what we are doing so I will take credit for groundwork... Anyhow, the weekend was a lot of fun. I unfortunately was a bit sick (still am) but I managed to get sleep deprived in any case. I loved seeing and visiting with everyone. I always feel blessed that we had the class that we did. I know not everyone has a Grad Class that they actually like and stay connected with - but I did and I am grateful. Already there is talk of the 'the next one' (a good sign) and that makes me happy.

Adjudication

A few weeks ago I was asked to Adjudicate the City High School One Act Festival. The adjudicator they had lined up had a family emergency and had to cancel so they were in a bind. It took a bit of doing and a lot of apprehension, but I managed to secure child care and get some materials to prepare myself for the task.

The past three days I watched 17 One Acts prepared by 8 Edmonton High Schools. I got to engage with the larger group, discussing themes and challenges of the pieces and then I got to talk with the individual productions about their strengths and areas of improvement. I was nervous and a little scared. One of the reasons I am back at University is because I want to deepen my background in theatre. My knowledge is highly practical and intuitive. But it was a lot of fun. I think I was able to offer helpful suggestions to all the groups and I think I was able to do it in a positive way. I don't think I sugar coated anything, but I wasn't mean either. I had so much fun. It was so nice to be around teenagers again. There is something about that age, where they are so passionate about what they are doing and eager to improve and do better.

The hardest part was selecting the awards. How can you truly compare one performance to another? The plays are different, the directors different, the actors different. I think I picked the correct two plays to go to Provincials and I think the alternate was the right choice. I saw so many actors with lovely qualities that it was hard to narrow it down. I am glad I got to give feedback in the adjudications so that those that did not get 'an award' knew that they were recognized. It's a lesson learned - the winning is in accepting the challenge to do the show and following through, because it's all apples and oranges. Congratulations to all who took part and thank you for letting me a part of it.