365 plays – I rock!

So, after weeks of misunderstanding, miscommunication and a whole bunch of misses, I arrived at the theater tonight to put together the 365 Plays at the Ark filled with apprehension and frustration. Too many things to go into here but just know that until the day before yesterday, I wasn’t sure this was going to happen at all.

I finished up the script this afternoon and emailed it off the script to the cast, unsure of what would happen.

Thank god for professionals. I walked in and the cast (Tricia, Douglas, Lindsay and Libby) were already reading through the script and working out some ideas. We read through the script, we chatted about embracing the total chaos that this had become. These actors were so open and ready to tackle anything. They all had checked their egos at the door and were prepared to go. We threw around some ideas about how to take the skeleton I had put together and make it more interesting. They had some great ideas and jumped in with both feet. We had about 45 minutes of rehearsal, laughing ourselves silly in the process. By the time we went up at 8:15, there was a real play there. Granted, it was a seven minute play but it was all there. The actors were off-book and really just went with the organic and chaotic essence.

We had a small but enthusiastic audience of four audience members and two of our own Ark Theatre members. These six people laughed their butts off and responded beautifully to everything. I was so excited and thrilled to see something that has been such a challenge and so frustrating come together in such an instinctive, organic, beautiful way.

I know that this would not have happened without the road map I wrote at the last minute and I’m thrilled, as always, to know that my instinct and my intuition was right. But nothing would have come together so well without a crew of actors willing to go on the ride with me and trusting me with their incredible gifts. Maybe seven minutes doesn’t sound like a big deal but if you’ve gone to a bad seven minute play, you know how long that seven minutes can be.

We do another show tomorrow (Friday) at 8:15 PM with a few new cast members (Trina, Rose and Janel) and I’m excited to see what these great folks are going to bring to the table.

So if you’re not doing anything Friday night from 8:15 to 8:22, stop by the ARK Theatre Company and check out our short but sweet 365 Plays.