Drama

So tomorrow - Friday January 9, 2009 is the beginning of everything I've been anticipating for since May of 2008. Ever since my Mom announced her decision to step down as Director of the North Kingstown Creative Dramatics Program and hand over the entire thing to me I have had a mixture of emotions. At first I was extremely nervous and scared and then I began to become more confident as I started thinking about what to do. Once I became confident in taking over I started getting excited and anxious for it to start (and the year hadn't even ended yet, Wizard of Oz was still in rehearsals!!). So I started planning and decided on doing Beauty and the Beast. I had been trying to convince my Mom to do Beauty and the Beast ever since we started five years ago but each year she would say no. So this year it was MY decision and nobody could stop me now.

So I requested a copy of the script from MTI (Musical Theater International) and they sent me a perusal copy for a few weeks. I looked it over and my insides were bursting in excitement. I started to become un-focused on Wizard of Oz and could think of nothing else but 2009.

After Wizard of Oz went up and the 2008 Drama Year had come to an end - of course I had that "Now What" kind of depression that follows me at the close of each production but I also had the knowledge that I had a LOT to do in the upcoming 7 months. And so I started planning. And planning. And then ... planning more. I contacted the North Kingstown High School to book the auditorium for the weekend I wanted (June 13th and 14th) but was told to call back in the fall - Columbus Day Weekend.

In September Elia (my musical director) and I stopped by Ann O'Grady's house to check out costumes. As I walked into the house Ann tells me that I'm crazy for doing Beauty and the Beast because it's a very difficult show, and has a very wide vocal range that makes it difficult for children to hit the notes. She said that even she had to get some of the older members of her group - upper year high schoolers to play Belle, Beast and Gaston (which she constantly called Gafreau - what??). So I went in to the house bursting with happiness and then was slammed in the face with a reality boot. I was deflated. She did however tell me that this year the Jr. version of the show was going to be available and I should do that version. I didn't want to do the Jr. version. I wanted to do the full version.

She went on and on about this and that and how everything I wanted to do wasn't the right thing. I told her about how I found a website that lets you rent a magical rose and a magic mirror, that are really amazing and cool. And she shot back with - 'Mike Hyde does a really neat magical rose so that it's floating, you should do that.' Eventually I stopped telling her anything. During the hour and a half we were there just perusing the billions of costumes she kept telling us about how she did the show and how it was hard and how it came out great but she's seen a lot of shows that have fallen flat and that she's the best and that she pays her helpers and how she has put on 117 shows and only 2 of which were awful. Her head was blowing up with her arrogance and I just wished it would pop so she would stop telling me what a failure I was going to be and the show was going to be.

I left - making up some excuse of having to do something or the other. I called my mom and complained to her about the entire experience and she told me to just let it go, that Ann liked to talk and to not listen to anything she says.

I decided to listen to my Mom. Ann does have a bit of an 'i'm better than you' attitude, and there's nothing I can do to change that. I have to give her credit, she has been doing this a long time and her shows are great. But I'm not her and I want to do things my way. I did listen to her on one thing, I gave in and decided to do Beauty and the Beast Jr. for two reasons - one the Jr. versions are always easier to Direct and easier for the kids to learn the lines and songs - two, the royalty fee was far less money than the full version's royalty fee so that would give me more money to spend on other cooler things.

So once that was settled I worked on everything else. I finally got in touch with the NK High School and booked the Auditorium and two Chorus rooms for June 25-28th. I booked the Community Center for classes and Rehearsals and found out how much costumes/set would cost, how much the magical rose and the magic mirror would cost, how much sound would cost, how much head sets / follow spots would cost, how much the cyc would probably cost and then filled out the Project Proposal form to send in to the North Kingstown Arts Council so they could approve my budget of $7,073.00 (or somewhere around there).

A couple of weeks later I was notified that my budget was approved!!! There's one weight lifted off of my shoulders...about twenty five more to go! I immediately filled out the royalty form for the show and brought in the paperwork to Stephanie at the Recreation Department for her to send in the payment to MTI.

In mid-December I talked to Al at the Rec. Dept. and he informed me that the sign-up sheet for the classes went out to both Middle Schools (WMS and DMS) to the kids. It made it all the more real and all the more that it's happening soon! Now all I had to do was wait.

In the interim between the end of Wizard of Oz and this moment I had made out a class syllabus for all the grades, made a prompt book of the script, bought and made some of the costumes, and worked on some of the assignments that are to be handed out...so everything is set.

On Tuesday (January 6th) I arrive home to find two boxes on the porch step off of my car port. I was wondering what they were. And lo and behold they were all of the scripts and necessary stuff for putting on the perfect show. I couldn't believe it. I thought it would take a few more months to get the scripts for the show! I don't actually need them until April! But there is about 3 weights off of my shoulders!

So now it's Thursday (January 8th) and finally - FINALLY - after seven months of torturous wait...tomorrow is the big day. The first day of the new NK Drama Program. The first day of classes for the 6-8th graders. I am all sorts of nerves and excitement.

I have these moments when I think - 'Can I really do this?' and other moments of 'This is so great! I can't wait to take the helm and make this the best year ever'.

So what do you think, my faithful Reader? Do you think I can do it?