I am awake. It is 4am.
This is always the hardest time for me. We work all year to produce this festival. There is a huge build up. Then when we reach the summer there is a tremendous amount of work and investment that is exhausting but rewarding. The entire experience is emotional, because it is such a labor of love. When ever I reach the end of a season it feels like something died because this particular, special experience, has come to a close. The beauty of theatre, like life, is that it is ephemeral. It ends and here we are, at the end.
Last night was very emotional for me. As Twelfth Night came to a close and George disappeared through the butterfly bushes singing "... our play is done and we aim to please you everyday." I began to cry. This moment was the conclusion of a year of anxiety over an increased budget (producing our first musical) and the need to yet again increase our audience base, ticket revenue, and fundraising. It was also emotional because Twelfth Night was dedicated to my friend Dave Aviv who passed away this winter. To top it off, we got through a stressful week of outdoor theatre with extreme heat and thunder storms hitting all around us and yet somehow... we made it through every show for the third season in a row.
As we closed up for the night, I wandered down to the soccer field below the performance space for a moment alone. As I looked up at the sky and thought of what we had accomplished and thought of Dave, a shooting star shot across the sky. I like to think that Dave was winking at me.
I want to thank everyone who was involved in this season. Everyone stepped up. Staff, volunteers, board, donors, actors, and interns all made this season a success. I love you all and Dave would have loved what we did.
Geoffrey Kershner
Artistic Director
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