Break time
For a couple weeks anyway
The year before I left Chicago I completed 10 productions within the span of a year. I was so wiped out by the time I was packing to leave for grad school that I promised myself I would never do that again.
And then 2022 happened.
It’s only October and I’ve completed 8 contracts this year. 4 old musicals, 1 new musical, 1 professional musical, 1 orchestra concert, and the songs I wrote with Boston Public Schools. I’m set to be involved in my 9th contract (if in a more limited capacity) starting in November, but—as I tell all my students—breathing is important. My contract at Priscilla Beach Theatre has closed and I’ll be spending the rest of October teaching and recuperating.
I know I said I kind of didn’t want the pace to let up but, when you’ve been running full steam for so long and finally give your body enough time to relax, the exhaustion hits you like a truck. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been an amazing 9-and-a-half months full of new experiences, wonderful music, new friends, and lots of learning; but, I do my best not to phone anything in and music directing is a very hard job. You spend so much of your time preparing and working that anything outside of the production is the abnormal part. Also, I moved into my apartment 6 weeks ago but I haven’t actually lived there for an entire month. I’m looking forward to settling in and finally setting up a workspace.
I was lucky to get to work with such a kind and professional cast. These actors were talented, creative, and very easy to collaborate with. The director and I got along great, which always helps. The audiences had a lot of fun too. Who knows? Maybe I’ll work with the Priscilla Beach Theatre again soon.
The past couple of months I’ve started to slide into more professional work (the Mass project, “Disenchanted!” with Priscilla Beach Theatre, teaching at the college level), and it’s a much different ball game. Though the pace of the last two has been surprisingly natural for me. There have been many moments over the past couple of months where I’ve just thought "Wow, I’m a lot better at this than I used to be”. Even the pace of college teaching flows into my normal work speed. Aside from the urgent philosophical quandaries surrounding education and assessments (more on that later), it’s been a good fit for me.
Next up on the docket: Preparing for “The Sound of Music”, with the Arlington Children’s Theatre in 2023, figuring out the Shift Orchestra’s next project, and remembering how to cook things that aren’t quesadillas.