Opening Night

I have been performing in live theater for as long as I can remember. Hardly a year goes by where I don't have at least one if not half a dozen opening nights (except for 2003 which by all indications was a very dark time in my life--I don't remember much of it!).

This year I have been blessed with three opening nights (so far)....Cotton Patch Gospel in February, The Grapes of Wrath in April and Moon Over Buffalo, tonight. I have always loved the excitement building towards curtain and today is no exception. I am sitting here at my work computer, actually getting lots of work done, but taking this break to write about tonight.

A few things come to mind--first, my body actually aches after rehearsals. This is a very physically demanding show for me and I am not as young as I once was. I recall learning the bottle dance from Fiddler on the Roof and doing it 4 or 5 times a week for almost two months! That was nothing!

Second, I am doing this show for the Wichita Community Theater (WCT) out of my love for theater in general, and good community theater in particular. While I lived in Lawrence, KS, I performed often with their excellent community theater, but the chance to perform with WCT never presented itself until now. Its a great group of people and I am honored to be a part of it.

Third, I am madly in love with this script. George Hay, my character in Moon Over Buffalo has an awful lot in common with myself. Come see the show and I think you will see what I mean.

PAX!