Full Speed Ahead, Slowly

A long-overdue update: I've been busy, but A&C has not been my priority. The school term started three weeks ago, and I have a nearly full course load this year, teaching a couple of courses I haven't taught before. Busy, busy, busy.

Walterdale's season is also getting into gear, and there's an exciting buzz about the Playhouse. Our first show, Steel Magnolias, opens in just under a month, and from all reports, it's going very well. The cast and director are having a grand old time. We've also just finished casting Show #2, A Child's Christmas in Wales. The casting process was a bit stressful for me, because our director came on board rather late, and we still don't have a Musical Director (Interested? Know anybody? Give me a shout).

Plus, the show calls for a lot of children--which I somehow never realized until we were in the thick of auditions. I haven't worked much with kids--at least, not since I was one of them--so I felt a bit overwhelmed. But a quick trip to Vic, my old stomping grounds, reassured me; even though I'm no longer a kid, I still share the same enthusiasm for theatre that I had when I was 16. It gives me and the kids something in common, which makes me feel young.

Anyway, that show is cast, and rehearsals have begun. One more round of auditions (the hotly anticipated Les Liaisons Dangereuses), and then it's finally time for A&C to find a cast. In the meantime, I have confirmed Roy Jackson as our lighting designer, and welcomed Phil Kreisel on board as sound designer. Still required: a Production Manager, Stage Manager, Master Builder, and Costume Designer. Keep your eyes peeled!