Patience

Music by Arthur Sullivan
Libretto by W. S. Gilbert
The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, March 2018

This piece marked my first directing gig since I shut down my previous theatre company. And not only was it a departure from my previous body of work (strictly theatre, usually contemporary realism, workshopping new pieces, and Shakespeare/classics), but also a change in role. This was my first experience working as an associate director, where the (mostly) completed treatment for an entire show was handed to me and I had to ingest it, know it in my soul, and then act as the director for the local production. The director himself lived out of town, and would fly in for a few weekends during the process to lead some larger rehearsals, but the day-to-day operation and duties of directing the operetta were left in my hands.

Navigating this infrastructure, knowing that my decisions were final, but always wanting to ensure that the vision of the director was respected, was a novel challenge. It helped iron home one of the core tenants of theatrical direction – never get married to your ideas. Taming one’s ego to not overstep creatively, and always keep that requisite distance to focus on the well-being of the show as a whole, is paramount. I choreographed a few numbers and fleshed out the scene work with the performers to ensure we were engaging in solid, well-developed storytelling. This experience was the one where I really figured out what associate directing meant, and realized that I had the tools, acumen, and attitude to excel in this role.