Perspective

       I had forgotten how physically demanding directing a play is. Last night we blocked Act 1. I was on and off the stage, up and down the stairs, across the stage a couple of hundred times. I was exhausted when the rehearsal was finished. But we got it done, and it looks good. And I got a workout without going to the gym!
      Tonight we will go over the first act again, just to the cement the blocking. That will be our agenda for Wednesday night, also. Thursday we will block the second act. The second act is about 20 pages shorter than the first so it should go faster. I hope.
      The cast is doing well. I think they're all going to give strong performances. The play itself is good, although the ending isn't quite as dramatic as it could be, but if we play it right, it will still be satisfying.
      I had also forgotten how much fun directing can be. Oh, it's tiring and can be emotionally frustrating, but it can also be a lot of fun. So far, I'm having a good time. Catch me later in the month when the new wears off, and the cast goes through the inevitable emotional turmoil. Naturally, I hope that doesn't happen, but I've never seen a play that didn't have some backstage blow-up. When I was younger, it used to really upset me. Now I just shrug and move on. That's community theater.
      Or really, theater anywhere. I remember reading an article about a huge blowup on a Broadway play, one that actually came to blows between two of the female cast members. Later, they became best friends, one of them serving as bridesmaid for the other. People are funny.
      I think it helps if people realize that it's just theater. Don't get me wrong. Theater is wonderful. It's exciting. It's fun. It enriches both the audience and the actors. It's well worth the effort. However, it's not feeding the poor or healing the sick or doing a thousand other worthwhile things. You have to maintain your perspective.
      I think that applies to a lot of things. You have to keep your perspective, try to see the broad picture even if that picture doesn't include the success you wanted. Back in college, I was helping a friend of mine through a messy breakup.
      "I'm going to die," he told me. "I miss her so much. The world isn't worth living in!" Two months later, he was dating someone else. When he broke up with her and started the "I can't live without her; life has no meaning" routine, I reminded him that he had lived through the first breakup and would doubtlessly live through this one. He looked at me, frowned and said, "You're taking all the fun out of this."
       Maybe so.