::OZ

Tired. I've explored this word in a new way the last two weeks. Wake up, rehearsal, go to sleep for a few hours. Wake up, rehearsal, sleep for a few short hours. Wake up, rehearsal..the cycle continues. Nearly every day for the past two weeks and we open this coming Thursday. That's insane.

I can't even count the minutes I've spent with this cast these two weeks. Really...it's a lot of time. The entire month of June shall have been spent with them at Castleman Hall or OAT. Do you know how many laughs you can fit into that many minutes?? I'm pretty sure we've maxed it out. But that's also a ton of choreography, music, practice, lines, practice, choreography, music, running through your head, getting your muscles in shape to do it naturally. Every day.

The stunning thing about this is, it's going to be a fantastic show. That much cramming, that much ticking, ticking, ticking, the show flowing through your head each moment. And it's really impressive. It's professional, has got its own 'OAT' twist to the original show, is dynamic, exciting, and stuffed with energy and fun. And talent, too. They're very talented. :-)

We owe a ton to our incredible director, Jason Cannon. Oh, the Cannon. He brings a new level to the show, knows exactly what he wants, and how to get us to do it. How to push it out of us, to bring forth energy from us that we didn't think we had at the end of a 7 hour rehearsal. Also, he's ridiculously creative. I truly enjoy working with/for him.

Munchkins are fantastic. These kids are so much fun. *having* so much fun, and really know how to work the munchkin thing. It's hilariously amusing. Plus, they're all great kids, and when I'm not running a scene my lap and sides are packed on the couch with the sillies. I'm pretty sure that all the teens/adults in this cast are just big munchkins too. It's unreal how many inside jokes we've created in this short amount of time. It's been admitted that, yes, we are having too much fun working together.

This is something I love. Every piece of it, including the tiredness after so much cramming. Because I do, I just   love theater. Putting together and putting on a good show. It's all worth it to me, each minute. The hard parts teach me more, stretch me, grow me. The enormous good and real fun and real memories you receive are outstanding and mean the world to me. I love this. And I'm so, so grateful for everything in it.