Well friends, after all of my years in theatre (~10 now, 6 if you take into account my university hiatus), it is finally time for me to put the headset aside and sit in that esteemed probably-uncomfortable director’s chair. Time to satisfy that infrequent yet persistent artistic urge. I may be a stage manager at heart, but boy have I waited a long time to get the chance to take the reins and drive a production instead of always being the navigator.

I have wanted to direct a show since I was 16 and my best friend at the time and I wrote a couple plays. Our high school had a yearly tradition of letting its grade 12 students in our drama club (“The Drama Guild”) direct a handful of one act plays in the winter, and we were so excited to get the chance to co-direct a piece that she had written. By the time 2008 rolled around, however, we had a new principal who seemed intent on getting her grubby paws all over our not-really-school-funded-mostly-independent club. She decided to enter us in a drama competition that would, unfortunately, entirely replace the one acts.

We. Were. Devastated. In the way that only 17 year old girls can be. I’m still angry about it now, and I’m an actual adult with a job who pays taxes and has a credit card.

Anyways, once I left high school my passion for theatre took a bit of a backseat to my passion for math, and it wasn’t until 2012 that I would enter the world of drama once again as an assistant stage manager for a musical in teacher’s college. Once the theatre bug had solidly gotten me again, I discovered the Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre. I’ve done this and that around the theatre for a while, and had the opportunity to direct a 10 minute play two years ago as part of the Popcorn Plays of 2014.

But let me tell you, that was not enough. During Popcorn Plays, I found an amazing script that I loved (“Sure Thing” by David Ives), and worked with a great cast, but there’s only so much you can do with a 10 minute play. I figured I would work my way up; direct a one act the following year, then maybe consider applying to direct a full-length show sometime in the future. Due to schedules, I was unable to direct a one act in 2015, but I was not ready to wait 2 more years just to keep to my arbitrarily-determined escalation.

I started seriously reading of full length plays.

I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for. I think I was convinced that the “right” show would just “speak to me” artistically and that I’d have this grand vision the first time I read it and know exactly what I wanted out of it and put on a masterpiece. I’d read a play that would seem deep and meaningful and be like “yeah, I could do that one…” but despite the perceived artistic merit, not feel a connection to it. I considered an emotionally-intense two-hander by David Ives (Ancient History), a classic (The Dollhouse), a kind-of strange contemporary piece by Zach Braff (All New People), but while they were good pieces I was too unsure.

Then, I found Scrooge Macbeth. Silly, ridiculous, and Christmas-y, it was right up my alley. I read the first act for free and even before buying the perusal version I knew it was a play I could put on for my theatre. I’m just a goof at heart, and this is a goofy play. Artistic merit…not so much, but then again I’ve never called myself an artist. I don’t want people to be impressed by the show, I just want them to leave smiling.

I am so ready to dive into this adventure! Only 31 days until auditions!