A Message from the Artistic Director not Directing MONSTER

From : Jenny McConnell Frederick
Sent : Wednesday, October 11, 2006 12:38 PM
To : Scott McCormick
Subject : Blog

So last night I infiltrated the secret society that is MONSTER rehearsals and got my first real look at the show. Last night was the first chance the cast has had to run the entire show start to finish. With that in mind, it was a really great first run. Their energy and dedication to this play is enormous. This is always such a fascinating time in the rehearsal process--when the cast is still in jeans and tennis shoes, scripts are still in hand--but you can see the wheels turning. You can see the ideas begin to flow from the mind to the body and soul as they go from understanding their characters to becoming them. One of the most fantastic things about this script is how it turns on a dime from being sharp and witty to being bone-chilling and creepy. And as much as that kind of psychological dexterity is great for a playwright, it's not always easy for a cast to get a handle on. These guys are doing a great job of striking just the right balance.

As much as I love directing, it's also great to be the producer--to go away from the rehearsal process for days at a time and then to come back in and see how much it's grown and changed. The impact of that cumulative growth is so much more apparent after a week's worth of rehearsal has gone by than it is when you're the director and you're right there each night in the thick of it.

I'm looking forward to where things will be by the time we get to the second designer run this weekend...and all of you should be looking forward to when MONSTER opens on Halloween.

-JMF