Bold Choices

Today's blog entry is brought to you by the fabulous Matt Ripa, director of St. Nick by Adam Segaller.  Before I turn the floor over to Matt, I do have a quick bit of news for everyone.  Due to circumstances and bureaucracy far beyond her control, one of our directors has to bow out.  We're sorry to lose her, but delighted to welcome Lee Liebeskind who will co-direct The Krampus at Home with playwright Seamus Sullivan.  

And now without further ado, I bring you Matt Ripa:

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Goethe spoke these words and I cannot help but think about this idea of “being bold” during this heightened and condensed process.  The process of writing, directing and performing plays in a week is a daunting task filled with the unknown. One of the beautiful things about theatre is the journey into the unknown every time we embark on the creative process. Ultimately the artistic process it is a crazy leap of faith. To think that we are going to create 10 minute plays in a week that people are actually going to pay to see is ridiculous. But, during the first day of this process, Randy and Jenny told us to think big and to attempt fully realized productions with total design. I think that we all took these wise words and ran with them.

Our playwrights have made big, bold choices. The scripts were awesome. It was amazing to hear all of the plays tonight and to realize that they were written in a matter of 2 days is phenomenal.  The plays range from the meaningful to the ridiculous. From the darkly comic to the touching tragedy.  They include everything that is glorious about theatre.  Holding that mirror to the audience and that shattering it before their eyes.

There is also something to be said about the energy of a group of artists from all different backgrounds and styles coming together to create performance. From the first meet and greet to the read-through tonight, the energy in the room has been positive and inspiring. This positive and creative energy has been infused in the stories that are unfolding in the scripts.  My original nervousness or fear has been completely replaced with excited anticipation of the possibilities of creating live theatre. This is guerrilla theatre. Gritty, dirty, and immediate. And this is when theatre is its best, when it is immediate and vital. That is the theatre that I love to create.