Notes From The Trail

A production is often

Akin to a cattle drive

That spans 

Months of doubt

and many miles.

Head 'em up,

Move 'em out!

A band of fresh strangers

In the beginning

Discovering the quirks

Of what works

And what doesn't.

Encountering habits 

That get in the way

And those

that provide beacons

To the path that

Defines shared purpose.

Old hands,

New hands,

Young hands …
Each with reasons

Of their own

For taking the journey.

At first the task
Seems almost overwhelming.
Step by step
Affirms the value of patience,

And gradually

A sense of community emerges.
That and the old saw about 

All for one
And one for all.
But there’s a reason

That old saw

Still cuts wood.
The biggest picture

Turns individuals

Into members of the ensemble

That moves 

And thinks 

As a unit.

And why?

Simply to share the story.

Each production has this lofty goal,

Whether it be a dog-eared classic

Or something fresh from a printer,
The story is king.

One of the challenges

Is staying present

While trusting others

Will do the same.

Reality whispers

That it takes time

To get everyone on the same page.
A lot of time.

But it does happen.

Often it

Is the residue of design,
But sometimes

It is magic that
Can’t be explained.

Perhaps a shade of cloud

That the wind beckoned

Just in the nick of time —
At the brink of the abyss,

With so much in doubt,

And yet as if Prospero

Winked and waved his wand,

Clarity takes command,

And eludes certain peril.

The collective sigh.
The “it’s all good” of all goods.

As you wander

Off the stage

Eager and relieved —

Heart and mind

In happy tandem —

You hope everyone else

Is as keen 

As you are 

To return.

Not to repeat.

But to discover.

Again. 

And again.

And again.

Whether it be

Eager child 

Or savvy adult:
Process is the reason

As well as the result.