Renewal

It's time to begin again. I don't know when, or if, I will be directing again. At first, family health issues took some directing plans off the table. Then, the pandemic happened. Live theatre was ... if not dead, at least in a medically induced coma?

It is now spring. It is more than a year of pandemic pause for live theatre. Theatre artists world-wide have sought ways to remain sane, to create while we wait.

It is a time for reflection, as well. What does a director do when not directly directing? How do we keep our skills sharp when we are in isolation?

This is a great question for me. For a period of time- say, 1993-2011- I was directing at least one production, often two or three productions, each year. Then I was directing one a year- or every other year.

Now it has been over a year since I was a mentor/ assistant to a new director. More than two years since I directed a production.

I have stayed involved because I've been teaching theatre: theatre history, dramatic literature, theatre appreciation. 

None of this is the same as directing, of course. I miss the human interaction, the synergy and new insights only discovered in the moment of collaborative creativity. I miss this intensely. I hope to return to this soon. 

In the meanwhile, I'm looking for renewal and restored energy wherever it may present itself.

Early on, I watched a series of important, powerful, and painful films. Later, I binged on comedy.

 

I revisited scripts and sought out new dramas.

I've been seeking out lesser heard voices.

Now, I will set my task to reflecting on this- on what I've done, and on what I do moving forward.

Write on!