Backstage at APT

Director Tim Ocel of As You Like It said early on in the process, that the set design for the show was from the point of view of the characters within it. That the trees were painted on the walls so that it was as if you were at the base of them looking upward. No matter how bad things get within the world of the play - he said these characters are always looking up.

The idea of hope, of something larger, bigger, or higher. That things will in the end be bright. I play Sylvius, who in my mind is an eternal optimist, and at the final point when you think he might just break, Phoebe gives in and stays true to her word to marry him. Hope is everything. The faith that as life moves forward, whatever may happens, you will get through it.

Recently, we held our annual ALFE auction, which was a great success. ALFE is a program run by talent at American Players Theater and it stands for Actors Looking for Future Employment. It allows us the funds and means with which to bring casting and artistic directors from around the country to come to Spring Green and see our work onstage as well as audition us for future employment.

In heading the program - there is always a lot of work to be done, and as the date of the ALFE fundraising auction neared, I felt more and more pressure...and I heard from people who ran it in the past that has always been the case. And it was in the midst of this that I should have simply looked up. Stopped. Breathed. Looked. And Repeated. But I did not. The date came closer and closer, we had a lot of auction items and little entertainment. Some organization, but not enough. People had to leave town for auditions, and had to bow out of the event to go and do those - which after all, is what the program is all about. And the pressure became greater. Things became more hectic.

I would be lying if I did not say that during the days proceeding the event my brain was mush and that I was close to a meltdown on the day of the event. But you know what. People pulled together. Chris Giese got a great set list together. Audra Lange did more work throughout the whole process than I have words to thank her for, and the boys (Travis, Santiago, Joe, Mark & Chris) played some beautiful music. David Daniel read poetry, as did myself and Colleen Madden. I ate an array of hot peppers - which was a bad choice. ;) And Rory and Elliot were a godsend with sound and equipment and more than helping hands. And life happened. And we were fine.

I was tired. We had cleaned up the Shed, inside and out. And as I made a final round through the upstairs of the Shed and out the back door to the steps leading to the patio, I looked up at the night sky, for just a brief moment, and the world stopped. I breathed. And I looked wholly to the night sky. Looked upward. And Repeated. I sighed. And for a moment took in what we had accomplished over the last three hours, over the past two months. And I smiled.
Then I went back to work.

This serves as an example to me that the work never stops. Today we had a theater in town to hold auditions, just two days after the event. We had to get housing situated, tickets and a room for auditions. The work never stops...but you can. And when you do - just look up. Day or Night. There is a whole lot of beautiful up there just waiting to remind you how little your problems may be.