1 00:00:12,319 --> 00:00:19,719 Welcome to the podcast, I digress with your host, Jennifer Dooley, and this week's special 2 00:00:19,719 --> 00:00:25,199 guest, Erica Cassidy, aka Erica Ashley, as some people may know her. This is going to 3 00:00:25,199 --> 00:00:30,719 be a continuation of the episode we had about starting a theater program with, as the name 4 00:00:30,719 --> 00:00:36,280 suggests, a million digressions. So with that being said, I'm going to turn it over to Jennifer 5 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:37,039 and Erica. 6 00:00:37,719 --> 00:00:42,979 Thank you, Brent. Welcome back. We hope you enjoyed the last episode, a couple of things 7 00:00:42,979 --> 00:00:46,820 I want to say about that episode before we continue. The first is I want to make a correction. 8 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,859 Brent asked me about the number of shows we've done, and I just made up a number. The actual 9 00:00:50,859 --> 00:00:58,119 number is we have put up 105 different titles, and we've done 235 performances, mostly in 10 00:00:58,119 --> 00:01:03,299 the auditorium here at our high school. Also, I wanted to let you know there is a link on 11 00:01:03,299 --> 00:01:11,019 the last podcast episode to another podcast episode from the Theater History Podcast. 12 00:01:11,700 --> 00:01:16,219 I think the guy that runs that is Michael Luger, and it's a whole episode about our 13 00:01:16,219 --> 00:01:21,620 town and how our town is still relevant for 21st century audiences, because I did strongly 14 00:01:21,620 --> 00:01:24,939 suggest that you pick that as your first show if you're doing a straight play, because 15 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:31,079 you don't have to buy anything to do it. You have to buy the rights, and it's really 16 00:01:31,079 --> 00:01:36,379 a universal production. The guy in the interviews have written a book about eight different 17 00:01:36,379 --> 00:01:41,040 productions and how they did it differently all over the country and I think all over 18 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,140 the 20th century. So you should check that out if you want to know more about our 19 00:01:44,140 --> 00:01:49,959 town. All right, so back to this new fancy episode. So I wanted to introduce Erika, used 20 00:01:49,959 --> 00:01:56,019 to be Ashley, now it's Erika Cassidy. When did you join the theater program? Do you 21 00:01:56,019 --> 00:02:07,560 remember? 2006? Okay, so that was very early in our iteration. What was the first show 22 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:14,599 you did? Tech Please. That's a great show. Yeah. Yeah, there were some interesting components 23 00:02:14,599 --> 00:02:19,360 of that show. There were indeed. So the story and there's three of them, I think. I think 24 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:24,259 there's Check Please One, Two, and Three. Right, I think we did one, like there are 25 00:02:24,259 --> 00:02:30,099 one acts, and I think we did Check Please One and Two together. Yes, and I did Three 26 00:02:30,099 --> 00:02:35,479 Later because I think Rachel, Rachel Gray is not Rachel Bagshaw, I think she played 27 00:02:36,060 --> 00:02:42,759 girl, and it's basically about a series of really terrible first dates and from one side 28 00:02:42,759 --> 00:02:47,159 of the stage to the other until ultimately the people on the bed, the girl on one side 29 00:02:47,159 --> 00:02:50,479 and the boy on the other side, realized they may be out to be together. So that is 30 00:02:50,479 --> 00:02:54,819 also the show where Darren Tinker got a standing ovation for kissing an upper 31 00:02:54,819 --> 00:03:00,719 classman girl, like we had to stop the show. Yeah. That was, that was a good time 32 00:03:00,719 --> 00:03:05,319 had by all. I directed that show too. That was like one of the first shows that I 33 00:03:05,319 --> 00:03:09,360 directed because it was a pretty easy, a pretty easy one. And it's good. It's a lot 34 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:14,300 of like character acting and silliness. And that's pretty easy for high school 35 00:03:14,300 --> 00:03:18,460 students to. Right. And we had to play multiple characters that everybody got a 36 00:03:18,460 --> 00:03:23,759 lot of screen time and there was no set. It was just like two cafe tables and four 37 00:03:23,759 --> 00:03:27,379 chairs and then some weird costumes. Was that the one where the kid dropped his 38 00:03:27,379 --> 00:03:32,319 pants? Is it that one? I don't know. I remember somebody in a burlap sack. 39 00:03:32,319 --> 00:03:41,120 There was a boy in a burlap sack. Yes. There was a mime. Yes. There was something about the bear suck. Yes. Yes. 40 00:03:41,860 --> 00:04:01,800 Stephen Bliss lost all his props maybe. Well, that was all the shows. I'm sure he will be a guest on this program. But yes, that was, that was a lot. I will let him defend himself if he ever comes on the show. I'm, I'm sure, I'm sure that he will. Um, so what, uh, so you were in the, we've been in the program for like four 41 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:31,779 years. Did you the whole time you were in high school? Um, I think I came in as a sophomore. So I did, yeah, I did tech please. And then, oh gosh. And then the weird sisters. That's a good show. And I got to, I think I was prop mistress. And so I made pot out of oregano. Yes. Which to this day, children will come and say, Mr. Lee, we think we've found pot in the prop hall. And I'm like, it's oregano little buddy. It's fine. Every year they just hide it from each other. The prop master's 42 00:04:31,779 --> 00:05:01,759 doom. And then, yeah, I mean, if they just sniffed it, it's, I know that's okay. Other shows, so many shows. And then, oh, and then my junior year Fallon did a Midsummer Night's Dream and I stage managed with her. That was a good show. It was good. And it was all emo. It was like emo punk goth. And Gavin was a little changeling boy. I forgot about that. He was. And then my senior year, I just directed everything. You did. 43 00:05:01,759 --> 00:05:29,519 Oh, I did the brother. No, did I do the Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon? I think I acted in the Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon. With all the fairy tales in it. Yeah, I was Snow White. And I was married to Spencer Lawler. And, and then I, we did, I did that one show about, um, it was all like trying to be a throwback to the Greek tragedies. And it was about the chick and her brother died. 44 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:51,439 Oh, the one that Madison was in? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then she knocked the podium off and hit somebody in the heart. The podium she did. Yeah, that was, that was not our finest hour. It's okay. The lady got stitches in her head and she's fine now. It's okay. It wasn't my fault. It wasn't really anybody's fault. The podium didn't go without, so to go in the dark. So. 45 00:05:51,439 --> 00:05:52,779 And then we did, Miss Nelson is missing 46 00:05:52,779 --> 00:05:54,459 and bought that cool talk board. 47 00:05:54,459 --> 00:05:55,379 We did it. 48 00:05:55,620 --> 00:05:56,399 And we did it for all the little kids 49 00:05:56,399 --> 00:05:57,199 and that was fun. 50 00:05:57,379 --> 00:05:58,920 Yes, I think that was the first little kid show 51 00:05:58,920 --> 00:05:59,459 that we did. 52 00:05:59,899 --> 00:06:00,339 It was, yeah. 53 00:06:01,100 --> 00:06:02,819 That was, and then we figured out that those, 54 00:06:03,300 --> 00:06:05,480 if you can do a children's show, 55 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:07,319 those are gonna be your best audiences 56 00:06:07,319 --> 00:06:10,759 because it doesn't matter what you do. 57 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:11,759 They're gonna be so- 58 00:06:11,759 --> 00:06:12,220 They love it so much. 59 00:06:12,639 --> 00:06:14,079 Because they see older kids 60 00:06:14,079 --> 00:06:16,180 and possibly older siblings or cousins or neighbors 61 00:06:16,180 --> 00:06:17,819 or whatever, and they just think it's like 62 00:06:17,819 --> 00:06:19,240 the Beatles are on stage. 63 00:06:19,540 --> 00:06:19,639 Yeah. 64 00:06:19,639 --> 00:06:21,540 I remember in that show, 65 00:06:21,959 --> 00:06:24,819 I actually hit my head on something hard enough 66 00:06:24,819 --> 00:06:26,240 to cut my head open. 67 00:06:26,860 --> 00:06:27,839 And at the end of the show, 68 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:28,660 when I was doing tech, 69 00:06:28,959 --> 00:06:29,680 at the end of the show, 70 00:06:29,699 --> 00:06:30,720 we had a little talk back 71 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:31,959 and this little bitty kid raised their hand 72 00:06:31,959 --> 00:06:32,740 and he said, 73 00:06:33,220 --> 00:06:34,620 did you make any mistakes? 74 00:06:34,939 --> 00:06:36,100 And I said, did you see any mistakes? 75 00:06:36,319 --> 00:06:37,019 And he said, no. 76 00:06:37,339 --> 00:06:38,800 And I could feel the blood, like. 77 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:42,220 You were like, see, it was fine. 78 00:06:42,420 --> 00:06:43,279 Everything is fine. 79 00:06:43,500 --> 00:06:44,560 Is that a child talking to me? 80 00:06:44,740 --> 00:06:45,720 I can't, my vision is double. 81 00:06:45,899 --> 00:06:46,300 So it's okay. 82 00:06:46,459 --> 00:06:47,959 I did not require stitches for that show. 83 00:06:47,959 --> 00:06:50,879 Drama is a very physical sport, isn't it? 84 00:06:51,259 --> 00:06:51,959 Here's the thing. 85 00:06:52,139 --> 00:06:53,519 The entire time that I directed, 86 00:06:53,759 --> 00:06:55,019 I don't think I ever had to. 87 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:56,779 I never got physically injured. 88 00:06:57,379 --> 00:06:58,279 I might not as a director. 89 00:06:58,939 --> 00:07:00,560 Now the person who has now taken over 90 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:01,680 the program that I left, 91 00:07:02,259 --> 00:07:04,019 I think she like broke her ankle or something. 92 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,199 Like the middle of a vortex last year. 93 00:07:06,540 --> 00:07:08,360 So she didn't keep the streak alive, 94 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:09,959 but me personally. 95 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:12,639 So when you left the program, 96 00:07:12,639 --> 00:07:14,959 did you think you were gonna do theater professionally 97 00:07:14,959 --> 00:07:17,399 or theater in some capacity after you graduated? 98 00:07:17,399 --> 00:07:18,639 When I left you? 99 00:07:20,579 --> 00:07:21,139 No. 100 00:07:21,540 --> 00:07:24,639 So I think something that has really changed 101 00:07:24,639 --> 00:07:28,220 from then to now is like, 102 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:32,180 kids come into high school and are in these programs 103 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,420 and it's a legitimate thing that is presented to them. 104 00:07:35,579 --> 00:07:37,259 Like you can leave high school 105 00:07:37,259 --> 00:07:39,980 and go and do this thing that you really love. 106 00:07:40,300 --> 00:07:43,480 And I don't think that that was a thing 107 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,000 that I would have thought at that time 108 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:47,399 was the thing that I could do. 109 00:07:47,579 --> 00:07:50,000 It was the fun thing that I liked to do, 110 00:07:50,019 --> 00:07:52,240 but I was very instilled with like, 111 00:07:52,519 --> 00:07:54,800 you have to do something that's very stable 112 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:55,939 and very real. 113 00:07:55,939 --> 00:07:56,740 It's a real job. 114 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:58,019 A real job. 115 00:07:58,300 --> 00:07:58,500 Yes. 116 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:02,120 And so no, I think when I left, 117 00:08:02,339 --> 00:08:03,759 I wanted to do it. 118 00:08:03,879 --> 00:08:06,579 I wanted to keep in the realm of educational theater 119 00:08:06,579 --> 00:08:07,920 because I knew I was gonna be a teacher. 120 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:10,420 So there's this really funny story 121 00:08:10,420 --> 00:08:12,220 about how when I was at Governor's Scholar, 122 00:08:12,220 --> 00:08:15,980 you had to, they had us write our own obituaries. 123 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,680 And I did this whole like prophecy moment 124 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:20,680 where I was like, 125 00:08:20,860 --> 00:08:24,199 and then she ran this theater program for all of these years 126 00:08:24,199 --> 00:08:27,639 and was amazing and all of this, that and the other. 127 00:08:28,279 --> 00:08:30,639 And so like in high school, 128 00:08:31,140 --> 00:08:33,799 I wanted to be running a high school theater program 129 00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:35,419 because I loved theater, 130 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:41,320 but I didn't think that I could pursue theater as itself. 131 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:43,519 When I wrote my GSP application, 132 00:08:43,700 --> 00:08:46,179 I told them I was going to run a high school theater program, 133 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:48,259 but also people were telling me, 134 00:08:48,259 --> 00:08:49,700 this is not real. 135 00:08:49,919 --> 00:08:50,820 You can't do this for a living, 136 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:52,259 which is why I got the English degree, 137 00:08:52,659 --> 00:08:53,460 which you also- 138 00:08:53,460 --> 00:08:53,759 But that's so different. 139 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:54,919 That's so different now. 140 00:08:55,419 --> 00:08:58,519 Like now I think they're doing it. 141 00:08:58,740 --> 00:09:00,639 Like they're going and they're having 142 00:09:01,439 --> 00:09:03,799 really successful careers in performing arts 143 00:09:03,799 --> 00:09:07,039 or music business or things like that. 144 00:09:07,580 --> 00:09:09,019 And so I think that's awesome. 145 00:09:09,019 --> 00:09:12,759 And a testament to some changes, 146 00:09:12,779 --> 00:09:15,500 but also just the power of good theater educators. 147 00:09:15,779 --> 00:09:17,039 Like if you're a good theater educator, 148 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:19,100 your kids are going to leave and feel like 149 00:09:19,100 --> 00:09:20,620 if this is the thing that they want to do 150 00:09:20,620 --> 00:09:22,340 that they can do it and they're going to know how. 151 00:09:22,700 --> 00:09:23,059 Yes. 152 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:23,820 Yes. 153 00:09:24,059 --> 00:09:25,899 And I think that's what I've seen from your kids 154 00:09:25,899 --> 00:09:26,639 and from your program. 155 00:09:27,139 --> 00:09:29,440 So you left us and then you went on 156 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,240 to study English secondary education. 157 00:09:32,580 --> 00:09:33,600 And then what did you do? 158 00:09:34,419 --> 00:09:36,679 And then I've taught some kids some English. 159 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:40,179 And then I went to Warren County schools 160 00:09:40,179 --> 00:09:41,559 at Greenwood High School 161 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:46,120 and they already had a very well established musical program. 162 00:09:46,659 --> 00:09:48,440 Not so much a theater program. 163 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,840 Like they, I don't even know what the time, 164 00:09:51,980 --> 00:09:53,539 I guess they did have theater classes, 165 00:09:53,539 --> 00:09:55,179 but they weren't doing any kind of theater 166 00:09:55,179 --> 00:09:56,899 outside from the yearly musical. 167 00:09:57,299 --> 00:10:01,080 But it was like for many years before me, 168 00:10:01,159 --> 00:10:02,600 it was like top-notch. 169 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:04,779 It had this reputation, like it was amazing. 170 00:10:05,719 --> 00:10:09,419 And then whenever that school split, 171 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:12,940 then they lost their directors to the new high school. 172 00:10:13,299 --> 00:10:15,279 So they were like rebuilding again. 173 00:10:16,259 --> 00:10:19,200 And so, and I guess like the three or four years 174 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:21,179 before I came to Greenwood, 175 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:23,919 they had had maybe two or three different directors. 176 00:10:24,700 --> 00:10:27,120 The program, as it was when I got there 177 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:29,080 was really just in a rebuilding place. 178 00:10:29,940 --> 00:10:31,399 Yeah, so the first year I was there, 179 00:10:31,620 --> 00:10:32,620 I was an English teacher 180 00:10:32,620 --> 00:10:34,100 and they gave me the theater classes. 181 00:10:34,620 --> 00:10:38,179 So I focused on what I, like my ultimate goal was like, 182 00:10:38,179 --> 00:10:40,519 I need that musical program to be mine, 183 00:10:40,519 --> 00:10:42,299 but I was just buying out my time. 184 00:10:43,459 --> 00:10:46,080 And so I did my theater classes 185 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:50,360 and did it very similarly to what I had with you. 186 00:10:50,580 --> 00:10:53,360 So we did, they were semester-long classes 187 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:56,120 and we culminated and did a class play at the end 188 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:58,700 and we rehearsed at school. 189 00:10:59,220 --> 00:11:02,039 And I don't think the first year I was there, 190 00:11:02,039 --> 00:11:04,159 I don't think I did any kind of after-school play. 191 00:11:04,379 --> 00:11:06,179 I think I just worked on building the class 192 00:11:06,179 --> 00:11:07,500 and figuring out what I was doing. 193 00:11:07,879 --> 00:11:10,000 And then at the end of my first year, 194 00:11:10,620 --> 00:11:13,399 the director, there was a brand new choir teacher. 195 00:11:13,419 --> 00:11:15,399 So it was her first year helping with the musical. 196 00:11:15,919 --> 00:11:17,220 And there was another English teacher 197 00:11:17,220 --> 00:11:18,379 who was helping with the musical 198 00:11:18,379 --> 00:11:20,460 who had been doing it for a couple of years 199 00:11:20,460 --> 00:11:21,919 and her father passed. 200 00:11:22,779 --> 00:11:26,059 She ended up needing to go and be with her family 201 00:11:26,059 --> 00:11:27,379 for a few weeks. 202 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:28,960 And the choir teacher was like, 203 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:32,259 I don't know what I don't know about theater at all. 204 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:34,399 And she, we had never even spoken. 205 00:11:34,620 --> 00:11:36,000 She just knew I was the theater teacher. 206 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:38,399 And she was like, please, please come help 207 00:11:38,399 --> 00:11:39,720 because I don't know what's happening 208 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:41,620 and I can only teach people how to sing. 209 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:42,539 That was so hard. 210 00:11:42,539 --> 00:11:43,980 So what part were they into the process 211 00:11:43,980 --> 00:11:44,860 of the rehearsal process? 212 00:11:45,139 --> 00:11:46,879 So they were about a month away from tech 213 00:11:46,879 --> 00:11:47,679 when the- 214 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:48,320 So that was Cinderella? 215 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:49,299 Was that what that show was? 216 00:11:49,379 --> 00:11:50,600 And this was Cinderella, yeah. 217 00:11:51,279 --> 00:11:53,019 Came in and that was real tricky 218 00:11:53,019 --> 00:11:55,159 just because I didn't wanna undermine anything 219 00:11:55,159 --> 00:11:56,200 that had already been done 220 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:58,500 and be very respectful of the work that they were doing. 221 00:11:58,500 --> 00:12:01,120 But it also was like, I don't want them to stall 222 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:02,740 and they're a month from the show 223 00:12:02,740 --> 00:12:03,879 being put up or whatever. 224 00:12:04,419 --> 00:12:07,539 So I did the best I could and I built the carriage. 225 00:12:08,159 --> 00:12:08,620 That's what I was thinking, 226 00:12:08,799 --> 00:12:09,919 you guys built a carriage for that show. 227 00:12:10,740 --> 00:12:11,600 It was pretty cool. 228 00:12:11,820 --> 00:12:13,759 And so I did that then the next year, 229 00:12:14,259 --> 00:12:15,559 or at the end of that year, I guess, 230 00:12:15,700 --> 00:12:17,779 the English teacher who had been doing it was like, 231 00:12:17,779 --> 00:12:18,940 I don't really wanna do this anymore. 232 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,440 And so then that's when I took over the program 233 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,080 with my co-director who was that choir teacher. 234 00:12:24,539 --> 00:12:25,860 I don't know, which can I talk to that show? 235 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:27,480 Some kid, I have so many. 236 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:29,360 And the only complaint they had was 237 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,580 they were very excited to see Gus Gus, the mouse. 238 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:33,379 Oh, yeah. And he didn't show up 239 00:12:33,379 --> 00:12:34,860 and they didn't, they were very unhappy. 240 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:37,120 Rogers and Hammerstein left him right out of the script. 241 00:12:37,299 --> 00:12:38,340 So yeah, that's interesting 242 00:12:38,340 --> 00:12:40,460 because I've never had to come in the middle of a show 243 00:12:40,460 --> 00:12:41,440 and in the middle of a program, 244 00:12:41,580 --> 00:12:42,360 middle of a show and be like, 245 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:44,139 hello, it's me now. 246 00:12:44,519 --> 00:12:45,779 And none of the kids knew me 247 00:12:45,779 --> 00:12:47,639 because I taught ninth grade 248 00:12:47,639 --> 00:12:49,179 and those were the kids in the musical 249 00:12:49,179 --> 00:12:50,059 were upperclassmen. 250 00:12:50,279 --> 00:12:51,419 But it was also so cool 251 00:12:51,419 --> 00:12:53,419 because then I got to make all these relationships 252 00:12:53,419 --> 00:12:55,259 with the seniors of that group 253 00:12:55,259 --> 00:12:56,860 who I wouldn't have even known otherwise. 254 00:12:56,860 --> 00:12:59,600 And like one of them ended up naming Willow. 255 00:12:59,980 --> 00:13:01,580 Like she named my child. 256 00:13:02,919 --> 00:13:05,159 One, two of them, we just got, 257 00:13:05,220 --> 00:13:06,539 I just thought there was a small group 258 00:13:06,539 --> 00:13:07,600 that I got super close to. 259 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:09,279 It was like Michael and Shelby 260 00:13:09,279 --> 00:13:11,620 and Ellie and Isaac and Sophia. 261 00:13:12,059 --> 00:13:13,679 And I was really close to this crew. 262 00:13:13,799 --> 00:13:16,519 And so Shelby and Michael got married a few years ago 263 00:13:16,519 --> 00:13:17,899 and they just had their first baby. 264 00:13:18,059 --> 00:13:19,419 So I was like at their wedding 265 00:13:19,419 --> 00:13:21,220 and I would have had no relationship 266 00:13:21,220 --> 00:13:22,259 at all with those people 267 00:13:22,259 --> 00:13:26,639 if I had not just been called in at the end of Cinderella. 268 00:13:26,940 --> 00:13:27,779 So that was super cool. 269 00:13:27,940 --> 00:13:29,220 And that is a massive benefit 270 00:13:29,220 --> 00:13:30,539 that you won't see the very beginning 271 00:13:30,539 --> 00:13:32,259 if you start a program or come into a program 272 00:13:32,259 --> 00:13:33,840 that this is family. 273 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:35,919 Like once you're in the drama family, 274 00:13:37,159 --> 00:13:39,059 I've been around for your kids being small 275 00:13:39,059 --> 00:13:41,019 and growing up and there's lots of other, 276 00:13:41,299 --> 00:13:42,820 it's kind of cool now that I'm teaching the kids 277 00:13:42,820 --> 00:13:43,919 of kids that were in the program, 278 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:46,080 but you guys are family 279 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:47,360 and there's that connection 280 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:48,980 no matter where you go and what you choose to do. 281 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:51,440 And that's like universal across the programs. 282 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,419 And my daughter does community theater 283 00:13:54,419 --> 00:13:56,240 with Skypack and PTK. 284 00:13:57,159 --> 00:13:59,559 And this is not something that I have taught her, 285 00:13:59,580 --> 00:14:02,240 but she'll be like, I have so many theater families 286 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:03,519 and they're all so unique. 287 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:06,919 And so there's always like a vibe 288 00:14:06,919 --> 00:14:09,539 and there's a culture of it. 289 00:14:09,779 --> 00:14:12,620 But anytime people are doing theater together, 290 00:14:12,860 --> 00:14:17,139 it's like a bond that surpasses anything else. 291 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:18,299 And so I'll see kids, 292 00:14:18,639 --> 00:14:20,840 even kids who I maybe just had in theater class 293 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:23,419 and they didn't really end up doing afterschool shows 294 00:14:23,419 --> 00:14:25,860 or musicals, but they'll still be like, 295 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:27,059 that theater class, 296 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,799 like that was something so special to them. 297 00:14:30,100 --> 00:14:32,779 Felt very connected to it, even if, yeah. 298 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:34,139 So that's a really cool, 299 00:14:34,399 --> 00:14:36,320 that's a really cool part about being a theater educator. 300 00:14:36,919 --> 00:14:38,320 It really is, it really is. 301 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:39,320 How long were you, 302 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:40,860 did you run the theater program at Greenwood? 303 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,000 Let's see, 2015, cause that's when I got pregnant. 304 00:14:45,179 --> 00:14:47,820 So 2015, and then I ended it on another pregnancy. 305 00:14:47,820 --> 00:14:53,659 So 2015 to 2022 is how long I did musicals there. 306 00:14:53,980 --> 00:14:56,059 And that was the big thing at Greenwood was the musicals. 307 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:58,539 But we also did, so starting in 2016, 308 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:00,919 so I don't know, is that like eight or nine years, I guess. 309 00:15:01,940 --> 00:15:06,080 And so we did, we started to do a fall straight play 310 00:15:06,599 --> 00:15:08,080 and then a spring musical. 311 00:15:08,980 --> 00:15:10,940 It was just, we had a really hard time 312 00:15:10,940 --> 00:15:12,179 getting the fall shows up. 313 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:13,820 We did them and we did awesome stuff. 314 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:16,580 Like we did Shakespeare Bridge twice. 315 00:15:17,220 --> 00:15:19,659 We did the importance of being earnest. 316 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:21,019 Earnest, yeah. 317 00:15:21,259 --> 00:15:22,320 Yeah, we did Midsummer. 318 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,500 We did a Romeo and Juliet that the, 319 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:30,639 we put it in like 1944 and it was really cool. 320 00:15:30,879 --> 00:15:33,620 And we did, I don't know, we did all kinds of, 321 00:15:33,740 --> 00:15:36,120 and they were good and like fairly well attended 322 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:37,600 for what they were. 323 00:15:37,919 --> 00:15:39,159 But I struggled casting them 324 00:15:39,159 --> 00:15:40,899 cause it was also marching band season. 325 00:15:41,159 --> 00:15:41,500 Yes. 326 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:44,539 And so you compete with these things. 327 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:46,620 And because they weren't the musical 328 00:15:46,620 --> 00:15:49,159 and they didn't have like a 20 year reputation 329 00:15:49,159 --> 00:15:51,879 preceding them, you know, for the musical, 330 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:54,620 kids would bend a little on their other obligations. 331 00:15:54,980 --> 00:15:57,159 Like, eh, I'd rather do musical than this, 332 00:15:57,159 --> 00:16:00,919 but I never got that kind of buy-in for the fall show. 333 00:16:01,159 --> 00:16:03,240 But they were good and I was proud of what we did 334 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:05,360 and the kids who were a part of it was great. 335 00:16:05,740 --> 00:16:08,399 And we were able to make quite a bit of money for, 336 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:10,080 and I used the money from the fall shows 337 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:12,340 to kind of keep what we did in class up and running. 338 00:16:12,340 --> 00:16:14,940 So buying rights and props and all that stuff. 339 00:16:14,940 --> 00:16:15,320 Right, right. 340 00:16:15,659 --> 00:16:19,080 So that's one thing is that your budget at Greenwood is, 341 00:16:19,460 --> 00:16:21,000 for the musicals was way bigger 342 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:22,139 than anything we've ever done down here. 343 00:16:22,299 --> 00:16:23,899 But not in the beginning. 344 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:24,799 Okay. 345 00:16:25,279 --> 00:16:27,419 So when I inherited the program, we were in the red. 346 00:16:28,399 --> 00:16:30,360 Oh, and they were letting you work in the red. 347 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:33,480 I mean, we were, I mean, it was a couple hundred bucks. 348 00:16:33,639 --> 00:16:35,740 It wasn't like we were like thousands of dollars 349 00:16:35,740 --> 00:16:36,940 in the red, but yeah, 350 00:16:36,980 --> 00:16:40,419 we were not making money on shows when I first got there. 351 00:16:40,419 --> 00:16:45,399 When I left the program, they had tens of thousands of dollars. 352 00:16:45,700 --> 00:16:46,299 You're so cool. 353 00:16:46,820 --> 00:16:47,799 So how did you do that? 354 00:16:48,779 --> 00:16:50,799 So they had a few good things already in place 355 00:16:51,300 --> 00:16:54,879 and it's easier too, because I was in a bigger community. 356 00:16:55,639 --> 00:16:56,419 I was in a bigger community, 357 00:16:56,620 --> 00:16:58,580 but they would do ad sales 358 00:16:58,580 --> 00:17:00,419 for their program was a huge thing. 359 00:17:00,740 --> 00:17:03,460 So we started out and we would really focus on that. 360 00:17:04,259 --> 00:17:07,500 And they had a couple of other fundraisers 361 00:17:07,500 --> 00:17:10,099 that were just things they did every year. 362 00:17:10,099 --> 00:17:13,259 They sold chocolate and they sold candles and whatever. 363 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:16,460 So we kind of really assess for the first couple of years 364 00:17:17,059 --> 00:17:18,400 what was working and not working. 365 00:17:18,559 --> 00:17:20,559 And we fundraised with what they were doing. 366 00:17:21,079 --> 00:17:22,740 And then we learned that when the quality 367 00:17:22,740 --> 00:17:25,700 of your show improves, your ticket sales improves. 368 00:17:26,660 --> 00:17:29,700 And so really most of our money ended up coming 369 00:17:29,700 --> 00:17:32,079 from ticket sales eventually. 370 00:17:32,579 --> 00:17:34,000 We did some really cool things 371 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,059 like we created a sponsorship program. 372 00:17:36,819 --> 00:17:40,019 So it was a leveled program. 373 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:42,579 And we named it cool things depending 374 00:17:42,579 --> 00:17:43,539 on the show that we were doing. 375 00:17:43,759 --> 00:17:44,720 But you could get kickbacks. 376 00:17:45,019 --> 00:17:46,960 So we would have companies like Scott Waste 377 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:48,819 who would give a pretty good amount of money. 378 00:17:49,019 --> 00:17:51,579 And then we would send them 10 tickets or 15 tickets. 379 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:53,539 And they'd had their name on the cover 380 00:17:53,539 --> 00:17:55,400 and we'd mentioned them in the curtain notes. 381 00:17:55,799 --> 00:17:57,099 Or sometimes it was like, 382 00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:59,039 I think the lowest realm was like $150 383 00:17:59,039 --> 00:18:02,200 and you got a half page ad and one ticket or something. 384 00:18:02,599 --> 00:18:05,420 And so I was really skeptical doing that at first 385 00:18:05,420 --> 00:18:10,940 because our ad sale costs were always like $30, $50 a hundred 386 00:18:10,940 --> 00:18:11,740 for a full page. 387 00:18:12,660 --> 00:18:15,400 And to me personally, I'm like, 388 00:18:15,460 --> 00:18:17,220 God, a hundred dollars is a lot of money 389 00:18:17,220 --> 00:18:20,220 to have your name on a page of a program. 390 00:18:21,220 --> 00:18:24,140 But then what I realized is that when you ask people 391 00:18:24,140 --> 00:18:27,680 for money, they will give it to you if they have it. 392 00:18:28,180 --> 00:18:30,440 Like people in the community are eager 393 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:32,339 to support the kids in the community. 394 00:18:32,619 --> 00:18:34,660 The first year we did the sponsorship program 395 00:18:34,660 --> 00:18:37,059 I don't think we ended up getting like the highest 396 00:18:37,059 --> 00:18:39,900 but the second year we got a $2,000 sponsorship. 397 00:18:40,500 --> 00:18:40,799 Oh, wow. 398 00:18:42,179 --> 00:18:44,440 And that was huge. 399 00:18:44,660 --> 00:18:48,440 And then if you get others at the $700 level, 400 00:18:48,579 --> 00:18:51,880 we got several set or like families would go together 401 00:18:52,559 --> 00:18:55,299 as family groups and grandparents and aunts and uncles 402 00:18:55,299 --> 00:18:57,539 and moms and dads and they would all go together 403 00:18:57,539 --> 00:18:59,039 to get like a big sponsorship. 404 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:01,619 And they were gonna pay for their tickets anyway. 405 00:19:01,619 --> 00:19:03,720 So they would get those kickbacks and whatever. 406 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:05,400 So that was something huge. 407 00:19:05,539 --> 00:19:07,200 And then we also tried to look at fundraisers 408 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:12,519 that were not really on the other people's radars. 409 00:19:12,700 --> 00:19:14,000 Like my favorite one that we did, 410 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:15,519 I think they still do it, I don't know 411 00:19:15,519 --> 00:19:17,440 but we would do flamingo flocking. 412 00:19:17,839 --> 00:19:20,099 So we bought a flock of yard flamingos. 413 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:21,400 I have heard of this. 414 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,299 Yeah, and then people could pay $25 415 00:19:25,039 --> 00:19:28,279 to have the students flock someone's yard. 416 00:19:28,460 --> 00:19:29,920 And you could also buy insurance 417 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:31,599 so that your yard didn't get flocked. 418 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:32,339 Yes, yes. 419 00:19:32,339 --> 00:19:34,039 So like all of our school administrators 420 00:19:34,039 --> 00:19:35,559 would always buy the insurance 421 00:19:35,559 --> 00:19:37,660 because they didn't want the kids coming to their house. 422 00:19:38,519 --> 00:19:40,900 And so we were like, okay, well, that's a solid $150 423 00:19:41,419 --> 00:19:42,779 in the bank because none of the principals 424 00:19:42,779 --> 00:19:44,920 are gonna love to get into their house, you know, 425 00:19:44,940 --> 00:19:45,220 or whatever. 426 00:19:46,519 --> 00:19:48,559 And so things that we started doing, 427 00:19:48,799 --> 00:19:51,160 we did a pancake breakfast a couple of times. 428 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:52,160 We've got things donated. 429 00:19:52,819 --> 00:19:57,140 It really though varied depending on the kids that we had 430 00:19:57,140 --> 00:19:59,539 and the parent involvement that we had. 431 00:19:59,539 --> 00:20:01,099 And there were some years when that was high 432 00:20:01,099 --> 00:20:02,480 and some years when it was low. 433 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:05,240 And so we tried to just stay really open 434 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:08,299 to what we felt like we could handle as directors 435 00:20:08,299 --> 00:20:09,859 because it was only two of us. 436 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:12,200 And we were doing all of the things. 437 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:15,819 So, you know, we didn't have like a fundraiser person. 438 00:20:15,980 --> 00:20:16,859 It was just us. 439 00:20:17,099 --> 00:20:18,819 And that's typical in theater programs. 440 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,579 And so when we had a lot of parent support 441 00:20:22,579 --> 00:20:24,240 and then we were able to do some of those cool 442 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,779 and more like unique things. 443 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:28,200 And then when we didn't, we didn't. 444 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:30,299 But yeah, we really worked hard 445 00:20:30,299 --> 00:20:33,480 and fundraised and focused on the quality of the show. 446 00:20:33,579 --> 00:20:35,599 We also started doing our school day performance. 447 00:20:36,019 --> 00:20:38,680 So that was another way that we really increased revenue. 448 00:20:39,299 --> 00:20:41,259 And I think the first show we did that for 449 00:20:41,259 --> 00:20:42,420 was the Little Mermaid. 450 00:20:43,220 --> 00:20:45,440 So we did not do that for my first couple of years. 451 00:20:45,619 --> 00:20:46,859 No, because I remember taking, 452 00:20:47,279 --> 00:20:49,380 we took our kids from Evans County School of Little Mermaid 453 00:20:50,039 --> 00:20:53,559 and you sold them all light up flashing tridents. 454 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:55,480 And I think we bought all of them. 455 00:20:55,660 --> 00:20:57,900 Like when we got in, we bought 40 of them. 456 00:20:57,900 --> 00:21:00,779 And then they were like, you can't use these 457 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:03,700 until the king tells you to. 458 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:04,359 And like- 459 00:21:04,359 --> 00:21:05,880 They got to kill Ursula. 460 00:21:06,380 --> 00:21:08,880 Yes, but like two minutes in, I can see, 461 00:21:08,980 --> 00:21:09,559 we were in the balcony. 462 00:21:09,700 --> 00:21:10,500 So I can see down my kids 463 00:21:10,500 --> 00:21:12,119 where one of my kids like, I can't turn it off. 464 00:21:12,299 --> 00:21:12,539 I can't turn it off. 465 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:13,920 I was like, I knew this wasn't even an idea. 466 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:15,319 And I know those are floating around. 467 00:21:15,559 --> 00:21:17,440 There's probably three in the prop hall right now. 468 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:18,599 Where's this from? 469 00:21:18,740 --> 00:21:20,259 I was like, how do they still work? 470 00:21:21,380 --> 00:21:23,380 You know, you say it's a bad idea 471 00:21:23,380 --> 00:21:25,119 and I just see money signs. 472 00:21:25,619 --> 00:21:27,779 Right, when the people all went on the bus 473 00:21:27,779 --> 00:21:30,380 with the kids stabbing each other in the eye or what? 474 00:21:30,380 --> 00:21:32,900 I had two toddlers at the time and they don't know that. 475 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,720 But yeah, that was another, that was a good idea. 476 00:21:36,859 --> 00:21:37,980 That was a good idea that we had. 477 00:21:38,619 --> 00:21:40,160 So like part of growing your program 478 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:41,960 is just kind of seeing like where's their interest. 479 00:21:42,180 --> 00:21:45,420 And then if we knew that we wanted to do school day shows 480 00:21:45,420 --> 00:21:47,339 that also helped us pick our repertoire 481 00:21:47,339 --> 00:21:52,579 and some musical or theater snobbery people 482 00:21:52,579 --> 00:21:55,380 may have looked at the shows that we did 483 00:21:55,380 --> 00:21:57,460 and for the last few years and been like, 484 00:21:57,579 --> 00:22:00,559 oh, well you did all like Disney shows or whatever. 485 00:22:01,460 --> 00:22:04,640 But guess what people want to come and see with the family. 486 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:05,380 Yeah, well that's the money. 487 00:22:05,859 --> 00:22:08,539 We did Thoroughly Modern Millie and that was a fun time 488 00:22:08,539 --> 00:22:12,839 but not a lot of kiddos wanna come see the weird show 489 00:22:12,839 --> 00:22:16,119 in the 1920s about trafficking white girls. 490 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:17,559 Yeah, that's right. 491 00:22:18,360 --> 00:22:19,680 Good music though. 492 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:21,420 I mean, it's so fun. 493 00:22:23,079 --> 00:22:24,859 Like the songs get stuck in your head for days. 494 00:22:24,980 --> 00:22:25,700 It's a great show. 495 00:22:26,259 --> 00:22:28,339 But when we, and we did Bye Bye Birdie 496 00:22:28,339 --> 00:22:29,660 and that was a fun show. 497 00:22:30,819 --> 00:22:31,160 But yeah. 498 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:32,480 And all the telephones in America, 499 00:22:32,799 --> 00:22:35,220 all the corded telephones in Warren County, 500 00:22:35,500 --> 00:22:36,140 you end up with them. 501 00:22:36,140 --> 00:22:37,500 And we tied them to their shoes 502 00:22:37,500 --> 00:22:39,140 so they could do all these cool choreography. 503 00:22:39,220 --> 00:22:40,640 Yeah, that was really cool. 504 00:22:41,180 --> 00:22:44,160 And Jason and Jason's dad made those boxes for me. 505 00:22:44,740 --> 00:22:45,019 Yes. 506 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:47,000 And also I think Alan helped. 507 00:22:47,319 --> 00:22:47,839 So that was- 508 00:22:47,839 --> 00:22:50,859 And they made the kitchen for Mary Poppins in the bedroom 509 00:22:50,859 --> 00:22:53,680 so you could get all the magic stuff from Mary Poppins. 510 00:22:53,700 --> 00:22:55,859 Those little boxes, which I think they still use for things. 511 00:22:56,259 --> 00:22:59,059 But when we started doing, like we did Mermaid 512 00:22:59,059 --> 00:23:00,599 and then we did Newsies 513 00:23:00,599 --> 00:23:04,400 and then we did Well, Little Lemon, which was the COVID year 514 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:06,079 and it was a beautiful and great show. 515 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:07,940 But that was, it really was. 516 00:23:08,140 --> 00:23:08,799 I loved that show. 517 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:10,339 Cause I had never seen it before 518 00:23:10,339 --> 00:23:11,700 and I really loved that novel. 519 00:23:11,740 --> 00:23:13,960 And I thought, I don't wanna hate this, but I'm scared. 520 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:16,099 And then I was like, like the thing with the kite, 521 00:23:16,339 --> 00:23:17,660 I was like, oh my God. 522 00:23:18,019 --> 00:23:18,359 Oh yeah. 523 00:23:18,619 --> 00:23:20,099 And then the next year we did SpongeBob. 524 00:23:20,099 --> 00:23:21,440 And so all of those shows, 525 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:23,740 we could do a school day performance with the littles. 526 00:23:24,099 --> 00:23:26,180 So you have a problem that I'm sure the people have 527 00:23:26,180 --> 00:23:29,259 that I don't have in that you have to get, 528 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:32,440 to do the musical because yours are such huge productions. 529 00:23:32,859 --> 00:23:35,460 You have to go to a different location for your theater 530 00:23:36,459 --> 00:23:39,220 over at the local university, at West Kentucky University. 531 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:41,059 So how does that work? 532 00:23:41,220 --> 00:23:43,920 Like how much time do you spend at your school rehearsing 533 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:45,140 and how much time do you get? 534 00:23:45,339 --> 00:23:46,559 And how does that work with getting everything, 535 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:48,000 all the people and all the stuff? 536 00:23:48,540 --> 00:23:50,900 How's that work with having to go to different locations? 537 00:23:51,019 --> 00:23:52,779 Cause I know there are other programs that have to do that. 538 00:23:53,339 --> 00:23:53,380 Yeah. 539 00:23:53,980 --> 00:23:58,160 I would say if you were to have Jeff Smith from WKU, 540 00:23:58,180 --> 00:23:59,980 he's their technical director on your podcast, 541 00:24:00,140 --> 00:24:01,640 which I recommend actually. 542 00:24:01,859 --> 00:24:02,839 Yeah, no, that's Gavin's boss. 543 00:24:03,059 --> 00:24:03,839 Do you know Smitty? 544 00:24:04,079 --> 00:24:04,579 Cause he's- 545 00:24:04,579 --> 00:24:05,519 Dude, he's Gavin's boss. 546 00:24:05,839 --> 00:24:06,559 I love Smitty. 547 00:24:07,140 --> 00:24:07,180 Yeah. 548 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:09,480 Like Smitty is one of my favorite people on the planet. 549 00:24:09,579 --> 00:24:10,019 He is great. 550 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:11,720 And here's the thing about Smitty 551 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:13,440 is that he helped me grow so much 552 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:16,039 because I am embarrassed when I think 553 00:24:16,039 --> 00:24:17,660 about the first show I did at Van Meter. 554 00:24:18,339 --> 00:24:20,500 You know, I had done theater in high school 555 00:24:20,500 --> 00:24:23,599 and at Western, I took several theater courses 556 00:24:24,319 --> 00:24:25,880 and I was in like the black box theaters, 557 00:24:25,980 --> 00:24:29,920 but I had never done anything like, yeah, 558 00:24:30,259 --> 00:24:33,200 like anything with such grandeur as what Van Meter can do. 559 00:24:33,559 --> 00:24:33,660 Yes. 560 00:24:33,900 --> 00:24:37,220 And I didn't even know what I was supposed to prepare for. 561 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:41,920 So we came in and I mean, tech, 562 00:24:42,299 --> 00:24:45,039 we had one week and, but we had to pay for it. 563 00:24:45,039 --> 00:24:48,319 So like you can have as much rehearsal time as you want, 564 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:49,720 as long as you schedule in advance 565 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:51,119 and as long as you're ready to pay. 566 00:24:52,019 --> 00:24:54,859 So we would be prepared in my program 567 00:24:55,860 --> 00:24:59,960 to pay 10 to $12,000 for venue rental. 568 00:25:00,420 --> 00:25:00,720 Oh, wow. 569 00:25:01,319 --> 00:25:04,880 That was for the location, for all of the mics, 570 00:25:05,299 --> 00:25:07,059 for the use of all of the equipment, 571 00:25:07,420 --> 00:25:09,519 like fog machines if we needed them, 572 00:25:10,940 --> 00:25:13,619 you know, special effects kinds of things, gobos, 573 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:17,819 also we had, Smitty was a technical, 574 00:25:18,059 --> 00:25:19,259 he was our technical director. 575 00:25:19,779 --> 00:25:22,700 He had his own people working for him for light and sound. 576 00:25:23,180 --> 00:25:26,539 For what you get, it's like, it's, it's duh. 577 00:25:26,740 --> 00:25:27,359 Yeah, it's worth it. 578 00:25:27,420 --> 00:25:28,279 You're gonna pay for it, 579 00:25:28,279 --> 00:25:31,960 but like you, it's not cheap to pay for that. 580 00:25:32,660 --> 00:25:36,799 And so, but we would move in on Sunday 581 00:25:36,799 --> 00:25:39,859 and then we would have tech rehearsals 582 00:25:39,859 --> 00:25:43,119 Monday through Thursday and then show up on Friday. 583 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:45,059 And like I said, I learned so much, 584 00:25:45,180 --> 00:25:47,700 like my first year, our tech rehearsals for Mary Poppins, 585 00:25:47,839 --> 00:25:49,799 which already that show is 12 hours long, 586 00:25:49,940 --> 00:25:51,700 nobody should ever direct Mary Poppins. 587 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:53,559 You know, there's that weird subplot 588 00:25:53,559 --> 00:25:55,240 about the evil nanny in it. 589 00:25:55,420 --> 00:25:55,779 Like, why? 590 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:56,859 We don't need her, like. 591 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:00,559 And also the part where the toys are dancing 592 00:26:00,559 --> 00:26:01,240 and it's awesome. 593 00:26:02,079 --> 00:26:03,640 Listen, it has a special place in my heart 594 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:04,579 for everyone always. 595 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,819 And we made enough money so that Mary and Burt 596 00:26:07,819 --> 00:26:08,700 could like fly. 597 00:26:09,259 --> 00:26:09,660 Yes, we did. 598 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:10,859 That was cool. 599 00:26:11,460 --> 00:26:14,299 But also added hours and hours. 600 00:26:14,519 --> 00:26:16,619 So we were in tech until like one in the morning 601 00:26:17,300 --> 00:26:19,660 and I thought parents were gonna be there with pitchforks 602 00:26:19,660 --> 00:26:22,140 and it was awful. 603 00:26:22,660 --> 00:26:23,759 And I didn't know what I was doing. 604 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:27,200 And we did not really have sets that filled that space. 605 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:28,240 Yes, yes. 606 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:29,980 Because the set pieces that we inherited, 607 00:26:30,259 --> 00:26:31,700 they used to do their shows at the Capitol 608 00:26:31,700 --> 00:26:33,680 and the Capitol was a much smaller space. 609 00:26:34,299 --> 00:26:36,380 So it was, it was awful. 610 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:38,720 And like, God loves Smitty 611 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:41,359 because he really was like, you know, 612 00:26:41,559 --> 00:26:44,299 like this is way better, like quality, 613 00:26:44,500 --> 00:26:46,900 like we rented sets for the, or rented costumes 614 00:26:46,900 --> 00:26:48,240 for the first time that year. 615 00:26:48,980 --> 00:26:50,720 And that really improved production value. 616 00:26:50,940 --> 00:26:51,799 So we did what we could, 617 00:26:51,799 --> 00:26:53,319 but there was also just so much we didn't know. 618 00:26:53,759 --> 00:26:56,299 And he was such a guiding hand for me to be like, 619 00:26:56,460 --> 00:26:58,859 this is what you do to fill up this space. 620 00:26:58,859 --> 00:27:00,319 And these are the things that you need to know. 621 00:27:00,779 --> 00:27:03,960 Like he'd be like, just terminology 622 00:27:04,519 --> 00:27:05,640 I had never even heard. 623 00:27:05,799 --> 00:27:07,900 And like, what do you want this one to be on? 624 00:27:07,900 --> 00:27:08,920 And where do you want this to go? 625 00:27:09,039 --> 00:27:09,279 And what do you want? 626 00:27:09,380 --> 00:27:12,240 And I'm like, what do you think of these words mean? 627 00:27:12,579 --> 00:27:13,599 What are you doing? 628 00:27:14,940 --> 00:27:17,279 And, but then, you know, the more I did it, 629 00:27:17,279 --> 00:27:18,559 I was like, okay, I'm ready. 630 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:19,440 Here's our plot. 631 00:27:19,660 --> 00:27:21,039 Like here's where everything's going. 632 00:27:21,220 --> 00:27:22,140 And I knew what I was doing. 633 00:27:22,740 --> 00:27:25,099 And I remember there was like one tech of newsies 634 00:27:25,099 --> 00:27:27,460 where we did, it was just like a dry tech, 635 00:27:27,859 --> 00:27:30,480 but we left at like six or seven, 636 00:27:30,599 --> 00:27:31,759 like it was still daylight. 637 00:27:32,140 --> 00:27:36,079 And I'm like, whoa, like see how far I've come. 638 00:27:36,079 --> 00:27:38,279 It's not 2 a.m. and I'm going home. 639 00:27:38,660 --> 00:27:40,660 So it was hard though because, 640 00:27:40,859 --> 00:27:43,059 so we would move in all of our stuff on Sunday 641 00:27:43,679 --> 00:27:45,059 and we would assemble. 642 00:27:45,380 --> 00:27:47,480 So a lot of the times we would build something 643 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:49,880 then we would have to disassemble it to move it. 644 00:27:50,259 --> 00:27:51,720 And so then we would get to van meter 645 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:53,859 and then we'd have to reassemble it. 646 00:27:55,319 --> 00:27:58,059 And then we would set up our prop stuff. 647 00:27:58,359 --> 00:27:59,960 We would set up the dressing rooms. 648 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:02,960 We'd, if we had time on Sundays, 649 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:05,299 we'd try to spike things, but often we didn't. 650 00:28:05,299 --> 00:28:06,799 It would just be hours of building, 651 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:10,680 especially like the more advanced we got in production. 652 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:14,299 It was a lot of construction. 653 00:28:14,940 --> 00:28:17,900 For SpongeBob, we built our whole volcano of tires. 654 00:28:18,579 --> 00:28:19,799 Yeah, were those actual tires? 655 00:28:20,180 --> 00:28:20,759 Those were actual. 656 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:22,619 So I got them next to your house. 657 00:28:22,940 --> 00:28:26,180 Like, I don't know, there was like this trailer next, 658 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:28,019 like right on the street that you live on. 659 00:28:28,019 --> 00:28:30,299 And they had like a bajillion tires in their yard. 660 00:28:30,599 --> 00:28:31,000 Okay. 661 00:28:31,579 --> 00:28:32,559 I stopped and said, 662 00:28:32,559 --> 00:28:34,599 how much do you want for all of these tires? 663 00:28:34,599 --> 00:28:37,299 And the woman was like, I hate them. 664 00:28:37,299 --> 00:28:38,559 And my husband's not home. 665 00:28:38,660 --> 00:28:40,359 You can have them all for $200. 666 00:28:41,079 --> 00:28:42,940 Oh my gosh. 667 00:28:44,380 --> 00:28:46,579 Anyways, we built all of that during tech. 668 00:28:47,019 --> 00:28:48,400 And so Sunday was always that. 669 00:28:48,759 --> 00:28:49,980 And then again, the further we got, 670 00:28:50,099 --> 00:28:51,500 the better we were at knowing like, 671 00:28:51,519 --> 00:28:53,079 what do we need to do on each day? 672 00:28:53,380 --> 00:28:56,819 So on Monday, we're just going to spike and set things, 673 00:28:56,980 --> 00:29:00,279 let the lighting director see what the visual is. 674 00:29:00,900 --> 00:29:01,980 And then we'll do, 675 00:29:01,980 --> 00:29:04,579 we started doing a sits probe with the orchestra 676 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:07,000 the week before. 677 00:29:07,299 --> 00:29:09,440 So we didn't have to be doing things 678 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:11,460 with the orchestra pit because we had a live pit. 679 00:29:11,700 --> 00:29:13,519 So that always took a lot of time 680 00:29:13,519 --> 00:29:15,359 when the kids hadn't rehearsed with them. 681 00:29:15,599 --> 00:29:18,319 So we tried to make that happen a little bit sooner, 682 00:29:18,779 --> 00:29:22,339 which meant paying the accompanist more. 683 00:29:22,740 --> 00:29:24,480 So that was another choice that we had to make. 684 00:29:25,059 --> 00:29:27,319 Monday would be kind of dry tech kind of stuff. 685 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:29,640 And then Tuesday we'd add, 686 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:32,500 we're going to do our choreography or singing or dancing. 687 00:29:33,039 --> 00:29:34,160 And there was always adjustments 688 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:36,400 because our stage was not the right. 689 00:29:36,859 --> 00:29:38,119 So when we did newsies, 690 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:42,700 we didn't even have room in our theater to rehearse 691 00:29:42,700 --> 00:29:44,819 because our sets were so large. 692 00:29:44,819 --> 00:29:46,279 And we had them in advance. 693 00:29:46,519 --> 00:29:47,519 So we bought those. 694 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:49,160 You bought the whole set, didn't you? 695 00:29:49,279 --> 00:29:51,980 From all the sets, the costumes, the props. 696 00:29:52,319 --> 00:29:55,220 Which is like three stories with a scaffolding basically 697 00:29:55,220 --> 00:29:56,619 was the majority of the set. 698 00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:58,059 Three, three story towers. 699 00:29:58,059 --> 00:29:59,680 The massive printing desk. 700 00:30:01,339 --> 00:30:04,519 And so, but anyways, we didn't have anywhere to rehearse 701 00:30:04,519 --> 00:30:07,220 cause it was a lot of like kids climbing up and down, 702 00:30:07,359 --> 00:30:10,420 moving the big thingies around and running up and down it. 703 00:30:10,460 --> 00:30:12,819 And I was like, this is going to be super dangerous 704 00:30:12,819 --> 00:30:14,779 if we don't get to rehearse this in advance. 705 00:30:15,079 --> 00:30:17,220 So that was the year one of our parents 706 00:30:17,220 --> 00:30:20,039 found somebody who owned like a warehouse 707 00:30:20,039 --> 00:30:21,740 and they weren't using it for anything. 708 00:30:22,059 --> 00:30:25,920 And so it was on Nashville road and our dads built, 709 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:28,240 they could only build the first two levels 710 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:30,119 because it wasn't tall enough. 711 00:30:31,319 --> 00:30:33,680 And so we could, and we had those two other pieces 712 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:36,160 that were small and rolled off and on and everything. 713 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:40,400 And so we rehearsed, we would carpool from Greenwood 714 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:42,960 over to Nashville road and rehearse 715 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:45,019 so that we had a space big enough. 716 00:30:45,259 --> 00:30:48,140 But we would, and what we got really smart about 717 00:30:48,140 --> 00:30:50,819 is like knowing the size that we had at the theater. 718 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:54,200 When we did SpongeBob, we knew we were going to have 719 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:55,660 certain things flying in and out. 720 00:30:55,660 --> 00:30:58,599 And so we knew then, this is how much space we'll have. 721 00:30:58,740 --> 00:30:59,839 So we would tape it down. 722 00:31:00,660 --> 00:31:03,500 And so the kids got used to being in the space 723 00:31:03,500 --> 00:31:04,640 that they were going to have. 724 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:06,440 And that's something that I didn't know before. 725 00:31:06,579 --> 00:31:08,660 Like if you're going to be moving into a different space, 726 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:11,200 you're going to have to redo all of your blocking 727 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:14,259 and all of your choreography if you don't account for that. 728 00:31:14,740 --> 00:31:17,660 So we got, you know, in the warehouse, we taped out. 729 00:31:17,819 --> 00:31:19,819 This is what Vameter stage is going to be like. 730 00:31:20,019 --> 00:31:21,700 This is where this drop's going to be. 731 00:31:21,859 --> 00:31:24,420 This is where, you know, these things are going to be 732 00:31:24,420 --> 00:31:26,500 so that they could get familiar with it. 733 00:31:26,599 --> 00:31:28,140 And there's still some adjustment when you move 734 00:31:28,140 --> 00:31:30,059 into a different space, but it's not as much. 735 00:31:30,519 --> 00:31:32,660 And just being really organized and in good communication. 736 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,140 I think I was really intimidated by Smitty 737 00:31:35,140 --> 00:31:37,039 because he's so smart. 738 00:31:37,039 --> 00:31:39,299 He looks like he toured with the Grateful Dead, probably. 739 00:31:40,539 --> 00:31:42,339 And I did not feel very, 740 00:31:42,500 --> 00:31:45,059 and then I remember like the first time Smitty told me 741 00:31:45,059 --> 00:31:46,319 like, good job. 742 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:50,299 I was like, just weeping. 743 00:31:50,940 --> 00:31:52,660 And all of my kids, well, not Beckett 744 00:31:52,660 --> 00:31:53,500 because I was pregnant with him, 745 00:31:53,500 --> 00:31:57,599 but like Willow and Abel both slept through tech rehearsals 746 00:31:57,599 --> 00:32:00,680 in a pack and play, like in a closet in Vameter 747 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:02,599 that Smitty would unlock for me. 748 00:32:03,380 --> 00:32:05,119 So like when he said, good job, I was like, 749 00:32:05,119 --> 00:32:07,579 I've really done something in my life. 750 00:32:07,579 --> 00:32:07,900 Yes. 751 00:32:08,859 --> 00:32:10,339 But it was a lot of learning. 752 00:32:10,759 --> 00:32:13,039 And so when I passed the program on, 753 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:15,460 I tried to be like, here are your contacts 754 00:32:15,460 --> 00:32:16,980 and here are the people and here are the things 755 00:32:16,980 --> 00:32:19,140 because I was so intimidated by Smitty. 756 00:32:19,279 --> 00:32:21,299 I didn't like want to ask, like I wanted so much 757 00:32:21,299 --> 00:32:22,539 to seem like I knew what I was doing 758 00:32:22,539 --> 00:32:23,839 that I didn't want to ask questions. 759 00:32:24,039 --> 00:32:25,420 And then it was so obvious that I didn't know 760 00:32:25,420 --> 00:32:27,059 what I was doing, I had to ask questions. 761 00:32:27,779 --> 00:32:30,539 And I think, yeah, like you've got to have good communication 762 00:32:30,539 --> 00:32:33,640 because he would just have me come in 763 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:35,859 and be like, these are the things that I really need. 764 00:32:36,420 --> 00:32:38,339 And he's very like cut and dry. 765 00:32:38,519 --> 00:32:40,880 Like there's not, this is what we're gonna do 766 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:42,079 and this is how it's gonna be 767 00:32:42,079 --> 00:32:44,599 and theater safety and theater etiquette. 768 00:32:45,019 --> 00:32:49,619 And, but yeah, be just talking to that venue 769 00:32:49,619 --> 00:32:51,839 and knowing like the size of your space. 770 00:32:51,839 --> 00:32:54,380 And if you are bringing in weird stuff, 771 00:32:54,519 --> 00:32:57,039 like flying things that are gonna fly in and out, 772 00:32:57,059 --> 00:32:58,359 if you have access to that, 773 00:32:58,660 --> 00:33:01,740 like just know that all of that stuff adds a lot of time 774 00:33:01,740 --> 00:33:03,759 at the end and you don't always like, 775 00:33:03,940 --> 00:33:05,579 you're not getting any of that stuff 776 00:33:05,579 --> 00:33:07,319 until a week before the show. 777 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:10,059 So you want to make sure you are really solid 778 00:33:10,059 --> 00:33:11,779 on all the things you can control. 779 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:12,359 Yes. 780 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:15,819 Because you don't want to be having to fix issues 781 00:33:15,819 --> 00:33:20,180 of like lines or blocking or just basic stuff 782 00:33:20,180 --> 00:33:22,119 that kids can mess around with. 783 00:33:22,500 --> 00:33:24,039 Costume changes, where's your prom? 784 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:27,940 Yeah, like all of that stuff better be solid 785 00:33:27,940 --> 00:33:28,759 before you get there 786 00:33:28,759 --> 00:33:31,079 because you're gonna have a lot of other things to deal with. 787 00:33:31,359 --> 00:33:32,740 But there's a lot of benefits of doing it. 788 00:33:32,839 --> 00:33:34,359 Kids feel really like for us, 789 00:33:34,460 --> 00:33:36,359 our theater only held like 300 people. 790 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:36,680 Yeah. 791 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:38,240 If we wanted to have everybody in the school 792 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:39,180 come and see our show, 793 00:33:39,460 --> 00:33:41,319 we would have had to do like four showings 794 00:33:41,319 --> 00:33:42,519 just for the school to come. 795 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:43,460 Yeah, we have the same role. 796 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:44,740 It wasn't feasible. 797 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:48,740 So I loved having that space 798 00:33:48,740 --> 00:33:52,200 and loved that we were able to continue to do it, 799 00:33:52,220 --> 00:33:55,720 but it took a lot of work to afford it and to pull it off. 800 00:33:56,180 --> 00:33:57,740 But of course you have more butts in seats. 801 00:33:57,960 --> 00:33:59,779 So I mean, and like you guys were selling out shows 802 00:33:59,779 --> 00:34:00,539 out there, weren't you? 803 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:02,859 We did for the Little Mermaid, 804 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:04,519 the Saturday night performance, 805 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:07,299 they were lined up like wrapped around Van Bier. 806 00:34:08,039 --> 00:34:10,119 And I remember King Triton's mom 807 00:34:10,119 --> 00:34:12,199 was like in the end of the line 808 00:34:12,199 --> 00:34:14,079 and Smitty came out and he was like, 809 00:34:14,139 --> 00:34:16,099 you need to hold, like we've got to count seats. 810 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:17,880 I don't know if we can get these people in. 811 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:20,199 And I was, yeah. 812 00:34:20,780 --> 00:34:21,599 Oh my gosh. 813 00:34:21,739 --> 00:34:22,860 Yeah, the whole place. 814 00:34:23,019 --> 00:34:24,619 Do you know how many seats that place has? 815 00:34:25,579 --> 00:34:26,380 1,100. 816 00:34:26,860 --> 00:34:27,960 Oh my gosh. 817 00:34:28,579 --> 00:34:28,800 Yeah. 818 00:34:29,539 --> 00:34:30,500 That's so cool. 819 00:34:31,579 --> 00:34:33,519 And I was like, we have got to find somewhere 820 00:34:33,519 --> 00:34:35,280 for Triton's mom to be. 821 00:34:37,219 --> 00:34:38,699 But Triton's mom has to be in there. 822 00:34:38,980 --> 00:34:40,559 And I think we were able to get everyone in. 823 00:34:40,659 --> 00:34:42,000 Like we just had to scoot people together. 824 00:34:42,679 --> 00:34:45,559 But that I think was the only show we sold out every seat 825 00:34:45,559 --> 00:34:47,420 for the Saturday performance of the Little Mermaid. 826 00:34:48,599 --> 00:34:48,760 Yeah. 827 00:34:49,219 --> 00:34:50,260 That's really cool. 828 00:34:50,900 --> 00:34:51,760 Yeah, it was. 829 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:55,960 So what is something that you took away 830 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:58,719 from our program for your high school program? 831 00:34:59,079 --> 00:35:00,679 Like maybe even that's something that involves 832 00:35:00,679 --> 00:35:02,239 like doing theater specifically, it could be. 833 00:35:02,500 --> 00:35:05,539 But something you think was beneficial to you 834 00:35:05,539 --> 00:35:07,260 that maybe other people might get out of. 835 00:35:07,539 --> 00:35:09,219 It's just the theater family. 836 00:35:09,780 --> 00:35:12,239 Like one of my former theater students works 837 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:14,599 for the public library in Warren County. 838 00:35:15,239 --> 00:35:17,900 And I guess she's running a theater camp or something 839 00:35:17,900 --> 00:35:18,880 cause she had posted online. 840 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:19,340 What's your name? 841 00:35:20,299 --> 00:35:22,739 Ella Hagen, she works at the Bob Kirby branch. 842 00:35:23,039 --> 00:35:24,579 Okay, is she involved with, is this part of, 843 00:35:24,639 --> 00:35:25,340 something's going on with Capitol? 844 00:35:26,159 --> 00:35:27,139 Maybe, I don't know. 845 00:35:27,260 --> 00:35:28,280 Like I didn't even know she was doing it. 846 00:35:28,340 --> 00:35:29,719 She had just posted on Instagram, 847 00:35:30,340 --> 00:35:32,039 like a kid had written her a note 848 00:35:32,039 --> 00:35:35,019 that was like, dear theater teacher, I love theater. 849 00:35:35,219 --> 00:35:36,780 And I think this is going to be, you know, 850 00:35:36,860 --> 00:35:37,820 and she was just like melting. 851 00:35:38,619 --> 00:35:40,440 And that was such like a full circle moment. 852 00:35:40,500 --> 00:35:43,320 Cause I was like, yeah, that's why we do it. 853 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:47,420 Like you do it because when you are a theater educator, 854 00:35:47,719 --> 00:35:49,039 and I know that you know this 855 00:35:49,039 --> 00:35:50,840 because like I'm hearing talking to you, 856 00:35:50,860 --> 00:35:53,320 but there are so many kids who you just watch 857 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:57,440 like find a place where they really belong. 858 00:35:59,599 --> 00:36:04,119 And that surely it happens in other places, 859 00:36:04,119 --> 00:36:06,119 but there's also just something about the empathy 860 00:36:06,119 --> 00:36:09,739 of the theater and the openness of the theater. 861 00:36:09,940 --> 00:36:12,619 Like there's just something really special about it. 862 00:36:12,619 --> 00:36:15,719 And so like you're going to have story after story 863 00:36:15,719 --> 00:36:17,940 as a theater educator of kids just being like, 864 00:36:18,579 --> 00:36:20,539 I didn't know I could do this. 865 00:36:20,699 --> 00:36:20,980 Yes. 866 00:36:21,940 --> 00:36:24,860 Or I was going through X, Y, or Z 867 00:36:24,860 --> 00:36:27,059 and the theater got me through this. 868 00:36:27,579 --> 00:36:27,599 Yes. 869 00:36:28,019 --> 00:36:30,059 Or I mean, like even just saying this like kids, 870 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:32,719 like it's like a Rolodex in my brain of kids. 871 00:36:33,159 --> 00:36:34,400 I'm having the same experience, yes. 872 00:36:34,619 --> 00:36:35,300 Yeah, you know. 873 00:36:36,079 --> 00:36:38,000 And like I said, it's not even the big things. 874 00:36:38,219 --> 00:36:40,219 Like our musicals were very special. 875 00:36:40,219 --> 00:36:44,079 And I was super lucky that I was able to do like the level 876 00:36:44,079 --> 00:36:45,780 and the quality of things that we did. 877 00:36:47,500 --> 00:36:51,539 But it was the same feeling as the theater family I had 878 00:36:51,539 --> 00:36:54,539 in 2006 and like a tiny high school auditorium 879 00:36:55,260 --> 00:36:57,019 at a program that was just beginning, you know? 880 00:36:57,260 --> 00:36:59,960 Like the feeling is the same. 881 00:37:00,139 --> 00:37:02,239 And I think that's like what the kids crave. 882 00:37:02,579 --> 00:37:05,159 Like all of the big stuff is really cool. 883 00:37:05,219 --> 00:37:08,199 And that makes them feel like special or whatever. 884 00:37:08,199 --> 00:37:10,519 But like what they crave is the connection. 885 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:16,420 And so, yeah, like when the kids, one of my kids, 886 00:37:16,619 --> 00:37:19,619 he's a social studies teacher now at Greenwood. 887 00:37:19,820 --> 00:37:21,619 So he went back to teach there after I left, 888 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:24,860 emailed me a question about teaching, which is funny. 889 00:37:25,300 --> 00:37:28,599 And then was like, sent me a picture of a note 890 00:37:28,599 --> 00:37:30,159 that I had written him after a show. 891 00:37:30,260 --> 00:37:30,940 And it was like, you know, 892 00:37:31,219 --> 00:37:33,000 this is hanging on my wall behind my desk. 893 00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:36,420 And you just don't know, like for years, 894 00:37:36,420 --> 00:37:38,599 like when I graduated, you wrote me a card 895 00:37:38,599 --> 00:37:39,820 and it was like, screw your court, 896 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:41,579 courage to the sticking board and you'll not fail. 897 00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:44,199 And that was before Lin-Manuel put it in Hamilton. 898 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:49,159 So like, you were like spouting off McBeth quotes 899 00:37:49,159 --> 00:37:51,320 to people before Lin-Manuel was doing it in Hamilton. 900 00:37:51,519 --> 00:37:53,420 So maybe he owes you something for getting it. 901 00:37:54,679 --> 00:37:57,659 But, you know, like that kind of stuff. 902 00:37:57,880 --> 00:37:59,420 And when you're doing it as a teacher, 903 00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:00,800 you're just showing up for your kids. 904 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:02,440 Like you're not even thinking like, 905 00:38:03,059 --> 00:38:04,739 you're like, I'm just trying to put up a good show 906 00:38:04,739 --> 00:38:06,360 and have a good time and love on people 907 00:38:06,360 --> 00:38:08,139 and create this environment, you know. 908 00:38:09,039 --> 00:38:10,239 But it turns into something 909 00:38:10,239 --> 00:38:13,039 that's so much more important to the kids than that. 910 00:38:14,739 --> 00:38:16,139 Yeah. And then you go on 911 00:38:16,139 --> 00:38:17,579 and do all this work that you've done. 912 00:38:17,579 --> 00:38:18,940 And then those kids go on 913 00:38:18,940 --> 00:38:20,840 and just gets bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger. 914 00:38:21,019 --> 00:38:22,559 And that is just, that's all. 915 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:26,079 Because one of your kids is best friends with Gavin. 916 00:38:26,619 --> 00:38:27,199 My Allie. 917 00:38:27,759 --> 00:38:30,059 Allie, she, and like the first time I met her, 918 00:38:30,059 --> 00:38:31,239 she was at Western, they were working, 919 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:32,360 I think they were both in the box. 920 00:38:32,420 --> 00:38:33,900 And she came out and like tackled me 921 00:38:33,900 --> 00:38:35,659 and she was like, you're at a good house, 922 00:38:35,820 --> 00:38:36,300 what are you talking about? 923 00:38:36,500 --> 00:38:37,539 And I was like, I know you. 924 00:38:37,679 --> 00:38:39,519 And Gavin's like, no, she loves you. 925 00:38:40,059 --> 00:38:42,800 And she was like, we've never met. 926 00:38:42,900 --> 00:38:43,840 She's like, I know. 927 00:38:45,059 --> 00:38:47,280 So, no, she's like, she comes out to the house. 928 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:48,139 We have different with her. 929 00:38:48,340 --> 00:38:49,679 I went to her graduation, you know. 930 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:51,420 So, no, she's thinking he's with Gavin. 931 00:38:51,659 --> 00:38:52,980 But, and I just think that's great that, 932 00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:55,340 and this community just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. 933 00:38:55,559 --> 00:38:57,719 And it's only good things can come from it, so. 934 00:38:57,840 --> 00:38:59,539 Yeah. And it's like a, you know, 935 00:38:59,619 --> 00:39:01,460 it's a legacy kind of a thing. 936 00:39:01,579 --> 00:39:01,980 It is. 937 00:39:02,340 --> 00:39:03,460 Like you've got your kids 938 00:39:03,460 --> 00:39:06,199 and then there are stories, you know, 939 00:39:06,340 --> 00:39:10,519 like the directors of the past or the people of the past. 940 00:39:10,619 --> 00:39:11,699 And like people know, like, 941 00:39:13,039 --> 00:39:15,739 oh, I had one of your kids at Upward Bound this summer. 942 00:39:16,079 --> 00:39:17,820 And I don't even remember. 943 00:39:18,380 --> 00:39:19,780 Oh, he was wearing a drama shirt. 944 00:39:19,980 --> 00:39:22,300 Okay. And I was like, oh yeah, look, turn around. 945 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:24,199 And I was like, look, this is me and me and me 946 00:39:24,199 --> 00:39:25,260 because they had it all listed on the back. 947 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:27,679 And of course he couldn't see what I was pointing to. 948 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:31,260 And he was like, are you old enough for the crucible? 949 00:39:32,020 --> 00:39:35,920 And I was like, well, I wasn't a part of it. 950 00:39:36,219 --> 00:39:37,920 I was in high school when it happened. 951 00:39:38,679 --> 00:39:41,139 You know, it's funny because like he is so far removed 952 00:39:41,139 --> 00:39:43,480 from that, but like the stories and the legacy 953 00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:45,559 or in my program at Greenwood, 954 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:48,000 there were so many like rituals and things 955 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:49,659 that long preceded me. 956 00:39:49,860 --> 00:39:51,440 Like they came way before me, 957 00:39:51,579 --> 00:39:53,940 but just became a part of the culture 958 00:39:53,940 --> 00:39:55,699 and became this thing that was so special. 959 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:57,699 And then it's been really cool that like, 960 00:39:57,719 --> 00:40:01,000 since I left, kids will be like, well, we told them, 961 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:02,980 we still have to do blank, blank or blank. 962 00:40:03,119 --> 00:40:05,039 Like some things that I brought in 963 00:40:05,980 --> 00:40:08,360 that the kids then latched onto 964 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:10,420 and wanted to make it part of the legacy of the program. 965 00:40:10,699 --> 00:40:13,300 But it's because of the connections 966 00:40:13,300 --> 00:40:14,280 that you make with the kids 967 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:15,780 and they're still connected to it. 968 00:40:16,059 --> 00:40:18,579 And that's just, I don't know. 969 00:40:18,940 --> 00:40:23,900 Like maybe it happens on softball teams or soccer teams, 970 00:40:23,900 --> 00:40:26,380 but it just seems to be something very specific 971 00:40:26,380 --> 00:40:27,659 to me about the theater. 972 00:40:27,699 --> 00:40:29,500 And I would have kids who came from sports 973 00:40:30,059 --> 00:40:32,340 for the Little Mermaid, we had all these senior boys 974 00:40:32,340 --> 00:40:33,519 who had been football players 975 00:40:33,519 --> 00:40:34,780 so they can never do the musical 976 00:40:34,780 --> 00:40:36,900 because of football practice. 977 00:40:37,260 --> 00:40:37,820 And they were like, 978 00:40:37,900 --> 00:40:40,420 we had three football players who did the musical 979 00:40:40,940 --> 00:40:42,480 like Prince Eric and Triton 980 00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:44,539 and then one of the members of our ensemble 981 00:40:44,539 --> 00:40:45,840 were these football players. 982 00:40:46,340 --> 00:40:48,340 Every stereotype you think you have 983 00:40:48,340 --> 00:40:50,340 about these kids in these different groups, 984 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:51,480 and then they come into musical 985 00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:53,500 and you're doing the happy sad circle 986 00:40:53,500 --> 00:40:54,380 and they're just weeping. 987 00:40:55,159 --> 00:40:55,739 Yeah, yeah. 988 00:40:56,679 --> 00:40:59,940 This changed them in a positive way. 989 00:41:00,079 --> 00:41:02,159 Like they felt and experienced things 990 00:41:02,159 --> 00:41:03,360 with their theater family 991 00:41:03,360 --> 00:41:05,579 that they had not previously experienced 992 00:41:05,579 --> 00:41:08,840 even though they had experienced winning games 993 00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:12,659 and it's not that to negate the times that they had, 994 00:41:12,659 --> 00:41:14,179 there's just something different. 995 00:41:14,579 --> 00:41:15,719 Different, and you only have to do one show. 996 00:41:15,980 --> 00:41:18,380 Like it's like you need to be in drama for four years 997 00:41:18,380 --> 00:41:20,619 to get back to one show and then you're booked 998 00:41:20,619 --> 00:41:22,280 and they just, you want that feeling again. 999 00:41:22,380 --> 00:41:24,000 So we get seniors come in and it's drama one 1000 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:25,880 and they get to do three or four shows 1001 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:28,940 and they're like, oh, I should have gotten here earlier. 1002 00:41:29,039 --> 00:41:30,320 I was like, but you can do the other places. 1003 00:41:30,500 --> 00:41:31,340 And they're like, no, no. 1004 00:41:31,900 --> 00:41:32,719 We can only do three years. 1005 00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:34,139 Yeah, it's not the same, yeah. 1006 00:41:34,559 --> 00:41:36,219 You can go somewhere else. 1007 00:41:36,559 --> 00:41:38,679 Oh, sometimes they do and it works out okay. 1008 00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:42,099 So what is your relationship to theater now? 1009 00:41:42,219 --> 00:41:43,699 How are you involved with theater now? 1010 00:41:44,199 --> 00:41:46,679 So I gave up the program when I had my third kid 1011 00:41:46,679 --> 00:41:48,980 because it was a lot. 1012 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:50,960 Yeah, I feel that. 1013 00:41:51,539 --> 00:41:53,539 Maybe there's like way more bad ass than me 1014 00:41:53,539 --> 00:41:57,059 but I was just like, I can no longer. 1015 00:41:57,239 --> 00:42:00,360 And I remember there was a very specific moment during. 1016 00:42:00,980 --> 00:42:04,300 So we did SpongeBob and a flipping blizzard happened 1017 00:42:05,179 --> 00:42:07,039 in March on opening night. 1018 00:42:07,860 --> 00:42:09,699 And so like it really affected our attendance 1019 00:42:09,699 --> 00:42:17,159 and my ankles were like huge and I was very pregnant 1020 00:42:17,820 --> 00:42:20,539 and I just like, I had a panic attack and I started crying 1021 00:42:20,539 --> 00:42:22,699 and I was just like, I can't do this. 1022 00:42:22,699 --> 00:42:24,199 Like this is too much. 1023 00:42:24,800 --> 00:42:27,099 Just the situation where like where I worked 1024 00:42:27,099 --> 00:42:28,659 and then where my kids went and things like that 1025 00:42:28,659 --> 00:42:30,780 and Willow got all involved in all of these things 1026 00:42:30,780 --> 00:42:32,300 and Abel was all involved in all these things. 1027 00:42:32,619 --> 00:42:33,940 So I gave it up because I was like, 1028 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:35,579 I couldn't figure out how to balance everything 1029 00:42:35,579 --> 00:42:37,639 and not have a nervous breakdown. 1030 00:42:38,739 --> 00:42:39,039 But- 1031 00:42:39,540 --> 00:42:40,719 I just have the nervous breakdown. 1032 00:42:41,260 --> 00:42:44,400 Yeah, you know, some people just choose that route 1033 00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:46,059 and I guess that's fine. 1034 00:42:46,239 --> 00:42:47,059 I don't think I should. 1035 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:48,179 I don't think I should. 1036 00:42:48,179 --> 00:42:49,739 I think you made a good decision for you. 1037 00:42:49,980 --> 00:42:51,400 I am very proud of you for knowing 1038 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:53,340 when you felt like this is what the time is. 1039 00:42:53,500 --> 00:42:55,400 And it was such a high note too. 1040 00:42:56,019 --> 00:42:57,320 Yeah, and that was the thing too. 1041 00:42:57,440 --> 00:43:01,159 I think it was like, I was at a place where I'm like, 1042 00:43:01,179 --> 00:43:04,400 I can't show up with the same kind of vigor 1043 00:43:04,779 --> 00:43:06,900 that I want to be able to show up for the kids. 1044 00:43:06,980 --> 00:43:08,280 So I could have kept doing it 1045 00:43:08,280 --> 00:43:10,400 but I don't think the quality would have stayed 1046 00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:14,079 where it was because that was the thing that was too much. 1047 00:43:14,699 --> 00:43:17,900 And so I left, but since, so, 1048 00:43:17,900 --> 00:43:20,199 but that last show that I did, 1049 00:43:20,300 --> 00:43:24,760 I put Willow in as Gary the snail and she was like five 1050 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:29,719 and she got the theater bug, like hardcore. 1051 00:43:30,460 --> 00:43:32,099 So that summer she did theater camp. 1052 00:43:32,239 --> 00:43:37,119 And so now I'm a theater mom and that is so fun 1053 00:43:37,119 --> 00:43:38,840 because I get to do all the fun things 1054 00:43:38,840 --> 00:43:40,039 that help what I want 1055 00:43:40,660 --> 00:43:42,920 but I'm not actually responsible for anything. 1056 00:43:43,420 --> 00:43:45,440 The directors at her elementary school 1057 00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:48,019 they did their first musical her first grade year. 1058 00:43:48,119 --> 00:43:50,119 They had never done one at Cumberland Tracy's before. 1059 00:43:50,860 --> 00:43:52,059 And so they did frozen junior. 1060 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:55,300 And I was like, I've got a little experience in the theater. 1061 00:43:57,239 --> 00:43:59,280 So if you need like help with anything, 1062 00:43:59,699 --> 00:44:02,679 so then I like actually just inserted myself 1063 00:44:02,679 --> 00:44:04,800 into the process and I hope it was welcome. 1064 00:44:04,940 --> 00:44:05,659 And I think that it was 1065 00:44:05,659 --> 00:44:07,380 cause they keep letting me come back and do things. 1066 00:44:07,619 --> 00:44:09,519 So I love being able to do that. 1067 00:44:09,519 --> 00:44:11,760 And it's also really cool doing it with littles 1068 00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:13,179 cause I'd never done it with littles before. 1069 00:44:13,539 --> 00:44:14,980 So I help out with that. 1070 00:44:14,980 --> 00:44:18,300 And helping her do all of the theater things 1071 00:44:18,300 --> 00:44:19,280 that she wants to do. 1072 00:44:19,639 --> 00:44:20,820 And then it's still a part of my life 1073 00:44:20,820 --> 00:44:22,760 because I'm never gonna stop going to shows 1074 00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:25,480 and I'm never gonna stop like staying current on it. 1075 00:44:25,639 --> 00:44:27,539 And I'm never gonna stop being connected 1076 00:44:27,539 --> 00:44:31,280 to the kids that I had when I was there. 1077 00:44:31,539 --> 00:44:35,099 So I miss it a lot, a lot, a lot. 1078 00:44:35,280 --> 00:44:37,579 It was probably the thing in my whole career 1079 00:44:37,579 --> 00:44:40,800 that I felt like the most fulfilled in. 1080 00:44:41,539 --> 00:44:45,179 But it also just was not sustainable at that time, 1081 00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:46,579 at the level I was doing it. 1082 00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:48,739 So it was super hard to walk away from 1083 00:44:49,280 --> 00:44:51,380 what was the most rewarding thing I ever did. 1084 00:44:51,579 --> 00:44:52,559 It was directing me. 1085 00:44:52,619 --> 00:44:53,900 And I would tell kids that every year 1086 00:44:53,900 --> 00:44:55,780 like in happy sad circle, I'd be like, oh yeah. 1087 00:44:56,559 --> 00:45:00,099 My God, like this, it's, teaching English is great. 1088 00:45:00,420 --> 00:45:01,440 I love that too. 1089 00:45:01,840 --> 00:45:03,679 And that's a whole different level, but it's just. 1090 00:45:04,099 --> 00:45:05,440 It's not the same at all. 1091 00:45:05,619 --> 00:45:06,619 It's not the same at all. 1092 00:45:07,340 --> 00:45:08,579 So yeah, I don't know. 1093 00:45:09,079 --> 00:45:11,119 It's definitely like a hole in the chest 1094 00:45:11,119 --> 00:45:13,480 and especially at certain times of the year, 1095 00:45:13,780 --> 00:45:17,239 I'm like, oh, this is weird. 1096 00:45:17,679 --> 00:45:19,559 I'm like, oh, I wanna do this or that. 1097 00:45:19,980 --> 00:45:23,059 But what I'm doing right now and what I am is fine. 1098 00:45:23,280 --> 00:45:25,219 And I'm at this new school now. 1099 00:45:25,679 --> 00:45:28,179 And I don't know if this is public knowledge. 1100 00:45:28,340 --> 00:45:29,500 I'm gonna make it public knowledge. 1101 00:45:29,599 --> 00:45:31,940 And if anybody from the school that I'm at now, 1102 00:45:32,159 --> 00:45:33,219 I just won't say it. 1103 00:45:33,460 --> 00:45:35,420 If anybody's listening, then if it's supposed to be 1104 00:45:35,420 --> 00:45:36,260 a surprise, I'm sorry, 1105 00:45:36,260 --> 00:45:38,139 but they're gonna do newsies this year. 1106 00:45:38,880 --> 00:45:41,119 I'm gonna insert myself as much as they will let me. 1107 00:45:41,360 --> 00:45:41,559 Good girl. 1108 00:45:41,699 --> 00:45:43,940 I met the choir teacher one time and was like, 1109 00:45:44,579 --> 00:45:45,840 hey, I did that show. 1110 00:45:46,980 --> 00:45:48,519 I know some things about it. 1111 00:45:49,659 --> 00:45:50,380 Newsies, I don't know. 1112 00:45:50,480 --> 00:45:51,719 Maybe it's just like one of those, 1113 00:45:51,719 --> 00:45:55,619 like the emotion around newsies that makes it. 1114 00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:57,420 That was a very emotional time for people. 1115 00:45:57,480 --> 00:45:59,420 It was a very special group of kids. 1116 00:45:59,719 --> 00:46:01,579 You don't, when you're teaching these things, 1117 00:46:01,739 --> 00:46:03,139 you use plays or having these conversations 1118 00:46:03,139 --> 00:46:04,619 or saying try this out or whatever, 1119 00:46:04,619 --> 00:46:06,099 or here, I think you make this prop. 1120 00:46:06,559 --> 00:46:08,360 You're not thinking this is gonna stick with this kid 1121 00:46:08,360 --> 00:46:09,519 for the rest of their life. 1122 00:46:09,760 --> 00:46:10,760 And they're gonna, you know, 1123 00:46:11,059 --> 00:46:12,840 this is gonna be this thing that they're gonna hold onto 1124 00:46:12,840 --> 00:46:14,500 and keep this piece of paper in their pocket or whatever. 1125 00:46:15,199 --> 00:46:16,739 Cause the kids come back and they say things. 1126 00:46:16,840 --> 00:46:18,480 And I think, oh, that was really cool that I said that. 1127 00:46:18,639 --> 00:46:19,760 I do not remember saying, 1128 00:46:20,139 --> 00:46:21,679 we're like, here's what you put in my yearbook 1129 00:46:21,679 --> 00:46:22,699 or in this note at the show. 1130 00:46:22,780 --> 00:46:24,940 And I'm like, I am so freaking smart. 1131 00:46:25,280 --> 00:46:26,920 I'm so happy I did that for you. 1132 00:46:27,079 --> 00:46:27,619 Cause it wasn't like, 1133 00:46:27,800 --> 00:46:29,920 I'm gonna give this great impassioned speech 1134 00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:32,019 and it's like, no one ever remembers that stuff. 1135 00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:36,159 It's little tiny things and you're like, oh, okay. 1136 00:46:37,780 --> 00:46:39,320 That's cool, I don't know. 1137 00:46:40,159 --> 00:46:40,980 Oh my gosh. 1138 00:46:41,360 --> 00:46:42,579 I am so, do you think you might, 1139 00:46:42,820 --> 00:46:44,000 when your kids get older, 1140 00:46:44,159 --> 00:46:45,360 which I understand in your, 1141 00:46:45,659 --> 00:46:49,079 where you are the world seems like a thousand way, 1142 00:46:49,179 --> 00:46:51,900 but of course I'm sending the last one off to college 1143 00:46:51,900 --> 00:46:52,739 here in the fall. 1144 00:46:53,440 --> 00:46:56,000 So I will surely find more things to do. 1145 00:46:56,320 --> 00:46:59,440 Do you think you might get back into directing later on? 1146 00:46:59,440 --> 00:47:05,019 Yeah, I'm always looking for ways to do something somewhere. 1147 00:47:06,639 --> 00:47:08,420 So yeah, I even like for a minute, 1148 00:47:08,500 --> 00:47:10,139 I was like, maybe I'll stage manage. 1149 00:47:10,380 --> 00:47:11,900 Like they always bring in these college kids 1150 00:47:11,900 --> 00:47:13,960 to stage manage shows for BG on stage. 1151 00:47:14,619 --> 00:47:16,300 I was like, what if I just did that? 1152 00:47:16,559 --> 00:47:17,280 What if I was just like, 1153 00:47:17,380 --> 00:47:19,300 at least can I please stage manage a show? 1154 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:20,619 But then I thought, 1155 00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:23,340 I probably shouldn't take like that money away 1156 00:47:23,340 --> 00:47:26,539 from a college student who needs that at the moment. 1157 00:47:26,539 --> 00:47:30,159 But yeah, I will definitely do something. 1158 00:47:30,559 --> 00:47:31,039 I don't know. 1159 00:47:32,239 --> 00:47:34,039 I guess it depends on where I end up. 1160 00:47:34,039 --> 00:47:36,599 If it's like a school program that I take back over 1161 00:47:36,599 --> 00:47:38,559 or what it looks like. 1162 00:47:38,739 --> 00:47:40,440 I've talked to other people 1163 00:47:40,440 --> 00:47:43,239 and like the Warren County art circuit 1164 00:47:43,820 --> 00:47:48,219 about doing some kind of community theater option 1165 00:47:49,139 --> 00:47:52,639 that presents some choices for kids 1166 00:47:52,639 --> 00:47:53,960 beyond what they've already got, 1167 00:47:53,960 --> 00:47:55,900 which like Bowling Green's got a pretty lively. 1168 00:47:56,820 --> 00:47:58,539 Yeah, yeah, much bigger than it was 1169 00:47:58,539 --> 00:48:00,400 when my kids were little, yeah. 1170 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:03,480 Yeah, but you know, there are still I think gaps 1171 00:48:03,480 --> 00:48:05,519 and things that we could fill. 1172 00:48:06,039 --> 00:48:09,480 And I got to come back to it sometime 1173 00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:13,500 because it is my passion, but- 1174 00:48:13,500 --> 00:48:14,619 When did you figure that out? 1175 00:48:14,800 --> 00:48:16,340 When did you decide that was the thing you had to do? 1176 00:48:16,440 --> 00:48:18,500 It was like a specific moment where you were like, oh. 1177 00:48:19,400 --> 00:48:21,920 I woke up on June 3rd, I'm just kidding. 1178 00:48:23,279 --> 00:48:25,980 I mean, really just when you do it for the first time, 1179 00:48:26,059 --> 00:48:28,960 like I remember my first, I don't know, 1180 00:48:29,079 --> 00:48:32,960 one of my first class shows. 1181 00:48:33,300 --> 00:48:36,340 I guess it was before I started doing the musicals. 1182 00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:38,699 I don't remember, but it was Lord of the Pies. 1183 00:48:39,059 --> 00:48:40,039 I don't know if you ever did that one. 1184 00:48:40,300 --> 00:48:41,219 I've not done that one. 1185 00:48:41,679 --> 00:48:43,920 I don't, I honestly, I don't really remember much. 1186 00:48:44,219 --> 00:48:46,559 I was doing that show and those kids were so cool. 1187 00:48:46,679 --> 00:48:48,380 And then at the end, they were like, 1188 00:48:48,599 --> 00:48:51,219 can we write a scene on the end? 1189 00:48:52,739 --> 00:48:54,239 Like I was like, why? 1190 00:48:54,480 --> 00:48:56,159 They were like, it's just this alternate ending 1191 00:48:56,159 --> 00:48:57,320 and we want to do it. 1192 00:48:57,699 --> 00:48:59,380 And they did, and it resulted in like 1193 00:48:59,380 --> 00:49:00,519 me getting pied in the face. 1194 00:49:00,739 --> 00:49:01,619 And so that was the thing. 1195 00:49:02,659 --> 00:49:05,800 But it was like, I guess that was the group of kids 1196 00:49:05,800 --> 00:49:08,860 where I was like, man, it's those relationships. 1197 00:49:09,360 --> 00:49:10,820 And they were so bought in. 1198 00:49:11,780 --> 00:49:13,159 And I guess it was the first time too 1199 00:49:13,159 --> 00:49:16,440 that I felt like, okay, I really know what I'm doing. 1200 00:49:17,480 --> 00:49:17,840 Yeah. 1201 00:49:18,340 --> 00:49:20,219 So I don't know if it was a specific moment, 1202 00:49:20,219 --> 00:49:22,699 but definitely the first time that you, 1203 00:49:23,460 --> 00:49:25,699 you have a theater family that you created, 1204 00:49:26,579 --> 00:49:30,400 then you're like, ah, I have to keep doing this. 1205 00:49:30,900 --> 00:49:33,139 Like I can't stop doing this. 1206 00:49:33,579 --> 00:49:36,119 And you don't have to have, 1207 00:49:36,260 --> 00:49:38,179 you don't even have to like come from theater to do it. 1208 00:49:38,239 --> 00:49:40,000 So there's this teacher at Warren Central 1209 00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:41,500 who just got an English job 1210 00:49:41,500 --> 00:49:43,440 and they just put her in the theater class. 1211 00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:46,980 And she's like, I don't even know what I'm doing. 1212 00:49:47,619 --> 00:49:49,659 I know that she's terrified. 1213 00:49:49,659 --> 00:49:51,260 And like scared out of her mind. 1214 00:49:51,400 --> 00:49:53,460 And she has zero experience in theater. 1215 00:49:53,840 --> 00:49:55,260 And I think I have a book over there. 1216 00:49:55,300 --> 00:49:56,380 I need to give her that I was gonna, 1217 00:49:56,699 --> 00:50:02,099 but I'm like, if you put even one or two 1218 00:50:02,099 --> 00:50:03,320 of the right things in place 1219 00:50:03,799 --> 00:50:05,340 and you can build a community, 1220 00:50:06,259 --> 00:50:07,840 then you're gonna fall in love with it. 1221 00:50:08,039 --> 00:50:09,780 And I think too, like if you were just getting, 1222 00:50:09,920 --> 00:50:11,159 or you were forced into theater, 1223 00:50:13,299 --> 00:50:16,579 like don't shy away from doing the fun parts 1224 00:50:16,579 --> 00:50:17,920 because you're scared of it. 1225 00:50:17,920 --> 00:50:20,099 So I have seen theater programs where it's like, 1226 00:50:20,119 --> 00:50:22,119 well, I don't know anything about theater. 1227 00:50:22,219 --> 00:50:25,679 So we will just like study the shiz out of the history 1228 00:50:26,279 --> 00:50:28,039 and we'll watch a bunch of stuff 1229 00:50:28,039 --> 00:50:29,559 and then you write critiques on it. 1230 00:50:29,820 --> 00:50:30,639 You have to get it. 1231 00:50:30,940 --> 00:50:34,039 And like that, that sure will get them their credit 1232 00:50:34,559 --> 00:50:36,539 but you're not gonna get life from that 1233 00:50:37,159 --> 00:50:38,599 and they're not gonna get life from that. 1234 00:50:39,099 --> 00:50:42,739 So, you know, there is a vulnerability involved 1235 00:50:42,739 --> 00:50:44,920 that I know is easier like when you come 1236 00:50:44,920 --> 00:50:48,559 from a background of extroverted theater-ness. 1237 00:50:49,500 --> 00:50:51,840 And I'm thinking about this one particular friend in general, 1238 00:50:51,980 --> 00:50:53,820 like this is not who she is, it's not a personality. 1239 00:50:54,260 --> 00:50:57,099 But I'm like, play a warmup game with them 1240 00:50:57,099 --> 00:50:59,159 and see if at the end you're not all laughing. 1241 00:50:59,880 --> 00:51:02,719 You know, be brave to do some of these things 1242 00:51:02,719 --> 00:51:05,400 that you feel like are really silly 1243 00:51:05,400 --> 00:51:07,780 or not at all who you are 1244 00:51:08,360 --> 00:51:10,880 and just give it the space to grow 1245 00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:13,239 because you're gonna be miserable. 1246 00:51:13,840 --> 00:51:15,539 It's not that we're not, 1247 00:51:16,059 --> 00:51:17,679 our bottom line isn't that important 1248 00:51:18,280 --> 00:51:21,239 and it's okay in theater, in all the arts, 1249 00:51:21,400 --> 00:51:24,099 if you, you're not gonna get it right every single time. 1250 00:51:24,219 --> 00:51:25,760 And I know your shows have been better 1251 00:51:25,760 --> 00:51:26,400 the longer you've done it. 1252 00:51:26,480 --> 00:51:27,360 My shows are definitely better. 1253 00:51:27,940 --> 00:51:29,599 And so we tried stuff sometimes 1254 00:51:29,599 --> 00:51:31,480 and I was like, well, that did not work. 1255 00:51:31,639 --> 00:51:32,800 And then we do something different. 1256 00:51:33,159 --> 00:51:34,539 You can't be afraid to fail 1257 00:51:34,539 --> 00:51:37,500 and you have, and the kids are so afraid to fail. 1258 00:51:38,000 --> 00:51:39,619 Like they don't wanna try anything 1259 00:51:40,859 --> 00:51:42,780 where they might look stupid 1260 00:51:42,780 --> 00:51:44,599 or they might not do it perfectly. 1261 00:51:44,900 --> 00:51:46,119 And you have, and the part of building that community, 1262 00:51:46,260 --> 00:51:47,800 that family is you have to be, 1263 00:51:48,559 --> 00:51:49,780 it has to be okay for them to fail 1264 00:51:49,780 --> 00:51:51,340 and we have to support them when they fail. 1265 00:51:51,480 --> 00:51:52,820 When they get up and do their monologue, 1266 00:51:53,059 --> 00:51:54,320 their Shakespeare Madness monologue 1267 00:51:54,320 --> 00:51:58,260 and they just say everything in one giant breath 1268 00:51:58,260 --> 00:52:00,099 while walking back and forth across the stage, 1269 00:52:00,559 --> 00:52:01,440 they also get an applause. 1270 00:52:01,840 --> 00:52:02,579 You know, it's all just gonna walk. 1271 00:52:02,800 --> 00:52:04,000 They got up there and they did it. 1272 00:52:04,300 --> 00:52:05,880 So yeah, you gotta be able to fail 1273 00:52:05,880 --> 00:52:07,420 and let the kids see you fail 1274 00:52:07,420 --> 00:52:10,179 and it makes it easier for them to, yes. 1275 00:52:10,659 --> 00:52:12,719 This has been really, you were right. 1276 00:52:12,840 --> 00:52:15,159 We can't talk about anything for any amount of time, 1277 00:52:15,320 --> 00:52:15,920 till the end of time. 1278 00:52:16,199 --> 00:52:17,280 Some of these things I knew 1279 00:52:17,280 --> 00:52:18,500 and some of these I didn't know. 1280 00:52:18,719 --> 00:52:19,619 I mean, I knew a little bit about 1281 00:52:19,619 --> 00:52:20,860 what you had done over at Greenwood, 1282 00:52:21,079 --> 00:52:23,519 but I mean, I think I saw every single musical. 1283 00:52:23,860 --> 00:52:25,039 I think I saw all of them. 1284 00:52:25,539 --> 00:52:27,320 And every time I was like, oh, it's better. 1285 00:52:27,400 --> 00:52:27,880 Oh, it's better. 1286 00:52:27,980 --> 00:52:28,300 Oh, it's better. 1287 00:52:28,619 --> 00:52:30,340 And I was just like, how can she keep getting better? 1288 00:52:30,539 --> 00:52:31,960 Like, this is incredible. 1289 00:52:32,219 --> 00:52:35,360 The learning curve was so incredible that I don't know. 1290 00:52:35,519 --> 00:52:37,260 I'm just, I'm really, I'm so proud of you. 1291 00:52:37,260 --> 00:52:39,840 You've just done so many great things in theater 1292 00:52:39,840 --> 00:52:42,800 and other avenues and conferences you go to 1293 00:52:42,800 --> 00:52:44,679 and stepping out of your comfort zone 1294 00:52:44,679 --> 00:52:46,500 and working with ESL kids. 1295 00:52:46,639 --> 00:52:50,619 And you just, like, you are a poster child for, 1296 00:52:50,860 --> 00:52:52,579 there's several of you that are like this, 1297 00:52:53,000 --> 00:52:54,139 this is what I wanted. 1298 00:52:54,360 --> 00:52:55,860 I don't, if you did theater, great. 1299 00:52:56,079 --> 00:52:58,980 But like, there's maybe a dozen out of the hundreds of kids 1300 00:52:58,980 --> 00:52:59,980 that have been in the program 1301 00:52:59,980 --> 00:53:01,760 who are professionally doing theater. 1302 00:53:02,119 --> 00:53:04,059 It's just so great to see you go out 1303 00:53:04,059 --> 00:53:08,119 and just bring this positivity, energy into the world. 1304 00:53:08,380 --> 00:53:10,920 And if we had something to do with that, then that's great. 1305 00:53:11,119 --> 00:53:12,460 Or maybe you showed up like that 1306 00:53:12,460 --> 00:53:14,480 and you got to work with us and make our program better. 1307 00:53:15,139 --> 00:53:17,739 But I think that's what theater does, you know? 1308 00:53:17,820 --> 00:53:22,579 It builds more empathetic, brave people. 1309 00:53:24,139 --> 00:53:25,260 Yes. Really brave people. 1310 00:53:26,339 --> 00:53:27,139 And yeah. 1311 00:53:27,639 --> 00:53:30,619 And it's like, it's not even hyperbole to say 1312 00:53:30,619 --> 00:53:34,340 that like, that people in the arts, not just theater, 1313 00:53:34,440 --> 00:53:37,239 but people in the arts just have this different level 1314 00:53:38,380 --> 00:53:44,360 of empathy and bravery that they bring into the, 1315 00:53:44,579 --> 00:53:46,699 like viewing the world through a different lens. 1316 00:53:47,059 --> 00:53:48,460 But especially in theater, I mean, 1317 00:53:48,460 --> 00:53:50,579 the whole thing is like bringing life 1318 00:53:50,579 --> 00:53:51,880 to other people's stories, 1319 00:53:51,880 --> 00:53:53,699 which means that you have to spend a lot of time 1320 00:53:53,699 --> 00:53:55,280 thinking about other people's stories. 1321 00:53:55,780 --> 00:53:58,239 I'm glad you got to be our inaugural guest. 1322 00:53:58,239 --> 00:54:00,559 I felt really special about that. 1323 00:54:00,820 --> 00:54:01,280 You should. 1324 00:54:01,920 --> 00:54:03,059 I'm going to put that on my resume, 1325 00:54:03,880 --> 00:54:06,260 inaugural guest on the I digress podcast, 1326 00:54:06,260 --> 00:54:09,559 where I think we maybe only digressed truly like one time, 1327 00:54:09,780 --> 00:54:10,840 but then we circled back. 1328 00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:12,139 So we didn't even digress at all. 1329 00:54:12,460 --> 00:54:14,420 Yes. No, this was all completely scripted. 1330 00:54:15,159 --> 00:54:15,940 Here is the script. 1331 00:54:16,659 --> 00:54:17,280 Yeah. 1332 00:54:35,380 --> 00:54:37,139 But I digress is a. 1333 00:54:37,300 --> 00:54:38,820 We've snatched. 1334 00:54:39,380 --> 00:54:39,679 Production.