Portrait of the Artist as an Alchemist.

And just like that, a brief run of four nights and an afternoon, it's over.  It was a good run; and more than made up for the sleep deprivation of the past few weeks.  It's a great thing to be able to flex those muscles again; and there's a kind of melancholy that comes with the idea that I may not get another chance for awhile.

And it gets me to thinkin'......

At the Midwestern College I used to work at, way back in the 80-90's which seems less ago than it actually is, I would direct two shows a year; usually, one in the Fall, and one in the Spring.  I never had the opportunity to direct the Guest Artist Show, though....that one was reserved for the Department Chair.  And hey, it's his money and his baby, so I didn't kick.  And he did give me Carte Blanche to choose what material I wanted to play with.

There are a few plays I wanted to do but never got a chance; but the ones I GOT to do were each fun in their own way.  And in each, I swear to St. Genesius, there came a transmogrification that never ceased to astound and delight me.

I would get all manner of folks to audition for the plays; theatre students, music students, and in some delightful occasions even some student athletes would come and try their hands.  And my reputation (I believe) was that I never preconceived anything.  Everybody had a shot at anything at all.  I can remember one kid, I hadn't seen him before, but he came in to read...and I put him together with somebody that had some experience...and this kid held his own.  He finished, and the people in the room politely applauded.

"Very nice," I replied.  And there was some good natured rumblings.  And then, one voice spoke up.

"That was his first time."

I stood up from my table, walked around, and embraced the kid, and quietly said, "Excellent.  You've taken your first steps.  If I don't use you, you must promise me that you'll come back."

Oh, I used him.  And he fit in well.

In the last show I directed, I had almost 100 students audition.  That's ten percent of the campus population.  I hope it was a testament to the respect they had for me, and not some prerequisite for passing a class.

But the true joy was sitting and watching a show in front of an audience for the first time.  Watching them work the audience, find the seams, the places to hold for a response, the places to glide through ahead of the audience, and the places to wait for them to catch up.....and realize that the production is a far better piece than the one you actually directed.

Lead into Gold.