Opening

The Quest show that I have been working on has complete it's tour of 33 schools, has completed another two weeks of rehearsal, yesterday's Tech/Dress rehearsal and today we had an audience. It was good fun.

I like when you can step outside yourself and watch. There was a moment today when I was approaching the house stage manager that I did just that. I was in full control, did not feel nervous or unsure. I was approaching a man that has likely been in the business longer than I have been alive, has worked with many "greats" (including Great Big Sea) and I was about to give him the run down. "All right, I was just out in the house and things are moving nicely, the preset is complete and I am ready to go. I will give the actors the five and then head to my post and get on headset, I will then give you the okay to give places and we will wait for the house. And you get that by phone? And you will give me the house, right? Okay, you give me the house and then we go..." As I passed each technician on the way to the dressing room they were asking me questions and I knew and gave the answers without missing a beat or even slowing my walk to reply. I entered the dressing room to give the guys a heads up on seating issues and then gave them their call. I then headed out into the house and to my place behind one of those HUGE sound boards with all of the knobs. Now I am not going to say that I know how to run those things with any skill but I know how to make them go. The show starts and I am running all the sound cues and calling scene changes and watching a lighting technician and sound technician pull off exactly what they should with only one rehearsal.

I enjoyed watching myself today. I felt like a professional and, from where I was watching, looked like a professional. It is something when you realize that you have grown up that much more.