This February/March, I left the big apple for a Georgia peach. After three years of applying, I finally landed an SDC Observership. The director/choreographer union has a program that allows an emerging artist to shadow a master director or choreographer on a production, from the first rehearsal through opening night. I've come close before, getting the chance to interview on projects with such luminaries as Casey Nicholaw, JoAnn Hunter, and Kathleen Marshall. And this spring, I was honored to be 'in the room' with Susan V. Booth, artistic director of the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.
The project was Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a world premiere gothic blues musical with a book by Stephen King, music by John Mellencamp, and T-Bone Burnett as music director. A dream team. I fell in love with this show for a variety of reasons. I aspire to do original musicals. Revivals and regional productions are great and I would never disparage them, but there's something special about finding the best way to tell a story for the first time. Additionally, I love stories set in the contemporary world. The music is incredible. And the show pulls no punches. Blood and guts and real gritty storytelling without a musical theater 'sheen.' Authentic. The kind of work I aspire to create.
Watching Susan at work, I realized just how lucky I was. It was a gift to see her shepherding this show to it's first production. And I learned that I'm capable of being a director. My background is in dance, but it's also heavily based in storytelling. I've worked as an actor. I've studied script analysis. And through the course of the observership, I got the opportunity to put my hand in here and there. Working on an acting beat, rehearsing choreography, emailing thoughts. And I realized that I know more than I thought I did. And that's the biggest gift of all. Confidence.
In a major step forward, after completing the observership I became an associate member of the SDC. I am now 'in the loop' with all that the director/choreographer union has going on. I can ask for help with contracts, get in the door for networking, and meet up with other former observers to exchange information and potentially collaborate. I also received an incredible compliment from the director of the observer program. After reading my recap of my experience, she responded that while looking at my response she had never been more sure that an observer would go on to become an artistic director. Pretty inspiring compliment.
Right now, Ghost Brothers is in NYC doing a developmental reading. I have my fingers crossed for them. It is truly a special show and completely unlike anything currently out there. And it was a joy to see it come to life for the first time. Also a joy? To watch, to learn, and then to stop watching and start doing. Loving being my own artist again! Off to the studio right now to do some pre-pro. Hi ho, the glamorous life!
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