Now Our Tale has Reached its End, Just as it Begins

This final blog post comes at you live (live-ish, anyway) from an airplane over the Atlantic! It breaks my heart to know that Hood officially opens tonight, and I’m not there to celebrate with the SM team, cast, and crew. Everybody talks about theatre being a family, but I never expected to truly be a part of it as an intern. Tonight my Hood family parties without me, and I know I’ll miss each and every one of them, from the company manager Theresa to the entire cast and run crew (many of whom are named Chris).

I couldn’t be happier with how this internship turned out. Not only did I make contacts that will help further my career in the future, but I made friends. We had a stage management “family dinner” on our last night together; knowing that it was the last time we’d all be in the same room broke my heart. After this, everyone is going their separate ways. The interns scatter, Cheyney is moving to New York in January, and there’s another big change in store for DTC. For now, it’s to remain unsaid until it is publicly announced, but it’s the end of an era. If I do come back next summer, it certainly won’t be the same. I knew all of this watching the last curtain call during previews last night, and though not a crier, the tears welled up in my eyes. There’s no feeling like seeing your final curtain call, especially in this case for me.

I can definitely see myself returning, either for another summer or for the yearlong stage management apprenticeship after I graduate (that would be ideal). I’ve discovered that I think I’d be happiest as an assistant stage manager. ASMs interact more with the actors than the SM, and they’re in charge of the more detailed paperwork, like the entrance/exit plot and shift plot (both very important for everyone involved in the show). Being an ASM will use my detail-oriented mind, allow me to get to know the cast and crew (one of my favorite things about being in this business), and let me be on deck during the run of the show. I’ll even get to call the cues for the show when rotation begins, as the SM will go into the house and take notes every now and then.

The theatre world is a small one, and my network has just expanded all across the country, thanks to DTC. I can’t begin to recount all the things I’ve learned this summer from Eric, Megan, Cheyney, and Emily. They’ve shown me everything from how to deal with people on a grand scale to the minute details of a stage manager’s paperwork. Most importantly, they taught me that stage management is all about teamwork; you’re never in it alone. It’s all about finding the dream team, one like the one I was part of this summer. They’ve also built my confidence as a stage manager. During a preview, Megan told me I have it. I have what it takes, and it’s a part of me, not something I have to try for. I’ll admit, I teared up a little.

It’s amazing to see how much a new musical changes just in a week of previews. Stay Late has been instrumental in improving our storytelling. Doug and Lewis write new stuff immediately following one night’s Stay Late, and we put that new material in during the next day’s daytime tech rehearsal. As of opening night, however, the show will be officially “frozen,” which is to say that there won’t be any more changes. So far, reviews have been very positive. Who knows what the future holds for this show! The hope, obviously, is that it’ll move onto Broadway in the next couple years. Between now and then comes finding investors and a theater to host it, but the beautiful thing about our show is that it can fit into just about any space. The story of Robin Hood trumps any kind of design decisions.

I know that my internship has been fairly unique, but my one piece of advice to future interns is to be confident. You’re where you are for a reason. You wouldn’t be there if you weren’t qualified, so believe in yourself and trust that you belong. You can’t be afraid to say hello in the elevator or invite someone to grab a cup of coffee. That’s how you’re going to meet the people that can change your life.

P.S. This week’s title is from the finale of Hood. “But Robin Hood will never die, on that you can depend” comes immediately after it. *sobs uncontrollably* I don’t think I’ll ever forget this show.