Master Arts Theater is one of my favorite places in the world! I love theater and the fact that I can enjoy the arts in an environment dedicated to honoring Jesus Christ is a blessing. I love to act, but since there are a limited amount of roles for a good looking guy on four wheels, I started to explore opportunities “behind the curtain.”
This led me to the wonderful opportunity to Assistant Direct “The Sound of Music.” Little did I know on that third Saturday of September when I reported for auditions this would be a life-changing experience for me!!! I loved every part of the process. I was so thankful to assist in every step along the way.
One of my favorite parts of this journey was the casting process. It was a real challenge because we needed people who could sing, dance, and act. Because of the popularity of this show, we had 96 people try out. Most of them were little girls with big dreams. It took two or three weeks to finalize the cast. I was very gratified that three of my top choices made the cut!
I had the great privilege of calling those who made it with the good news!! It was so much fun to be the messenger of such excitement, especially to the kids and their parents! The two months that followed were filled with about four days of rehearsal a week, each night focusing on a different part of the cast (for example Wednesday was spent in the Abby with the Nuns and quickly became my favorite day of the week! :) ) and then we all came together for “Crazy Saturday.”
This is where the magic really began to happen!!! 36 cast members, plus about half a dozen crew members, (many of whom had never worked together before) came together to bring one of the best loved musicals of all time to the Master Arts stage. Over the next two months and six weekends we took audiences to Austria
Some of the highlights included post practice chats with my new friends, talking and laughing (and getting in trouble for it) in the green room during performances, watching the “dressing nuns” assist the children through 11 (yes you read that right!) wardrobe changes, debating where to eat Friday nights, and spending Saturday afternoons at the theater eating potluck dinners with the cast between shows….:)
One of our more veteran actors commented “I hope everyone realizes how special this cast is because it doesn’t happen all the time.” I could not agree more! The friendships I forged during this production mean so much to me. Many of those involved now have a permanent place in my heart! I hope we are friends for life!
As one of our audience members put it “I just wish I could push the rewind button.” I am so blessed that God would allow me to be able to enjoy this amazing experience! It was like a smile from God to me!!!!
Blessings,
Andrew
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