Forever Plaid!

Hard to believe it was four months ago that I posted that I had been hired to play piano for 'Forever Plaid' at the Thousand Islands Playhouse and now it's May 12 and we open tomorrow. I began rehearsals only a week ago and we have a preview tonight and open on Thursday. It's hard to put my finger on exactly what I love about professional theatre, but I think it's just that it's so ... professional. Everyone in the cast and crew is expert at their job and you really get to feel that you are valued for your own expertise and contribution to the experience. I've been involved with a lot of shows, both amateur and professional and they've all been (I think) pretty good. However, a production such as 'Forever Plaid' reminds me of the craft of creating an engaging experience for the audience. Many audience members think, I'm sure, that the cast just memorizes the script and 'puts on a play' for them. Little do they realize that every nuance is carefully choreographed to highten the illusion that is the essence of theatre. A theatre audience is quite prepared to suspend reality for the couple of hours they share with you and believe just about anything you want them to believe. What magic!