Wednesday, May 7, 2014

A foray into community theater

Afternoon all! A pleasant week this has been, to be sure. In my recounting of our crazy busy weekend, today is the day devoted to my sweetie and his first venture into acting and community theater. Do you have your tea? I'm off to get hot water, one sec...

Ok. I'm happy now. :) So, my Mike. About 6 weeks ago, he told me that he was interested in auditioning for a play with one of the local theater groups. At first, I was surprised, because he had never previously expressed an interest in acting, But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Mike is a teacher, he enjoys being up in front of a group of people and trying to convey new concepts in an understandable and interesting way. Acting is truly a natural fit for someone who thrives in such a professional environment.

So he went to the audition. The company was going to be performing "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," and as soon as Mike came back from that first audition, I could tell that he was hooked. He had had a great time, and hit it off with the director right away, who had asked him to read a number of the male parts, including the lead. Ultimately, he ended up getting cast in the part of Billy Bibbit, a vulnerable and suicidal mental patient.

The rehearsal schedule was pretty intense and daunting, but we planned it out and managed it. Each time he came back, I could see his confidence and satisfaction growing. We all need a creative outlet of some kind, and it will be different for each person. I have my knitting/crocheting and dancing. Mike likes to write, but dedicating the time to that hasn't been easy for him with his schedule teaching and being home with the kids. The automatic time set aside for play rehearsals made this almost easier for us to deal with, since we could adequately plan for it, and it worked out very well. He was doing something creative that he liked and was good at, and that is such an important thing to a person's happiness and contentment.

Last Friday was the opening night, and we had those crazy two days Friday and Saturday with the First Communion and then my hafla. Thus, I attended the Sunday matinee. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, because although I've been to many ballets and some musicals, my exposure to the theater is fairly limited. Well.

I *loved* it. Whenever I venture out into the arts, particularly one that I am not as familiar with, I am SO glad that I did it. A pleasant way to pass some time, sure, but I always learn something new and feel enriched. In this particular instance, with my husband playing a role, the atmosphere was much more heightened. I felt just...overcome with joy, seeing him up there in his element. :) It was like I was seeing my husband of almost 10 years in a whole new light, bringing to the surface his best qualities and why I love him so much.

By the time the play was over, let's just say I wanted to take my husband home and lock him in a room with me for a few hours. ;-) I was SO proud of him, so proud to be his wife, and I felt like I had fallen in love with him all over again. Mike is a creative and sensitive soul, it's one of the things that drew me to him. This venture really reminded me of how well he juggles his responsibilities as a husband and father with his outside interests and that he does so in such a sweet manner. He's really a treasure.

At the end of this crazy weekend, I'm feeling just so grateful for my family. And I'm really hoping Mike pursues some of the productions the group is going to be doing in the upcoming fall and winter. I'll keep you posted. :)

How is everyone else's Wednesday coming along? It's a beautiful spring day here finally, huzzah!

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