You know you've been teaching for a long time when a former student calls you up and offers you work. So has been the case with me and blogging has had to take a backseat for a few weeks.
Samara Neely-Cohen, a former student of mine from a summer camp in Colorado, is in her second year as Founding Artistic Director of the Santa Fe Theatre Festival. Samara has always been in my top-ten of favorite students--wickedly smart, talented and wise beyond her years, Samara is on her way to making her mark on the world. She has now put together two seasons of challenging plays that employ the talents of theatre artists from New York, Los Angeles and Santa Fe. It is a passionate, ambitious company, probably still finding its identity, but grounded in practicality with plenty of long-term goals. The season opened last night and if the enthusiasm of the audience is any indication, this Santa Fe company is here for the long haul.
I was brought in as a replacement director for Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, by John Patrick Shanley. It is a gritty and lyrical play--a sort of precursor to his screenplay, Moonstruck. With less than two weeks of rehearsal (and Samara in the cast) we are readying for our opening tonight. The production has the added bonus of a visit from Mr. Shanley for a gala event next weekend. I will be back in Troy and have to miss that excitement, but told the cast that if Mr. Shanley likes the production, to tell him that I'm brilliant and if doesn't like it, explain that I was only the replacement director.
Whatever happens, I will cherish this experience of working as colleagues with someone who I started teaching when she at 16. I've really been able to see the educational process come full circle here in Santa Fe, where things I taught Samara were learned, utilized and now, are being taught by her.
www.santafetheatrefestival.org
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment