The most important people in your lives

I know I am not the first person to ever say this, but the most important people in theater are behind the scenes. I know I can always find someone to replace me on stage. We can have arguments over how well a certain show is with certain performers but there is never a shortage of attention getters in the form of singers actors dancers comics etc.

But the true heroes of the theater are those that are just as passionate or even more so with out the applause. They work harder for longer hours for little to no recognition. From designers to the builders to the electricians to the folks with you every night behind the scenes running sets, props, lights and sound. The most valuable player of any team is the stage manager. I have rarely scene a show fail with a good one at the helm. A good stage manager can motivate and lead the worst rag tag bunch into success.

SO I want to say thanks to all that have helped at the show shows I perform in. And even bigger thanks to those where I teach. We did a show tonight at the Queens HS. This is teh first year this school has even had a program. We put up about 35 minutes of Improv alternating four Broadway numbers directed by another teacher. The whole night I was blown away by the work the crew did with very little actual instruction from us. But I also saw the value and need to develop that department next. Mostly at the end of the night when it was time for clean up. In the past I had experienced crew that just knew they are the last to leave. No worries - baby steps!!!

But over all this was a great day.... We had call backs with amazing talent - leaving us with a very difficult process to decide what to do next. We are not as cut & dry as regular show casting. If you were at auditions, we loved you all and really need to nit-pick about schedule etc at this point.

The Queens HS cast (actual grades 6-12) blew me away. This was the first show I did not MC. While green, I turned the helm over to very capable hands. Making the decision to do so was scary for me and them on Wednesday. Even at 6pm tonight I debated stepping in. But I am very glad I did not. It is educational theater and they learned so much but having to step up to the plate and far surpassing expectations, as the group has done time and time again the past 10 months.

A word to the seniors. This is just the beginning. In 8 week you will be done with High School - well most of you will anyway. Remember the skills you learned no matter what you do. Good speakers will always land on their feet.

To the underclasses and middle schoolers.... THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. I do not exactly what is coming but you and the program will continue to grow. Many o f you should seriously investigate youth acting auditions for TV and commercials. More fun than any scholarship application for college funding. But you all have grown and as new leaders emerge for next year, it will be your job to help teach the new students. Stay out of trouble. Don't be bullied into doing wrong. You are way to talented for that. I believe in you. I hope you share in that. Find the strength in the calm times so you can rock it more and more when it is time to do so on stage.

For all of you, don't let tonight be the end. Get together and practice/rehearse improv games. Write some jokes. Write a play. Write poetry. Write a song. Rap. Paint. Draw. Sculpt. (Adam i expect to see a full comic book fro you next year LMAO) All of you are truly ARTISTS now. So remember your ABCs....

ALWAYS BE CREATING