Practically Perfect

Have you ever worked on a nearly perfect production? I have. I just did.

Photo Credit: Margaret Ruff 

Was it technically flawless in every way? No. But... it was still pretty perfect. 

The production I'm writing about is Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and it took its final bow yesterday. The play is a part of the Paris Junior College Department of Drama's 2018-2019 Season of the Elements. Our first element was "fire." Fahrenheit 451 was also our "theatre for young audiences" production for this year. When I found out how many local schools still study Fahrenheit 451 as a part of the high school curriculum, I knew it would be a great fit for our season. Plus, it's a literary classic, and our production fell close to the American Library Association's annual Banned Books Week. Since the plot focuses on how important preserving and having access to books is, I couldn't imagine a more perfect choice in plays. To add to the fun and excitement, our English classes are also studying the novel this year. Again, perfection! 

Photo Credit: Margaret Ruff 

But, did all these factors contribute to it being a nearly perfect production for me? Well, honestly, not really. 

Photo Credit: Robyn Huizinga 

What made this production so unbelievably special and nearly perfect for me was the cast and crew.

We have many students we are proud of in our department. Most are on scholarship. Some are majoring in theatre and some are planning to pursue careers in other fields. They come from all over our region of northeast Texas. Many are here from rival high schools and theatre programs. I have never had a group of students in the past band together as a cast, so dedicated to great storytelling and audience engagement as this group did working on Fahrenheit 451. All old high school rivalries disappeared, and a dedicated and professional cast and crew grew, developed, supported one another,  and created a moving piece of art. 

Photo Credit: Emily O'Connor 

Photo Credit: Margaret Ruff

We also had a fantastic group of community members involved. The final scene of the play takes place in a far different setting from the rest of the story. It requires a large group of people we only see once in the play. I had a great group of community members- alumni, high school and middle school aged kids, college students who have never been involved in a Department of Drama production, working professionals and retirees- show up to audition and be cast as "book people" in the final pages of the play, other small roles, and in roles behind the scenes. The production would not have been the same without them, and they also brought a work ethic and energy that complimented that of our students beautifully. We often had people playing different roles at different performances, and everyone handled these changes with grace and professionalism. Allowing freedom in scheduling also allowed actors to be involved who might not have been able to do so if a more strict schedule was required. I also learned to be more flexible and relaxed as a director. 

Finally, we had faculty members from outside the Department of Drama give their time, energy, and talent to the production. We had teachers and administrators in the show, including the president of the college, to whom I will always be grateful. I have never had an opportunity to work with my fellow instructors in this way, and it was magical. To see them work alongside our students was fantastic. Each member of the cast truly became a part of the family that grew out of working dozens and dozens of hours creating a theatrical world that would entertain, enlighten, and even frighten our audiences. 

This amazing cast will always have a place in my heart. Each person worked and treated each other respectfully as equals. I have heard positive feedback from people in our community who enjoyed the show during its sold-out run, which always feels good. We had two exciting talk-back sessions with high school audiences that left us all inspired. They were so engaged and asked thought-provoking questions. We are all glad the finished product was enjoyed by so many. However, the work ethic and dedication of this cast and crew is what will always stay with me. 

I can really never fully or properly express how thankful I am to have worked with each and every actor, crew person, stage manager, designer, and fellow teacher. I also have an amazing partner in the Department of Drama who made magic happen behind the scenes on a daily basis and worked as an understudy and swing for multiple roles. We had a great lighting design from a guest artist who made the long drive back and forth from Southeastern Oklahoma State University for days. We had a terrific stage management team made up of a Paris Junior College Department of Drama alumna and a wonderful community member, who both volunteered more time and energy than I could ever repay in turn. I will always have a grateful heart for those who shared their time and talent on this production not because they had to but because they wanted to. I am honored. 

Photo Credit: Margaret Ruff 

Working with this amazing group of actors, technicians, stage managers, and designers that made the whole experience from auditions to strike feel, to quote Mary Poppins, "practically perfect in every way."   

With a happy heart and...

Until next time, 

Ro Huizinga 

Defy Gravity

Did anyone else out there want to be an astronaut when she grew up?

I did.

Perhaps I had that dream because I grew up with NASA's Space Shuttle Program. When I was little, NASA began recruiting more women into the program. There was an astronaut Barbie doll flying off store shelves in 1985. The media and public became fascinated with a wonderful new idea: a teacher in space.

I remember the Challenger.

When I was in the 3rd grade, there was a national contest to name the newest addition to the shuttle fleet. I can't remember what I submitted, but the winner was "Endeavor." What a marvelous name.

In college, I became a theatre major. At a college play festival, I saw a beautiful production of a play that perfectly blended my childhood longing to explore and the reality of the Challenger disaster. The play was Defying Gravity , by Jane Anderson. 

A year or so later, I was at a forensics  (speech, not science) competition not far from the Johnson Space Center (aka Mission Control), when news of a shuttle reentry disaster broke. A student at the contest had brought a dramatic interpretation of Defying Gravity. Understandably, this student wasn't sure if presenting the piece was still appropriate. I can't remember a person there who didn't say performing that piece was more important now than ever.

I remember the Columbia.

My interest in all things NASA, the space program, shuttle missions, etc. collided with my passion for the arts the first time I saw Defying Gravity. After the Columbia disaster, my interest in the play became a sort of need to someday work on a production. I even attended graduate school in the hometown of Columbia's final pilot, William "Willie" McCool. Reminders of the shuttle program, my love of space, my need to explore through art, my childhood wish to fly above the earth seem to follow me.

I feel blessed to have the tremendous opportunity to direct a production of Defying Gravity  that will open in January: 30 years after the Challenger disaster. I have had the good fortune to have time to do a bit of traveling this summer. I have taken in any museum within driving distance that has a scientific or air & space emphasis. I can't seem to see or read enough about the space programs, and what drives us all in our own crazy ways to explore, to see beyond the everyday, to do what the play's title states: to defy gravity.

My next several posts will likely focus on the beginnings of my journey with this play. I had to begin by musing about my own love and memories of the space program.

When I was five years old, I wanted to be an astronaut.

Did you?

A part of me never outgrew that dream, and it's taking me on a wonderful artistic journey as an adult. I hope my readers still have childhood dreams driving a part of them to defy gravity in their own ways as well.

Until next time...
Ro Huizinga