Inspiration

As I walked into work this afternoon, I walked past the scene shop. A bevy of noises were coming from the room that holds a large part of the Peter Pan set. Hammers, saws, drills, and oldies music spilled over into the green room. I smiled as I continued my way up the stairs, but paused when I looked back over my shoulder and saw Paul Pierce, the Artistic Director, bent over a set piece, hammer in hand. It was a deja vu for me. One of my most vivid memories of Paul is from 2002. We were in the middle of our production of Annie, which was my first main stage production at the Springer. Something had fallen off a set piece moments before the curtain went up. Next thing I know, Paul, in his tux, is standing in a chair, nail in mouth, hammer in hand, fixing the set. I remember being somewhat intimidated by Paul at the time and seeing him do what any stage manager, scene shop dude, or technician would do, made me that much more in awe of him, but brought him more down to the level of human being for me. It was just as normal to him to fix the set as it was and is to work on the budget, plan the next season, and sell big ideas to major companies. What a wonderful example of work ethic and humility.

This is one of the reasons that I love theatre so much. We all work together to make sure the job gets done. From the Artistic Director working in the scene shop to the Lighting Designer also designing sound and sending a tour out, we all do what it takes to make it perfectly wonderful for our audience. It wouldn't be possible without every team member.

Speaking of wonderful shows, Peter Pan opens the day after Thanksgiving and runs through December 23. Call the Box Office for tickets! 706.327.3688