The Party's Over

This weekend marked our final three performances of Ballyhoo. After over two months of learning lines, doing character research, sending countless emails back and forth, finding props and costume pieces, spending a whole lot of time at rehearsals, and everything else that goes with putting together a theatrical production, it's very strange that as quickly as it all came together, it's now over. I've loved every single second of doing this play and I'm already missing it more than I thought possible.

Certainly I've been sad in the past when a great production comes to a close. But this one was different. This one was special.

In my depressed stupor, I've found myself asking myself what drives me to commit so completely to a production? Why do I put so much of myself into performing and getting close to a group of actors when I know our time together is ultimately limited. The answer? Love. No, not romantic love (although that may have played a small role when I first started doing this back in high school — after all, the flirting that went on backstage was a wonderful eye opener for me in those days); rather, it's love for the craft of acting, for the art of theater, and of course, for the people.

As for this latter point, I'd like to say again what an honor and a privilege is has been working with such an incredible cast and crew. Jennie, Becky, Anne, Cathy, Bob, Howard, Beric, A.J., Toby, and Irene, for two months you have been my family and I'm going to miss all of you more than I can possibly convey here.

In an attempt to cheer myself up, I suppose it's worth recognizing that a number of us will likely cross paths again and with any luck, I'll even get to return to theater one day and work with some of you again. So as the Vera Lynn song goes:

We'll meet again,
Don't know where,
Don't know when,
But I know we'll meet again
Some sunny day.

Or as Becky and I had the pleasure of saying near the end of every performance:

JOE: This is only the beginning
SUNNY: Of what?
JOE: Who knows, Sunshine? We have the whole future to choose from.
SUNNY: Yes!
JOE: So think of something really good and we'll just make it happen.