LEGACY

Next Friday, I will return to J.L. Mann High School to see the first play produced there since I left as Drama and Film Coach last October. It’s the first not directed by me since 2006’s Lucky Dollar Private Eye.

I tried to share a sense of ambition and professionalism in the students there...processes, boundaries, disciplines in the work that would result in consistently excellent productions. I think that approach will pay off for those students as they grow into adults—be they creative professionals or creative paraprofessionals.

A play exists on stage as a collection of choices by its creators. One choice leads to another...and another. The end result is the sum of hundreds of decisions. The early decisions are most critical (script selection, casting), but the final decisions (light cues, house management) are important, too.

Want to make a great play? Make great decisions.