At this point in my training, I don't consider running to be a sport. That's not to say that it can't be for some people, or even for me at some point, but its not a competition in the sense that baseball is, its more of an activity. For me, it doesn't matter who wins.
However, its more than just some
thing to do. There is direction to it. Goals to be reached. Progress to be made. It's not baseball, but then again its not just throwing the ball around either. There's a line you have to cross in order to be done and literally everything you do is in some way moving you toward that goal. And in that, there's a certain satisfaction that comes from every bit of measurable progress. 1 mile, already? How many more after this? I can do that. I can't see the end, but I know its there. Just keep running.
There's a similar logic behind TODO lists. Knocking stuff off of the list also gives some satisfaction, and knocking a bunch of things off the list feels even better. And I've crossed a couple finish lines myself recently. Finishing my paper was a big one. That's done now, and I can finally consider the next phase of my graduate education. That's a race I've been running since last June.
Equally satisfying is finally finishing the musical, and seeing the fruits of that labor pay off. I can't say it was the easiest production I've ever done. The drama-meter was turned way up, with people not showing up to rehearsals, creative disagreements from day 1 and so many Saturday mornings. It was a long slog, and at one point, I had to push myself to get through that one more rehearsal, blocking for one more song. And somewhere along the way, I also ended up biting off even more. Wait, wrong metaphor. Rather, as is par for the course for me, I started running a couple extra races at the same time as the others. Being set designer and builder and conductor was also fulfilling, and I enjoyed each of them. But adding more hours to those Saturdays for pit rehearsal, and toward the end, building stuff...it all seemed a little crazy.
But that's the way it always seems at mile 8: So much left undone, and the doubt of actually finishing starts to creep in. So you push through and you get to
see things pay off. When I directed Rumors, I went around afterward claiming that it wasn't so much that I was a good director, but I was one hell of a caster, deferring credit to my collaborators the cast. Similarly, I couldn't have done Forum this time without the other producers (my fiancee doubly so), Bob who helped me build the sets, and the cast and pit members. However, I am particularly proud of a couple of my ideas on this production, particularly making Everybody Ought to Have a Maid an all-guys number and creative use of molding on the flats.
Show week went particularly well I thought. I will still claim that we probably could have stumbled through the show for an audience after Sunday's rehearsal. Seeing as that's usually where you end up on Wednesday nights, I thought that was promising. It definitely gave everyone a chance to step up their game for that last week and polish things for hilarity. Especially in the big chase scene I concocted at the end. I tried to give everyone a little bit in the scene, but some of them weren't particularly inspired. However, by the time the show came around, people had transformed my random directions into funny little bits. Things just seemed to come together. The crowd really responded to it well, especially the second night when all of the cast's classmates showed up. I'm also really thankful that my parents came out to see the show. They're the only ones who have seen my long journey from awkward Asian Brigadoonian to director-in-chief. My only regret is that I didn't get to spent more time with them.
There came a moment at the end of each show, as with the whole production, where everything finally clicked, and all that was left was a big downhill to the end. Transitioning from Finale Ultimo to the Curtain Call music always felt good. The show was over, and here was everyone in the audience appreciating everyone in the show for their hard work. I was on top of the world.
[The question, of course, looms, whether or not I'll be back next year. From where I'm sitting on Cloud 9 right now, I'm of course entertaining the idea. No guarantees, but I'm not ruling it out yet.]
The feeling of convergence resonates strongly within me. I love the feeling of things coming together at some predestined point, with numerous threads all coming together at once. It's the Act I Finale. One day more. This is the time when important stuff is happening. This is is when the show comes together. This is when you run the race. This is when you take an extended lunch break to see your favorite team get swept by your second favorite team. This is the moment!
And so in that moment, you find yourself running. Moving forward at a speed that you didn't know you could do, much less keep up for the entire course. You know that this is the point you've gotten to after all those miles. All of the training, all of your support from your friends and loved ones, all of your own personal will power has brought you to this point. And, as you near the end, all of the eyes turn toward you, but you don't necessarily see them. This moment is your moment, and its not about other people seeing what you've done, but knowing that this is what you've been moving toward the entire time. You cross the finish line and know that this was the goal you were destined for. You did it. The race is over and you're ready for more.
P.S. I may have run the entire half-marathon
dressed as Homestar Runner. I needed some way to retain geek cred while performing clearly jock-like activities.
P.P.S. Welcome to the official blog of the new assistant conductor of WUPOPS. The head conductor's name is Ambrose Wu. I've already decided my portions of rehearsals will be called LUPOPS.
P.P.P.S. ::sigh:: Mets. Least I have the Cardinals.
P.P.P.P.S. St. Louis book fair acquisitions: Digital Fortress and a script for Rumors.
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spychicr
