“Dozens and dozens of memories come to mind that it’s so hard to narrow it down—especially considering the Playhouse is home to the countless hours with those that would become my best friends for life and the discovery of my career path. But I’ll pick one that at the time would not have been a favorite personal memory: completing paint samples for Stagecraft. I’m not going to suggest that all Stagecraft classes would agree with this, and I’m also not going to try to rewrite history and say it was all glitter and happiness at the time. However, the complexity of feelings of this memory speaks to me.

There were a dozen of us there, late at night (1am? 3am? Later?) trying to finish the collection of techniques for the project’s due date the next morning. Yes, there was exhaustion, there was stress, and there was anguish. But the sharing of these feelings among those there that night had a way of mitigating them as well. And within that sharing of the difficult experience—perhaps BECAUSE of the sharing—there was also joy. And there was creativity. There was discovery and invention. There was guidance, there was trust, and there was accomplishment. There was growth. Was it always pleasant? Of course not. But my memory of that night is one of experimentation, rigor, and creative expression, surrounded by friends pursuing the same. What more could we ask of theatre-making?

That said, I’m pretty sure I got a B-.”