It’s been a BUSY few weeks over here in Rachel Land. Last week, after months of rehearsal and hard work, we finally opened The Music Man at Art Park Players! It feels like it’s been a very long journey, but also like the time flew by in seconds. Community theatre is such a funny thing, because we’re working so hard to get a show off the ground, but we also have our own personal lives
to attend to during the day. It’s rewarding, and we give our free time to rehearsals and performances because we love it, but it makes for a lot of late nights and pulling out laptops to catch up on work between scenes. Personally, you can find me in full costume, wig, and makeup, trying to fit in a few chapters of the novel I’m editing in the brief break I get between “Pick a Little, Talk a Little” and “Wells Fargo Wagon”.
It’s something I’ve been doing for years, so I’ve definitely got it down to a science, but you do learn very quickly how to still find moments of peace and solitude for yourself in the midst of going to work, running straight to rehearsal after, somehow finding time to eat in all that, and then going home to sleep, and doing it all again the next day. In school, I would just
stay up way too late in the evenings so I could have some time to myself and just be incredibly tired the next day.
Now…well, I still do that, but I have a work schedule that allows me to wake up late, so it’s fine. I’ve also learned to be intentional about finding podcasts or music to listen to while I’m driving between work, home, and the theatre. Things that make me happy, that I don’t otherwise have time to listen to. I make sure to have food ready for myself at home that I’m excited to come home and eat, and pick out a show that I’m excited to come home and watch. When you’re super busy, it’s all about finding those pockets of time during the day where you can still fit in joyful moments for yourself.
In other news, I had a birthday! I got to celebrate the same day we opened our
show, which I had been joking all week was perfect, and that more of my birthdays should involve a room of people applauding for me. In all seriousness though, I am incredibly lucky to get to ring in another year surrounded by my friends, doing what I love. I don’t know what this year holds for me, but I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store.
Also, come see The Music Man at Art Park Players! Running now until July 22nd! Tickets here: https://web2.myvscloud.com/wbwsc/txdeerparkwt.wsc/search.html?display=detail&module=PST&category=theatre&search=yes