I have been cast in a play! I’m one of two characters in one scene of a 9-scene play called Love/Sick. I’m one of 18 people. I’m on-stage for 7 minutes. I have half of the lines in the 10-page script. Is this all worth it?
Before I even became part of this production, I needed to be cast in the role. Here’s what I had to do to get cast:
- Sign up for the audition
- Prepare a 2-minute memorized monolog for the audition
- Audition
- Return for a callback audition
That took many hours of preparation, driving, and time at the auditions. I got the call to be offered the part, and I accepted.
Here’s what that means in practice:
- I’m now at rehearsals 6 hours a week (8 hours with driving time).
- Soon we will be rehearsing 9 hours a week (10 hours with driving time).
- Then, finally, we will be putting on 6 shows.
All of this represents a lot of work for a small part in a play that few will ever see.
Why “tread the boards”?
My goal for being in a play was to stretch myself and find out what I truly enjoy. After COVID lockdowns, I decided to try improv comedy. I took local classes at Happier Valley Comedy and fell in love with how improv requires you to be present, listen hard, pay attention to your feelings, and respond immediately (not always with words!). I practiced a lot, auditioned, and got chosen to be part of the Happier Valley “house team” named Zodiac Round Table. It was a blast: we had one show a month for a year. I realized I loved the stage.
When the year with Zodiac Round Table was over, I wondered what else I could do that required me to emote and connect with being human in a way that daily life doesn’t demand of me.
In high school, I performed in theater productions. As I’ve aged, I’ve looked back and wondered how I could have done those performances with so little understanding of life! I wanted to give acting another shot. I wanted to see if, with my added life experience, I had any improved sense of character.
I do: I understand the lines in ways that I could never have understood them as a teenager. I appreciate the context that comes with age.
This desire to seek growth through performance seems to be a common thread in the WordPress community. For example, Guildenberg founding member Jonathan Wold wrote a great piece about seeking growth through discomfort when he took part in the musical Into the Woods.
Bringing the lessons back to work
Putting on a stage production that involves over 25 people reminds me of how much work is required to do anything. There’s planning, there’s coordination, and there’s simply putting in the hours. We do that at GravityKit, too.
We’re working on many different “productions” at the same time. Conversations lead to proposals that lead to design, code, documentation, testing, and release. Each plugin release represents a lot of work that has been realized.
At GravityKit, I fulfill the role of director. I get to say “let’s run it again” or “that ‘scene’ is good enough, let’s move on to the next”. Each of the team members, I hope, feel like they are assistant directors who can guide the production in their own ways.
To get meta for a second, this blog post itself represents the culmination of discussions that our Marketing Coordinator Casey and I have had. We brainstormed how to bring more of our own personality into the site, show our customers who we are, what we are passionate about. We want to make it clear that we are creating the blog posts here, not AI. We brainstormed, I’m writing, and then Casey will be editing and including it in our email newsletter! Few things we do in life—and at GravityKit—are solo efforts.
Let’s take it from the top!
Whether it’s putting on a play or tackling a work project, collaboration is at the heart of success. Great art and outstanding products both stem from teams working together. When everything clicks, it’s important to celebrate those achievements.
I encourage everyone to step outside their comfort zone and try something new—especially when it involves working with others.
Helpful tips right in your inbox.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for tips, special offers, and more!
Helpful tips right in your inbox.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for tips, special offers, and more!