My experience directing the first show of Mountaineer Playbook was nothing short of amazing. Serving as both director and associate producer gave me a well-rounded understanding of the show, especially since I was involved in writing it. Once our producer, Sam Nichols, finalized the script, it was go time for me on the director side of things—I had to bring his vision to life.
I quickly learned that working ahead has both pros and cons. As soon as the script was released, I started making my director’s notes. However, with frequent changes, I found myself constantly revising and crossing things out, making my notes look messy. Moving forward, I plan to wait just a little longer before diving into my notes to ensure I’m working with the most finalized version.
After making my initial changes, I met with Sean Petraitis, last semester’s Mountaineer Playbook director, to go over my notes. His advice was invaluable, particularly when it came to the small details that make a show flow smoothly. For example, the proper timing for when a CG should appear and disappear on screen. I’ve always believed in the philosophy that “a house is built with many individual bricks, and if you place those bricks properly, something beautiful will come out of it.” That’s exactly how I see Playbook. Every small detail contributes to the overall success of the show, and I take pride in doing my part to ensure everybody feels confident once that tally light is on.
On show day, things felt a little hectic. I think I looked calm and collected on the outside, but internally, I was slightly overwhelmed. I felt like everyone was waiting on me when in reality, they weren’t. Sean did a great job coaching me, which helped me feel more prepared for the moment. Before the show, I ran through my pre-show checks with the video playback, technical director, stage managers, graphics, camera operators, and audio crew to make sure we were all on the same page. Once everything was set, I was ready to go.
Our first take had a few minor errors, but we quickly corrected them between takes one and two. I thought our second take was strong, especially for our first time putting everything together. By take three, however, I could tell some people were getting tired, which can’t happen—we have to push through and give it our all every time. That’s on me. As the director, I could have done more to keep morale high and keep everyone engaged between shows.
Overall, I learned a lot from my first show. One of the biggest takeaways for me is that I need to take a moment to breathe. I knew the show inside and out, but I was so focused on making sure everyone else felt prepared that I didn’t allow myself a second to step back and reset. Moving forward, that’s something I need to change.
This first experience as director was a huge learning opportunity, and I’m excited to build on it for the next show. I know that with each taping, I’ll continue to grow, and so will the rest of the team.