Developing Musicals
A work of theater is never done, especially for a musical.
The process is the same for every show. First, the creative artists create something. It gets read by a group of actors around a table, who discuss it afterwards. Changes are made based off of the discussion, and then another staged reading (or multiple staged readings) are done in front of an audience made up of potential investors. More changes follow, and the musical goes into rehearsal for an actual production with additional changes. At long last the musical starts preview performances, where final changes are made until the show is locked down on Opening Night.
After the show has opened fewer changes are allowed, usually because the work is being revived under a new group of producers. The show is never complete, finished, perfect.
Continue the Work
I started thinking about this because this is the week of our, American Independence. The day when we began the production that is the United States – when we began to try to create a more perfect union.
A work of theater seems to me to be an excellent metaphor for this country, the United States. In the past it was not bad, just not as developed. In the present or the future, it is and will not be great.
It will be just more developed than it was in the past.
This 4th we should celebrate what we have done and dedicate ourselves to continuing the work.