Now that Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has wrapped, I’ve been reflecting back on a few of my take-aways from the experience:

1. Small roles are awesome. You have fewer rehearsals, the preparation isn’t as intense, the anxiety is far less, and you still get the thrill of performing. Being able to focus more time on a short time on stage means you can pour more time, energy and intensity into the role and to the brief time you’re performing.
2. It’s not the size of the part, but what you do with it. I’m always sad when I see people who choose not to be in a show if they don’t get the lead role. Too many actors think that large roles and lead roles are the only worthwhile roles, but many audience members will walk away remembering a supporting character who gave a memorable performance.
3. Okay, I kind of get it now. I’ve always thought Elvis impersonators are cheesy, and you will never see me in Vegas doing an Elvis impersonation. However, after putting on “The King” for a few minutes on stage I sort of begin to understand the allure. People love it and there’s a strange and powerful mystery to the whole Elvis personae. Face it, there’s just something about Elvis. I’m not sure what to do with that, but thank you. Thank you very much.
4. Audiences love to be surprised. One of the comments I consistently received about Pharaoh was the shock that audience members experienced and how blown away they were by it. The pomp, the power, and the majesty of Egyptian Pharaoh appearing in full regalia in classic fanfare only to rip off his headdress moments later, don the pompadour and break out in rock-a-billy, hip-swinging wail. For a lot of audience members it was mind bending, gut-busting fun. It reminds me to ask myself both in writing and in directing: “How can I surprise the audience and do something they don’t expect?”
5. When it comes to community theatre, successful shows require people to wear many different hats (or headdresses, if you please), and there’s a lot to be learned from the experience. I played a small role on and off the stage compared to other actors and crew members, but I was never bored and rarely had any down time. When not getting into costume and make up for my brief stage appearance, there were plenty of other things that needed to be done like helping Wendy in answering the box office phone, printing tickets, making coffee for the Patron Lounge, making sure the men’s room had paper towels, putting together floor lamps, checking on the photos in the auditorium gallery, making sure ushers knew where to find the programs, welcoming audience members and helping steer the herd to the auditorium or ticket table, setting up the projector and computer, switching backdrop slides, pointing people to the bathrooms, taking photos for the archive, cleaning up the make-up counter, cheering up and cheering on fellow actors, making pre-show announcements, helping elderly patrons up the stairs, and et cetera. But you know what? Part of the reward for putting on a successful show is in knowing just how much bloody work it takes to pull it off.