First Night of Twelfth Night

For our annual fall all-school play, I decided to try something different: I'm directing Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. I was always pretty sure about doing it, but there was also a nagging doubt preying on the back of my mind throughout the time when committing to it came nearer. I went for it. Had auditions last week, which went well. I had most, if not all, of the kids I expected, my "regulars," and a good sampling of new kids. I had six freshmen girls who auditioned (four of whom got parts), which I was pleased to see. Casting was surprisingly easy, with only one part I was unsure of.

We started rehearsal tonight, with our first read-through. A "read-through" is just what it sounds like: you assemble the cast, and they sit around and read through the script aloud. Usually this is a one-night, one-shot deal. This year, I decided to schedule two nights for our read-through. I figured it was Shakespeare, the kids might struggle with it, and we might need the extra time. I was wrong. We read through the entire play in two hours. The kids were remarkably good. I was very impressed. And now we're kind of a day ahead of where I thought we'd be, a great feeling. Obviously, we've got plenty of work ahead of us, but at this particular moment I'm feeling very confident.