Northlight is getting a new shop! Great news! This morning a bunch of us from Administration went over to the scene shop to help box up props and clothes from storage in preparation for the move to our more spacious location. We are all very excited. I’ve been involved in moving the shop to various locations before and I always enjoy it. It’s fun to guess what props or clothing were in what show, who used them or wore them, and each one has an anecdote.

It’s amazing what you don’t throw away when you’re moving things from props. Normally if you were moving to a different apartment or home, you would take the opportunity to throw junk out. Here however we are recycling junk, because you never know when you will need a Life Magazine from 1953, a jar with a sponge brain in it, or a dozen cans of asparagus that are on the verge of exploding. How many champagne flutes might you need, or shot glasses?

After a morning of breathing in dust, I head to the theatre to watch some of [title of show]’s run thru. It’s their first run thru and I suppose I should give them some room and wait till the designer run to watch the show, but I love the show and Peter Amster’s cast is killer, accompanied by the incomparable Doug Peck, who will be on stage, wry and funny and charming.

[tos] speaks to anyone that has ever memorized a lyric or a line, mastered a time step, or dreamed of stardom. There are moments in the show that give me shivers of recognition reflecting my own journey and I’m certain that performers will feel the same. In a day when I pack dusty memories in the shop, the fresh and funny look at the act of creation fills me with all sorts of emotions.

I’m sure some of our audience will share the experience, but some will be getting their first glimpse of the struggle to get noticed in the incredibly competitive marketplace that is New York theatre. For anyone who has enjoyed TV’s Glee or Smash, [title of show] is a must-see. If your children are burning with theatrical ambition, it will bring you a little closer to their dreams, and perhaps soften your impatience. If you have put your own dreams on the shelf, it will let you off the hook, even as it tugs at your heart with gentle regret.

I was so moved by today’s run thru,  perhaps because I was rummaging through memories in the shop this morning. But as days go, today was a wonderful reminder as to why we make theatre; a story to tell, a talent to share, a dream to come true.