From Emily Ritger, Sense & Sensibility Assistant Director

It is already a pretty exciting experience to sit in a rehearsal room from the first day all the way through to opening night.  Then to add on top of that: the play is a world premiere written and directed by the highly distinguished Jon Jory!  I’ll admit: I was fairly intimidated the first day.

People ask me what an Assistant Director does, and I have to admit that I never know what each day will include.  I am the extra person in the room, watching and listening to all that goes on – trying to keep information from falling through the cracks.  It is a whirlwind experience with a huge cast, detailed story and constantly changing script!  I think the most exciting element of this project is that it is a new play and the playwright is constantly in the room!  For the most part, I try to keep on top of all the changes the script goes through on a daily basis.  This can range from a one-word change to page-long cuts and completely rewritten scenes.  Watching the evolution of the text is fascinating – to hone and finesse dialogue and characters is truly an art!