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!