“The Importance of Being Earnest” is over.
It’s strange how quickly that happens: months of practicing for a few hours a week and re-reading my lines every night in my bedroom, and then suddenly it’s opening night, and just as suddenly, we’re pulling down the lights and packing up the costumes.
I’ve been wrestling with a cold all week, and catching up on work, and enjoying a bit more free time. But I’ve got some post-show blues, too. I’ll miss seeing the other cast and crew every week. We had a lot of fun together, bringing this absurd British comedy to life. My favorite part of it all was that we were such a team. When I flubbed a line or missed a cue, I knew someone else would smooth it over and keep the scene moving. And when someone got a big laugh at a line that had caused problems for months, we all got excited.
I guess teamwork is a simple enough concept, but it’s a beautiful thing, too. And I’m seeing it everywhere this week. It’s in Studio A with me every afternoon for the “Four O’Clock Needle Drop,” our new themed music request show, when listeners call in to add songs to our playlist for the hour. It’s in the station when we sit down for our collaborative Think Tank meetings every week. It’s in the volunteer house every day as we plan out and navigate our various commitments and chores and projects—so many chances to support someone else and to be supported myself. And I keep thinking, isn’t that awesome, that we can trust each other so implicitly considering we’ve known each other such a short time?
Maybe I’m feeling a little sentimental. That happens when change comes. The snow and ice are disappearing, and just this morning I woke up to open water. We volunteers are gearing up for the fun and activity of summer, and preparing to welcome the new recruits next month. I’m sure we all say it every year, but really: where did the time go?
