This past weekend, we successfully completed our performances of Vivat Regina and Base Instruments at the Watch City Steampunk Festival 2017!
I am so proud of Team Hawking’s work to bring these shows to life for this event. We played to two full houses that were so packed we were down to standing room only. I can’t tell you how lovely and flattering it was to see people willing to stand in the back for the entirety of the shows just to get the chance to see them. And these were very good performances; the cast knocked both pieces out of the park, with high energy and extreme precision, bringing the excitement and fascination to the onlookers.
And this was a particularly challenging production run. There was a lot of unusual difficulty during the process, from losing cast members to illnesses to random bad luck that nobody could help. We didn’t always have access to the people or materials we needed, so it often meant we had to compensate on the fly, thinking up solutions to unexpected problems. Not only did it challenge my ability as a director to provide leadership through the difficulties, but it showed me what an amazing cast I had, who pressed forward gamely and delivered the best possible performances no matter what.
We had a great space at 274 Moody Street, thanks to the help and generosity of Mr. Ali Nowrouzi, that we turned into a theater, bringing in lights, sound equipment, and wing curtains in addition to all our elaborate sets, costumes, and props. Even though our rehearsal process wasn’t always ideal, the final results were gorgeous on all fronts. We got so many compliments on the slick, professional appearance of our shows, a combination of good production design, great performances, and a lot of hard work.
I couldn’t be more pleased and proud. It’s a testament to how great a team I had that everything turned out so well. So thank you to everyone, from the members of Team Hawking, to the supportive Festival organizers, to the wonderful audiences who came out to see us. I am delighted to show this work to more people, and it give me energy for diving into part four for this coming year!
