That Girl from Derwent dwells on the value of religion this Christmas.
That Girl from Derwent has learned a few more things about prejudice since moving up North.
That Girl From Derwent reckons if you're going to be offensive, you should find a better reason.
That Girl from Derwent considers why it is that some words have wider implications than others.
It began with the forging of the Great Rings. Three were given to the Elves; immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven, to the Dwarf Lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of Men.' And those men (and women) decided to put on a show. One show to rule them all. This is CHMS. For anyone who has ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes, we bring to you our secret diary. These early entries were back in the good old days when stress was only a glow stick away. Now with the term approaching the question is ever present: ARE WE OUT OF THE WOODS YET?
Entry One: The sweaty corridors of Vanburgh
Why anyone would go through the misery of pitching is beyond me. As our thirteen person strong team shuffled outside the door of V123a in our smart yet creative wear (a blazer, silver rings and a lot of eyeliner) I couldn't help but question why we were putting ourselves through this. Why we had stayed up until midnight, munching chinese and going through the final details. Why I had, clutched in my sweaty paws, last years show figures highlighted to oblivion. Why we had spent painstaking hours converting a shoe box into a to scale model of the inside of central hall, complete with lighting rig. Above all, why we were now so stressed that the unconscious hum of the show's title tune was universal and passed uncommented upon.
The pitch process wasn't all stress and late nights though. From the offset, it was apparent what a lovely team our directors, Freyja and Emily, had assembled. The initial ingrained rivalry between music and drama, dance and lighting (natural enemies) soon dissolved as we realised that our shared excitement about 'Into the Woods' created all the mutual ground we needed to become real friends. These friendships were cemented with the social lubricant that is alcohol, finding a kindred spirit who is willing to nip into the off-licence next to Efes merely to save a few pounds is a special experience, I like to think that fate brought us all together.
Originally, as with most of the team, I had only come on board the pitch for the prospect of producing in Central Hall. However, as the preparation process continued, and I spent a lovely afternoon with Josh (lighting) watching the film version of the play, a genuine love for the musical grew. The concept of familiar fairytales twisted to realistic ends, the quality of the music, and the characters of the show, all alongside the excitement of the team and the plans for our production couldn't help but convert me to a Sondheim fan. It wasn't about the venue anymore, but the chance to bring such a great show to York.
As we waited, in the unfeasibly hot corridors of Vanburgh, I wish I could say we hadn't been preoccupied with details and props and power-points and film. If only the tangible reality of producing the biggest show in the University calender hadn't been on our minds, along with the fearsome team waiting beyond the doors. If only we had calmly considered our extensive vision and knowledge, alongside all these things, maybe the nervous hum would've ceased. Maybe one of our musical directors would've stopped pacing. Still, in those final moments, I like to think some reflection was achieved. As we looked round, if only for a second, we realised how far we'd come, we were no longer 13 people in a room with an idea, but a team. A team with a pitch for a great show. Hell, we even group hugged. And as we walked into our pitch (having being caught group hugging and so quickly scattering) we all knew why we were there. Why we took years off our lives stressing over what so many people would deem insignificant: to get our show.
Addendum- Wednesday 18th October- OH MY GOD, HOW THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO PULL THIS OFF?!?!?!? AHHHHHHHH.
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