DIRECTOR,
Nearly a year and a half ago, I packed up every piece of my life in Rockwall, Texas, and moved over 1,200 miles away to a completely unknown (at least, to my knowledge) area in Southwest Florida. I left the comfort space I had operated in for nearly two decades of my life and moved to a place where I knew nobody. Fortunately, within my first several weeks of attending Florida Gulf Coast University, I had been informed of the theatre scene in the area, most notably, the growing theatre scene in Cape Coral. I came out and auditioned at Cultural Park Theatre for their productions of Pippin, Grease, and Crimes of The Heart, and could’ve never guessed the amount of opportunities that were about to open up for myself.
Two hurricanes, three separate living situations and a year of college later, I clearly haven’t looked back since! After a hectic and crazy several months here, both Pippin and Grease had passed and I had been offered the opportunity to direct a show here and I jumped at the opportunity. I cannot thank Carrie Guffy enough for opening so many opportunities for me, both at Cultural Park and the world beyond. You have always treated me with respect and love as both a young professional and performer, as well as a twenty-year-old trying to find his way in the world. Getting the chance to direct was exciting enough, having the option to direct such a well-known children’s story like James And The Giant Peach was simply the cherry on top of it all.
First time directing would scare anybody, me included! Of course, Murphy’s Law is the first thing on any first-time director’s mind, and I was no different! I thought actor nerves were the worst, but there’s a whole different set of nerves when you’re suddenly in charge! I was worried I wouldn’t be taken seriously as a young director, the kids wouldn’t like me, or that I just wasn’t made to sit in a directorial position. However, three months into this long and exciting process, I’ve realized those were all superficial concerns!
To my cast of James and The Giant Peach, you are all such incredible performers. NEVER let anybody doubt your capabilities or talents, including yourselves! You have made directing this show an absolute joy, and I have been so lucky to have such an incredible first cast. I’ve never claimed to be a “kids” person, but you are all such great young professionals, it has never felt like I have been working with children. Thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart for welcoming me as your director, dealing with my crazy person talk, always being flexible, and for accepting your role in this absolutely wild show! You will always be my first cast, and I will always hold a very special place in my heart for you all. Truly, thank you all.
To my choreographer, Bailey, I will never be able to thank you enough. Thank you for being my shared brain cell, translating my crazy theatre ramblings into sensible ideas, and at the end of the day, thank you for being my best friend. I would’ve not been able to do any of this show without you, your dance abilities, your optimism, or your eagerness to make this an incredible show. Thank you for being here and thank you for showing up for this show when I haven’t been able to.
Some of my additional thanks goes to all the backstage help at Cultural Park. Adam, Sarah, Chris, Austin, Anna, Gi, Nikki, Robin, and Max, I would’ve never had a giant peach or running show without all of your help. We simply would’ve been putting on a production of James and The Peach if I didn’t have all your hours of help. The time you have all put into building a set, making my costumes, stage managing, technical design, etc. has not gone unnoticed. You all have been nothing short of extremely helpful, and I will never be able to voice my gratitude enough.
My final thanks go to my family. Thank you for the never-ending support and love you have given me over the last twenty years. Thank you for continuing to show up even when the times get hard. I don’t think any of you will ever understand how thankful I am to have you all as my support system. You all will always have my love no matter how far we are apart. I love you all so much.
To my incredible audience, thank you for showing up for this cast. These kids are absolutely amazing and deserve as much applause and love as humanly possible. Thank you for continuing to support the arts and these children. Now please, enjoy the show!
