Bright Star was my first opportunity to stage manage my own show, and it truly threw me in the deep-end in regards to maintaining clear communication and adapting to unfamiliar circumstances. This was Southwestern's first musical after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as such the actors were required to perform outside, masked, and distanced.

          On top of the COVID-related challenges of this production, we also faced a number of weather-related challenges: namely, the winter storm that stranded everyone at home for a week in the middle of our rehearsal process. Our actors and production crew had no way of safely reaching the school, certainly no way of rehearsing outside (see our stage drowning in snow on the left) and the storm left students without access to water, heat, wi-fi, or any combination of the three.

          We were eventually able to continue with virtual rehearsals and, later, in-person rehearsals but the unpredictability of this process was a huge wake up call to the reality of outdoor theatre, and the impact that external factors can have on any theatrical production.