Show Time for Lumin

As a director, when you're offered to do a show, it's a smart idea to keep your creativity in balance with the time and budget given. But sometimes you're given a script that is so damn good, you say fuck it. That script was Lumin!

Lumin, by Emma Gibson was too good to let it be just a staged reading. Lumin is a drama filled, mystery thriller, beast of script. It's piece of art that everyone from cast to crew can creatively sink their teeth into. After reading the script, I quickly realized I was going to have to fully mount this play to the best of my abilities in two weeks. I wanted full lights, sound, costumes, props, and bigger sets in just two weeks! I thought, "I can kill myself for two weeks." "I'm still young!" "Who needs sleep anyway?" Seriously, I spent the first part of my birthday in a café, taking this script apart. In the end, it will all be worth it and it was. Welcome to Lumin!

To pull this off I knew I was going to need seasoned actors to play Julian and Ma. I found that in Chris Fine and Pattric Walker. Both actors eager for the opportunity. With Pattric Walker saying that playing a part as vivid as Ma was once in a life time opportunity.

I also inserted myself into the role of Clancy. What? I wasn't about to miss out on performing in such an killer play. Although, I do not recommend directing yourself. I have more experience directing myself than I would like to admit. Not because I insert myself into all the the plays I direct, because I don't. It's because directing is problem solving and a lot of times the quickest way to problem solve is to jump in yourself. There was no problems with Clancy accept that I fell in love with the part. It was emotionally meaty and exactly what I was looking for in role at the time. Clancy also had the least time on stage and was kind of a secluded character. Which made it easy for me to hop in and out as a director and an actor.

We worked our butts off rehearsing almost every night of the those two weeks. Some of us even doing two a day rehearsals. Together, we decided that some parts of the script were just too good to be performed while holding our scripts. So, giant monologues and fast paced scenes had to memorized. It was amazing to see everyone joyfully pushing the limits of their craft. Seeing our limits in sight, we only had one complaint. We wish we had more time. Lumin was no doubt going to be amazing production but with our talent and drive we knew it could be so much more.

Behind the scenes of all the rehearsals, there was even more planning backstage. My focus for Lumin was, I wanted to bring that suspenseful horror movie feel to the stage. You would have thought, I had been planning this show for months with amount tech I requested. Between lights, sound, and projections, I had over 200 cues. I wanted to give the audience that spine-tingling feeling. So, creating ambiance was important.

In the end, all the hard work paid off and Lumin was a hit! Touted as the best of the entire festival. We really pushed the limits of a staged reading, leaving the audience unforgettable experience. Lumin wasn't perfect. When you try to do everything in a short amount time, somethings are bound to go wrong. There was a missed line here and there, that was supposed to memorized. The tech crew definitely didn't have enough time to get comfortable with all the cues I had. All that aside, I regret nothing and I would do the exact same thing again. Yes, we had our mistakes but our production had so much more to offer than any other play this year. When it come to entertainment value Lumin was top notch and that was thanks to everyone involved.

Sometimes when inspiration hits, you gotta say "Fuck it" and give it all you got!