And that's Community Theatre

I enter the swirling, busy, happy-milling-about current in the dressing room to prepare for my chorus role in "The Music Man." Our open dress rehearsal is more than packed, adding to an excited buzz as if it was Opening Night. The company, ages 10 to 60-something, stake out their corner of the studio (some were lucky enough -- but cramped nonetheless -- to be in the "real" dressing room) and get down to the business of shedding their current day personae for their "pretend" River City, Iowa characters of the early 1900s. We've journeyed a fair distance in time together with auditions way back last winter and rehearsals for most of us underway in early September. Now our fabulous crew of props, scene change folks, costumes, make-up and hair stylists are ready to work quickly and efficiently to transport all 47 people back to an earlier, gentler time. I marvel at their good humor and expertise.

Both windows of the studio/dressing room are open wide to the cold night air, with children perched on the deep window sills chatting, laughing and sharing snacks. Five or six different schools are represented in this cast...a fact that has very little bearing on how quickly the children have become friends.

"On stage in 10 minutes...10 minutes...," our Stage Manager intones. We climb up the narrow, circular staircase (20 steps, I count them every time as I wrangle my very full long skirt) and assemble onstage in front of the deep navy blue curtain. Our director, stands with his back to the audience, ready to give instructions before we begin our final dress rehearsal. "Remember, this is a rehearsal. We may have to stop for one thing or another. I've told the audience this..." his voice is calm but direct...and into my mind comes this: "don't look now, but there are 232 silent people watching this!" In some ways it's like getting ready to play soccer or basketball or field hockey. We just need to do a "Goooooo Team!!!" and then "break" to our positions. And, in a sense, we do. Doug finishes his talk and we purposefully leave the stage (trying to appear as professional as possible) to our opening positions.

My position is behind the curtain in the semi-darkness, listening to the overture by our amazing community-assembled orchestra followed by the driving "Rock Island" train scene. It's a great opening bit and our set crew devised a luggage rack that's flown into position over back-to-back benches to create the Pullman car. Brilliant. The actors -- my new friends who have been on this rehearsal journey with me -- file on stage to begin the show.

"Rock Island" is over, the music changes and it's almost my entrance...okay...the curtain is pulled back ("breasted") and it's time for me to enter as Adella Collins, tugging my two unruly boys behind me.