Ceiling cornice

Indeed Robert, it's been a wonderful team effort (as all community theatre productions invariably are), and yes, the actors are pretty good too. This past week of feverish activity by all of us, cast and crew, to get the show up and running, has contained all the elements of community theatre that I enjoy so much. Elsewhere in this forum I've mentioned others popping in and helping out along the way, people more usually associated with other theatre groups. Even here on this web site the spirit of community is alive and well, demonstrated by the willingness of others to respond with help to requests for it. Without it, we wouldn't have got that absolutely splendid cornicing for the set (thank you indeed, Mr Vincent!). The camaraderie, the shared experience of hard work and pumping adrenaline and, ultimately, both relief and exhilaration at our glorious (we hope) accomplishment . . . is a truly wonderful example of community spirit, when you think of how a production sometimes is when you find yourself working with a few people you've never met before or know anything about. In fact, occasionally more than a few! Pretty soon, though, you're not strangers any more, but a tight-knit little group of friends all cheerfully (usually) giving of themselves, not only to the production, but to each other and, eventually, to (hopefully) large numbers of the wider community who'll flock to witness and be touched by your flawless, visually appealing and spellbinding creation.You'll have worked hard and overcome obstacles along the way, both individually and as a group offering mutual support, and bound all that collective effort to the sole purpose of accomplishing the telling of a story to the best of your abilities . . . and there's nothing like that wonderful feeling right after your opening night performance when you're all grinning like Cheshire cats and saying to each other "We did it! We did it!" And we mustn't forget those with no apparent direct relationship with the production, but who nevertheless perform front of house duties like selling tickets, dispensing tea and coffee or running the bar. They're as much a part of the team as the cameo actors who might only appear for thirty seconds and have no lines. Well . . . that's the way I feel about community theatre anyway! Sorry about that - I must have too much time on my hands this evening. I haven't been used to it just lately! I'll tell you one thing though, considering what I put my back through in the last few days, it actually feels pretty good . . . I hope it isn't going to spring any unpleasant surprises on me in the next few days, because I rather like painting sets. I must be mad! Cheers, Tim.