Take us to the edge, but don't throw us in

       This quote struck something with me. Immersive theatre is outside the box of what you expect from theatre. Truly, if I had to compare it with another form of theatre, the closest comparison I would make would be pantomime. However the two couldn't be any more different.

       From the moment I found out that Anna would be my next project, I knew that I wanted to exploit intimacy in a way that I hadn't done before. I wanted the audience to feel like they should be running on stage and intervening, and I wanted them to feel guilt for watching the characters go through difficult circumstances and not helping. This was perfect, the play is partly told through the eyes of a girl who sees the horror of school bullying at its worst and still does not speak up about it. Safe to say I went through with this, but in the process I learnt a lot about what you can and can't do in the performance space.

       The quote "Take us to the edge, but don't throw us in" realizes what had to be accomplished perfectly. We may try to blur the lines, but the theatre has two types of people, the cast and the audience, the participants and the onlookers, us and them; those lines can never be fully crossed. What we can do, and indeed attempted to do, is bring the two right up to that line until it is too close for comfort, until the audience is no longer merely watching and/or listening but experiencing all of the senses that the cast feel. This is what immersion means, it delivers an alternative form of entertainment that captures as many senses as possible. This was the driving force that drew me further into this world, and that is exactly what I wanted to do with my test subjects, the unsuspecting audience.

       My earliest experience with immersive theatre was early in my teenage years, when my school was chosen as a venue for an amateur theatre group performing a Welsh language piece on PTSD in soldiers following war. At that age I didn't fully understand the weight of the material being presented to me, however what I did understand was that I did not feel like a mere onlooker. The show closed with a monologue where the soldier in question challenged his own strength, unable to avenge an attack on his sister despite being able to kill opposing soldiers years before. This is where I sat on the edge of the performance, it wasn't a presentation of these events, I was almost sitting in the room with him, almost as if he was expecting me to deliver the reassurance he needs. This production stayed with me moreso than any other production that I saw throughout my school days. It was something that fulfilled me to take on the challenge almost ten years later.

       And it certainly was a challenge. Anna would have to be in the round to make the most of this method, this prevented us from masking some of the magic that goes into presenting spectacle on a stage. This is where the audience completes the image. It is up to them what they see, so why not let them do the imagining for you? This isn't groundbreaking territory, in fact it has been considered life blood to theatre practitioners for many many years. This was a production that relied heavily on this. There were only three set pieces used for the duration of the show, one of which was an unfurnished table. It is up to the audience to picture it as a table, a bed or a bench in a locker room. It is also up to the audience to picture the entire setting, whether it may be the house party in which most of Act 2 took place or a school. Giving this audience the freedom of expression allowed them to be involved somewhat. However the events of the play were fixed. The audience did not have such freedom. This lack of control would've left the audience feeling helpless when some of the more bleak occasions of the show occurred. Within the first ten minutes of the show, the audience held witness to an example of the worst case of school bullying. They were at the edge of the performance, feeling the guilt that many of the onlookers in the script had; but they were not thrown in, were they thrown in their actions would've determined the outcome.


       I introduced myself here with somebody else's quote, now I leave you with my own. By no means groundbreaking, simply summarising what I have learnt through the experience. You do not watch immersive theatre, you feel it.

I would like you all to meet Anna

        It's been a while since I've been here. The last two years or so since I've updated you on my theatrical pursuits have seen me working for a year and completing my degree. It has been a period abounding with self learning and exciting times. I have learnt a lot about what I want to do with my life and have made great friends along the way. I barely recognise the innocent student with aspirations of being a director that was me two years ago.

But alas, this blog is not about my personal life. So without further ado, on to the drama.

        My return to directing came over the previous year. This project was entirely different to my previous ones; not only was it material that I was familiar with, but it was material that I'd written. This once in a lifetime opportunity came along when Bath University Student Theatre (BUST) opened applications for their 2015/16 season. I was hesitant about applying at first. My play (then called Black Prom) was a dark homage to modern horror tackling bleak themes such as mental health, bullying and physical abuse; hardly a feel-good play with the benefits of a popular image. Publicising such a show would be incredibly difficult. However, it seems that these challenges were considered to be something we could overcome for this show. The moment I found out that Black Prom had been selected is somewhat shady in my mind, at the time I was on an 11 hour train journey from Southampton to Criccieth and I drew a few eyes from my excitement. Most of the other passengers must've thought I was fangirling as not long after, Josh Widdicombe turned up on the train. Being a big fan of Mock the Week, I've always seen some irony in that his sudden appearance was only a minor impression on my excitement that day. But anyway, I digress...

        With this revelation, the next challenge presented itself. I now had a deadline to finish the script. This is something that I couldn't have done without the support of my friends. It's true what they say about being your own worst critic, that's something that was so much more profound for me knowing that this script was going to go beyond a pass-time rambling. Many of my closest friends read version after version and gave feedback, this allowed me to separate doubt from self-evaluation. I have nothing but gratituity for anybody who read through each script, especially early on when I was worriyng that the early drafts were too long. One major breakthrough was when I began networking with professional playwrights during the summer and managed to get some feedback from one of them on my script, this is where I picked up on what I consider the script's biggest flaw.

        Some of my favourite scenes to write were the interview scenes between junior investigator John Torrance and the mother of the sole survivor, Eleanor Padler. These scenes became a framing device for the story and a point of view was given in John. Although these scenes were identified as being irrelevant and not linked to the story in any way. This was a huge knock to my confidence in the script, I loved these scenes and I now faced the prospect of deleting them. Further discussions came and went and then somebody suggested that John should have more in connection to the events rather than just being an onlooker. This was the goldmine I had been looking for, the first thing that came to mind was that one of the characters who died during the events of the play was his son. This idea didn't make it to any draft, I was reluctant to use plotpoints that the audience would've expected. My next idea was that he had reasons to find out more about the events, which is why I introduced Anna's diary. This joined the dots, we now had a link between John and the house fire in which he was so desparate to solve. Other changes that I made included two characters, Chrissie and Tate, who were young lovers, one a violent thug, the other an insecure schoolgirl who acted out for attention. I spent a lot of time working on these scenes to make it clear who holds the upper hand and to show how Tate unwound Chrissie.

        With these changes, came a new story with an irrelevant title, so Black Prom became Anna. The story gave the impression that it was about the investigation into a house fire, truly it was about a bullied girl who wanted to overcome all her hurdles on the track and to be in line with everybody else. These changes were merely the sanding of the edges, many more changes were made in between then and the actual show.

        September came along and it was about time that I moved back to Bath to complete my degree, and get the ball rolling on the actual production. From booking stage crew to visiting the venue, the developments were rife during this period. It was then that our poster was born. Credits to BUST's publicity officer at the time, Ben Cochrane.

        Seeing this poster for the first time was somewhat of a turning point. Stating the obvious, I could say that it made me realise that this was actually happening, which was true, but I also got a good idea for tone, and from one simple image was enough to turn the 68 pages into images in my head. My writing days were over, it was now time to become a director.

        I decided early on that I needed a production team. In writing Anna, I had not made an easy job for myself, I knew that I'd need somebody with experience with intense acting, somebody who could kick me into touch if I got ahead of myself with ideas, and somebody who could bring authority. There was also some guilty indulgence present there, I wanted to see how others would interpret my work. I was lucky enough to get two people who ticked every box. My co-director, Lydia Williams, had experience with National Youth Theatre and had done work on Artaud acting for her A-Levels. It was her idea to stage the play as a cross between the round and thrust, immersing the audience into the enviromnent of the story. I also found a lead producer in Zoe Vanezis, somebody with a wide array of experience in directing and had previously worked on plays of a similar nature to mine. Her perfect blend of enthusiasm and realism was an unfaltering drive to the style in which I decided to focus the play on.

        Auditions were the most difficult part of the process for me. So many people auditioned and the standard was incredibly high. Although the decision was made quickly, that's not to say that it was an easy decision. I also had to turn down good friends who auditioned. That's something that never gets easier. However what I can say is that your perception of auditions changes completely when you sit on the other side of the table. I don't think I will ever feel the nerves that I used to feel before auditons as a result, knowing how you are perceived to the directors. True, audition nerves are never non-existent, but I no longer walk into auditions seeing panelists judging you with the upmost expectation. They look forward to your performance and enjoy them regardless of the outcome.

        The next stage was rehearsals. A lot changed during this period, whilst Zoe was getting a production team together who would sort out publicity, props and costumes, Lydia and I began putting scenes together. This was a crucial time as we were learning what worked and what didn't work. Scenes were cut, dialogue was tweaked. It was now where I needed to be held back from some of my more extravagent ideas, the play was brought to life in a naturalistic, minimalist fashion; then I would have moments of garish artistic license which required the audience to suspend disbelief. This is why I needed a production team who could see sense and help me overcome these ideas. The truth is, when you're involved in the artistic side of theatre, the word "cut" becomes commonplace. If it doesn't make sense, you have to cut it, no matter how impressive or artistic it is. One thing I noticed is that rewrites became easier after seeing a performance. Writing new dialogue seemed to flow better when you knew how your characters functioned. Seeing performances in rehearsals gave me a more rounded impression of these characters I'd created, and I found myself learning more about them at every rehearsal.

       The cast was absolutely unbelievable, in a good way of course. They were patient, enthusiastic, and were able to become their characters with little effort at all. At times I found myself overwhelmed by this, in good ways and bad ways. Seeing Anna come to life hit me in a way that I never thought was possible, although during some of the more difficult scenes I found it difficult to differentiate between stellar performances and genuine discomfort. Could that be me being overprotective of my cast? Maybe, I do hold them close to my heart, and seeing how they bonded and became good friends during rehearsals made the whole experience even more worthwhile.

        With the good times, there were of course bad times. Say this to anybody involved in Anna and the first thing we'll mention will be the tech and dress, what could've been an afternoon's work went on from 3pm to 5am the next morning.

        Things go wrong all the time, so at first we were unphased by a delayed starting time. Nobody involved was to blame, but as the rehearsal dragged on and on, it was very easy to dispair. You could say that this was a fate worse than living the events of the play? At a push maybe, but I don't like to moan. Equipped with a Wagamama's takeaway and copious amounts of caffeine, we began putting the play together with set pieces and special effects. The issue we had was that certain scenes didn't work out the way we thought they would, changes were inevitable. Although annoying for everybody involved, it was these small changes that saved the show from looking unpolished. I think I can safely say that everybody was relieved when it was over.

When we got into bed, it wasn't long before we woke up for our first performance.

        Sitting in the audience as a director and playwright was a nerve-wracking experience. It is always nerve-wracking to see something that you create to deviate slightly from the plan. Luckily such events were few and far between. Every show again became a rehearsal for the closing night, where we were able to take notes on what worked and what didn't work, audience feedback helped refine the play as well. Closing night we were met with applause from a sold-out performance. Audience impression was strongly focused towards how relatable it was. However, it was interesting to see how everybody interpreted the ending differently, when Anna grieves the loss of her mother. It makes me wonder if literacy greats were still around these days, wouldn't they be enthused by listening to what our English teachers used to tell us about them in class? Of course, it wasn't without criticism, but that was a valuable lesson for me.

Next came the aftershow. What can I say? We drank, we celebrated. Piece of cake!

        Now the question some of you may have in mind now is this: "Is this the end of the story?". The answer is not at all. Now that my degree is over and done with, I have returned to the script and have been making changes. The next step is the Bruntwood Prize for playwriting 2017. But entry doesn't open until January, so the story in between now and then is going to be a bit boring, just rewriting. For those of you who came to see the show, I am keen to find out what you thought. What worked? What didn't work? Don't be put off getting in touch with me to share your thoughts as even the more scathing reviews you can give will help me refine it. I want to know what you all thought. Because your opinions matter, it's all about the audience.

        I shall leave you now with a momentum of my times working on Anna with these amazing people. Thank you to all of you for helping me bring her to life. Here's to many more good times and theatrical/non-theatrical adventures to come!

What have I been waiting for?

    Some of my closer friends are likely to know that I'm a sucker for horror movies, and also very rarely turn down a night at the theatre. If I'd come to Let The Right One In knowing that the play was a horror of some sort then I would've been incredibly excited, but also somewhat nervous. Being a big fan of Carrie the musical, a great show was let down by it's inability to be scary. Which may not always be the intention, although with the Brian De Palma classic film, it's difficult for people not to expect a horror story.
     On the contrary, Let The Right One In was incredibly chilling, and also took advantage of something most horrors neglect, a sweet heart. Maybe that's why I opened up so much to it only to be shaken by it's true premise. The story of a lonely outcast called Oskar (Portrayed faultlessly by Martin Quinn) who struggles in a world with bullies on his track, a disinterested father. We know it's only a matter of time before he meets somebody who isn't normal, in comes Eli (Rebecca Benson). She is a young girl, or at least she seems to be, with a knack for solving rubix cubes and a distaste for foam bananas. Rebecca's portrayal was eerie throughout and also gripping. We saw her and Oskar slowly fall in love, drawing us even further into their story and leaving us more vulnerable. I admit to making good use of a cider during the interval to calm my sorry nerves. Another element that played with fate to its advantage was the physical theatre that made several appearances, most notably during the "pool scene" where Eli saves Oskar from being drowned by his tormentors. It's very easy for physical theatre mixed with horror to turn into something particularly corny. Where death scenes tend to be unrealistic when performed live, it seems cliche to use dance instead. However this was used appropriately, and as we saw earlier on in the play to our shock, and horror to some. The use of stage blood in this production was effective and spine chilling. Here is where Rebecca stole the show during her killing scenes, and in one particularly blood soaked scene after she reveals her true nature to Oskar.
      Having been waiting for contemporary horror and theatre to blend at some point, Let The Right One In hit me where most productions have never hit me before. The tension was effective, the stagecraft was also incredibly intriguing. My special compliments go to the director and the playwright, who have succeeded in bringing what I have been waiting for to life. I am very thankful to have received the privilege of seeing such a show, especially one that has inspired my directorial interest so much. Seeing this production truly was an eye opener, and has earned it a place in the top 10 shows I have ever seen.

A step above the rest, or was it 39?

    Going to the Criterion Theatre Wednesday night was new and exciting for me. I have seen many shows in my time, but excluding certain amateur productions that my friends have performed in, every show I'd seen had been a musical. Naturally, going to see The 39 Steps was a great way to start this off. Plays on the West End suffer in such a way that Musicals benefit. Whenever you go to London, you expect to see posters of The Lion King riding past on a bus and you'll probably walk down the street afterwards humming Circle of Life. In the same way, I challenge you to spend a day in London and not see an ad for Wicked or Les Miserables. We also know their songs, and that attracts a greater audience. Play's don't benefit from this as much. Indeed they have a much smaller public eye in London. How then has the Mousetrap lasted so long versus some of the great showtunes of the early century? I don't know myself as I am yet to see Mousetrap, however this argument has a similar influence on The 39 Steps, which has been an eye catcher on Piccadilly Circus for many years now, but up until yesterday I knew very little about it. I knew straight away what I'd been missing out on. 

      The 39 Steps is an all round funny production that is likely to please audience members of all ages. I went in with no expectations, but it wouldn't have mattered much if I did. The play makes effective use of physical comedy to bring scenes from Alfred Hitchcock's classic to life in a brand new manner. Some of the brighter gags involve cast members Greg Haiste and Nick Holder taking on multiple roles without even stepping off stage. Another source of light hearted entertainment came from the satire of minimalistic theatre, particularly during a long cat and mouse scene taking place on a moving train. Another example of this is during a windstorm later on in the show. Both sequences were executed impressively by all cast members, especially Ben Righton, who took on the lead role of a man falsely accused of murder. Ellie Beaven, who also played several roles in the production, portrayed his love interest with exceptional elegance, although her highlight of comedy came earlier on when she played the murder victim in black in the first five minutes of the show. This is something I personally attribute to the script not giving her characters as much scope, although not something I consider to be an issue with the script. Alas the contrast only heightened the comedy for the remainder of the performance.

     Leaving the performance, I certainly felt light at heart and jolly. That is what a comedy is meant to do. The 39 Steps succeeds at the core purpose of a comedy, and that is why it stands out to me as an exceptional performance.

Joining the dots

     I must say it seems like the past month has flown by. Has it really been over a month since I last posted? Nonetheless I have a lot to discuss about my adventures and two reviews to share with you. So time to discuss.

     

     Last time I spoke to you all, I was preparing for a weekend long crew experience at the University of Bath Summer Ball. Although I didn't do much technical work, I spent a lot of time in the designing department. We had the privilege of Rizzle Kicks coming to perform for many "recently ex students" and students having a few drinks and a party to celebrate the end of a triumphant year. In my department, I worked with a designer who was working with the theme of Midsummer Night's Dream, which was because of a recent production at the university amphitheatre. Naturally, this meant I spent a great deal of the weekend painting papier mache trees, leaves and other midsummer features to decorate the stage where Rizzle Kicks performed. I never got to see the performance, and only went backstage to grab some kit, but from what I heard it was a great success. Most of my other duties were unrelated to performance, so let's move on.

      As soon as I was out of the event, and caffeine starting to wear off sadly enough, we went into rehearsals for a performance of Death Inc at Bath Fringe. A new play directed by the playwright, Andy Massey, the script drew satire from the failures of technology that is rapidly replacing human labour in modern times, with a dark twist, after all the play is set in the afterlife. The director here was a lot more specific about the characters motives and nature, which helped me find a comfortable suit within my role. I guess this is the advantage of working with the playwright. He also gave us a lot more physical freedom in terms of blocking. Seeing as I spent most of my time on stage rolling a pebble around, I was given a lot more freedom; this I found daunting to begin with, however I grew to relish that freedom. The characterization also gave me a chance to work on my voice acting, which I have been hoping to improve for a while. We performed alongside a very different production called Ever Hopeful, written and directed by Maddie Winn. This tackled something that almost every actor faces, unless they're lucky enough to make a big break early on. The theatrical world takes dog eats dog to a whole new level, there's competition everywhere, and there reaches a point for many "Ever Hopeful"'s that maybe it makes more sense to look closer to home. The four characters are all a broad portrayal of this time in an actors life. We have Dom, who holds out and by the end of the show is looking to make it; then his best friend James, long ago James was also hopeful but since then he is now working in a bank, the dreams of being spotted long have passed. Next we have Cecily, a sweet girl eager to discover musical theatre, but there are only so many hurdles she can cross. Finally there is Meg, who's dream is a little more self destructive. Her desire to become an object of men's dreams drives her to more complicated and difficult scenarios. Whilst the premise is a strong one, the concept of dreams vs reality is somewhat lost in a love triangle and personal issues which gain significance in the play's story. How different would the play have been had the story been more loyal to the difficulties of performing? Only Maddie knows, and we can only speculate.

      Alongside this, I made a brief debut in radio acting. Over a week I offered my voice to some cameo roles in another original radio show called Crowe. A mystery set in Bath. Broadcast is estimated to be in July on 1449 URB. Do keep an eye out if you are interested.

     Fast forward two weeks, after my theatrical life got put on hold to move back in with my parents briefly before I begin my new job in September, I returned to my roots at an acting workshop this Wednesday in London. City Academy offered a two hour workshop on creating a character. I as an individual got to work with my directors hat back on. The workshop focused on emphasis to a characters motives, I also got to work alongside two incredibly talented performers to act out a scene from the play Cipher. In this scene, a suspected man is confronted by an undercover spy, she knows he's innocent and is out to prove them wrong, but she can't do it alone. Having no other knowledge of the play, I had to assume a lot about the characters bond. What I found useful was listening to the actors reading through. Following this workshop, I am tempted to investigate this play further. We then followed our experience with two shows on the West End, first a comedy entitled "The 39 Steps" and a darker piece called "Let The Right One In". These are what I will review in later posts. They were a great opportunity to recap what we learnt in the workshop, and were both incredibly enjoyable productions. But more on that in the next two posts.

My theatrical life is looking a bit bleak at the moment, although I am preparing for an audition to join an amateur dramatics company in Southampton when I move there in August. Next year I will be visiting many productions put on by my good friends back in Bath. So in truth, it'll never grow old. Until then, continue to be ever hopeful guys.

Things are getting interesting again.

Hi folks, 

         It's that time of year again where I finish my exams and all my attention goes towards anything an audience appreciates. Who am I kidding? Most of the time it's building my collection of whacky ideas, but one day they'll be appreciated. Recently, I'm getting a bit more hands on (Yes I know, naughty!) as I've been a crew member for my university's Summer Ball. This is the event that celebrates a long and exciting year, with performances from artists such as Rizzle Kicks. My role here is hardly as theatrical as my usual adventures, here involves a lot of putting stuff together, today I was working on some papier mache trees for the guests to admire, hardly authentic, but still creative. Tomorrow I will continue with this, spending 25 hours on call making sure the event runs smoothly, I expect a lot of coffee throughout and the best sleep of my life afterwards.

          But there's no rest for the wicked. On the contrary, I am going straight into rehearsals after this event for a brand new original play titled Death Inc, which will be performed at the Bath Fringe Festival this year. Here I will get the experience of working with the director who also holds the title of playwright. This is something new for me, I look forward to seeing his approach.

         A short entry I know, just a little update before I go on my weekend long adventure. So hopefully I'll see you all very soon.

If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended.

      The weather was lovely, our picnics were out, we all flocked to the lake to see Bath University Student Theatre's production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. I myself have never seen a Shakespeare performance before, but believe me I was impressed. Having studied this play when I was 12, I was not in need of an interpreter as is many the case of Shakespeare. Alas the lines were delivered accurately and with intent, which was a great help.

The Amphitheatre

      Performing at the University of Bath amphitheatre was without a doubt a good call by director Brian Murray, who took advantage of the beautiful scenery to create a minimalist, but ideal setting for this comedy. Indeed, Mr Murray never forgot that Midsummer is Shakespeare's great comedy, whilst keeping the tradition and style of the piece loyal to Shakespeare's age, subtle updating was used to retain a few laughs from the audience.

      Performers were eager to take on the challenge of Shakespeare, which BUST hadn't delved into for a long time. Memorable performances came from Oscar Brennecke-Dunn as Bottom and Sam Lamont as Quince, who harnessed the power struggle between these characters in a way that was both believable, and pleasing to watch. Other highlights for me included Anny Hughes' Puck, who's mischievous actions act as an essential catalyst for the story, Anny's delivery was consistent with the style and thoroughly enjoyable.

Anny Hughes as Puck

     Other highlights included the mechanicals' performance of "Pyramus and Thisby" at the end of the play. Stealing most of the play's laughs, a majority of which come from Thom Kidgell's Flute performing as Thisby, the tragic lover of Pyramus. 

(L-R) Oscar Brennecke-Dunn as Bottom, Emily Light

as Snout, Sam Lamont as Quince, Thom Kidgell as

Flute.

     Whilst the development of the four lovers central to the comedy felt a bit neglected at places, the performances for these characters were also strong, including the fight scene sparked by Puck's intervention. Which provided strong acting and some great comedy from Guiseppe Guarino as a bold Demetrius, Lizzie Wood as a vulnerable but headstrong Hermia, Cameron Morrissey, who approaches Lysander with a slick approach to his manipulation by the fairies, and last but not least, Hollie Christian-Brookes plays Helena with great confidence, with a touch of victimization during her confusion later on in the play.

(L-R) Cameron Morrissey as Lysander, Hollie

Christian-Brookes as Helena, Lizzie Wood as Hermia

      Other comments should be made to Rafael San Martin and Claire O'Riordan Bagnall as Theseus and Hyppolyta respectively, who provide a level headed, yet totalitarian constriction on the events of the play in a completely appropriate way; Janna Chapman as Egeus, who pays particular attention to the Law vs Love themes of the play and executes them well; Oberon and Titania's fallout was maturely delved into by Connor McMorton and Francesca Webster respectively, particularly Titania's infatuation with ass-headed Bottom being one of the more memorable images of the play.

Oscar Brennecke-Dunn as Bottom

Francesca Webster as Titania

      Finally, we have Starveling, played by Terry Thomas, who harnessed the minimalist approach to the show and gave a fluid portrayal of the shy tailor playing moonshine; Anthony De Rauville's portrayal of Philostrate was a pleasant homage to the contrast between the Athenians aristocracy and the simplistic mechanicals; Emily Light as Snout performed beyond the expectation of a wall, her use of facial expressions during the "Pyramus and Thisby" scene added to the scene miraculously. Another highlight was Laz Cunliffe's Snug, an all round comical performance of a lovable character. Something difficult to achieve in the Shakespeare world. She also made a convincing lion.

Laz Cunliffe as Snug

Although easy to forget about, let us not forget the hard work put in by the producers to make this show what it was. Ethan Duffy, Michelle Walder, Abby Morell and Emily Light took on the role particularly unlike that of a traditional production. With good teamwork and some clever prop-use, they did the show as much justice as Brian did as director or any cast member. With this production came many challenges, and new ventures for an already keen society, it is safe to say that it paid off and I would be returning hungry for more of these productions in the future.