THE HOME STRETCH: BENJAMIN GREGG

(From Merriam-Webster)
Definition of homestretch
1: the part of a racecourse between the last turn and the winning post
2: a final stage

Well, here we are folks, it’s the home stretch, it’s the (wait for it…)THE FINAL COUNTDOWN (cue Europe’s “The Final Countdown”).

Oh, what the heck, let’s just directly link to it because I just planted that song in your brain anyway like the movie “Inception.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNiTxUEnmKI

After many months of collaboration and exploration, we are down to the nitty-gritty of the final rehearsals leading up to the opening of “Our Country’s Good.” I can’t speak for everyone else in the cast, but part of me is like “We’ve still got plenty of time to play around, discover, and explore nuances of the show before we open!” However, the other part of me is basically like “Holy **** this is happening?! We need to start hitting our marks, finding the “right” choices, etc. etc.”

I’m not sure that last line of thinking is ever all that helpful. It’s practical, sure, but that headspace doesn’t usually do me a lot of good. It pretty much stifles creativity, and while we still do have our work cut out for us, we have also accomplished creating an atmosphere of play throughout these past nine months that has built trust, ensemble, and a lack of pressure to “perform” and really live in this piece for an extended period.

It has been a such a privilege and a luxury to say the least.

Typically, when I approach the opening of a show, I go through this (just being honest) self-loathing period where I really doubt myself. At times, it can be helpful for me to think that way because it pushes me to cover all my bases and give my best effort. Other times, it can really be debilitating to the point where I just want to quit. Other than having some imposter syndrome in the initial rehearsals in October of ’21, being around this fantastic creative team has been really inspiring and I’ve been much more kind to myself this time around. I think that speaks to the atmosphere that we’ve cultivated in this process, but also hopefully some growth and maturity on my part.

I believe that this show is shaping up to be something special, something that people will remember. 

I fully believe that. 

I’m just trying to be present and soak in this experience in for as long as I can because I wonder if I will ever be involved in a project like this again.

Regardless of what happens, I have so thoroughly enjoyed being in the company of this cast and creative team. 

However, the job is not done, the journey is not over, and we still have a lot of work to do.

So, on that note…

LET’S DO THIS!