Opened! The show has opened! After a draining tech week without a lot of sleep, we have now finished two weeks of performances. We’ve found a groove and a routine that works. I can get my ridges and makeup on quickly without the gluey struggle that was my first time. We’ve had some time to breathe and opportunities to bond outside of rehearsal. Though we can now slow down and take a break, it does not mean in any way we can get complacent. In fact, this is where a lot of the real work begins.

Now that we have multiple performances under our belt we can begin to work towards playing with and tweaking what we have. There is always fine tuning to be done and new things to discover. The best part of this is that each show creates an opportunity for us to use the energy of a live audience to feed into our creative efforts. I find new things about Young SQuja’ each time I go on stage. Some are small and some are not, but each performance means another chance to “wear my SQuja’ shoes” and to try to learn more about him. I can use these discoveries to drive future performances which will hopefully allow for even further discovery. Staying active and invested in learning more about the character is necessary to keep things fresh for 18 shows. It means I’ll be working towards my best as a performer, which benefits both those on stage and those in the audience.

Meeting with audience members after each show has so far been one of the most satisfying aspects of the production. Chatting about the show with Trek fans and Trek fans to-be is a lot of fun. People have been enjoying the show and every positive comment on the performance is immensely satisfying. I’ve met people that have flown from Texas just to see the show, people who’ve dressed up in costumes just as impressive as our own, and people that just thought the show seemed like a good way to spend a Friday evening – all have enjoyed themselves. Knowing that this show and the work we’ve put into it means something to people is fulfilling and every request to take a snapshot with someone brings a smile to my face. The show may be a quirky concept, but it really is no joke. A Klingon Christmas Carol is a meaningful work and I’m so proud to be a part of it.

We did a promotional appearance at the Green Mill recently, to which we walked in costume and ridges. People pulled their cars over to get out and take photos with us and were delighted to hear about the show. I never thought that by dressing up as Klingons we’d be able to reach people like that. It’s wonderful! I look forward to every performance and the connections that performing this show allows me to make.

We have a few weeks of performing left and I know I’ll wholeheartedly miss this show when it is finished. There’s something really special about the show and those involved. If you haven’t already, come see the show! Make sure to say “hi” afterwards.