Whatever Works

I just finished watching the Woody Allen film, Whatever Works. I love that movie, everything about it is so......Woody- with a little Larry David mixed in.

When I was a kid I would gather all the neighborhood kids and put on plays and shows. I lived in my imagination and created all sorts of "schools" and "stores." I bossed all the younger kids around giving them jobs or roles to play.Reflecting on this, I really wonder why those kids still hung out, my director style bordered on a dictatorship.

I once wrote and directed a play in my garage, complete with a soundtrack I dubbed on my cassette player off of the 95.7 oldies radio station, I created elaborate scenery made out of cardboard, and even had a concession stand where I sold popcorn. I remember working on this for hours and getting upset with the neighbor kid who had trouble memorizing her lines, most likely because she was four-years-old and couldn't  read yet. On opening day, I seem to remember that I had the garage door closed in between scenes more than I had it open for the show. My audience consisted of two sets of parents parked on folding chairs in the driveway.

Afterward, I remember my mom coming up to me and saying: "Katie, when the garage door was shut in between scenes I heard you say, shut up over and over; you really need to watch your mouth honey."

While I put on other shows in the neighborhood from time to time, I never again attempted to produce a show of that caliber again. Maybe I outgrew all that nonsense, or maybe I grew tired of managing so many personalities.

Reflecting back on all the situations I've found myself in, what works best for me is to work with  small groups of people.

Tip of the Day: Do whatever works