CraigsLUST: A Letter from the Director

This year's production has been a real-life graduate course in theatre for me. I started out in the 2013 season with a bug to make a Fringe show, after watching my friends do it for so many years. The 39 Steps was so much work, but I could not wait for the lottery this year. Then I was 16th on the waiting list, and I thought my idea for a sci-fi story would have to wait for a whole year or an independent production. I was right. 10 days before the "go-to-print" deadline, I got a call from Mike Marinaccio telling me he had a 4 show slot in the massive Orange Venue. My first thought was "I need something sexier" in order to fill the house. It's not a compromise in quality or artistry, simply a case of knowing your audience. Just one day prior I had lunch with Katie Thayer, and we discussed doing a "Vagina Monologues" show based on OKCupid. I dropped a fast comment "...or Missed Connections on Craigslist!" The rest is 3 weeks of casting, calling my cast from The 39 Steps, endless searching for rehearsal space, parking downtown, creating graphics and marketing, writing and re-writing the show format, reading at least 6 books on Improv and Directing, lots of listening to the Improv Nerd podcast, painting boxes, and ultimately having complete faith in my cast. Enjoy the show! Ryan Price, Director/Producer