As we approach the end of the season, I’m reflecting on a wonderful year at Gulfshore Playhouse. We have had many sensational firsts, record-breaking ticket sales, a determined and unstoppable team, and the support of a host of donors and patrons that believe in the forward motion and legacy of the Playhouse.

As Kristen mentioned in an earlier blog, many times first rehearsals are like the first day of school. In a similar context, final performances, and especially final performances of the last show of the season, are like the end of a school year. We are excited for next steps and we say goodbye to dear friends (in this case characters as well as people) that we know we will see again soon. We tuck our learning away for another year as we grow and figure out what this year’s experience has brought us.

When ALL MY SONS closes this weekend we will conclude our 2013-2014 Season. What a season?! Going through emails and blog posts, show numbers and invoices, files and inboxes, and photos of special events, it’s almost like I’m looking through a yearbook. A whole history in the span of 8 months! My first blog with the Playhouse was an opportunity for me to shout my enthusiasm from the rooftops. That enthusiasm hasn’t decreased – in fact, I am more excited than ever about our current production, our next season, and our future! We are growing quickly and looking forward to the movement another year will bring.

If you haven’t seen Arthur Miller’s classic, please join us this week. It will be an experience you won’t soon forget. And if not, we cannot wait to see you again next season as we start our “first day jitters” once again, a little older, a little wiser, and with just as much heart and enthusiasm as we’ve always had here at Gulfshore Playhouse.