Full Plate

Today when I went up to campus to pick up a copy of the play I'm stage managing for Richie this semester (this one, if you're curious) I ran into Debbie and she told me she really needed to talk to me. Turns out another grad student, Adam, who is finishing up his MA in playwriting, wrote a play for his thesis and the faculty want to give him the opportunity to see it in performance so Debbie is going to direct it for him. And she wants me to be their dramaturg. And I agreed to do it. It's not 100% definite yet, but I'd like to try to take on the project. It sounds like it shouldn't be too terribly overwhelming, kind of along the lines of what I did for Kelly during her show last semester in terms of time commitment. Basically, a little bit of research, maybe a couple of meetings with the cast to talk about the history and current events they need to know for the play, a vocabulary list of terms in the play, stuff like that.

I will admit that I'm a little worried that I'm taking on too much. I have to write basically my entire thesis. I have to manage the box office. I have to do at least B-quality work in my Classical and Renaissance class, which shouldn't be impossible but it does involve a lot of reading. I've committed to stage managing Richie's show, and we start on that tomorrow. I work at the restaurant. And now if I add this project, it's basically going to be about as busy as I was last semester, if not more so.

The thing is, if the faculty will agree to let me take on this project, I can't pass it up. It's the chance to dramaturg an original work that has major contemporary relevance (I haven't seen a script yet, but I believe it has a lot to do with the conflict in Iraq), which is the exact sort of work I want to do. It'd be a great thing to put on my resume, and I have a very hard time turning down any job that will enhance my resume, especially if I'm going to have to apply to more Ph.D. programs next fall. The more work I can do now, while I'm in school and it's readily available, the better, since who knows what chances I'll come across in the next year.

Plus I can always quit at Applebees. I forget that fact sometimes, but that's one thing I definitely don't HAVE to do.