1750 people saw TREASURE ISLAND. Here is what a few of them had to say:

"The students loved the play yesterday! We appreciate the invitation and hope to come again sometime. You did a fabulous job." PAT SANDZEN, 1st GRADE TEACHER, STONE ACADEMY

"There were so many things we loved, but we mostly loved how you all made the evening an experience, not just a performance." CRYSTAL JACKSON, DRAMA TEACHER, HILLCREST HIGH

"I thought that tonight's show was just remarkable. I wish everyone who sees it could know what a departure it is from traditional 'high school theatre.'" MARK ALLEN

"Thank you for letting my class come to the play of TREASURE ISLAND. I really enjoyed it. I think everyone did a really good job and they should be proud of themselves." JACQUELINE SEPPALA, 7th GRADE, BLUE RIDGE MIDDLE

"La pièce TREASURE ISLAND sera jouée par une troupe d'étudiants du lycée." ÉRIC DUMAIT, DIRECTEUR, FRENCH SCHOOL

"Just wanted to say again how much I enjoyed the play yesterday. It was the best high school play production that I have seen. " MARY ANN COLLINS, SCIENCE TEACHER, J.L. MANN HIGH

"It's the best drama I've seen on the J.L. Mann stage in the 12 years I've been here!!" STEVE GARNER, ART TEACHER, J.L. MANN HIGH

"AWESOME stuff!" JEFF DUNCAN, SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER, J.L. MANN HIGH

Sunday, we experienced "Technical Difficulties."

Long story-short, our lightboard suddenly stopped taking to the robot lights. Our 3:00 matinee ended up starting at 4.

Yeah.

It was kind of a drag. But get this: we only lost fifteen people. That means about 200 people waited out our technical difficulties to see TREASURE ISLAND.

What a great audience!

If YOU were one of the brave few who waited for us, we'd love to hear from you.

We're open.

A couple of things...first, we want your comments. What did you think about TREASURE ISLAND?

If you are an audience member, we want to know what you liked, or didn't like, about our production. If you are a company member, we want to know how you feel about the entire experience--from initial press conference (December 13, 2006), through the run and strike of the show.

As director, I'll try to maintain daily updates and comments about specific performances. I'll also insert cool production photos (photographer: Mark Lehner).

THANKS! For all of you who chose to see and participate in MANN SHOW 2007's TREASURE ISLAND.

I'm leaving you, TREASURE ISLAND...letting go, giving you to our cast and crew.

It's been a blast this last year and a half, thinking, planning, plotting...but I think you're in good hands. This company gets it...understands that believing that everything is really happening is the key to giving their audiences a most remarkable show.

I can't wait for Friday night...Saturday...Sunday...ALL the performances. It's going to be fun seeing what you become.

So...cast and crew. Are you ready to take the helm? Ready for TREASURE ISLAND to be yours?

I really like our lights. They're going to look great. Eric Harrell of Productions Unlimited is just the greatest event sound/lighting guy I've ever worked with. He's smart, professional, kind...not at all the know-it-all tech geek who's more concerned with you knowing how much he/she knows than helping you make your show/event be the best it can be.

Eric brought in four super-cool robot lights for the show. These guys are massive...they look like upside down astromech droids, actually (now who's the tech geek, huh?). And each one can throw light and color all over the stage/Auditorium. I was able to light the show with these R2 units and about two dozen traditional lighting instruments--quite an acomplishment.

Hope you see the show...and if you're reading this post-performance, I hope you realized just how much a little bit of lighting technology can bring to a live event.

Saturday, April 14 is Family Night at TREASURE ISLAND. We're hoping to see a packed house full of parents and their children that night.

Beginning half an hour before curtain, we have a very special guest. Melinda Long will be reading from her best-selling children's book, "Pirates Don't Change Diapers." Melinda was recognized with an Irma S and James H Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature for her last book, "How I Became a Pirate."

Tell everyone you know about this very special event that is being sponsored by our friends at Barnes & Noble.

The more I participate in the art of collaborative imagination, the more I realize that the real genius of creation lies in the editing. Once all the ideas, notions, hopes, and dreams are on the table, the process of chipping away...paring back begins. To me, this is the ultimate job of any theatre director: knowing what to cut away, what to keep.

TREASURE ISLAND has entered into the editing phase. Today marks eleven days from opening night, and the process of simplifying is in full swing.

As a collaborative artist on the team, I ask that you keep this in mind...that you not hold on too tightly to your personal "favorite things." Artistic maturity requires selflessness and trust.

I promise you, every edit I make is for a reason...a really good reason...a reason that has less to do with you as an individual, everything to do with our team...our play being the best it can possibly be.

It's time to slaughter some of our sacred cows. Think you can stomach it?