There are shows that speak to you and that you just ache to direct because there is a personal meaning inherent in the show to you. Oklahoma! is one such show for me. In years past, I would have directed it with concept of people needing to tear down the fences that bind them in order to grow. After this past year, instead I am using the concept that people make choic­es about how they react to what happens in their lives and need to take responsibility for those choices in order to grow.

Curly learns this and as he comes of age, the territory of Oklahoma also comes of age and becomes a state. I think the process of community theater is similar. While you want a good product (a good show) when you're done, the process is far more important. "Winging it" and doing well is a fluke and that's it. Making choices and rehearsing until you can perform consistently on a high level is an achievement. Achievements make us proud and empower us.

The people you see on stage have worked hard. They've made choic­es about their roles, about their time commitments, and about their priorities in order to bring you Oklahoma! tonight ... and they have grown. They've grown as individuals and as a group. They've also grown as friends. That is the other key to community theater - community. When you're in a commu­nity theater production, you become a part of a "community" of friends. There is nothing like it.

I hope that you enjoy tonight's production of Oklahoma! I am so proud of these people and their achievements. I also hope that you, too, will join them someday onstage and enjoy the experience that is truly community theater.