First Things First

"First things first."

It's a phrase I've often found amusing - how could it be said that first things must come first when, by definition of sequencing, whatever comes first will forevermore be first? Is it the expectation of "firstness" that gives life to this phrase? Do certain activities lend themselves to a kind of primary functionality?

Of course, I am aware that the phrase is meant to be taken as a means of ordering and organization of tasks and energy output - why waste time considering the eleventh step in a process when the first has yet to be accomplished? However, the nature of the creative process, at least for me, is riddled with this kind of thinking. I am constantly in a flow of thoughts concerning my work, considering multiple points of view on the potential output of each option which presents itself in my mind.

Take, for instance, this post. By now, our website has been published for five days, and, within those five days, I have typed more opening lines to potential "first" blog posts than I can remember. Many of them would have been fine, sufficient for the task at hand if they had been any other post but this one. The first one. Numero uno. In fact, I am not sure that I will end up posting this entry.

Because I'm thinking down the line, thinking about what this post must say to make the best impression to the public of who we are and what we aspire to be at Roswell Theatre Company. And while I intend this blog to serve as both a sounding board for my own thoughts on drama and our work at RTC as well as a message board for our fantastic company of theatre-makers, it is difficult to focus on the immediate need to compose an initial post which will begin the use of this blog's primary functions.

So let this first post say this about us and about me:

This year will be the first in which I serve as Director of Theatre at Roswell High School and lead Roswell Theatre Company, a program in the midst of a phenomenal period of growth - two Region One-Act wins, two state-level One-Act competitions, a Shuler recipient for Best Actress in 2019, and, most importantly, an expanding culture of students who demand excellence of themselves while maintaining what can only be described as a "super chill vibe."

Those are the same students that I have the pleasure of serving as their Director this year.

Will we struggle? Probably.

Will we grow? Definitely.

We have to start somewhere, so let's get down to business.

First things first.