Costumes (Part 1)

October seemed a long way off when I agreed last January to produce my Hallowe'en musical COSTUMES at the Tulsa Planetarium this year, my first opportunity to have a show Off-33rd Place. Now suddenly it's May and I realize I need to get serious about revising the script and composing music for the new songs I've added since 2006 when we last produced it at home.

Agonizing for weeks over dialogue that didn't work, I was finally ready to hear the truth two days ago from characters who have been, up until now, reluctant to speak from the heart. When I printed off the revised script and set it on my desk, I experienced a moment of intense loss. I would no longer be privy to their innermost feelings. I had been cast aside, the door shut.

Yesterday two actors joined Bill and me to read through the script. I felt encouraged by what I heard, but after a restless night, I woke up understanding at last what my show is really about and realizing my opening song is all wrong. I walked out into the morning light and with each step around the neighborhood a new song began to sing itself.