I was nervous.
I was excited.
I had no idea what to expect.
I entered the rehearsal hall tentatively, as I watched a group of people hitting a paper ball into the air and counting. I was seriously hoping I hadn’t missed a memo about the start time, as the room was full of active energy and I couldn’t fight the feeling I might be late. I continued to cautiously scan the room. Suddenly I saw a familiar face; a college mate who happened to be an apprentice. She exited the game to run over and hug me. “Did the class start already?” I quietly asked. “No,” she smiled, “we’re playing tapeball because it’s fun!” As she started to head back to the circle she waved me over, “Play with us!” I was immediately at ease. I joined the circle knowing darn well my hand/eye coordination needed some work. That was the first of many times that fall I would throw caution to the wind and say yes. It was the beginning of my first Actor/Director Lab at the Purple Rose.
I suppose saying yes isn’t hard for me. It’s what brought me here.
After college, I was running a high school theatre program, working in various theatres in various jobs around the Metro-Detroit area, and running a brand new theatre I started on my own. I realized I did things differently than other people. I had very high expectations, and was eager to learn everything I could about how to do what I loved better. I had participated in BoxFest Detroit, a women’s directing festival which awarded me (in my second year ) the opportunity to take a class at The Purple Rose. When I received the phone call with the offer, I knew the challenges it would present in my already very full schedule, but I couldn’t wait to say yes! An opportunity to learn from the Purple Rose?!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
At that time in my life I was very much used to being the one who was leading, or making the decisions, and I was eager to be a student again. That first night of Actor/Director Lab, sitting in a circle on the floor, listening to the Artistic Director, Guy Sanville, talk about the Purple Rose… something in me sparked. He spoke of this place as his home, and the people in it his family. He talked about the way they do things at The Purple Rose, and I realized in that instant I had found the people I wanted to create theatre with. I decided that evening that I never wanted to leave.
I set a goal for myself that I didn’t tell anyone else, and then I did the work. I put in the time. Every week we had new objectives. I gave it everything I had. I embraced what I was assigned and the people I worked with. I knew that at the end of the day, it would be what would be would be. I was learning so much from Guy, Michelle, and my classmates. It was already the most wonderful gift. Then the second to last class, Guy came up to me and invited me to be the directing intern on their spring production of White Buffalo.
Pinch me.
-Angie Kane Ferrante
Resident Artist, Instructor, Stage Manager