I finished my last scene for INTERSTATE today. I’m sitting at a small cafe near where we shot that final bit of B-roll, at the end of an exhausting and exhilarating week, feeling I’m not sure what. I’m used to walking offstage with a sense of completion. A live performance has a beginning and an end, and the closing of that circle gives a sense of accomplishment even if there are less-than-stellar aspects to the evening. There’s a lot of work to be done yet on this film, and I don’t have any idea of what the finished product will be. That’s new.
It’s also new to have so many stories to tell and to have to wait! What I can write about this morning is our extraordinary team: Ryan and Tonya McKinny, Kat Bachus, and Darryl Bornstein. These five people worked their tails off all week (and their work continues) in one of the greatest group atmospheres I’ve had the pleasure to be part of. There was skill, patience, and respect every step of the way, with room for everyone’s energies and tons of help and support at moments of challenge or fatigue. I’m endlessly grateful to these friends.
I’m also mad excited for what Helio Arts is building, and for what they promise to be not only as a streaming platform but as artistic and philosophic leaders in our industry. And yay for companies who continue to invest in the virtual component of our futures. I hope you’ll consider heading over to the Minnesota Opera site and learning about our virtual premiere this October. The streamed performances will be free, so consider supporting MNOpera’s work in other ways!
More than anything, thanks to Jenny and Kamala, the extraordinary women with whom I got to make this story, and to my beloved MtMn who crushed his film debut and literally saved our lives with breakfast one morning.
That’s a wrap.