July 23 2024

I awakened thinking of last night’s play. Matilda is a fantastic play and an excellent movie, and it is worthy of this moment in camp. It was an ambitious choice for the Senior (long dialogs to memorize, songs to choreograph, complex set changes to organize, 2 hours on stage). I knew it would be a great production (this show is always a highlight of the summer), but I didn’t expect perfection. I found my eyes misting up from the very first minute of the show, and as I quickly wiped my eyes, I was surprised to see others in the audience doing the same. At the curtain call, the crowd on their feet, cheering with delight, cast members openly wept on stage, celebrating the moment with intense glances at close friends (and siblings). It was sweet beyond words.

You should also know that we mastered a difficult technical challenge that has alluded us for many years– microphones on many actors. If you think about it, you will sympathize with the problem:

Sixteen portable headsets to manage. Only a few are on for some scenes; many are on for others. The analog system doesn’t “remember” the appropriate setting, so each one must be adjusted with a sliding control. Do it wrong, and you get feedback; get the level too high on one mic, and they dominate the others. Forget to activate the mic and the absence is noticed by all.
Compounding those daunting difficulties is the performer herself (who must remember to turn it on and off and deal with such things as the tape holding the tiny microphone coming loose or the transmitter falling out mid-sentence).
Usually, all of these factors lead to a result that is not seamless. Last night, it was almost perfect. I still don’t know how they did it.

Margaret and I have been getting little notes passed to us at odd times of the day, typically with no words (they drop them off with the Hostess, leave them at our table, or put them on my desk when I am out of the office). It is sweet, and the gestures are always touching. This is the season of sentimentality… tears come quickly, and moments are felt deeply. The tears are happy, and they are sad at the same time. It is a very sweet emotion and marks the high water mark of the summer. These are good tears; we welcome them with joy.

Today, we savor our last full day of classes, get our stuff organized to go home and experience a bittersweet moment at Closing Vespers. Opening Vespers was just yesterday… how is camp already ending? These last moments rushed by all at once in a blur. We are all a bit shocked.

Thank you for making it possible.

A few details: