Backstage Blog

Welcome to the Backstage Blog

I’m so excited to kick off this blog! I’ve got lots of content queued up for you that will dive into a lot of the goings on behind the scenes as well as in my head. I’ve already started some posts addressing some of the most frequently asked questions and often discussed topics. I’ve also started writing down the random musings and tangents I go on as they relate to running a “theater-for-fun” organization.

Amanda Chin

How Many Absences are Too Many?

This is the age-old question, right up there with what is the meaning of life, and where do we go when we die?
Believe me when I say there is no easy answer to this question. And we get it all the time (or some variation of it).

Meryl Salerno

How Does Registration Work, Anyway? (Pt 1)

Now that we’ve had our “new registration” process in place for a little over a year, we wanted to take a minute to answer some questions you may have about the process and shed some light on what happens “behind the curtain” after you’ve filled out the registration interest list.

Mary Brownlee

The AWTea with Mary – Bartek Puzoń

What does Shrek do from 9-5? Did you know Pippin also bakes a mean pie? With this series I aim to answer those questions and more as I peek behind the curtain and learn all about our participants' experience with AWT and take a glimpse into their robust lives outside of theater. It's time for AWTea with Mary! In this episode, we get the AWTea from Bartek Puzón!

Mary Brownlee

The AWTea with Mary – Michelle Vidal

Lucille Bluth from Arrested Development saying, "It's one banana, Michael. What could it cost, ten dollars?"

Amanda Chin

What’s in a Budget?

It’s unusual that adults have to pay to be in a show. Sure, there are community theaters that have nominal dues for their members. But actual tuition to be in a show? It’s not very common.

Still from "The Princess Bride" with text that reads, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Amanda Chin

Words I Don’t Use a Whole Lot

Language is a strong tool. Aside from the obvious benefit of communication, the words we choose have the ability to strengthen or reinforce our principles and values. I often find myself saying, “that word is not in my vocabulary,” where what I’m actually saying is, “that word doesn’t reflect my beliefs.”

Movie still of 9 to 5 with the caption, "Why don't we make some changes that really count? Yeah."

Amanda Chin

AfterWork Theater: Where Careers Go to Die

Before I was the ED of AWT, before I worked part-time here running operations, and before I was a board member, I had a neat little career in marketing, working primarily for early and mid-stage startups. My entire career had been in advertising or marketing, and I enjoyed the work…for a while. As I was about to discover AWT as a participant in 2014, I was finding myself getting bored with my jobs quickly, and my tenure at each position was getting shorter and shorter.

Post-its with participant names and photos used during a casting session

Amanda Chin

Casting Demystified

I don’t actually get a lot of questions about AWT casting before people sign up for a show. What I do hear about are a lot of reactions after cast lists come out. And when I say “hear about” I mean, people rarely come to me with their thoughts, questions, feelings or concerns, but the AWT grapevine is strong and has many branches. It’s totally ok, casting is a touchy subject.