The First Meeting

Question: Why are you the director?

Answer: I don’t really know.

The first meeting was held at the Calvary office. Walking into the room that day I can recall a few distinct things. One: I was happy to be there. Two: I felt very easy about everything. Three: I didn’t have any great expectations and I was ready to do pretty much any task. Meaning even no task at all if Kari so desired.

We sat down and there were maybe a dozen people that ended up pulling chairs around that table, likely more than that because my family and I made up six. Kari began sharing and she passed packets around the table. There was the usual practical information, some dates and places, some unknowns, and lists.

To my surprise and honestly utter shock Kari had already assigned many duties to people. As I scanned the list I thought back to the night I filled out the application. What had I put on there? Oh, I really wanted to remember now. Ok, I did not have a ton of theater experience in comparison to many I had worked with. I don’t think I embellished. I am not a huge fan of rattling my own resume so I think if anything I down played my theater history. I hoped. But my name was on the list a little more than I had been expecting, A LOT MORE. Then I remembered checking pretty much every box in the list and Kari had put me in just about everything I marked. Why did I do that?! My stomach began to flutter.

I tried very hard not to let my face show my uneasiness. To say I was UNEASY, that’s like jumping into a pool and saying you’re a little wet. I exchanged glances with Lionel and he just looked at me and then back at the sheet; which was one of those moments when I really did wish I could read his mind. But he seemed fine.

We made introductions around the table and when I finished mine, I noticed a person across the table was frequently studying me. I half smiled at him when I looked up with no smile returned and then decided to not let myself be distracted. I had other things my mind was wrapping itself around and I needed to hear what Kari was saying. She had a partial script down loaded from the internet that needed work. She would be in contact with the writer to see if we could adapt it. We had short time constraints (of course) so we basically needed to jump in right away. Our next meeting would be auditions. Whew, I was tired just thinking about it. Ok here I am Lord, use me?

After the meeting I sensed we were to linger a bit to talk to Kari. I was right. The person that had been sitting across from me made a beeline to Lionel and I. He looked directly at me and asked, “why are you the director?” I was so knocked over by that question. I think mostly because of the directness and also because I really didn’t know. I didn’t have to answer though because he began touting to me his own resume and firing questions that had to do with drama ministries and teams in the area and did I know or had I worked with them? No. No I did not know, no I had not worked with anything local, I wasn’t even from around here. But I didn’t have to answer because he kept talking. Me and Lionel exchanged glances again. This time I knew we were thinking the same thing, let’s get out of here. Having four kids is the easiest excuse for making a quick exit.

Kari stopped us on the way out, “I’ll email the script to you ok?” She was so sweet and so happily expectant. "Sure,” I replied returning her excitement. “It needs an ending,” she explained. “Ok, I will take a look at that.” And after a few more words exchanged we departed.

And the Lord began to stir me. “Don’t back away from this Kristen, I AM in this.” And He was.