By crooked director Sandy Shinner

Crooked is, in part, a mother-daughter story. And I was thinking about my mother in rehearsal the other day (when the actors were running lines, of course!). The last time I directed for Rivendell was in the fall of 1997—Holy Days by Sally Nemeth. My mother loved that show, as did my then-12 year old daughter. It was one of the last productions I directed that my mother saw…so it’s a special memory.

The mother–daughter bond is so amazing…and so complicated. In rehearsal, we’re all bringing our experiences as daughters to the table to try to explore and illuminate specific moments and relationships. Tara and I get to contribute from the mother’s perspective too. One of the by products of these conversations is that you get to know each other quickly, and sometimes deeply, by sharing pivotal moments in your lives. All actors talk about building a family of sorts…either happy or dysfunctional…during each show. And it’s true. As the director, I’m a part of that family in the rehearsal process: they know some of my secrets and I know theirs (and we’re not telling). My crooked “family” (Tara, Rae, Hannah, Stephanie, Meredith, Megan) is great: smart, creative, open, energetic, hard working and FUN. I think all those qualities will translate to the stage as we inhabit the unique world Catherine Trieschmann, the playwright, has given us.

And I expect that my mother would be proud of this one too!