About the Production

Directing Groundhog Day was definitely a surprise. I was originally tasked with designing the lighting and the scenic elements for the show but due to some very last minute staffing changes I was asked to take over directing the production. Due to the staffing changes I was also tasked with finding a whole new production team and bringing them on board with less than a month of prep. Starting on a production with only 3 weeks before the rehearsal process begins is definitely a challenge but taking on a show as complex as Groundhog Day was its own very special type of challenge.

This production challenged me in so many ways. It is without question the hardest thing I have ever directed. Due to the repeated nature of the plot, the whole show required very detailed and thought out tracking and logistical spreadsheets. At times on the production I felt like I was back in my Stage Manager days trying to track every possible thing so that we could accurately repeat each part of Phil’s day. While I do love those types of challenges this one tested me and the whole production team in a way we have never been challenged before.

I was truly so lucky to have the incredible team that I had to do the show with. The cast were so wonderful to work with - so patient and hard working. The production team went above and beyond to make sure that we never let the short time frame of prep time limit our work or become an excuse. While I would never want the challenge of doing a show this complex that quickly again, I cannot imagine a better team to partner with. I could not have done it without them. Like Phil Connors discovers in the show, I would willingly spend day after day with that cast and production team and it would never grow old.