The director’s dream…

It is my pleasure to introduce you to our brand new director, the creative and visionary Rosanna Saracino. I hope you enjoy this lovely read!

And be sure to leave a comment below to tell me how you approach doing what Rosanna suggests in her last two words of this interview.

And as always…

Dream up,

~ Sarah Michelle Brown
First Hand Woman Actor, Playwright + Producer

It’s time to get up close and personal with Rosanna Saracino!

1. What excites you about directing?

Anything is possible on a stage. We can communicate our most basic joys, fears, hopes, our frailty, our fallibility and our humanness.

From the first moment I walked into a theatre, I breathed a little deeper, a little better, and knew it would be home.

As a director, my work requires me to maneuver the action of the play, the script, actors, staging, lights, costumes, sound, in such a way that the message of the play is clear. Each moment on stage is a balancing act, as it needs to feed into the next moment, with all the design and performance elements working together.

In some ways, it is like being an orchestra conductor, and knowing exactly when to bring in each section of the company, when to soften a moment, to contrast or counterpoint it, and when to let it all open up and just play out in full. My job requires me to know it all and to know when to let it all go. It requires great knowledge and great faith at once, and is driven by experience and intuition.

2. What excites you about directing FIRST HAND WOMAN?

I had the opportunity to read the script, and by the tenth page, I knew I was hooked.

This story is provocative, and it inspires us as it moves through its darker corners. It metes out humour and pain, and this ever-present sense of redemption and survival. It’s not afraid of its subject matter, in that it is vulnerable, open, clever, and generous.

Then, I met Sarah, and knew immediately that she is a force of nature. And frankly, it’s impossible to say no to a force of nature.

I am grateful for the opportunity to work with her, and the whole team.

3. How do you approach getting a show ready for opening night?

Each show is different, but fundamentally, it’s about doing the work. The magic comes of its own volition. But only if the effort, faith, and passion are in place.

4. What do you do during your downtime?

Downtime? What is this word?

5.  What 8 tips would you give about moving forward in your career?

• Work hard. Work hard. Work hard.
• Don’t take no for an answer.
• Respect the craft.
• Respect the people who have come before you.
• Learn all you can.
• Assist professionals whose work you respect.
• Eliminate notions of entitlement – none of us are entitled.
• Dream huge.