Today is my son’s fourth birthday, and since I contribute to this blog every Wednesday, I thought I’d celebrate this little milestone and write about the families that make up this organization.
Everyone here at OTC knows Elliot and his big sister, Gwendolyn (age 10). In fact, when I was still in grad school and my wife, Josiane (now the Associate Director of Production), was stage managing for this operation, my family’s address was 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road. We lived here in the same house where I now have an office, and Gwendolyn discovered every nook and cranny of this campus--creating forts, hideouts, and even her own desk.
One of the things I love the most about working here is the fact that my children are welcome. I remember conducting video-conference interviews for an incoming apprentice class while holding Elliot as an infant. If there’s a random snow day at school, we can bring Gwendolyn to work, and now that she’s ten she can help affix labels to brochures--or hang out on the couch with a Player and play a board game. Does is make it harder to knock out certain projects when they are around? Of course. But this job also requires us to use weekends and evenings to make theater, so if the compromise includes having Elliot hang out here after preschool while we finish up a design meeting, then it’s worth it.
My kids aren’t the only ones around this campus. Patricia Hurley, playing Jovie in Elf the Musical, is a mother of two, and her girls have been known to make cameos in the autograph line after the performance. Our Director of Finance, Managing Director, Director of Marketing and Communications, Facilities Manager, Graphic Designer/Director of Brand, Patron Services Manager -- all of these folks have kids that know their way around this campus. They all get to spend a part of their childhood around creative people who are continually creating new worlds on our stages. While we are definitely not an onsite childcare facility, we embrace the humanity of each person who commits a bit of their lives to working here. And if embracing that humanity means occasionally welcoming their kids to this campus, then they are welcome.
So, Happy Birthday, dude. Here’s a picture of your first day in the office:
