As rehearsals for our summer performance continued, this session focused on shaping the overall flow of the production. Rather than working on individual pieces in isolation, the ensemble began making collaborative decisions about staging, transitions, and how the audience will experience the evening as a whole. It was another reminder that while each work began as a personal reflection, the performance itself belongs to the ensemble.

Following check-ins and the ring, the group immediately turned its attention to logistics. Together, we discussed using music stands and microphones during the performance. While my initial concern was that they might create too many transitions and make the evening feel more like a staged reading than a theatrical production, the ensemble advocated strongly for including them. After experimenting with different configurations, we found an arrangement that maintained the theatrical flow while giving performers the support they wanted. The conversation reflected the collaborative nature of the program—ideas are tested, discussed, and refined until the ensemble reaches a solution together.

As we continued organizing the performance, piece titles, artist statements, and casting assignments began falling into place. The ensemble cast the role of the Mirror in Collab Creation, confirmed readers for several pieces, and discussed how performers would move on and off stage throughout the evening. The decision was made for everyone to remain backstage when not performing, helping create a smoother rhythm between pieces.

One conversation centered on stage names. After reading one participant’s work, another ensemble member asked about how the writer wanted to be introduced. Together, the group encouraged her to share both her name and her stage name, recognizing that names carry meaning and can become part of an artist’s identity.

The second half of the evening was devoted to Ruth. With participants stepping into different roles—including Theo, Simiria, and Orpah—we worked through the first section of the play, reaching the end of Part One. As scenes unfolded, the writer shared additional ideas for the production, asking me to revisit The Greatest Love of All and suggesting two additional songs she hoped could support the emotional arc of the performance. Her vision continues to grow alongside the ensemble’s interpretation of the work, creating a process rooted in collaboration rather than ownership alone.

Although several members needed to leave early, the momentum of the rehearsal remained strong. Each session brings greater clarity to how the many individual poems, stories, and scenes will connect into a unified performance. What once existed as separate pieces is steadily becoming a shared theatrical experience, shaped by the voices, ideas, and creativity of the entire ensemble.