This is Alice Reagan, another one of the "Fab Four" as Roger likes to call us Fall Directing Fellows.

Since Shira so helpfully gave an overview of our first two weeks (in NYC, and then at Stump Sprouts on retreat) I'll try to zero in on two experiences that really struck me.

I think one of the most valuable meetings we had during WonderWeek was with Meg Simon, casting director with Warner Brothers Entertainment. Meg casts for television primarily, but has a long and storied background in theatre; she still casts the Sundance Theatre Institute every summer. Meg spoke to us about what we can do as directors to make casting go more smoothly and more successfully, especially when working with a professional casting director--although her advice is just as applicable when you're a young director wearing many hats, and doing all the casting yourself.

"Do your homework" is what I'll remember most clearly--see plays, remember actors you like, keep files (however low-tech) so you'll know where to turn when you need a 60-something woman or a very tall man (as one of the other Fall Fellows does for her one act). Meg emphasized treating actors with respect: before, during, and after the audition. Know their resumes, what they've done and with whom. Don't interrupt. Don't overload with information before the actor has opened his or her mouth. Say thank you. Seems like basic stuff, but Meg really impressed on us how a little goes a long way in our field, and being an utmost professional (and decent person) is actually important.

Up at Stump Sprouts, the absolute best part of the week was seeing the work of the other three fellows. I would say that every piece was gloriously site-specific. Roger encouraged us all to find the best spot for our monologs and scenes--outside, inside, in tractors barns, bedrooms, meadows, and in the middle of the road (very few cars up there in rural western Massachusetts). Showing the work meant traveling in a pack from one spot to the next to encounter an actor lying in a heap on a log-pile or gazing across an incredible vista of green mountains. The work was surprising, visceral, and deeply felt. I have not had the opportunity to be with other directors, all of us making and showing work, since I was a student. In collaboration with generous, adventurous actors, the results were thrilling.