Unofficial welcome

It's 7:20 p.m. on Sunday night and with luck, most of the NET attendees are already here. I'm typing this on Mark's laptop at the lodge -- options for electricity between relatively limited. While the board members cover the official business in their meeting starting at 7:45, everyone else is invited to play a game called "The Song Game," which is reportedly a Camp Winnebago tradition, Apparently the team who knows (and can sing) the most songs within a given theme (without repeating them) will win. Given that 75 theater people are expected for the NET retreat, many of whom no doubt have musical theater backgrounds, the game could last all night.

It certainly strikes me as a great "getting-to-know-you-exercise," which, in a larger sense, is part of the whole point of getting together. Already people have been telling me about the importance of relating shared experiences and picking each other's brains. In the shuttle ride from the airport, I heard a fascinating conversation between Damon, Mildred and John about doing plays that represent remembrances of national tragedies like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.

Sitting on the porch just now, Mark told me that one of the goals for this meeting was communications. How can NET facilitate communications with its member ensemble theaters? Of all the different varieties of internet connectivity, which would best help NET members help each other? It'll be fascinating to hear some of the solutions to this, and Camp Winnebago looks to be the ideal backdrop.

I heard the bugle call for happy hour a about 90 minutes ago, and it was that classic "call to the post" fanfare we've all heard at horse races and at the top of "Guys and Dolls." Maybe we'll sing "Fugue for Tinhorns" before the retreat is over. I have a hunch some of the people will know it.

Curt
(Posted 9:15 a.m. Monday)