We Are Here
Three days ago, my flight landed in sunny Orlando.
And then it rained. Like, poured. Welcome to Florida!
It's been a hot minute since IVP has traveled. Post quarantine in late 2021, we were honored to bring In Their Footsteps to Italy. But before that - IVP traveled a lot. And being back on the road reminds me of where it all began.
Pictured: Kate (left) and Ash (right) outside the Trevi fountain when In Their Footsteps traveled to Italy, November 2021.
2012. One year after IVP had its very first show — before we even had the name IVP. We were hired to bring our production of Eclipsed (Patricia Burke Brogan's play about the Magdalene Laundries - it is a beautiful piece everyone should read - more info HERE) to Arlington, VA. The organization SNAP — Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests — had invited us to perform at their convention.
We all piled into a van, stocked with Costco snacks, our set crammed in the back — a massive laundry basket and endless fabric. And off we went, unsure how to make a slippery ballroom work with a show where the characters are barefoot the entire time.
And we did.
And also - I was so nervous. I had never imagined I'd be the one leading a company of artists to another state. That I'd be the one responsible for whether the event came together — whether it happened at all. But after all the worry, all the organizing, all the pouring of 110% into absolutely everything — it went beautifully. And when it was over, I was exhausted. The good kind of tired. The kind that meant I left everything on the floor of that ballroom.
Pictured: a production photo from Eclipsed.
Now, as IVP heads back out into the world — bringing our plays around the country and, hopefully, across the globe again (money may be sparse, but too many of these plays need to be heard not just in NYC but everywhere nowadays) — I find myself reflecting on who I was then and who I am now.
Some things haven't changed. I still worry. About everything. I am still in awe that a company of artists has shown up for a show I brought here. I am still - so deeply grateful.
But here's what's different: I no longer lie awake wondering if the show will happen.
Because somewhere along the way, I learned the most important thing about this work: no show is ever a solo act. Even a one-person show has a tech director in the wings willing you to succeed. The audience roots for you. The venue roots for you. And if you're as lucky as I am — your actors, designers, ASM, and tech rock stars are right there beside you, every single step of the way.
That is how a show travels. When many hands are there to carry it forward.
Opening night is tomorrow.
And no matter what — this is already a success.
Pictured: the cast of In Their Footsteps at the Orlando Fringe, May 2026.
