Today is National Roller Coaster Day.  (See, Community Theaters?  I told you that pretty much anything can have a day – especially a great institution like yours.)

I wasn’t always a Roller Coaster Fan.  When I was 9, I was scared @#$%-less of Space Mountain and wouldn’t go on it.  I sat at the bottom, waiting for my Dad and my cousin to come out of the darkness. (Deep down, I was worried that they might never make it out, I guess.)

When they did step out of their coaster car, their hair was literally blown back, their clothes were disheveled, and they had a smile on their face like they had eaten rainbows for breakfast.

“What a thrill,” my cousin yelped.  And my 52-year-old Dad babbled like a 2-year-old, he was so excited.

And shouldn’t theater do that as well?

If you’re creating a piece of theater, you’d be better off imaginign your show like a roller coaster.  It needs ups, downs, thrills, laughs, gasps, fear . . . oh, and it shouldn’t be too long.  🙂

And it should leave the audience saying the same thing that my cousin said . . .

“I want to go on again!”

And guess what . . . because of her excitement, this time, I went.

And I’ve been a thrill-ride enthusiast in theme parks (and on stages), ever since.

Want to learn how Tony Award-winning writers write their own rollercoasters?  Click here.