Tonight’s a big night for Deb.

It’s the WODL Gala. Western Ontario Drama League. It’s award night for the best community theatre productions in western Ontario.

Certain shows during the Community Theatre season are put in “festival”. So, they get adjudicated.

The show that Deb directed, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, is up for ten awards. She’s up for two of them herself. Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Direction by a First Time Director.

Will she win?

Will the show win any of the awards?

Who knows?

A friend of ours is also up for an award. Outstanding Performance in a Lead Role. She’s in the same category but from a “competing” show. Who do we root for?

I’m not crazy about awards like this. It’s so subjective.

It’s not like a sporting event where the winner is obvious.

And most of the people have only see their shows, not all the other ones they’re competing against.

WODL covers an area from Burlington west to Sarnia (240km). And from Welland north to Tobermory (386km).

That’s a lot of theatres. And a lot of shows.

But win or lose, it will be fun for Deb to get together with her WAVW comrades. It’s a night to celebrate.

She worked a long time on that show. Months before rehearsals started. And then months of rehearsals. And then the show itself.

Of course, when the show opened, Deb’s work was done. But she was still there at the theatre. Watching her baby.

Kudos to the cast and crew of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

Win or lose tonight, you are all champions. The show was incredible and will always be something that you can be proud of.