Blog Post from the Director of the Play.
In which she will Rhapsodize.
A lot.
So look out.

We just had our 17th rehearsal for Touch last night.  We are into the part of the process where things are starting to spin, are starting to condense, are starting to form together in the center and take on their own mass.  It feels a little bit like I imagine watching a star being born must feel.  Not like watching Judy Garland being born – no, an actual star – a heavenly body.  In the play, Kyle talks a little bit about how stars are created from these nebulas, these clouds of dust.  The building blocks of stars – which include much of the same stuff our own bodies are made up of – come together and begin to glow white hot and they are so powerful that they pull more and more cosmic dust into themselves and get bigger and bigger until they are just brilliant.  Until we can see them from our own planet, a gazillion light years away. 

Watching these actors in rehearsal feels a bit like that.  I am the first to admit that I can go a little coo-coo bananas over my actors.  Anne Bogart says this is not a bad thing.  And I choose to believe her.  She says that going to rehearsal should feel like going to a big important exciting date with someone whom you find fascinating and charming and interesting and attractive.  There should be that level of antcipation, that alertness, that – simply – that joy. 

My actors bring me great joy.  Each time I see them.  Each time I hear this poetic script coming out of their mouths.  Each time we find a new moment – each time a little star of script is born.  It’s magic.  It’s why I do what I do.  It causes me to wax rhapsodic and supernova into heart-felt hyperbole.  And I love every minute of it. 

I hope you’ll come see Touch.  It opens on January 7th.  Working on this script with these actors and designers and this company right now is the best Christmas present I have ever received. 

photo by Ethan Hein used with Creative Commons permission