So. Here we are. Opening night.
A year ago, one of the Leafs made a casual suggestion: “If we can’t find a script that has everything we want, why don’t we write one ourselves?” And so The Long Count was born. From the beginning, this process has been all about, well, process. As we ask ourselves the question that frames our season — How do we build a future from a present we didn’t expect? — our repsonse has been this act of creating something together.
One of the (many) cool things about this adventure is that the beginning of performances is not the end of rehearsals. We will continue to explore and nurture this play together. (Join us for Open Rehearsals on Thursday nights!) As I look back on how far we’ve come, I’m thinking of all the things that have come and gone in this show in the last year. Ask any company member about the ferry boat. Ask an ensemble member about the Chaos Monster. The iPod scene. The customs office. All bay leaves that flavored the soup, but didn’t belong in the bowls we’re serving up tonight.
I’m also remembering the night we sat in Nick and Marni’s living room (one of about a hundred such nights), naming all kinds of different ways we build a future:
with heart
with hope
with help
witha glass of water
with a glass of wine
with a grain of salt
with a side of bacon
and sometimes you need that
brick by brick
step by step
side by side
by holding on
by letting go
with blood, sweat, and tears
with Billy Idol
I meant Billy Joel
with room to fall
with room to fail
with flourish
with relish
with mustard
by cutting the cord
by breaking the chains
with family
without family
with your mom
with trust
on a shoesting
by your bootstraps
And the list goes on. But at the end of the day (or the end of the night), for us, the short answer is together. With each other, with our ensemble and collaborators, and with you.
