Fellow Leaf Marsha Harman and I are fond of speaking in metaphor.  Some days we speak almost exclusively in metaphor to each other.  Other days we speak almost exclusively in Scottish accents.  If we’re speaking metaphorically in Scottish accents, well…  Look out.   

I love Marsha’s soup metaphor and have been thinking about that quite a bit as we get closer and closer to opening night next Wednesday, January 7th.  Tonight is the first time that the whole cast will be back together since December 18th.  That’s right.  December.  18th.  I can’t wait to have everyone in the same room again.  I miss these folks like crazy when they’re not right there in front of me.  It’s also the first time we’ll be looking at lights. 

We spent last Monday and Tuesday exploring sound with Dan and Jackie.  Which was amazing and inspiring and – just – wow.  Wow!  And tonight we’ll add Jared’s lights – Jared is also a remarkable designer.  He and Nick are both uncannily capable of responding in the moment to what’s happening on stage.  That’s what I love so so so much about our tech process at New Leaf – even when it’s a little abbreviated like this one has been – it’s a conversation between the actors, the designers, the director, and the rest of the company.  We keep building, taking each others’ ideas, incorporating them as we’re refining our own. It’s like making a layer cake.  Out of the soup.

We’ve been making Touch soup for weeks and weeks now.  Some might argue that we’ve really been making the soup for over a year, starting back when we first read this gorgeous play out loud as a company.  Then we got more specific with our recipe (refining our concept and interpretation), added the best fresh ingredients (my delightful, gifted, heartbreaking actors), and kept simmering. 

So now we’re adding in even more elements one at a time – Michelle’s set, Nick’s sound, Jared’s lights, Rachel’s costumes.  Layer after layer making our play richer, stronger, more delicious.  And each layer is still part of the whole, still part of that soup. 

It’s a fresh new year.  I’m teching a show about which I’m passionate.  For a company with whom I am in love.  With people who amaze me.  You’ll forgive me an effusive, joyful, mixing of metaphor I hope.  At least I didn’t type it in brogue, right? 

Oh, and if you haven’t already – find us on Facebook and check out a special offer we have for opening weekend!

photo by chotda used with Creative Commons permission