This friend! Hi, David!
Ok, so the torrential downpour mostly happened after we were done and it was more beautiful and exciting than anything, the lightning was pretty incredible and alternated between bolts and sheet lighting, so everything was lit up in a variety of ways. And it wasn't the MIDDLE of NOWHERE, but it was the east end, and Christ, that is far from my house. I am so very much a west-ender. I couldn't believe I had been on a streetcar for twenty minutes before I even got to Yonge Street. Oi. Anyway, I don't have plays in my life anymore for a time, so I have to fictionalize ('lie').
It was ok, but reading stage directions made me feel that I just wanted to be in the play, and it makes me realize how very petty I am. I really still am that girl who gets put in the chorus and just wants to play Sally Bowles. Or, more accurately, the girl who does props for our high school production of 'Cabaret', because she quits theatre the week of auditions, and then spends the year lamenting it. I was in the chorus for everything else that I auditioned for. 'Tommy', most notably, where I as in 'B' Chorus, because I wasn't good enough to be in the fun numbers! Moving on!
But everyone who read was good, and it's nice to hear a play aloud.And the stage directions are fun and beautifully written. It's especially great to hear a play I LOOOOOVVVEEEE, like this one. The Art of Dining by Tina Howe. I just love her so much. Man. Her play Museum was the first show I ever directed, also back in high school, and I have just been so totally nuts about her since then. Her plays are full of glee and whimsy. All the characters are these ridiculous live wire versions of over the top people, no one listens to each other and everything is always funny until it's not. It's perfect. I want to do this play very very badly and last night reminded me of that. Even with my selfish and self-conscious desire to play every part, it's nice that a group of people can just read together. When I'm not working (and I'm not), what else is there to do?
Because really, all theatre ever is is a group of people in rooms. So it's nice to be in those rooms and remind yourself that you're making theatre. The little things, the little things.
The little things add up and stress me out a lot, but doing them makes me feel that this is what I do. That it's not just the big productions I have to wait on that make me a part of the community, but just on a given Wednesday night, I might be reading a play. On a Thursday and Friday (such as today and tomorrow) I might be performing in a cabaret. More on that later. When I figure out what I'm doing. Eep. But when theatre and performance are a part of my casual life, it makes me feel that they are my life. I like that as much as it makes me tense.
I do want a project now though! I'm done with the break!
It was at this beautiful wine bar, Swirl.
Here's the best thing about Swirl:
People write wishes in the drawers of the tables. Best.
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