Live theater bears much resemblance to clouds, fractal patterns that repeat out over and over. There was not one opening night performance for A Man for All Seasons. There were 63. The audience, actors, crew and creative staff present that night each had their own experience. My opening night show was unique to me alone and yet part of this larger experience shared by many. It began with a traffic accident on highway 20 while driving in from Albany, complete with a flaming car. That’s a slight exaggeration. By the time I passed it, the firefighters had put out most of the flames. Arriving at the theater by the 6:30 call time, I spent an hour fighting with false eyelashes and spackling on makeup. (Stage makeup has to be heavy so you’re not washed out under bright stage lights). Let me tell you, the effort is disproportionate to the results. You end up looking like a $20 crack whore. Most of my show was spent in the left-hand stairwell. There was a continuing parade of costume changes, entrances, exits, and moving plants in that stairwell.
It’s fascinating to watch an actor in the moment when they move forward into the wings preparing to go on stage. The mundane drops away from them and they become something else. This too is fractal. One person might dance, jumping up and down like a wild man. Another might preen like a bird lifting a chin or raising their arms like feathers settling into the ‘display’ of their character. A third might go quiet and still mouthing the lines for the scene they are about to enter one last time. –I won’t tell you who did what back stage on opening night. That’s their story and their opening night show, not mine.
Create your own experience at A Man for All Seasons December 8-11th.
No comments:
Post a Comment