Observation #5

Rehearsal 4:15-5pm When I Slip Out To Play by Carl Sander, directed by Tim Hyland

I heard Annette Toutonghi say earlier today that she "had a poem". Now I find out what she meant by that. I catch tech rehearsal for this show and it is in verse - all of it. I'm in awe of the courage and the craft that went into writing this show and in awe of what Annette, R. Hamilton Wright and Shawn Law are doing with this. It's childhood creepy. It's sexy Disney. It's apocalytic lullaby. I go back with them to the dressing room/rehearsal room and watch while Tim works with them on the rhythm, words, and meaning. Poems in theatre are difficult for the actors, I think. The language is so specific and intentional and when it rhymes, you really can't replace a word. It's interesting to watch them work in minute detail on each word - land or place, paws or toes, we ten or ten we. Unlike all the other pieces I watched rehearse today, I get to hear this one all the way through, several times. These three actors are wonderful - I've seen each of them in many things. And what a treat to watch Tim lovingly (yes, I do mean lovingly but I hope that doesn't sound weird) direct them. He is their audience of one, has been all day. There are signs here of a director starting to let the actors own the script, the performance. This is the type of little jewel that is so delightful to see at 14/48. I'm running out of time! I head out to find the two shows I've missed!

Becky