Friday, January 17, 2014

The 14/48 Gods May be Strong with this One

Before the Thursday night meeting started, people were mingling, saying hello to old and new friends. Marianna de Fazio (veteran actor) bumped into Keni Cohen (virgin director). After exchanging their names, Marianna said to Keni, "You look familiar. I wonder where I've seen you before."
Joe Ivy reads his lines as Marianna de Fazio looks on.
Photo: Agastya Kohli

"You look familiar too." Keni responded with the second half of a conversation that so many theatre people have had before, and will repeat in the future. He then continued, "Where did you go to high school?" with a chuckle at the statistical impossibility of them being at the same high school at the same time.

"Are you a writer?"

"No", he replied, "I'll be directing."

"Oh, you might direct me then", she said, "I'll be acting!"

"I very likely might! Perhaps that's why you look so familiar. Perhaps we've already worked together."

Marianna had a confused look on her face. She would have remembered Keni, if they had worked together in the past.

"In the sense that the future has already been determined!", Keni explained, picking up on the visual cue of confusion.

How very new age and in sync with the universe! Almost poetic.

Skip forward to this morning as Marianna and I were making our way through the Convention Center parking garage, pulling her actor suitcase along.

"Are you going to the theatre?" A voice called at us from behind.

"Yes we are!" we both replied in near unison.

"May I follow you? I don't really know where I'm going", the gentleman requested.

"Please! Come with us - we're almost there", I replied and slowed down for him to catch up, as we walked through the doors into the Convention Center.

"Hi, I'm Marianna", she said, "I'm an actor. And you?"

"I'm Joe. Also actor."

"That's Agastya. He'll be blogging" She completed the introductions on my behalf.

Keni Cohen directs Sydney Tucker
Photo: Agastya Kohli
Skip forward again to the Actors draw, and sure enough Keni pulls Marianna's name out of the jar containing women's names, and then pull out Joe Ivy's name from the jar with men's name. These three recently acquainted artists will spend their day along with Sydney Tucker, working on Erin Stewart's play Mr. and Mrs. Hargrove.

Yes, it could just be a coincidence. But so many of us know - there are very few coincidences at 14/48. And a lot is determined by the 14/48 Gods, who seem to be smiling on this group today. Indeed Mr. Cohen. The future had already been determined, and you seemed to have glimpsed it last night.

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