Dreaming Wide Awake
What does it feel like to get the things you want?
Are you sleeping?
The show is over! Long live theater.
Thank you a million times to those of you who turned out on a Saturday afternoon for some Japanese theater in translation. Minoru Betsuyaku, who wrote this sequel to Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, is one of Japan’s best-known absurdist playwrights. (There was even a young musician in the audience who told us during the talk-back he specifically came to the reading to hear how the translator, John Gillespie, addressed the cadences of the original play.)
Director Sonoko Kawahara, was confronted by some Beckett purists during the talk-back. Her cheerful response to “Beckett really didn’t want anyone without a prostate to play Estragon” was “Yes. That’s true. I didn’t really care about that, since I wasn’t doing a Beckett play but a Betsuyaku play.”
Responses like this are why I have been following her career since we were both at Columbia.
But okay - this play is over! I got inspiration for my character-shifts from seeing the multi-cast production of Pride and Prejudice that is closing to day at 59e59th. It was terrific - the Guildford Shakespeare company made the two and a half hours fly by — three actors played all 15 characters of the novel—with full quick change costumes. Genius! So fast. So well done. (In my show, I played not only Vladimir but the hilarious Woman 4 who brings Vladimir a baby, and even do a quick stint as the officious Woman 3.) I got inspiration for throwing yourself all-in to a character from the fantastic immersive drama on Governor’s Island (also closing today): The Death of Rasputin. (audience members were instructed to wear all black)
A good week overall. As you read this, I should be in Cleveland watching the Song Festival. I’ve never been! It’s hundreds of Lithuanian choirs (my brother is in one of them but I’m going on a whim - I didn’t even know he would be there!) — and I wonder if I will feel sad that I stopped attending the folk-art portions of Lithuanian-American community. They are a big commitment. Usually weekly, several hours a week: Choirs, dance troupes, crafting, language lessons, sometimes also book clubs and cooking classes. The bigger the community, the more of these classes/clubs/interest groups there are. For at least five years I danced in a folk-dance troupe—such fun. Communal dancing is such a fun thing to do. Better than bowling.
WRITING:
I’ve been sending out stories and poetry. Trying hard to place things. Didn’t do much writing of new things because I’ve been in rehearsal this week (oh wow that feels really good to write). Maybe I will write more this coming week. I’ll be in Cleveland all week! Really fun to reconnect with friends.
Also my piece was performed onstage! Same night as my show, Caveat Theater Company did a one-night only performance of letters—my piece “Letter to my future self who has learned to time travel” was an absolutely beautiful rendition. The actress playing the lead was excellent. So now I have officially co-written TWO pieces for the stage! What a constant unfurling. It’s very exciting.
RANDOM FINAL THOUGHT:
I keep seeing “if you think this, you’ve got another think coming” in print— so I looked it up. I thought for sure it was supposed to be “another THING coming.” I was wrong but I am right also —because Merriam Webster says that while “think” is correct and British, “thing is more commonly used” and here’s the great part: the word that means “a new spelling or pronunciation that evolves naturally from an error or mispronunciation” is called an EGGCORN.
You’re welcome.
Oh, sorry I missed the performance! Sounds like it was fantastic for all.
Happy living; thanks for sharing!