Morning Hits in a Clear Blue Sky

This will be the last post about Orphans. Strike is done, the last ripples have subsided. Life is back to normal...normal plus the show, now. I can go forward from here.

It's still a little too soon to reflect accurately on what I learned from this experience. I have to say it all turned out beautifully; the difficulties made the end product stronger. And they, the rough spots, were ultimately small. A lot of small essentials...some were essential and some just seemed so.

The performances were never in doubt. I got so lucky there, as did the audiences! Ryan's natural ability, Andrew's enthusiasm, Barry's determination, these qualities plus serious and professional work ethics produced a stunning interplay of characters. And we had fun.

I loved the rehearsal process, finding the problems and working them out. Most were problems I'd already adressed, in my preparation for the show. That's one of the director's jobs. But new problems always come up, either from the text and blocking, or a technical problem, or sheer logistics. New pictures come to mind. We found them together and worked them out together. I felt a responsibility to have answers, but I remembered Judy saying once, "C'mon guys, I can't work out all this stuff on my own," or something similar, during Reckless. She wanted collaboration. She wanted us, perhaps, to feel ownership over our performances and the show.

We had luck, too. Like ex-pro wrestler JT Hawk deciding to take my actors under his wing and teach them all of their stage combat moves. And Matt finding a Philadelphia map in the theatre. Having the right couch upstairs in the hallway, filthy as it was...for us, the filthier the better!

In the end, we found everything we needed. Costumes, props, set. Comedy. Absurdity. A good story. True feeling.

Thank you, everyone.