Well, the first full run of play happened this morning. There was an audience that watched, listened, and laughed. Of course this is what Sean looked to have happen so that he could take the measure of where everything is at. It was informative to see the subparts I had seen earlier fit together. The actor changes from the play to the play-within-the-play happened quickly. I saw the actors change their delivery as they delivered the different parts in keeping with the play requirements. I am always amazed that people can transform so quickly, and consistently. I doubt I would be able to accomplish this, much more I am just a rock always the same, having the world race by my anchorage. Here the play shows parts of life rich, ugly, joyous, and sweet all inside the play-within-the-play, and then again in the play itself. How watching the performance is different from my reading of the draft play before I saw the actors investment. I do wonder if the lines about acting, delivered by the performers are delivered as personal memory, or delivered as another’s memory. As has been mentioned elsewhere the playwright wrote for these actors and I for one think the lines seem a custom fit. So great things are happening and being promised for Liberty Hall Theater next Wednesday.
I also found that watching Sean work with the actors and playwright after the rehearsal was seeing a top of the line team leader. Sean seems to know his people and relates to them in a way that supports them, and encourages them to their best work. While this sounds trite, seeing the interaction, and time for the thoughts to be provided and processed, I can see why we keep hearing about people all over the country looking to spend time working at the MRT. The ability to get a team working together is talked about, but seeing it happen is a great thing. Sean seems to know explicitly how to bring each person’s strengths into the effort, and the resulting effort will create a memorable experience for the audience. I am looking forward to seeing the next step where much more is added, including lights and sound.
