The Spirit of Theatre

Coming to you live from Liverpool, where the last leg of the Miss Saigon UK/Ireland Tour has commenced.

I've just had the loveliest week off back in London where I spent lots of time with Megan and Tetra. Took advantage of the sun with my South Bank walks and Megan introducing me to the Stave Hill Ecological Park before walking over to the nearby Big Tesco and doing our grocery shopping for the week. It was nice to live an ordinary life again - however brief it was. It honestly made me excited for the end of the tour. I just want to do my own dishes, take out my own trash, and sleep in my own bed.

The week also gave me the spiritual and creative rejuvenation I needed to get me through this last leg.

No context will be given at this time.

There's always a point in the contract where the repetitive nature of theatre can get to you. No matter how much you can justify it with notions of craft or discipline, the boredum will eventually sneak up on you, despite how much you try to stave it off. It's normal. We've done just over 200 shows at this point - the longest run I've ever done in my career - and I was so ready for the week off midway through our Milton Keynes run.

I was invited to see the cover run of My Neighbour Totoro on the West End by a friend who is in the cast. I got to see her and another good friend absolutely smash their cover tracks, which filled me with pride and joy. Members of the company were also in to watch the run, and the support they were giving was quite inspiring.

Watching this cover run - which was a cut show with music reduced to keys, percussion, and vocals - still gave me that feeling that I got when I saw the original production at the Barbican a couple of years ago. I still got emotional, and smiled like a crazy person when Totoro first came out.

It reminded me of what it's like being on the receiving end of this art form. It's a feeling I'm going to carry with me and remind myself of when I start to get complacent on stage.

I was also lucky enough to have participated in 14/48: The World's Quickest Theatre Festival.

14/48 is a theatre festival that started in my hometown of Seattle, WA about 30 years ago, and it since expanded into a couple of other cities in the US and in the UK. Last week was the first time that the festival has been held in London for over a decade. A few friends from Seattle recently relocated to the UK, and they roped Megan into being a part of the producing team for the London iteration of this festival. As a result, they also roped me in to participating in it as an actor.

I had never seen or participated in it, but everybody that I knew who did only said the best things about it.

And it's as crazy as it sounds.
Basically it comes down to this: 14 short plays are written. Directors are randomly chosen to direct said plays. Actors are randomly chosen to act in them. Designers make props and costumes for them. A live band provides the soundtrack and (in some cases) sound effects. All in 48 hours.

14/48 Daily Calls

The weekend went a little something like this:

Thursday:

General company meeting and the drawing of the first theme: "Breaking Free."
From here, the seven playwrights begin to write - with a due date of 8am the next day.

Friday:

The plays are due at 8am, and the directors are randomly selected.
The plays are cast at 10am.
From here until about 6:30pm, actors learn lines, rehearse the plays, designers make props and costumes, and the band learns music and sound cues. Tech rehearsals are 20 minute slots.
7:30pm - First showing.
10:00pm - Second showing. Draw the new theme: "Starting Afresh."
The seven playwrights write brand new plays on this new theme so that on...

Saturday: We do it all again.

It was a delirious weekend. But a weekend filled with hilarity, community, and creativity; the best parts about theatre. My craft was challenged due to the fact that I had to remember lines and blocking within a 9-hour time frame. I met some amazing artists and got to work with some friends for the first time. It made me think about the Seattle theatre community and got me a little home sick. 

The cast + writer of Saturday's play: "Not Mad Just Disappointed."

The entire 14/48 cohort.

The true essence of theatre; the community, the audience, something much bigger than ourselves, the discipline and the craft required to serve this art form with the dignity and respect that it deserves - the week off reminded me of these things. It's already made me more focused on stage - that and a LOT of rest and time away from the show.

How lucky am I to be able to do what I do for a living?