Saturday, May 5, 2007

It's "Play" time...

I had a favorite Professor in college. Tom Nevins. He taught Dialects, Theatre History and Directing. He was also the one who gave me my first lead. Christy in Playboy of the Western World. We started each rehearsal with a game. Kitty in the Corner, Red Light/Green Light. Childish games - so that we could remember how carefree and unrestrained childhood was. And to make us realize we still had had playfulness inside of us. He'd say there's a reason the thing we're doing isn't called a "Work". It should be fun, carefree and unrestrained at the core of it all. Don't take that to mean there's no work involved. There's plenty of that. Take it to mean that the end result is to open up that wonderful world that is PLAY.

Another thing our games taught us was that it's OK in the process to make a fool of yourself, to make a choice that doesn't work - SO WHAT - DO OVER. Now that the entire show is blocked, and after Sunday the Cop Song will be Choreographed, it's play time, and I can't wait. To laugh, to fall, to get up, to fall again, to learn, to finally get it, and to have fun playing.

Green Light.

By the way... Lockstock's Grandmother was quite the entrepreneur, opening her own coffee shop when she was only 19. When water supplies started drying up though she was forced to sell to a larger franchise owned by Mr. & Mrs. Reginald Nuts. Not only did they buy the property they also liked the name she chose and changed it just a bit to their liking. The name? You guessed it...

Chock Full O' Lockstock

Over and Out.

O.L.

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