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Back from Hiatus


 

Last year I participated in a local production of The Tempest. I have been in a lot of plays over the years, but this was my first outing since 2019. The pandemic put the kibosh on many things including theatre, but even after lockdown was over, my wife and I were reluctant to expose ourselves to a lot of people. But early in 2024 the man who was going to be directing The Tempest called me and asked if I would be willing to be in it. He had a part he wanted me to play. I had turned down some parts in the previous couple of years, but I felt like the time was right and the play was right for me, so I said yes.

I wrote a blog about this in 2024 as we were preparing to open the play, and I was anticipating going on stage again. Now, long after the play has ended its run and before it completely slips from my mind, I thought I would speak to how it went. It went well. My memorization skills are perhaps not quite as crisp as they were when I was in my 30’s, but still good enough to get through it. Falling into the part of a castmate was as easy as falling off a log. The camaraderie one develops with the people participating in a production is real, if fleeting. It is not unheard of for there to be disagreements or little “dramas” occurring among cast and crew, but I don’t recall any of that in this production.

I came to like my character of Gonzolo, though I couldn’t have told you much about Gonzolo before I acted the part.  Actors do develop relationships with the characters they play. Sometimes it is a dysfunctional relationship, and then things don’t go well. That is the fault of the actor, not the character. It is good practice for the actor to find a reason why their character matters. No matter how small the part, there must be some reason for that character to be there. I knew an actor once who, no matter what part he played, could tell you why his character was the most important character in the play.

The main thing is, it felt great to be back on stage again participating in this form of art. The collective energy you feel from the audience and from your fellow actors is uplifting. Fair warning: I will be doing more theatre.

Star Liner


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