With the best books, time falls away. But at any point, for whatever reason, you can put the book down, leave it for another time, revisit it another day once you’ve reached the end. With a play, it’s literally alive. And it’s never the same twice. Ever. As much as an actor can memorize something until their brain melts out of their ears? There’s always the chance some tiny thing could make them forget the next line. So they skip ahead, to say something they do remember, or they make up something entirely unpredictable, right on the spot. One single phrase can be a life-changing revelation one day, and be meaningless the next. One audience might laugh at a funny line, and another will stay completely silent, and yet another laughs at something that’s not meant to be funny at all. A fight can go wrong, or it might be the best version it’s ever been. A character cries one day, and tomorrow their eyes are dry. Blink, and you might miss it. Miss any little thing. A few hours later, it’ll be over forever. Until the next one. And that’s saying nothing of being on that stage. Being one of the people responsible for bringing it to life. Sometimes, you find yourself genuinely thinking your character’s thoughts, without even meaning to. You find all these obstacles getting in the way of what they – of what you – want. You end up trying, so hard, just like you do in real life, to get around them, so you can get what you want. Even if you fail, in the end, trying is what’s most important. Then, on top of all that: knowing that everyone in the audience wants something from you. To learn. To alleviate boredom. To find hope again. To let out all these emotions they’ve been keeping secret inside.
My Verse Distills Your Truth by @thelucindac Collection: Magicians Happy Ever After