Chance = Change

...and being discovered by yet another new generation of young actors: a small group of Steinhardt actors, as members of their Players Club, a student organization, decided to stage ROMEO AND JULIET and asked Evan Mueller to direct, and me to coach,,,,it played this weekend, and after the dress rehearsal I had the privilege of being part of on Wednesday night, there is no doubt in my mind it must have had a glorious 4-performance run over the weekend...i went Upstate and roamed the gardens, so did not attend an actual performance, but did lend my coaching eyes and ears to that dress rehearsal...it was as I said a privilege to do so.

Jay Johson and Caitlin Caughell as the two lovers: gorgeous and heartfelt and deeply moving...so deeply proud of them both..I wept like a fool as they led me to the inevitable, which somehow always manages to surprise me...how that is possible is miraculous to me....only confirming my belief that musical actors make the best Shakespeareans...a stirring and multi-levelled Lord Capulet played by Bill Coyne...a sexy and somehow modern and understandable Nurse played by one of the Player Club stalwarts: Brittany Proia...i learned so much from watching her...Benvolio played by a marvelous young woman whose work i always adore: Jenna Dallaco...Jaselyn Blanchard as The Princess ...(a wise use of a talented actress)..and Alex Yacovelli as a truly stirring young Tybalt...god, he was so good....and on and on the list goes...i just sat there, after a long NYU day and thought "where the hell do they get all this energy???" and then i remembered: from their passion...Bill W. sat next to me and he was moved by what they did, so generous in his praise, cognizant how out of their normal area of study this sort of language work is...they genuinely acquitted themselves well...and Evan's cut of the play was wise and swift story-telling...Lars Vercelli was a wise and well-spoken Friar...very very proud of him.....Rich Krakowski, a student unfamiliar to me, was such a poerful Mercutio...I really want to work with this young man in my time at Steinhardt...hope I get to...Nic Rouleau and Victoria Holland, so lovely to watch work...as Paris and Lady Capulet...the interesting freshman Jeff Raab completed the company and he was so much fun to watch!!! Proud of them all.

Hope I can work with that group next semester .

Up at the House this weekend, I read If You Like Us Talk About Us, the new biography of Robert Porterfield that Rick and Amanda sent us..i wept it was so good, and so tender about the Barter and the driving passionate man behind the idea of it : made me truly understand why that theater is deeply important and will remain so . Proud to have been a part of it, no matter how small.