In the beginning...

...there is a script, a group of amazing artists, a space, and a vision.

I can tell you that when I first read Vanda's script, "Why'd Ya Make Me Wear This, Joe?" I could feel the pulse of the thing. It has such a direct connection to the writers visceral heartbeat that I found it entirely undeniable. The spirit of this work is direct, poignant, intact, moving, jolting, sensual, revealing, heartbreaking, immediate, and SO REAL.

This is our only play this year that is NOT a world premiere. The work was done by another Company after re-writes were requested and I was delighted to know that the playwright had gone back and recovered her original vision. Theatre, by nature, is a collaborative form. That can be a really tricky thing because there is no real template in the end. In the end it's about the people who touched it. This is a sacred thing.

When a project works, it works because the energies found a way to alchemize all of the elements into a unique animal. It works because they decided that it would, had the tools to make it so, and held onto that in the face of countless adversities. It works because the need and desire to create the piece outweighs everything else. Period.

A challenge in Women's Theatre often is finding professionals with enough real tools and chops to tackle material that can trigger all sorts of unspoken terrors and delights. When a woman plays a sensual character that is not exploited for her sexuality but alive inside of it without any sign of hesitation or doubt, there are obstacles to overcome. For the men, it can be very challenging to fall into the opposite dynamic found in mainstream theatre. One, where they are much more vulnerable.

I have to say that the journey through new works by, about, and for women over the years has taught me countless lessons.

Lesson one: BE SURE to cast well!

So, off we go into our first read-through in a couple of days. It will be the first time the cast meets one another. The first time I hear the script aloud. The first time we decide, this will be born and it will thrive!

The precious precious beginning.