Sunday Randomness

Today's New York Times, Cherry Jones talks about her appearance in Brian Friel's The Faith Healer on Broadway. it's a show where four actors -- Jones, Ian McDiarmid, Ralph Fiennes and Jonathan Kent weave a story, but don't appear together until the final curtain.

"I have never done monologue or anything like it. Early on, Jonathan Kent said something important that made it easier. “When you’re onstage with other actors,” he said, “the cardinal rule is to listen always, to be alive to what other actors are saying. But when you are doing a monologue, your partner becomes the moment.”

So much of what Actors say is a load of hooey that you can fall into the trap of not realizing just how smart and insightful a lot of them are. Not only do I think the above quote is a beautiful summation of how to act a monologue -- I think it's an essential notion to how you write one.

Theater's a lot on my mind today. There's also an article on Bob Martin and Drowsy Chaperone, which I guess finally opens tomorrow.

Everybody in Toronto's thinking shiny thoughts for 'em. Break a leg at the Marquis.