On the Up

Wednesday was the first Troupe day of the 2011-2012 season, a two hour train trip into yet another uninspiring English town to see a group of men provide another example of the best Shakespeare I've ever seen. Red was a little concerned I had lost my passion for the subject when, on the walk to the theatre, I neither skipped nor punched her from excitement. Fair enough. The situation has changed, I do act differently then I did, but that's because this is now my job. It's a job I love, a job I enjoy, but still a job and one I have to treat as such.

But what a job! We had tickets to the matinee of Henry V and, sitting in that auditorium, looking at the exposed set and seeing black masked soldiers walking around the theatre, that's when the chills started. At this point, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm getting with a Troupe production. Strong ensemble work, incredibly clear text, music used to great effect, unexpected moments of humor, striking stage pictures, incredible energy and great performances. How those things come together, though, is the experience, and Henry did not disappoint.

Afterwards we met up with my actor-friend in the cast who suggested a place near by for dinner. That turned into dinner with half the cast, including an actor who, upon hearing we lived in Strats (and that I had read his book), offered us a lift home after the second home. As this saved us from a three hour train ride AND my actor-friend offered to arrange for us to see the second how for free, we jumped at the chance and got to do it all again, this time from slightly more center. The change in perspective made some of the staging clearer and more powerful and the larger audience gave the actors more to work with, which just goes to show you can never see the same show twice. The ride home was great, with interesting conversation with our driver about his experiences with the Company as opposed to the Troupe and other pieces of theatrical interest. I find myself completely re-energized and re-focused, as well as having got some brilliant theatre in. Solid day.

Other areas of life continue on in the pleasant vein as well. Thursday, Red and I had a date night, getting a pseudo-nice dinner out and then seeing the Company's production of 'Robin Hood' (by seeing, I really mean swooning over the half-naked actors in leather dangling from ropes...viva l'aerial work). Yesterday I had a really good supervision, leaving with some clear assignments and to-dos for the holiday, and then I had a shift of work wherein I tore the ticket of one Sir Patrick Stewart. This is the third time ol' P-Stew and I have crossed paths, but the first time where speech was involved ("Good evening... G41 is just that row there"), but I could tell from his bewildered expression at being asked for a ticket and his subsequent curt nod that we are on the way to becoming besties.