Hamilton-Gibson Blog

Working on a play is like developing a friendship...

There are those early moments when you think, ”Wow, this is someone I’d like to spend more time with,” and you realize that conversations are going to be stimulating. The relationship deepens with time, some casual greetings, and it moves into some lively times of give and take and challenges. If the play is well written, the friendship just gets deeper and deeper; there is no lack of meaningful exchange.

TWELVE ANGRY MEN is one of those deep friendships. We’ve been working on it—hard—for some weeks and there is no flagging of our times together.  Don’t confuse the movie with the play; they’re related—in the same family—but the film is a different friend than the play.  Though this play was created in the 50’s it has more than enough life to keep all of us who are spending time with it jazzed. (Does anyone use that term anymore? I do…it works.) Each rehearsal holds new challenges and reveals new layers of thought.

And this cast! A director couldn’t ask for a more committed, intelligent, talented group of men. (Yep, all men…twelve of ‘em!) This is one of those experiences wherein the process is so enriching that it wouldn’t make any difference if we actually performed the play for the public or not.  We’re performing it with the audience on two sides of the action, so everyone will feel like they’re right in that electrically charged jury room. Hope you can join us.

Don’t forget auditions this Thursday at 6:30; and Saturday at 4:00; at the Warehouse Theatre for HE HELD ME GRAND. There are a number of smaller parts (fewer lines and less rehearsal time) so it would be a great play to try out the whole acting experience. Twelve women and eight men; young, old, black white; it’s a great group of characters. Hope you can join us.

And you still have a few minutes to call for reservations for GRASS STAINED GENES at the Cabaret in the Gallery this Saturday at 7:30. It’s going to be a lively time on Central Avenue. Call now for reservations!

(The book mentioned last week is The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery; “I’ll be searching for those moments of always within never.”)

An always within never...

I’m so glad we can offer local performers in our Cabaret in the Gallery Series. In many of our productions people are amazed at the talented actors…”where did you find this one?”…”is he/she really from around here?”…”have they acted before?” Next week we have the opportunity to host a very talented group, GRASS STAINED GENES.  And the group is LOCAL! Most of them were born and raised right here in Tioga County. Pete Sr. is a transplant, but he’s been here…gosh, over 30 years, I believe. (How long does it take for a flatlander to lose his flatlander status?) They are fun and talented and good ol’ boys, and we’re looking for a great time on February 19 at the Deane Center.

I attended the MU Jazz Band concert on Saturday night…and the Community Concert the week before…and looking forward to GSG on January 199…and two rehearsals per week with our own HG children and youth choirs.  Something there is about live music…even in rehearsal…even in a passing hum or whistle.  LIVE music. There was a time when folks were surrounded by live music. Nowadays we’re surrounded by recorded music…often filtered through some little things we stick in our ears. But….LIVE music; we make decisions now to experience LIVE music.

I just finished a book that ended with these words: “I have finally concluded, maybe that’s what life is about: there’s a lot of despair, but also the odd moment of beauty, where time is no longer the same. It’s as if those strains of music created a sort of interlude in time, something suspended, an elsewhere that had come to us, an always within never. Yes, that’s it, and always within never.” This is the something that is about live music. We really have a lot of it in our community; may I encourage you to choose to take the things out of your ears and experience LIVE music…an always within never.

(I’ll identify the book next week…then you can go see Kasey and order it at From My Shelf!)