The Staircase

Production meetings take place in the yoga room in Ipswich or the conference room at Cape Ann or sometimes on The Staircase in Salem. The Staircase. Its a staircase you can meet on and in-so-doing be inspired. Like Ames Hall, it is ornate and marble and ornamented; gorgeous dark wood hand rails and even a stained glass window. And like Ames Hall, one gets lost in the history of The Staircase until a middle aged man in sweats dribbles a basketball past or a janitor shuffles a garbage bag on the uppermost landing. None-the-less, there is inspiration in that space and this inspiration would be flat without the reminders of life- active, occasionally sweaty and dirty, life. Isn't that what theatre is about? What I love about theatre?

Productions live and die. They are conceived, born, learn to walk, the director lets them go and play, and then they finish. The curtain falls. The entire process is difficult and backstage its often a mess. There is a spattering of roles- directors, stage managers, actors, costumers, designers, producers. The balance of these roles is complicated and rarely found. The process of a show is draining and emotional. The relationships are vulnerable and yet somehow professional. Yet, all these things are what create a space to learn; to be taught. "This life is not a dress rehearsal," so theatre gives opportunity to practice a bit before going into "all the world's a stage." I practice life in theatre, and theatre reflects life- speaks back and into it.

Thanks for walking by middle aged man and lone janitor. You keep our marble staircases in check. It is from our sweat and meetings and even our trash that we will have someday built our legacy. We ought each aspire to the marble and stained glass.