The Rest is Silence

We closed Hamlet last night.  The final performance was not my best go at Polonius, but it wasn’t my worst either, so I can be content with that.  Its always funny at the last performance of a play: finishing a scene and “saying goodbye” to it.  Sadly there’s never any time to luxuriate in it, and the “goodbyes” to each scene have to be pretty quick.

Over all, looking back on the production, though there were frustrating times, I am glad that I did the play.  I learned a lot (which is always important), about directing, stage craft, acting with other people, and theatre in general.

Moreover, I learned about how acting with a talented and dedicated scene partner can give so much to a both a scene and the rehearsal process itself.  My scenes in which I interacted with Adrianna as Ophelia were, to say the least, my favourites to both rehearse and perform (Granted I must admit, that with the cuts and alterations to this Hamlet, most of my Polonius scenes were with Ophelia).  I will definately miss working with her, and look very much forward to working with her again - of course…again, I must admit, that both of us are cast in Lear, so we will be working together soon…though I don’t know how much we will have together.  At this point, all I know is that she kills me in Lear, something I know that she is looking forward to (my death involves an axe…so who wouldn’t be looking forward to that?).  I myself am looking forward to a good fight, and some eye-gouging.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, now would be a good time to read the play.

Today has been a day of cleaning my much-neglected home, and doing some writing.  There have been points today where I’d caught myself standing and wondering what I should be doing, since this week (and the last couple of weeks) have consisted of almost constant Hamleting (yes, I just created a verb).  This of course is to be expected, since this is the first time since September that there hasn’t been Hamlet on my brain.   The writing I have been doing at a somewhat furious pace.  I hit a point a few days ago in the play I am currently writing, where the set up ends and the story begins in earnest.  This has prodded me to write a lot, since the hardest part is behind me (beginning).  Now, I’m driving forward trying to get the first draft done, so that I can show it to a few select people and begin the rewriting process.  I also suspect that I am writing so furiously out of a desire to replace the creative outlet that is now missing now that Hamlet is gone.

Now, back to writing.  Oh, and maybe some dinner.  If I can figure out what I want to do for dinner.