"Our Town" in our town begins at the Rogue Theatre January 7th. Check out their website for the details. Among others in a fine looking cast is Robert Anthony Peters - all around great guy and terrific actor.
Why is it that people like Robert and Cindy Meier (and others in the cast I'm sure) who show themselves simply and beautifully, the ones we ultimately find the most interesting, fascinating and captivating? What is it about their curiosity and joy for the way life functions that gives rise to the enormity of their thoughts and their feelings(?) - creating depth and magnitude, perspective and meaning in their everyday actions. My gosh they embody this play - they are the play!
There is a dictum, attributed to Stanislavsky, regarding acting that says the difficult must become easy, the easy must become habit, and the habit must become beautiful. Its tricky though because in reading it or hearing it at first glance without explanation, it implies a progression from one thing to another, seemingly leaving behind what was, and ending with something that is beautiful in form and content. But that is not the dictums intent. It's intent is to imply an "adding to" rather than "progression from." So when we get to Easy, Difficult is still present. As we get to Habit, Difficult and Easy are present. When we get to Beautiful, Difficult, Easy, and Habit are there as well.
Substitute what words or concepts you will if necessary, apply the dictum to life, and the same holds true. People like Robert and Cindy, simple and beautifully shown, contain all the difficulties and everything else along the way. Nature has all the same forces at work today that were present at "the creation." And in the tranquility of a beautiful garden we can discover all the those complexities that will reveal it to us in a whole new way.
So who knows what we may find in this particular "Grovers Corners."
