Frozen Heart Revisitation

I got a notice that Frozen Heart, a new play written by Dawn Sellers and directed by Phil Bennett will be playing at Live Theatre Workshop in the Etcetera Series, late night. I can't stay up late enough hardly to see it, but hopefully it will get plenty of turnout and reception. Last summer I went to a staged reading at Beowulf Alley of this play. I even wrote about that event on this very blog. I was not personally taken or captivated by the script. However, its music to my ears or eyes, to read of its continuation into production. It speaks to the desire and the commitment of the individual artists involved, and to the framework and infrastructure of the producing organizations helping to make it possible. And, I don't have the answer to this, but I want/need to ask the question, how many brand spanking new plays have been produced in this town recently? No theatre (separate concept from producing organizations) is complete, mature, without generating its own playwrights, and/or its own plays. Events such as this one are always important and noted steps along the way.

When I was at the reading, and the talkback afterward, Phil mentioned that he thought the script represented a "new form of theatre." And I was thinking to myself "Phil, have you lost your mind?" And then Dawn said her next step would be to add dancers in some expressive context she had in mind. And I was thinking to myself "Dawn, have you lost your mind too?"
Luckily they never for second paid me any attention, or would have had I opened my mouth.
A reading is just that - a reading. What I perceived in the script at that time that could transfer to the stage who knows...I would have to go back and read my post on it. The important thing is that Dawn and Phil and those working with them sense something and I'm happy to report that it seems dancers have indeed been added.

So, we need to find a way collectively to endorse this process, to relish it. The theatre activity in this town is crazy great right now, awesome really. And Frozen Heart has its place and time.