...and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages."
Act II Scene 7 from Shakespeare's "As You Like It"
The other night I went to see the Westminster College production of
Victor Victoria. It was well done, entertaining, and fun.
Afterward there was a reception with the actors. There was an energy level in the room that only those who take the stage to perform can truly understand and experience.
I thought of the many theatre shows that my sons participated in - and recalled how exciting and fun it was as parents (and the immense pride we felt!) to watch them perform.
One time in particular came to mind...
Ryan was involved with a small group of young actors with Child's Play Theatre Company (now called Stages) that were being coached to perform short dramatic plays.
I'm guessing he was around age 14.
The parents were invited to come and watch their performance of a play called
The Lottery.
The Lottery was about a small village that had an annual ritual to ensure a good harvest.
Every June 27th the children gathered stones - as the adults congregated in the town square to participate in the lottery.
In the first round of the lottery, the head of each family drew a small slip of paper. The slip with a black spot meant that family was "chosen".
In the 2nd round, each family member drew a slip. The individual who picked the slip with the black spot was then surrounded by the other villagers and stoned to death. EEK!
Ryan was playing the character who was running the lottery. There was a scene with just him and a young woman....my memory is vague on this....but probably the lady who picked the slip with the black spot.
The scene was going well - until there was an evident lull in the dialog.
Looking at the actress - you could see that panic that comes with having no memory of her next line.
As a parent - you watch anxiously - wondering what will happen to the scene and to the self-esteem of these young performers.
After a short time - that seemed like an eternity - Ryan started to say her lines in question form...something like... "I suppose you're going to ask me if all this seems fair?" Then he'd say his line. Then he said her next line the same way....and followed with his line.
Suddenly - we saw the lights come back on in the eyes of the actress - and she continued with her own lines.
At the end of the performance, Child's Play's Artistic Director came up to us and marveled at how Ryan had pulled that scene "out of the tank" (his words).
An incredible job of thinking on one's feet under extreme pressure! I'm still amazed by it....congrats Ryan!
...and the show goes on.
