April 27, 2010

Medieval polyphony on the CD, praise God.

The student plays at the Flood last night were, all things considered, pretty awful. Everyone seemed to have fun, though, so I’m telling myself it didn’t matter. I take the blame partially on myself, for erring, perpetually, on the side of permissiveness. My fear of being a tyrant is so great that I let many things slide, leave many unhelpful enthusiasms go unchecked. I expect bad ideas to reveal their badness to the originators sooner than they do. It is possible that the pedagogical advantages of doing things the way we did outweigh the aesthetic offenses, in which case all is well.

Hamlet tech at the Wortham. I was happy doing what I did, among the people who were doing it with me. I do not think that actors can be “geniuses,” but Adam is as near as anyone I know. His instincts are better than unerring; they are adventurous, unpredictable, playful, open always to inspiration. Even his mistakes are illuminating. I serve him a high, slow, elegantly arching ball, so he can spike it back at the speed of light.

Stopped at Fred’s Speakeasy for a vodka after rehearsal. Everyone was throwing darts, including a few former students. I felt at home.