Our last rehearsal was short and sweet – about half an hour of notes and a couple quick fixes in the ever-rehearsed Dorine-Orgon-Mariane scene.

Director: Just hold for the laugh, darling.

Actor: When I run out of lines, I’m just going to stop talking.
Actor: That’s what we all try to do here.

I saw AS YOU afterwards and really enjoyed it. It’s such a beautiful play. And I have to say that I thought the setting in the American Depression and the vague shadow of twenties-era mobs was lovely. Charles the Wrestler was so slimy.

If anything, I think the forest of Arden should have perhaps had some kind of public works project going on in it – or more of an equal air of dirt and dust and industry and inter-war. That damn forest kills me every time, just like in Kirsten’s production at Noise Within – it’s so hard to stage. Larissa’s set designer had an interesting take, I remember. My favorite “forest drop” of the year is definitely Rachel Hauck’s in the closed Cherry Orchard.

Then Tartuffe opened last night. I had Jeremy (R&J SM) and his wife Kay, who sings in R&J, sitting to my left, and Zack and Pam to my right. Mallory (director of marketing) and her family were in front of me. I could see Bill and Peter if I peered up and to the right. The Bowmer is such a schmooze-house – you can look up in the mirrors and glance all around the angled seats and see everybody.

A successful opening, though not as ebullient as the second preview – that audience had helium tubes in their armrests or something. Richard Howard had some fantastic new takes out front that I’d never seen before – he was cracking me, Jeremy, and Kay up.

Afterwards, we had a champagne toast backstage, with Libby passing the baton, and then all went to Martino’s. Zack, as usual, put his finger right on the problem with the script – why does Orgon take Tartuffe in so easily and so completely?

Drinks with Peter, Frank, Tony and his wife Robin, Zack and Pam. Frank and Zack got into a discussion about cities and Borges and labyrinths. It was really cool, if by “cool” you mean “deeply surreal.” My brother is talking to Frank Galati about architecture and the human heart and Murakami. My two worlds are one.

Spent today packing and sleeping off a hangover.