Random thoughts on a Friday…

Can I say? Don’t ever take a vacation. It just comes back to bite you in the ass. Sorry, but it’s true.

I took a delightful six days away. Hawaii, if you want to know. I personally stopped the volcano from erupting, saw a few sea turtles, ate a lot of pineapple, got some sun, and spent some time with my husband and children.

And now this.

It’s crazy around here! My desk is, once again, a mess. Oslo starts rehearsal next Monday. The cast arrives this weekend. The shops are back, working on sets and costumes. Sweeney Todd casting is almost complete. Christmas at Pemberley and Lion in Winter auditions are scheduled. The new season begins! It’s exciting, that back-to-school feeling. (“Did you have a good summer?”) And yet, at the same time, there’s so little time and too much to do.

Oslo is going to be extraordinary. It’s a great play, we have an amazing cast, and I can’t wait to get started. Studying JT Rogers’s play has been stimulating and daunting. There’s so much to try to understand of the politics and the people—Israelis, Palestinians, Norwegians. And, once I grasp it all, I need to let it go. Part of the beauty of the play is that it explores how it’s possible to have civilized dialogue with someone who does not share your political views. That there are always potential areas of mutual understanding. That we can break bread and share a little bit of ourselves with another human being, transcending the perceived divide between us.

A good message in today’s world.