The eyes of an audience mean more to me than their words. At last night's talkback after Man of La Mancha, there were audience members who were meaningfully lost in the experience of the play, eyes a bit misty. The "magic" of the play was working on them; you could see it. Simple delight was …
Each Man’s Life Is But A Breath
So says David the King in Psalm 39. This psalm gives us an image of a man wrestling with God, his relationship with Him burning in his chest. He resolves not to speak, but then must. He asks to know how long he will live, knowing that a "man's life is but a breath." From …
Impossible Dreams?
So last week Taproot Theatre opened Man of La Mancha. I get the privilege of singing "The Quest" or as it's more popularly known, "The Impossible Dream." While thrilled to have the opportunity to take on the role of Don Quixote, there is also something daunting about singing such a classic song. Fortunately, the song …
Morning Prayer
Sitting on the back deck, on the western side of the house, and the sun is just touching the tips of my neighbor's trees. The stillness intimates the coming day's heat. A few moments ago, a small bird sat on a branch just off to my left and sang me a couple of songs as …
To Write for God
Thomas Merton said (and I'm paraphrasing without my source in front of me) to write for yourself is in the end, sickening. To write for others is more noble, but the only way to speak to many, truthfully and well, is to write for God. There's lots to write about. Man of La Mancha opens …
JEFF BERRYMAN 