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 …
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 …
“Places”
Each night I stand backstage pacing back and forth, running a small ritual that has become important to me as a preparation for a coming night of emotional journeying. The role of Eric Weiss in Brooklyn Boy is a challenging one, one that I relate to all too well. And then, inevitably, my friend Carla …
Meaning: Find It? Make It?
Eric Maisel, in his book Coaching the Artist Within, declares that one of the primary skills in living successfully is to “passionately make meaning.” I’ve read a couple of Maisel’s books. Maisel’s a family therapist and creativity coach, with a Phd in psychology. He may not believe in God, but he’s a good writer, and …
Plumbing a Rich and Diverse World
The choices are endless. Input of imaginative material is ever-streaming: books, songs, films, adverts, emails, voicemails, snailmail... There are the daily tasks of work and family, hobby and friend, thought and action. The mental life that Dallas Willard asserts is our life of both spirit and body is ever-present, ever-flowing, ever-full. I said yesterday that …
JEFF BERRYMAN 