"Shall we do it again in, say, another 5 years or so?"
There's an odd, but all too common, phenomenon which happens to actors when they are able to inhabit a role so strongly that certain aspects of the role filter over into real life. I first encountered this oddity while playing the role of Ruth Condomine in Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit. Without belaboring detail, the actor playing my husband Charles Condomine and I had plenty of offstage sessions developing subtext. Later in graduate school, I experienced an elevated level of depression while playing the dutiful daughter Agnes in The Shadowbox. Over time, and as I gained more experience, I learned to recognize these residual effects for what they were and became deft at enjoying their fruits while avoiding the pitfalls and dangers of misplaced transference when the curtain came down.
And one of the juiciest fruits is to be able to fall in love on a nightly basis and experience all the chemistry of that experience over and over again. But it can be a bit maddening, though, when the costumes and the make up come off and you're in the drive through line at McDonald's anxiously wondering if the guy in the car in front of you is single. That residual adolescent chemistry coursing through you with no outlet can make for some very confusing moments during the eight to five. Prospero had the great good fortune of returning home to wife and family after each performance. I returned home to... my cats.
This is merely a testament, though, to the skill and talent of our Prospero who journeyed from cruel and hurtful in the opening acts, to affectionate and tender by the closing acts - he made my job easy. An added bonus was that he's a long-time friend and colleague whom I've had the pleasure of acting with before. It seems I've known him and his wife forever and have watched his children grow up - one of whom was in the cast, as well. It was very comfortable on stage with him. I will miss those actorly moments on stage that made me feel so at home there. I am so grateful to my friend who directed the production (known here as 'Myrt') for convincing me to do this role which was a huge risk in casting for her.
Ah, but it's all over now. Prospero is sailing back to Milan and Ariel has been liberated to the elements - their love now merely a remembrance of what might have been but could not be.
"It's been great. Sure, let's do it again sometime."
"See ya'."
