We’ve just finished the first week of REV. 23 rehearsals. After four years of working on this opera, it’s finally here—the mystery of creation, the compromise of collaboration, and the slow almost plodding process of bringing a new work to fruition—it’s here! I’m exhausted and elated.
There’s always a certain insecurity in having four years of work dissected by the discerning eye of the director and the quizzical questioning of experienced artists. Feeling our way through the initial blocking requires, patience, perseverance and goodwill towards all as we stumble around the stage trying to find the best way to realize the vision inherent in the piece. As director Mark Streshinsky molds the piece, much like a sculptor does, with the sensitive input of our artists, we discover together nuances of character, of plot, of motive and counter-motive. And we have fun doing it!
It’s easy to immerse ourselves in the fantastical world of REV. 23 to the exclusion of all else. But art should not insulate us from the world around us. To the contrary, it has the power to sharpen our senses, our empathy and our compassion for others. Our hearts, our strength fly swift and true to the people of Texas, to those who’ve survived, who’ve helped another human being survive, and for those who have died in the floodwaters, we remember your humanity.