by Joy Evans
Your life is very busy. You’re swamped at work. And there’s always something to take care of on the homefront—never mind your personal life. Why in the world would you want to spend your free time indoors? Especially during the summer!
Ask that question to any of the dedicated volunteer actors of the current cast of the Westmoreland Players in Callao and you’ll virtually get the same answer.
Now in rehearsal, “I Am a Camera” by John Van Druten and directed by Glenn and Joy Evans opens August 5 and continues through August 20. The talented ensemble has been at it for weeks. Countless hours have been spent analyzing the script, learning lines and blocking, discovering just who their characters are and what makes them tick. Yet any serious actor will be quick to tell you the last phase of rehearsal is by far the most challenging.
“Directors,” so say the Evans team, “guide the production from day one. But creating the play’s dynamics and giving life to the action is the most demanding work.”
Theater is at its core, play. However, it takes scads of hours of thoughtful preparation to create a role fully. After all is said and done, the actor’s goal is to offer audiences a memorable experience through the reality of their performance.
So why put yourself through all the hard labor and inevitable frustration? Why give up that valuable vacation time? Because the cast says it’s worth every minute they donate.
