Monologue

I recently finished performing with the show, GAIA, directed by Ritsuko Sato. It was a great production and all in all I'm thrilled to have been a part of it.

Ritsuko asked me to write a monologue to act out in one of the scenes. At first I was not motivated to do anything of the sort. The show dealt with such deep themes and a cascade of landscapes that it was challenging enough just being present at the rehearsals. I sensed that creating a monologue meant I had to dig, if even a little bit, within and expose something--anything. LIFE has been asking this of me for quite some time and until then I put it off simply because I could.

So after a series of drafts and early morning rehearsals after work, with Rann as my acting coach (:)), I came up with 'something':

Myself, my neighbors

They walk around me, faceless
along the path where I've fallen.

witnessing what they cannot see.

Where's the core of my truth?
Exhausted from excitement,
Overwhelmed by dread.

An apple falls from its tree.

-Aw man!,
well..
-that way then.


I want to find that thing
he said about the 'good dancer'.

The part where he goes to the
hilltop and danced
and danced!

And he felt so free.
And it was exhilarating.

That's my favorite part of Nietzsche.


There's only a path --
good and friendly,
cheerful and real.

I'll know because the ground will be hard and
an apple tree will grow there.


_____________________________________________

So I'm terribly grateful for Ritsuko's vision throughout the production process and for gifting me an opportunity to shake hands with my creativity.