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Community Performance Inc.

May 07, 2008

We did three of our really big scenes last night. The ones where we incorporate large numbers of people all throughout the space. This is a huge space, probably the biggest we’ve worked in, so there’s a lot of real estate to move these actors around on.

I used to have these Fisher Price toys as a kid, my brothers and I did. We had the Fisher Price Castle, the airport, the garage. (I never had the barn, though, and I always wanted it.) And there were the Fisher Price Little People, they looked tiny compared with the size of the playsets, and we’d move the Little People around inside the castle and airport and garage. We’d play for hours with the Little People, making up little storylines for them to live out inside of the playsets. I laughed a little last night as I was directing folks to go to one area, then the next, and standing in for some other actors, just having a ball. I realized I don’t think I’ve ever gotten out of playing like I did. Directing and writing is just a grown-up version of Fisher Price. Each theater is like one of the other play sets. And the great thing about these play sets, is that I’m one of the Little People now, moving around inside of the playset, and the other people are moving around on their own, too. It’s all of our imaginations coming alive inside the playsets. That sense of fun and play makes it a joy to keep coming back to work. (Or is that play? I like that.) I love going to play each day. “Bye, honey, I’m going to play now.”

How was your day, dear? “Oh, you know the usual. I played for 8 hours, and came home and cooked dinner.”

“Have a good day at play.”

Now, playing can be hard. If you’re missing certain pieces, if other people don’t want to play nice with you, or if something breaks. That can be hard stuff. Even as an adult. I want to remember now to bring that same sense of imagination I had as a child to such situations. Because as an adult, the same things happen. How did I resolve it as a kid? A little imagination to fix things that are broken. Getting my brothers and sisters to help me look for the missing pieces. Maybe an adult, every once in a while, reminding me to play nice. A glass of milk and some Oreos isn’t too bad a solution, either. Hm. It worked when I was younger. Too bad those simple solutions are forgotten, around the same time we forget how to play. They’re not bad tools for resolution. And if getting your brothers and sisters to help you doesn’t work out, never underestimate the power of sharing a glass of milk and some oreos.

   

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