Weighing in on the run-through of THE HOMECOMING — Page 3

good for them! (and us, for supporting

---

I'm not really sure its right just yet to start judging their performances based on last night. As an actor, I know its quite a tricky experience getting the show on its feet in front of an audience for the first time, because live theatre truly is a conversation... and hearing the other side of that conversation for the first time can throw you off a bit. Nerves can send you in all sorts of directions.

I took the night for what it was--a rehearsal. I wasn't expecting a crazy mind-blowing performances, and quite frankly, I was just happy to finally see Raul live on stage for the first time. I thought the whole cast was amazing, I can't pick a favorite out of the bunch. I was absolutely mesmerized by Ian McShane though...

I'm planning on seeing the show once it opens and the kinks have been worked out. The show has great potential.

Oh, and as for those "roped off" seats? My roommate and I snagged those at intermission... We spent the first act in the far right of the front row, staring at the back of the couch, so as far as we could tell, it was a radio play. :-P

---

In a normal situation, though, how many times would they really have had an audience before the first preview? I assume there would be people around during tech, but I'm talking about a full audience. Would it just be the invited dress? It's not like this was the middle of the process -- they technically would have been in previews now. I'm not saying it's the same, since they haven't had a chance to get on stage and be in costume, but they've had the same amount of rehearsal time that they would have had they gone into previews on the 23rd. I don't think anyone is judging these performances as though this is the final product, or without the assumption that things are going to change and accounting for nerves and circumstance. We know that. But that's just my $.02.

---