WALK THE WALK #6

As I approach the final weekend of performances of the Writing With Nancy show, I am stunned by how much energy it takes to perform. In the play I make mention of the parallels between teaching and performing–but I got news for ya, performing is a much more difficult task. The energy it takes to put yourself out there is only matched by the incredible feedback you get back. Performing requires you to be present at an extraordinary level. It reminds me of when my daughter was an infant and I would spend the days staring at her as she stared back at me and on and on. In those first months when the sun went down I would crawl into bed exhausted, not realizing that the strain of remaining present with this infant was kicking my ass. That’s sort of what the show is like–having a big baby that makes some pretty serious demands.

It’s been 20 years since I did a show; not coincidentally, when I became a mother I stopped working in the theatre and now that my daughter is at college, about to turn 19, I am putting my big toe back into the water. Who knew it would take me 20 years to finally outlive the stranglehold my straight theatre training has had on my artistic output? Twenty years ago I wrote plays that other people performed, but this show is me writing for myself and a few (paradoxically enough) improvisers to perform. That nexus pf writing for performance and improvisation is where my satisfaction lies in this project. I finally see how to create scenarios that can be left open here and there to allow for variation. And I like writing about true things in an abstracted, figurative way. That’s style AND content I’m talkin about baby.Bam. I’m going to be discussing this more, later.

Last 3 performances this Friday, Dec. 7th & Saturday, 8th @ 8pm and Sunday Dec. 9th @ 3pm. Don’t miss this landmark achievement of my career. Or DO miss it, but consider yourself properly reminded that this is it, there ain’t no more.