Hamlet: Spending Time

On these, my first three days off from Hamlet, I had a little respite from:

Waking up to lines running through my head
Listening to my “Hamlet-anthem” way too loud and way too many times in a row
Wondering if my legs and stomach could possibly be any more tired
Getting another line note, and another, and another, and then messing them up anyways
Saying goodbye, again, to my 3 year old daughter, and reassuring her I would see her, again, tomorrow

I spent three days:

Going to bed before the sun and waking up far after she had risen
Eating. Eating. Eating.
Waking up not to lines, but to my child, snuggled up in the curve of my side, shoving her face up against mine for more kisses

Yesterday, on the fourth day:

I woke up to the lines in my head. Anticipating the return to the stage. Nervous I’d lost some in the few days since I uttered their famous syllables. Hoping that maybe time and space would make it easier to remember them.

This morning, on the fifth day, the day when I get to return to the theatre:

I woke up wondering how five days could pass so fast, and being thankful that they did.
This experience is far more than rehearsals, lines, packing dinner, saying farewell/hello, it’s about being a part of something larger. It’s about watching a cast of phenomenally talented women prepare, knowing I get to look each of them in the eye on stage. It’s about an audience, watching, listening, learning, thinking. It’s about bringing opportunity to life.
I love it.

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