A Fly On The Wall, April 26, 2013

Running for It
by Jim Murchison 
@JimMurchison

The Taming of the Shrew Opened last Friday. There are a lot of things about it that went very well and a few things less so. It is definitely fun to be back and the cast and crew are great to work with. 

What is remarkable about theatre as opposed to other jobs is how it can be so different doing the same words and movement every evening. There is that balance between freshness and consistency that is very hard to get exactly right. Because audiences vary and an inflection can change the way you hear something and respond to it, one never truly experiences a show the same way twice. 

It is very different performing at 57 than it was when I was 27

In Canada, we don't have shows that run for years uninterrupted and we also don't generally do runs of a play in smaller communities before we bring them to the urban centre. The result is that  you're likely still learning, exploring and discovering on your closing night.

Some people have said some very nice things about the show and some have reservations or criticism. It is all valid. There are an infinite amount of ways to approach an idea and present it and you cannot please all of the people all of the time. 

One thing is certain. It is very different performing at 57 than it was when I was 27, but if my health holds out, I hope this isn't my last time on stage. There are things that I know more immediately because of added life experience, but there are other things that are harder on the mind and body than they were all those years ago. I know there are things that I know now that I didn't know when I was younger, but I wish I could remember half of the things that I've forgotten.

Taming of the Shrew continues at The Gladstone to May 5
Read our review