It's a story of a drought - the drought of the land and the drought of a girl's spirit. And a dreamer named Starbuck comes into town and changes everything. It's a story about dreams and reality- what we see and how we see ourselves. It's about love and the power we have to influence others.
The main character, Lizzie is an Old Maid. And maybe that's why I'm so drawn to this piece. I get it. When she tells Starbuck her simple dreams- "a man's voice saying, Lizzie- is my blue suit pressed, come and scratch between my shoulder blades. And how it feels to say the word 'Husband'." A part of my heart break a little. For I too, share those simple dreams. Just having someone to share my life with. I also love the gift Starbuck gives Lizzie. He tells her to find the beauty within herself and that every woman is pretty- they are all pretty in a different way, but they're all pretty. And someday she'll be able to see herself in the eyes of the man who loves her.
Sigh. It's beautiful for this old romantic's heart.
When I set out to do this production, I gave myself about a five week rehearsal period. I didn't anticipate how hard it would be. I understand the play completely- my kids, however, lack some of the life experience needed to infuse these characters. However, they ended up creating a beautiful show. (Although I've never had my leading lady cry more- I demanded so much from her and I am so proud of how she rose to the occasion.) Overall, it was a joy to work on this show- it wasn't perfect- but that's ok. It was fun to watch the kids tackle the mature themes and look at the world from a different perspective. I hope it changed them.
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