LIBERTY Definitely Lives!

There is a certain sadness that plagues all writers, actors, and producers once the final bows have been taken after a successful run.  A few days after strike, when the void settles in and we long for those days and nights that so recently included chaos, lights, music, laughter & applause, and those mysterious breathless silences in a theater filled with a captive audience.  There’s nothing more exciting than making theater happen.  No wonder we mourn a little at the end of each successful run!  But, for me, the beginning of our amazing run at The Warner Theatre in Torrington, CT forced me to begin to brace myself for the end, because I knew I was going to miss this theater and cast deeply when it was all over.

From the first full rehearsal that I attended, I could see that Igor (Goldin) and Jeff (Lodin) had worked with this extraordinary cast to create a production that would set a very high bar – even for our up-coming NY production.  Voices soared, most of the cast had already settled into character, and the staging was mesmerizing.  What would this look like with our set & lights, on that expansive stage?  As the characters of Emma Lazarus, Liberty, and Samuel Ferguson reached the end of the song “More”, both Dana (Goldstein) and I had tears in our eyes, and all of my hopes kept lifting higher and higher.  We should’ve been able to relax, knowing that we were in good shape.  But, I was immediately jumping ahead in time to when this would have to end.  

 

The following week, as the set began to take shape and the lights began to focus, I found out that I was living in a blissful state of shock.  Josh (Zangen), Cory (Pattak), Olivera (Gajic) had designed a truly breathtaking world for LIBERTY.  The staff and volunteers of The Warner worked tirelessly, the musicians brought Brian’s (Crook) new orchestrations to life and each moment of rehearsal was filled with surprises and excitement, and that nagging thought that we only had 8 performances to share.  I was both happy and sad, and couldn’t help but wonder if my inner turmoil was showing.  

Both John Bonanni (Executive Director of The Warner) and I were thrilled with the results of this new collaboration. What an absolute relief that this first venture between our NY team and The Warner Stage Company (an exceptional community theater) could yield such riches?  My father’s stoicism took hold, and all I could do was smile to my core.

Through the course of the run, I did my best to thank each member of the cast, and the supporting crew, but know I must have missed a few.  Everyone that worked on LIBERTY at The Warner should know that you really did “make history”, and I am forever grateful that this partnership was formed.