Sleepy Bear Invites Kathleen to Blog about BOOK OF DAYS

Hi Theater Friends,

I’m so lucky! My reading and writing teacher, Kathleen, saw another play at The Bathhouse and she’s going to tell us about it. This one is called BOOK OF DAYS.
That sounds like the perfect play for me because it’s about books! But, Kathleen said the title means something different and is has a lot of big words (and a few “bad” ones). So, I stayed home and drank a cup of hot chocolate and whippy cream and read THE WIZARD OF OZ so I can compare and contrast the book with the play.

Wow, Sleepy Bear, two weekends in a row that I get to write on your blog! Once again, I’m honored.

Yes, Sleepy Bear, BOOK OF DAYS by Lanford Wilson has a theme more suitable for mature audiences; which is quite interesting considering this production is performed by 14 – 18 year olds from the Youth Program at the Seattle Public Theater, but they so completely disappeared into their adult characters that you would hardly know their true ages.

Award winning playwrite, Lanford Wilson, created a story set in a small, fictional, mid-western town. Unfortunately for the townspeople, their town is just a little too small for the ensuing plot that thickens around them. They are all consumed with heartache, diverse religious views, an overzealous politician wanna-be, dishonesty, infidelity, determination to do the right thing above all else, greed, and good ol’-fashioned murder. Quite a hefty undertaking for any seasoned actor to take on any one of the 13 characters. But like cogs in a wheel, each actor gave a stunning performance to make this wheel of a play spin forward; and what a fine wheel it is! Once again, Shana Bestock has done an extraordinary job of directing. She has guided the cast through the process of delving deep into their short repertoire of experiences and use the authentic resources available to them in order to bring their characters to life on the stage. I bet Mr. Wilson would be proud to see his work performed by such a talented group of young thespians.

Sleepy Bear, the language can be a bit adult so it was a good thing you stayed home but, parents, this is a perfect play for you and your older kids to see. You still have a few opportunities to catch a performance. Here’s the link to the Seattle Public Theater’s Education Programs and the performance schedule: http://seattlepublictheater.org/education-programs.htm

Oh, and something else I learned about the cast is that most of them started acting in the younger productions with the Seattle Public Theater. So, Sleepy Bear, when you see the kids at THE WIZARD OF OZ you can tell them to keep up the good work and soon they’ll be performing in the adult plays, like BOOK OF DAYS.

Thanks, Kathleen! Oh, and friends, check back later and I’ll tell you about the last rehearsal for THE WIZARD OF OZ!

Bye for now,

Sleepy Bear