Last night i went to see "A Lesson Before Dying" put on by Actors' Theatre. It's the story of a young black man sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit in 1948 Louisiana. In the course of his trial, his lawyer calls him a hog so after he's put in jail, he chooses to act like a hog until he's to be dragged to the electric chair. This young man's godmother convinces a local teacher to visit this prisoner and teach him how to die like a man rather than an animal. It's ultimately an exploration of racism in its many forms.
This show was originally supposed to open Thursday night, but hours before curtain up, the lead actor was sentenced to jail. They had no choice but to cancel the show. On Friday they found Michael Travis to fill in; so with a few hours practice he performed that night. Obviously there is no way to learn lines that quickly so he had to carry the script around. What Michael did must have been terrifying. Typically the weeks spent in rehearsal aren’t just about memorization, but about working together with fellow actors, finding "moments," and setting a pace. Saturday's performance didn't have the feel of a well-polished production, nevertheless, Michael did a great job making it seem as natural as possible.
Posted by Matthew at November 16, 2003 01:04 PM