I've never before felt any sort of jealousy for actors. I've been enlightened, thrilled, entertained, intellectually challenged, sorrowed and overwhelmed with emotion by their craft. But I've never felt jealousy before seeing "Trouble in Mind," the current offering at Pittsburgh Public Theater.
The emotion struck me
when the cast came back on stage for their curtain call and a feeling of
jubilation washed over the theater. You could see it in the faces of the actors
and hear it in the applause and shouts of approval and appreciation from the audience.
The actors seemed to realize they were a part of a magnificent theatrical
effort and were jubilant (there's that word again) awash in the ecstasy created
by the excellence of their collaborative endeavor. For at least a minute, an
electric wave of Dionysian energy swept over the crowd, and I, too, was caught
up in the moment.
Then came the emotional segue in which I
realized that I had never (and probably never would be) someone who could
engender such strong feelings usually reserved for great political and
religious leaders, musicians, actors, writers and more. And yes, I felt slight
tugs of jealousy, of regret, of feelings of inadequacy. As I write this, I feel
that I can't express the right words for the thoughts I have. But I console myself in the thought that I
got to participate in something great and I commend the playwright, the cast
and crew who obviously worked so hard on bringing this work of art to a
Pittsburgh stage.
In closing, I have to single out the
performance of Shinnerrie D. Jackson, who starred in the pivotal role of
Wiletta. She was the first of 9 actors to appear in the play and she made an
immediate impression. Within two minutes into the play, I recognized that I was
in for some thrilling theater. The word I would use to describe her performance
is formidable. If you go, watch for the scene where she's asked to pick up a
piece of paper off the floor. Without uttering a single word, she expresses a
string of emotions. It was one of the most poignant displays of theater craft I
can recall. I trust it's one that will live with me for a long time.
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