That's palate-cleansing in a way. It's so clean, what he writes, and so refreshing. It's almost like a drink of water. Compared to not being able to indulge in these great writers, I'm incredibly blessed. And after a decade-long absence, so is Toronto theatre.
Most actors go onstage feet first.
Canada's grande dame of theatre, Martha Henry, enters with her hands. And my hands did what they had to do. Henry portrays the morphine-addicted mother of a poetic family fighting booze, depression and each other. We were very aware this happens, if you're lucky, once in a lifetime. The movie magic began when the cast made a pre-production pilgrimage to O'Neill's summer home in Connecticut, now a museum, to get a sense of the writer's intent.