Recipe for a Work of Art

EURYDICE isn’t theatre. It’s more than theatre. It’s a work of art. Which, I submit, is different than art. All theatre is art. But to qualify as a work... well, there are different criteria for works. Works have to transcend their media. Works have to be more than the sum total of their parts. Works have to be immediate and eternal in the same breath, which blows directly into the soul. It’s hard work to be a work.

I have never been involved with theatre like this. When I first read EURYDICE, my heart stopped beating a few times and I cried. When I first read it, that is. “What a sap!” Oh, no, that’s never happened before. Never. Then, at the audition, I had no nerves. None. Zero. That’s never happened before. When I met my co-star on the first day of rehearsal, my heart stood up and said, “Yes.” Strange feeling to have your heart stand up and talk.

I’m sorry I’m not being straightforward here, but working on this play has inspired me to poetry. No, seriously, ask my parents. They’ll say: “How’s the play going?” “Unbelievable! It’s stirring so much in my soul. I’m feeling a profound connection to my true self and the universe as I explore the embodiment of Love.” “Oh. So... it’s going well, then?”

It must be annoying.

But that’s the effect that a Work of Art can have. It can make you write poetry. It can suggest you call your first love to apologize. It can help you understand what “unconditional” truly means, and then help you feel it the next time you hug your family. I feel so blessed to be involved in a work with the ability to go out into the audience’s hearts and play their strings.

And so, without further ado, this is the Recipe for a Work of Art, as I have come to understand it (Rachel Ray didn’t have one, so I put this one together myself. There’s still something missing in the sauce, but it’s pretty dang close):

Take –
a Play
a Poem
a Painting
a Dance
a Symphony
a Love Letter
a Confession
an Apology
and a Discertation,

Put them in a rehearsal hall for 3 weeks and stir them with a Brilliant Director, Loving Actors, Playful Designers, and a Devoted Production Team,

Transfer them to a stage, add an Open-Hearted Audience, and allow to Rise.

Enjoy!


By Brian Bielawski