"It's like Mamet, but better." -Charlie Flynn-McIver

Following Friday night’s performance of A Number, the actors, Charlie Flynn-McIver and Graham Smith, and the director, Ron Bashford invited audience members to a question-and-answer session in the lobby of NC Stage. Patrons used this opportunity to ask questions about the play and compliment the performers. Topics which were brought up included questions about the playwright, Caryl Churchill, choices that the actors made, the intimacy of doing the show in-the-round, how performances will progress over the next few weeks of the run, along with many praises.

In relation to inquiries about Churchill, Ron mentioned that her plays are relatively serious and challenging, which is why they are not performed as often as other productions. An audience member asked about spacing between lines in reference to the moments of silence on stage. An interesting fact about this play is that there are no pauses written into the script, which a patron would obviously not be aware of unless they had read it prior to viewing the show. Ron mentioned, “She doesn’t write pauses, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want them.” Charlie also commented that a lot of the communication is conveyed through silence. The majority of the patrons responded with positive remarks on the intimacy of the seating around the stage. One audience member felt she could feel the tension more by being closer to the actors. Graham said that if there was a further distance things that happened in the play would loose meaning. A member of the audience pointed out the density of the text and complimented the richness of the production by comparing it to a flourless chocolate cake. He also noted that the actors were not condescending and felt that the audience was treated equally during the performance. Another patron stated that Caryl Churchill might be the greatest living playwright and expressed her appreciation to NC Stage for producing one of her plays.

The final rehearsal for A Number took place last Friday afternoon (4/17). The actors are now on their own to facilitate the growth of the show through performances only. One audience member told the cast that he is planning to view the show again during the final week to witness its evolution. I personally feel that those who attend a performance of A Number should see it more than once to truly appreciate Churchill’s writing as well as Charlie and Graham’s immense talent in playing these roles. I also encourage patrons to hang around the lobby after the show to talk with the actors and the crew who welcome questions and comments about the play. They may seem intimidating on stage, but don’t be fooled, they are all very friendly and inviting and are open to discussing this intense drama.

-Elizabeth Dacy