ROB MCEVILY (The Ketchup Bottle)
Eavesdropping. Being a fly on the wall. Hearing shit you're not supposed to hear. Who doesn't love it?
Countless cool theater moments pop up whenever what's normally left unsaid actually gets said.
Oh snap, you think, and - just like that - it's time to lean in, get close, and enjoy the flying sparks.
"Do you have to do that?"
As opening lines go, that's pretty juicy. As a performer, you're off to the races. As an audience member, you recognize a vicarious thrill is close at hand, at a safe and comfy distance. "Do what?" (Ooo, this is gonna be good!) We're rubberneckers, one and all.
"The Ketchup Bottle" comes "courtesy of Theater Words," and even though I'm not sure what the heck that means (and feel bad for whoever actually wrote the piece not getting a proper shout-out), I'm happy to have been invited to help bring it to life. Many famous directors subscribe to the theory that 90% of directing is casting, and as the world's most unfamous director, I have to agree. Chill Bucket secured Diana and Jean, and everything you're about to enjoy about our scene is thanks to Diana and Jean's improv skills and natural chemistry. The entertainment value of the piece rests entirely on the shoulders of the actors. The very first read-through had practically all the best moments you'll see in this filmed, finished product. I just sat back, watched them do their things and laughed a lot. (I'm a comfortable liar, though, and will gladly take full credit for its success.)
As a post-pandemic creative experience (and as a human experience), "The Ketchup Bottle" was super-special and memorable and wonderful and fun, and I feel very lucky to have made some talented and generous new friends. Here's to getting back out there, and to getting on each other's nerves again, mask-free!
