Tom Stoppard started writing this play in 1960, but only in 1967 did he realize the identity of the dead body we have seen since the first scene of the show (I won’t reveal it here as it would spoil the play!). He has said that through those years he knew that something was not complete about Hound, but once it was revealed to him, he thereafter trusted the process of writing a play. I had a similar experience with acting where I remember distinctly the first role I actually felt like I understood (after many rehearsals and a lingering feeling that I would never get it!) and then thereafter have felt I could trust that I would eventually be able to embody any character.
This idea of trusting the process of having a play come off the page and become a staged work is one that I love and feel is at the heart of any artist’s participation in this crazy collaborative process that is the theater. And working on Hound with this incredible group of actors, producers, technical director, musical director, stage manager, and publicity director has once again shown that if we trust each other and allow each other an environment where we can each thrive and be our best creative selves, we can truly ultimately give birth—though through our share of pains!—to a new and unique production.
Out of the Box Theatre has survived many losses and continues to reinvent itself, adding three new actors to our company with this show, continuing to adapt to online streaming, and still holding true to our original mission of giving creative opportunities to people over 50 with primarily plays also over 50 years old. I’m so proud of being a part of this company—and, of course, grateful for you, the audience, who have been so supportive of us and continue to give us a reason to soldier on!
So what is this play saying? Is there a subtext/moral to be discovered? Who knows? But it has certainly been a fun ride only possible because of the generosity and talents of everyone involved.
We hope you enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed putting it together for you.
—Lin Snider, Director
