I'm Feeling Nostalgic.

And that usually means going through old pictures, old songs, old emails, old memories.

And so I found myself remembering the first time the members of what is now *at play met.

June 2007: The 24 Hour Plays: Old Vic New Voices-New York. The Workshops at the Vineyard Theater. We met each other, and Kevin Spacey in the same day. Talent overload!

In a few days span we engaged in workshops and panel discussions building our ensemble, and even went through a mock "24 hour plays" experience over the course of the afternoon.

Found this shot from the June 28th Steve Winter Workshop:

It's fun to think about how everyone has evolved artistically and personally, and matured in the last 3 years. (Except I - the one standing in the black tank top - still look like I'm 16, and I was 21 in the picture).

Johnny Cash said: "I have no illusions about who I am and how old I am—but that has nothing to do with it when I'm in that studio or on that stage and that thing is coming out of me. That fire is just as bright and hot as when I was 23. I and the song are one—and whatever I was meant to do with my music, I'm doing it."

Insert any kind of talent for music and there you have words to live by as a creative being. And it isn't just about sustaining our creativity and performance into old age - it can have the exact opposite connotations as well. No matter how old or YOUNG we feel, embrace your age and this time of your life. Because you will never write, perform, direct, or produce like you can right now. Who you are right now is powerful. And it will always be that way.

I wrote of our company, in preparation for our 24 Hour Plays Off-Broadway debut July 2, 2007:

"We're all full of anticipation and excitement to write, create, rehearse, panic, and succeed..."

That sentiment, in 2010, hasn't changed. And I kind of hope it doesn't.
Not kind of. Really.
I really hope it doesn't.

xo
kb