10 (theatrical) things that make me cry

by Erica Bennett

  1. In discussing her method of acting now, after years of study, Meryl Streep stated in an interview that it was a lot like driving a car… she doesn’t have to think about it anymore. It was simply part of her. (or words to that effect.)
  2. Reading Jane Eyre on the beach on Cape Cod in the late-1980s and thinking, “Wow. This is literature. What the hell have I been reading all my life?” (and wishing F. Scott Fitzgerald had been in charge of my reading list.)
  3. Thinking I’ve read a ton of books… Before I went to graduate school, became a librarian and discovered myself surrounded by a literal ton of books.
  4. Thinking, if I’ve read a ton of books, I’ve read a million plays.
  5. Realizing that I exaggerate a lot.
  6. When I was an actress, directors wanted to cast me when I projected a foul mood at auditions, and seeing no pay-off for that behavior in the real world.
  7. Bambi.
  8. Tennessee Williams.
  9. If there are no new stories, what are we writing for?
  10. Puppets. Massive puppets. Massive puppets shaped like horses will do.