The Play’s the Thing

Please be seated and watch the show
behind the show,
the muffed lines
and constant improvising,
missed marks
and sour notes.
Take it all in,
the drama, the emotion,
the dead nights lacking both.
See me without costume,
without lights,
blemishes and flaws on constant display.
See it all.

And when the play begins,
enjoy the fantasy,
but remember, always remember
the truth.

About this poem

With apologies to Shakespeare, the play’s not the thing. The rehearsal is.

Tom