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Statesman. Artist.
Nov. 7th, 2006 02:31 pmLast night, Vaclav Havel came to The Ohio Theatre in SoHo to see Edward Einhorn's production of his play The Memo, in a new English translation by Havel's friend (and member of The Plastic People of the Universe), Paul Wilson, as part of The Havel Festival.
I was there, as were most of the people who'd been working on this festival for years now, quite a few people from the rest of the festival productions who had been told he was coming, and audience members who just came to see the show that night and got a nice surprise. I apologize to anyone (mainly my blog-buddies) that I didn't mention it to. We only found out mid-afternoon, and spent most of our time after that making sure everything was ready.
I was introduced to him briefly before the show and shook his hand, telling him I was directing Temptation in the festival, and he beamed (he has a lovely, bright, infectious smile and a gentle handshake) and thanked me for doing his show, as I thanked him for his wonderful words. He was gracious to and approachable by anyone who wanted to talk to him (his bodyguard present, but not looming, nearby).
He enjoyed the play (Maggie Cino sat directly in front of him, and told me he was laughing), treated himself to a Pilsner Urquell at intermission (before the show, he had seemed to debate having a beer, and regretfully go for a water, thinking of his health), and hung out after the show to take photos with admirers, sign programs and scripts, and talk to people. The cast had been kept in the dark about his presence (except for one actress, Talaura, who happened to be standing outside as he entered, and who looked stunned, but definitely wasn't going to tell anyone else), and there was a wonderful surprised sound from the dressing rooms that you could hear in the theatre after the show as Edward went back to tell them about the special guest, and they all came out for photos with the playwright.
After a while, he mentioned to Edward that he wasn't feeling well (he does only have one lung now), and Edward and I started trying to clear a path for him to leave, but even when he could leave, he lingered, just because he wanted to. He wanted to thank the actors, the people who worked on the festival, and shake hands and sign paper for people he could see it meant a great deal to. Playwright Alex Beech, a classmate of mine from Northfield Mount Hermon and friend of Edward's, for some reason ordered me, "Ian Hill! Introduce me to Havel, I'm too nervous!" So I did, and she got his autograph on a program. I wish I had gotten a photo with him (though I'm sure there are a few of us together, so many flashes were going off), or had my script of Temptation there for him to sign, but it looks like there will be other opportunities; I heard him say to Edward he very much wants to come back to see more shows in the fest.
Eventually, Havel and his entourage of two or three got in their car and left, and all of us began to "recover." Robert Lyons, of The Ohio, was smiling in a kinda stunned way. "Vaclav Havel . . . at The Ohio," I said to him, and with a meaningful understatement he said, "Yeah, this is one to remember." Paul Wilson hung out a while, and I got to talk to him -- he's hoping to make it to Temptation at The Brick on Wednesday.
I talked for a while with Alex Beech (forever "Sandy" to me and everyone else from NMH, though no one else but us old friends are allowed to call her that), who had brought along a couple of other old friends from school, Ben Robertson and Ethan Garber. As I talked about the emotions that meeting Havel had brought to me -- and I really began to FEEL it myself, the weight of what the man whose hand I had shaken had gone through, and done -- it was Ethan who pointed out the horrible, pitiful, disgusting disparity between a statesman of Havel's intellect, honor, integrity, and talent and . . . what we have in our country today.
I thought of this this morning as I stood in the voting booth and looked at my choices. There were no Havels there, not by a long shot.
But there are better options, at the very least. Please vote today, if you haven't already. Even if you know I'd disagree with your choices, please vote. The system needs to be used if it isn't to rust and decay.
I was there, as were most of the people who'd been working on this festival for years now, quite a few people from the rest of the festival productions who had been told he was coming, and audience members who just came to see the show that night and got a nice surprise. I apologize to anyone (mainly my blog-buddies) that I didn't mention it to. We only found out mid-afternoon, and spent most of our time after that making sure everything was ready.
I was introduced to him briefly before the show and shook his hand, telling him I was directing Temptation in the festival, and he beamed (he has a lovely, bright, infectious smile and a gentle handshake) and thanked me for doing his show, as I thanked him for his wonderful words. He was gracious to and approachable by anyone who wanted to talk to him (his bodyguard present, but not looming, nearby).
He enjoyed the play (Maggie Cino sat directly in front of him, and told me he was laughing), treated himself to a Pilsner Urquell at intermission (before the show, he had seemed to debate having a beer, and regretfully go for a water, thinking of his health), and hung out after the show to take photos with admirers, sign programs and scripts, and talk to people. The cast had been kept in the dark about his presence (except for one actress, Talaura, who happened to be standing outside as he entered, and who looked stunned, but definitely wasn't going to tell anyone else), and there was a wonderful surprised sound from the dressing rooms that you could hear in the theatre after the show as Edward went back to tell them about the special guest, and they all came out for photos with the playwright.
After a while, he mentioned to Edward that he wasn't feeling well (he does only have one lung now), and Edward and I started trying to clear a path for him to leave, but even when he could leave, he lingered, just because he wanted to. He wanted to thank the actors, the people who worked on the festival, and shake hands and sign paper for people he could see it meant a great deal to. Playwright Alex Beech, a classmate of mine from Northfield Mount Hermon and friend of Edward's, for some reason ordered me, "Ian Hill! Introduce me to Havel, I'm too nervous!" So I did, and she got his autograph on a program. I wish I had gotten a photo with him (though I'm sure there are a few of us together, so many flashes were going off), or had my script of Temptation there for him to sign, but it looks like there will be other opportunities; I heard him say to Edward he very much wants to come back to see more shows in the fest.
Eventually, Havel and his entourage of two or three got in their car and left, and all of us began to "recover." Robert Lyons, of The Ohio, was smiling in a kinda stunned way. "Vaclav Havel . . . at The Ohio," I said to him, and with a meaningful understatement he said, "Yeah, this is one to remember." Paul Wilson hung out a while, and I got to talk to him -- he's hoping to make it to Temptation at The Brick on Wednesday.
I talked for a while with Alex Beech (forever "Sandy" to me and everyone else from NMH, though no one else but us old friends are allowed to call her that), who had brought along a couple of other old friends from school, Ben Robertson and Ethan Garber. As I talked about the emotions that meeting Havel had brought to me -- and I really began to FEEL it myself, the weight of what the man whose hand I had shaken had gone through, and done -- it was Ethan who pointed out the horrible, pitiful, disgusting disparity between a statesman of Havel's intellect, honor, integrity, and talent and . . . what we have in our country today.
I thought of this this morning as I stood in the voting booth and looked at my choices. There were no Havels there, not by a long shot.
But there are better options, at the very least. Please vote today, if you haven't already. Even if you know I'd disagree with your choices, please vote. The system needs to be used if it isn't to rust and decay.
