Hey all at 16th Street,I saw "The Last Barbecue" twice, and loved it. I knew that I would have to come back.... so I did. I saw "The End of the Tour" last Saturday and loved it just as much. Cecilie Keenan did great things with a wonderful cast. I was probably most impressed with the relationship that Madrid and Kevin were able to develop. Those two men were outstanding together, so genuine and lovable, so three dimensional and real. They weren't stereotyped people, they weren't over the top gay men, they were real people, they were three dimensional human beings. The stage presence of Madrid was overwhelming, he forces you to listen to every word he has to say. Kevin was able to cry like a man that has been beaten into submission, to watch a man being pushed to that point is painful, and he made it so real. Kathleen was able to dig so deep and truly react to everything, she made everything important, significant, and meaningful. In her specificity she was able to develop a great character. Roslyn is a treat, with her wonderful timing and bravery to just jump in and be bold she keeps you on your toes. Valerie was wonderful, it is often hard to pay attention to the characters that don't really say much, but she was able to say everything without opening her mouth. Her face told a thousand stories because everything meant something to her, and it was beautiful to see her reacting and living through Norma. Ron was definitely able to find subtlety and boldness, and he was good at choosing exactly when each was appropriate. H.B. Ward was just outstanding. He was so invested in his cat, his daughter, his house, Jan, and Tommy... it was heartbreaking. He was able to make me wonder how he got that cat to stay in the box, he got me mad at him for hitting his wife, he made me feel bad that they couldn't even be in the same room any more... he made me feel so much. It is for these reasons that I'm coming back to see the show again. I'm very excited, and I wanted to thank you all. And to you, Ann Filmer, thank you for making all of this possible.
Thank you from a lover of theatre and the art we create,
Bob Gardner
Thank you, Bob, for sharing. This makes us all here at 16th Street very happy!
