Watching and writing about APT’s 2021 Winter Words play readings from my home office in Escondido, California – with actors and directors from home (the Valley) and all over the country – has been, to quote APT’s artistic director, Brenda DeVita, “an unexpected gift of the pandemic.”
In music, a fugue is a short melody or phrase which is introduced and then developed and interwoven throughout a composition. In psychiatry, it refers to a “fugue state”—a period of loss of awareness of one’s identity.
“Dear Brutus” by J.M. Barrie (directed by Kelsey Brennan) the second in American Players Theatre 2021 Winter Words series of virtual play readings, is centered around a walk in an enchanted woods on a beautiful night. Even without the stage set, it was easy to imagine a performance of “Dear Brutus” “up the hill” at APT on a starry midsummer night. After experiencing how the actors breathed life into all the characters, I’d love to see them bring this to the stage.
American Players Theatre (APT) has returned its annual Winter Words play reading series that provides the audience with a unique glimpse into the minds and personalities of APT actors and directors.