I am in the next-to-last week of rehearsals for a community theatre production of "Sylvia." I play Greg, a man who finds a dog (Sylvia) in the park. It's the largest role I've ever had with over six hundred lines (my previous high was about 185). It's a daunting task to learn that many lines, especially when you've never done it before and your mind isn't as young as it once was. Up until now, I've been sitting alone, going over the script, trying to learn by myself. Usually, my wife helps me by reading the other roles in my scenes, but this time she is simply too busy. So I've been plugging away on my own and developing a growing sense of foreboding as I anticipate opening next week and finding myself totally lost onstage in front of an audience.

Enter Debbie. She is playing the role of Sylvia and probably has as many lines as I do. She has also been developing a growing sense of foreboding. This week, we decided to meet at her resale shop an hour or so before rehearsal and do our best to speed recite without our scripts. We have done this twice, and it is amazing how much more quickly the lines are beginning to stick in our minds. We plan to do this prior to every rehearsal until we open.

So the dark cloud of foreboding is now lifting, and I can actually see this being a really good show. The book of Ecclesiastes is correct when it says, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" Thanks for picking me up, Debbie. And I'll be sure to do the same for you.