 Greetings Portland!  We are in our final week of a sold out run here in Sydney and it gives me great pleasure to tell you that the show just keeps getting better and better. You know, one of the best things about doing theatre is that, unlike film, this art form has the opportunity to mature, improve, and appreciate over time, like a fine wine. This show, more so than any other I have worked on, is doing just that. William and I will frequently get together before an evenings run and go over some of the scenes and continue to work them, finding deeper and more resonant elements as we go along. Each night I hear the amazing words of Eugene O'Neill anew and make new discoveries. It is an honor to have the opportunity to explore the craft of acting with such talented performers while working on one of the best plays ever written. Out and about in Sydney, I have been to a few pubs and had some "schooners" of beer while watching rugby and Australian Rules football. I have seen some astounding art. I went "down the coast" to Scarborough Heights with a fellow cast mate this past Monday had had a delicious lunch at a restaurant situated atop a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean near Botany Bay. We saw no whales, unfortunately, but watching that vast expanse of water culminating into the crash of waves against the rocks was breathtaking. Stephanie Mulligan and I went to Wildlife World the other day and had our fill of koalas, kangaroos, wallabys, wombats, spiders, snakes, a gigantic crocodile, and even a cassowary. The cassowary is the second largest bird on earth and is a holdover from prehistoric times. It is a very strange and bizarre creature which you have to see to believe. Well, that about wraps it up from Sydney, folks. I have had an incredible journey here, but I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to be coming home next Monday (I might even be home by the time you read this). Australia is a fantastic place and I have enjoyed meeting many wonderful people here, but there is nothing like being away from Portland for three months to make you appreciate what a beautiful place it is to live. I look forward to sharing Long Day's Journey Into Night with you at the Newmark, but above all, I look forward to seeing all of you, my friends. With love, and a ticket to ride, Todd Van Voris |
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