Hello Portland,

It is hard to believe that I've already been in Sydney a week; so much has happened! My long 17-hour journey became even longer when my plane couldn't land because of low fog over Sydney. We were diverted to Brisbane, an hour's flight away, to refuel and wait for the fog to lift. I thought this was very apropos since "fog" is a major metaphor in the play I've come to Sydney to work on, "Long Day's Journey Into Night."

Fortunately, we only had to wait an hour (we weren't allowed to leave the plane!) before heading back to Sydney. Three hours after our scheduled arrival time, we touched down; then, after getting through customs, I caught a taxi to my hotel in the Haymarket/Chinatown area. Even after the delay, my room was not ready for me to check in, so I dropped my bags at the desk and set out on foot for my first exploration of the city. I'd spent a month in Australia 10 years ago but I'd never been to Sydney. So, armed with a map, I set off to find Sydney Theater Company. The city seemed amazingly vibrant as I made my way. The streets were packed with people and I was struck by the number of shops, malls, stores, food courts, restaurants and coffee shops teeming with people. This certainly did not feel like a city experiencing an economic downturn!

Forty-five minutes later I was at the theater dropping in on the administrative staff, some of whom I'd met when our Australian colleagues came to Portland for a casting session and to check out the Newmark Theatre. Their warm hospitality made me feel very welcome. There was much excitement about how rehearsals were developing. In fact, the final run-through was going on in the rehearsal room at that moment. Rather than interrupt the rehearsal, I chose to wait until the next day when the play moved into the theater for the first technical rehearsal. The director, Andrew Upton, and I had decided that it would be most useful for me to attend technical rehearsals and previews. Andrew seemed genuinely eager to get my thoughts on how the production was progressing. As directors, we are sometimes so close to the work that an "outside eye" is really helpful!

I toured the impressive theater plant located in the Wharf area, near The Rocks, that first day. The theater auditorium is very similar in size and design to the Newmark in Portland, so moving the play to Portland will work beautifully. In fact, knowing that there wouldn't be enough time to ship the set to Portland when the play closes in Sydney, duplicate sets were built, with one shipped by boat to Portland arriving for the August opening. At the end of that first day, I looked forward with great anticipation to experiencing the first technical rehearsal the next day, connecting with my Artists Rep colleagues Stephanie Mulligan, Todd Van Voris and William Hurt, and meeting the rest of the Sydney creative team. I'll write soon about being a part of those fascinating rehearsals. Cheers!

-- Allen Nause