21 May, 2010
from Todd Van Voris 

Hello Portland!
I have been just over a week in Sydney, and it is very exciting.  The folks at Sydney Theatre Company could not be more kind, hospitable, generous and professional.  Our first week was spent around a table reading, going through the play three times and analyzing the text and wonderful depth of this family of characters.  It is great fun to work with William Hurt, but all of these actors are truly amazingly talented.  We have one terrific show on our hands, and this is one of the best plays ever written.  We are up on our feet beginning to explore the movement and kinetics of the play this week.  We will be rehearing for five more weeks, exploring this masterpiece in-depth.

I have not seen much of Sydney yet, but what little I have is extremely vibrant.  It is a bustling city full of skyscrapers, crowded sidewalks, cabs and buses, stores, boutiques and restaurants.  I look forward to exploring it more when I have more time, and hope to get out to the Blue Mountains this weekend, and to the beaches at some point, and also to see some Aussie Rules Football.

I miss Portland and all its beauty and my friends, but I look forward to the rest of my journey here.

That's all for now, off to rehearsal!
Todd