Gordon Edelstein, sitting during an important moment in Saturday’s The Train Driver rehearsal, turned abruptly to his assistant Maryna Harrison. “Write this down,” he said.
With that, actor Harry Groener began to improvise during a particularly sensitive scene in the play. It was a magical rehearsal moment, where Groener laid bare his character’s heart. “Harry talked about his deep personal connection to the play and his role,” Harrison said.
Harrison furiously transcribed Harry’s words into hardly legible scrawl. She crossed out, added, trying to accurately capture Groener’s thoughts as they poured forth. “With (playwright) Athol Fugard’s blessing we started to talk through some images,” she said.
Maryna Harrison's notes from Harry Groener's improvisation in last Saturday's rehearsal. The new text appeared in the show that night.
Fugard liked Groener’s change to the script so much, he incorporated it into his own production, which is currently being performed at the Hampstead Theatre in London.
While the genesis for Groener’s improvisation began in rehearsal weeks ago, it was during an audience talkback that the idea coalesced. Groener was on hand to discuss the play with the audience. “The actors have been deeply interested in the audience’s response during post-show discussions,” said Eric Ting, associate artistic director.
Harry Groener in The Train Driver, photo by T. Charles Erickson