Dear Joe,

We have known each other for 11 years now. I started to go through in my mind all the moments we've shared but honestly I think it would take - literally - DAYS for me to list all the memories. And though I am practicing speaking truthfully from my heart, I would also like to be concise.

In all these many years, you've never ceased to amaze me with your talent, ability, and dedication. You have been a steady source of inspiration to me: watching you work or our conversations about acting, theatre, film, art, quantum physics - geeking out on the epic analysis - acting with you onstage or for you as a director...you have been both a great teacher and a true friend.

Working on BIRDS together - it has come to mean more to me than making theatre - which we've done together so often before. For me the process of this whole thing:

• breathing through the beginning blindly but faithfully with only this gorgeous text and our need to create something,
• throwing all our visions and ideas out into the open courageously,
• feeling our way through instinctively,
• and then diving into the construction whole-heartedly...building fragment by fragment this story that I am so proud of...

it's more than just making theatre because this process called out all my fears as an artist - the making something out of nothing praying it turns out worthwhile - everything that is thrilling and painful about creating something that you put your whole self into. And to be genuinely happy and satisfied with the result - the sense of accomplishment here is very...nourishing...and gives me great hope during this time of creative uncertainty. The hope in DOING.

They weren't kidding when they said it would be hard - it is a kind of HARD I did not understand before - what it takes to diligently investigate our own imaginations, sift through the tricks and bullshit to mine the gems, and to willingly and consciously risk laying naked our creativity for all to judge. But I bet that's why it feels so good.

In a way, I feel like by making this piece together our friendship and creative collaboration has graduated to another level...elevated by not just what we create, but by how we create it. Remember when I said I don't quite trust "this" yet? Well forget it...I have.

Thank you Joe...for the ego-less way we work together...for the support, trust and belief in me...for crafting every beautiful moment with me so that I never feel alone onstage. Can't wait to do it again.

Much love. c.