By Blake Ross
01 Sep 2009

	Julia Stiles in Oleanna
	photo by Craig Schwartz

May 18, 2009
Arrive in Los Angeles, beginning rehearsals in a new space. I'm worried about traffic before the shows every night, just because it's so unfamiliar to me. Subways, I know how to navigate; L.A. traffic (and directions, at this point) I don't. We are given a tour of the theatre; it's pretty gorgeous. It seems there are a million and two dressing rooms, yet only me and Bill to fill them. I remember doing a show at La Mama in New York, and the whole company was crammed into a large room that was divided by a curtain.

May 23, 2009
Moved into the theatre and started Tech rehearsals. Costume designer Cathy Zuber is putting the final touches on not just our costumes, but the whole look. The tricky thing is our quick changes, which require us to completely undress and redress in 45 seconds between acts. Because there is so much stopping and starting over these few days, it feels like we are doing the play through molasses.

May 28, 2009
First preview. I am excited for an audience. I love warming up in the empty, quiet theatre before it is filled up for a show. I find this sacred and ritualistic. I especially like standing in the back of the house to remind myself of the distance. During the whole week, I am surprised at how vocal the audience is, and surprised at myself for being so surprised. It is thrilling to hear the play elicit spontaneous responses. Bill and I relish discussing them after we leave the stage. I think this is also our way of decompressing.

June 5, 2009
Opening night, oy jeez. Mamet is coming, and as good as Doug is at giving pep talks, I'm nervous. But pretending not to be. Or at least trying to harness that nervous energy into athletic confidence. Bill seems cool as a cucumber. He gave everyone banana bread for the occasion.

June 5, 2009…later
Mamet and his wife Rebecca Pidgeon (the original Carol) came back afterwards. They liked it. Incredible feeling.

June 6, 2009
Now that we've opened, Doug is off directing Farragut North at The Geffen. Bill and I feel orphaned.

June 21, 2009
The Mark Taper Forum hosts post-show talk-backs (much like a Q&A, but with a more aggressive name); we had our first tonight after the show. Someone sitting house right informed me he had trouble hearing me. Ouch. That side of the house gets the back of my head for much of Act One, because I am looking at Bill upstage. Must adjust for that.

June 24, 2009
Someone in the audience — I think it was a woman — shouted, "Get over it!" during one of my speeches (or perhaps she would say diatribe!). It threw me for a second, but then kind of made me understand Carol's frustration at being misunderstood. I busted my lip during Act Three. Once the initial shock wore off, I was kind of proud.

June 26, 2009
It's official: we are taking Oleanna to Broadway. Holy Moly. [Producer] Jeffrey [Finn] tells us it will be at The John Golden Theater, where Bill and our stage manager did The Goat together. I like that for superstitious reasons. This makes me so happy, it's unreal. The best is that throughout the run, every night has been surprising, and I find something new. Bill said it best, but there is a feeling of being in the present moment, more heightened than in real life, that keeps this play exciting. Mamet's dialogue is so quick and precise, Bill and I are forced to listen to each other, and the emotions raised over the course of three acts just get deeper and deeper. I'm so grateful to have more time with this play.