William Trevino on Chris Davis
Dear Chris,
There is one thing above all else that I want to see when I go the theater: real work. I want to see actors who have spent significant time developing technical skills, and then through the rehearsal process have brought their unique qualities to those skills to create something new. I want to see actors burn so much energy on the stage that they leave as sweaty and as tired as athletes after a game. This is what I want to achieve in my performances: some people will like them, some people won’t, but everyone can see that I put in significant work. So the best compliment I can give another artist is, thank you for your sweat!
I suspect that you understand what I mean, given your dedication to ballet classes. You spoke about ballet class as a time when you fully focused in on the present moment. I have practiced traditional martial arts for 40 years, and there are definitely similarities to ballet. Both are codified disciplines that demand intense work, physically and mentally. If you aren’t working hard, you aren’t truly doing ballet (or martial arts), and it clearly shows. On the other hand, when it’s done with full physical and mental focus, it appears effortless… but the sweat is the clue that reveals the work!
So I was very happy to watch a show that fulfilled my most important requirement… but I also enjoyed the show! The 40 Year-Old Ballerino is a master class in physical theatre. The movements that you selected from ballet (basic movements, but we understand that the basic movements can be the most difficult to perform as you cannot hide any imperfections behind virtuoso leaps) paired perfectly with your text. You are clearly a talented and experienced artist, with a great presence and genuine connection to the audience, but this kind of choreographing physical and vocal actions together only comes from hours of studio sweat. It appeared effortless, but every movement contributed to the storytelling in an honest, detailed, and unique way. What a pleasure to witness!
Your script, carefully crafted to be comic while dealing with the struggles of dependency, clearly reveals your professional sweat as a playwright too, something I am less familiar with. Your light puns, like bar vs. barre, eased the audience into a series of deeper metaphors. I didn’t expect from your 90’s-style comedy poster to leave the show examining my own human tendency to remain in comfortable places, even when they’re ultimately self-destructive.
A sincere thanks again! Now, I’m going to have to find tickets for One-Man Nutcracker!
Best,
William
Chris Davis is the actor/writer of The 40-Year-Old Ballerino.
William Trevino is the creator/performer of LIGEIA by Edgar Allen Poe.
