Memories of China from Joel

Memories of China seem to get more vivid as each day passes. Thought I'd
send the following, It was my reply to a journalist who covered opening night in Hong Kong and
asked for my thoughts:
Hosting the audience feedback after the March 1 performance of "1984" was
really fascinating for me. The audience seemed to want to know a lot about
the actors' experiences. What is it like being tortured onstage? What is it
like to do the torturing? The cast did a superb job in Hong Kong - I've seen
them perform it literally all over the world, but they never had greater
commitment to the material than in Hong Kong. They obviously empathisized
with the audiences and the themes of the work itself in Hong Kong because
there was so much proximity to the transitioning political situation. Big
Brother seems like he might actually be gradually becoming a presence in
people's lives. The actors chatted with the audience on all of these issues
and one actor actually said the he felt he "needed" to do this particular
play at this particular time in this particular place (Hong Kong). The
relevance seemed palpable.
Everyone with The Actors' Gang was excited to be there and that level of
excitement kept up through each performance. I think I speak for the company
in saying that we hope to return to Hong Kong with other productions in the
future - the city, its people and its culture remain unforgettable to all of
us.
With memories of tea at the Peninsula Hotel and so much more,
-Joel