One of the very first Broadway shows I saw was the original production of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE.  SUNDAY was revelatory to me- I was enchanted by the set, the story, the music, Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin, and by the theater we saw it in- the Booth.  At the time, I was just starting to get an inkling that I might want to be an actor- to tell stories and maybe live in New York and do it professionally.  Little did I know that years later, I would make my Broadway debut in the 2008 production of BUTLEY at the Booth, and again return to it this fall to do THE ELEPHANT MAN with Bradley Cooper, Patricia Clarkson, and Alessandro Nivola.

The thing that I’ve learned about doing a Broadway show is that it never gets old- I always want to pinch myself when I walk through the stage door.  It has been nice to return to the same theater and see that Amanda is still working at the stage door and that Sandy, a dresser from BUTLEY, is there too.  It has felt familiar and yet strange to be back there- to be flooded by memories of BUTLEY, but to also inhabit a new world of Victorian England and John Merrick’s story.

I love the ritual of arriving at the theater every night, making some tea in the dressing room, getting into my corset, chatting with my dressing room mate.  We are on the third floor and can hear everyone arriving for MATILDA.  Sometimes we hear singing from the theater next door.  After the show, I can hear people gathering outside the stage door, waiting for an autograph or photo with one of our leads.

Rehearsals already seem like a long time ago now that we’re open, but I remember the magic of being reunited with people I had done the show with at Williamstown, and meeting our new cast members too.  And each time we’ve come together to tell this story, I sense that we are all touched by the life of John Merrick and committed to honoring his memory as best we can.  There are actors in this show who take my breath away with their performances, and it has been a reminder that anytime you lead with your heart, something very special happens.

Marguerite Stimpson

InViolet Company Member