#29,038
By Daniel Stallings, East Sierra Branch
Vacations are something I rarely take. And out-of-town trips aren’t cost-effective for me. So as a young playwright, theatre creator, and Agatha Christie superfan since I was a teenager, I could only dream at a distance. I directed my first Agatha Christie play before I ever saw one being performed, which probably feels backwards to many people. In my life, usually I would have to bring the material I loved into my world in order to get to see it. Since I was in high school, I dreamed of one day seeing The Mousetrap, the longest running play in the world, onstage. And thanks to the overwhelming generosity of my sister, a childhood dream came true. And at the end of February, we flew to London to see West End shows. And our last show of the trip was Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap at St. Martin’s Theatre. Performance #29,038. A number that will stick with the theatre kid in my heart as much as 24601 or 525,600.
I am, shockingly, at a loss for words to describe the moment. The play was superb. One of the few productions I wouldn’t change a thing to. It was light, funny, effortless, and felt as familiar as a favorite hug. I sat in Dress Circle Center, one of the best seats in the entire house. I could see everything. All the history on the walls of the West End theatre. The old programs. Original director’s script. Photos. I could weep thinking about it. I love theatre and Agatha Christie so much, and to be in the home where both worlds blend harmoniously in one record-shattering embrace was incredibly moving. I wish I didn’t have to leave. The three plays and the new musical I saw that trip were some of the best theatre I enjoyed in years.
So, you may ask yourselves, what does this tale have to do with being a writer? Because, after this much-needed vacation, I feel renewed as a theatre artist. It’s so easy to lose sight of joy when passion becomes work. Pieces of your heart can deaden from stress, exhaustion, mishaps, etc. But to see those shows, to see the excellence of my field, it just made me want to go out and make great theatre. And I urge you all to rekindle your own joy. Find that excellence in your genre or medium. Remember why you love to write. Get reinspired. Fall in love for 29,038th time. It’s worth it to feel that joy again.
“#29,038” first appeared as Daniel Stallings’ president’s message
in Writers of the Purple Sage, newsletter of the East Sierra Branch.