Eddie Names One Of His Favorite Shows for 2009

My pal Eddie Harbert sends along this email about one of his favorite shows and performances from 2009. He writes:

I noticed that no one has mentioned another show that was not well-attended, but that was a great show with a lot of heart. That show was Damien, which was a one-man show based on the story of Father Damien who moved to an island that was a leper colony and served there until contracting the disease himself and dying.

The show was a one-man show starring Paul Neace and directed by Mary Williams.

It is very difficult to keep a one-man show moving along, especially in a drama like Damien. Paul did a great job at showing the emotion that Father Damien went through when arriving to serve the lepers and then the awful realization that he had contracted the disease himself.

This production was a production of love that was presented at the Huntington Museum of Art last October. If you missed it, you missed a real treat.

This was also Mary Williams' directoral debut. I am sure that we will be hearing from Mary again. This was a great show to do as a first endeavor and a challenging one. One-man shows are never easy to direct. It can be very taxing to the actor (and sometimes to the audience) to keep it flowing and interesting. Paul was very effective at keeping the audience involved in the show.

I wanted to be sure that we gave this show a nod, and I am sure that we will hear more from Paul and Mary in the 2010 season!

Thanks, Eddie! I wasn't able to see the show, but I've heard nothing but raves about it!