Damn.

What a doozy of week we've had down here in DC folks. Intense is all I can say.

With one week before going into technicals for Titus Andronicus the lead female actress was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She was fine a month ago. That's how quickly this stuff spread in her. The cancer has gone into her lymphatic system, yet has not metastasized into other organs of her body. She's got an uphill battle to fight. She's a tough old bird (her words, not mine), and I have a strong feeling that despite the rough road in front of her, she will come out on the other end with an incredible story.

I forgot to mention that she doesn't have health insurance. Can you believe it? I can. I think almost half of the cast doesn't have health insurance despite being in a Union that provides it. I know I'm one of those people.

So if you have the chance, send a thought out towards Seattle (her home base now) with best wishes. I would greatly appreciate it, and I'm sure she'd appreciate it too.

We do these silly little plays for people, usually for the effete and the affluent, and then something like this comes around, smacks everybody in the face, and I realize how absurdly lucky I am to be doing what I'm doing. Every night before the show we've agreed to get in a circle for a few minutes and direct our attention to our castmate wishing her the best. I think that's pretty awesome. AND it's morbidly funny when you consider that we are performing Titus Andronicus, the bloodiest play in Shakespeare, in her honor.

So it goes.