Beauty is Truth

Week 19: Greenville, SC

Beauty is truth, truth beauty,--that is all
Ye know on earth and all ye need to know!
--John Keats

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, "you need freedom, sunshine, and a little flower."
--Hans Christian Andersen

You will have to forgive me for rhapsodizing some more about Greenville. Spring is here in all its glory, and the weather has been just spectacular. I have been taking my morning coffee down to Falls Park, and have sat in that lovely place absorbing the sounds of rushing water and birdsong, drinking in the lush greenery and colorful flower beds.
I watch the moms and kids at play, art students working seriously on drawings and pastels. Greenville is a cornucopia of great things to look at and to eat. I have designated the remainder of my visit here to a sort of spa vacation (broken up of course by several performances of the show). There are a few lovely spas in town as well as an alternative therapy center. So I will be indulging in some massage and some other therapies. All of us in the show give a great deal of ourselves as performers, and the touring life can be stressful on the body--moving from place to place, sleeping in strange beds, and of course not having access to the comforts of home. Sometimes I feel like I just have to give myself a little back for all that hard work. Greenville is the perfect place to do it. The place itself seems to inspire it. So much art and beauty, nature and good food and drink. Make a point of visiting this town if you can. If I were ever to retire from performing and seek a comfortable community in which to teach high school or college drama, this is the sort of town I would choose. I have to say, that this is my favorite stop on the tour thus far.


My Greenville dresser is Tisha. Tisha is a single mother of two, a four year old daughter and a two year old son. She commutes here to work on the show, and her mother and aunt both are on the crew as well. This is only Tisha's second time dressing and she is doing a terrific job. I admire her very much for raising two small kids on her own and doing what she can to support her family.

As you can imagine, playing this role is something of a dream come true. And with it has come opportunities to experience and do things that I have long wanted to do. One of these has always been to be able to buy original artwork from working artists. My father is a painter and a fine visual artist and I was brought up with an appreciation of art. It has always been a wish of mine to fill my home with pieces that came from the heart and hand of a talented artist and by purchasing such pieces, make an investment in that person's special gift.
Since Greenville is a place of many beauties, it is no accident that I found a wonderful piece here that I decided to take home with me. It is a beautiful blown glass bowl by a local artist named Robert Clair (his last name, in French, means 'bright or clear'--very apropos) and is a wonderful large organic shape bursting with ribbons of color: vivid oranges, pinks and warm yellows. I just had to have it. It felt so good to know that my purchase will not only be a great thing for the artist, but will be a beautiful piece of Greenville to keep with me always. It will be shipped home to New York next week. If you are interested in more of the artist's work you can contact Mary Praytor at the Mary Praytor Gallery: www.marypraytorgallery.com. I will truly be sorry to leave this lovely town but the road beckons. More from Raleigh, NC next week.