THEATRE RESPONSE: MASTER CLASS

"You must know what you want to do in life, you must decide, for we cannot do everything. Do not think singing is an easy career. It is a lifetime's work; it does not stop here." -Maria Callas in Terrence McNally's Master Class

Tonight, rehearsal ended at 7 PM so I had the opportunity to see Pear Avenue Theatre's production of my favorite play ever - Master Class.

This is the fifth time I have seen this play (twice with Faye Dunaway in the National Tour in LA & SF, once with Charlotte Cornwell at TheatreWorks and last year with Rita Moreno at Berkeley Rep)

Master Class, McNally's love letter to the divine Callas is not just a master class in opera - it is a master class in life - in what one chooses to do with one's life and the dedication it takes to come out on top.

Diane Tasca (whom I acted with in Tom Stoppard's Hapgood -my first play out of high school almost ten years ago!) gives a tour-de-force performance as Maria Callas. For years, I have been saying that Diane would make a superb Callas and tonight she did not dissapoint me - actually she surpassed my expectations. Full of passion -Diane dominates the stage. I believe that like my teacher Linda Hoy, Diane is one of the Bay Area's acting treasures.

I believe that life should not be measured by how many breaths we take but rather on the moments that take our breath away - tonight Diane Tasca took my breath away.

M.