On Wednesday I saw a brilliant version of Arthur Miller's The Price, by Timeline Theatre. Excellent performances all round, especially as it's a wordy and intense play - even by Mr Miller's standards. The set design was stunning: tons of antique furniture hoisted up and attached onto the wall, lurching over the players the entire time as they debated its value (and the value of so much else). Had a great chat with Louis Contey, the director, afterwards about the difficulties of staging a piece like this in the thrust, where so much of the characters lines are nigh-monologue in length. And I had the pleasure of seeing Mike Nussbaum, who is the oldest actor working on stage in the USA (according to Equity). He was an absolute delight, a masterclass in comedy and gravitas.

What a gorgeous way to spend the summer. I've been struck by the integrity of the artists in this town. I've been blown away by the talent of my colleagues. I've tried to soak up as much wisdom as possible from the teachers. Everyone's been lovely. Everyone's been great.

Showcase went well. I had to make a few adjustments to my accent which was a useful learning experience in itself. Standing room only both evenings and a very positive response overall. 

I'm now slowly trawling through my 3 Moleskines-worth of notes to make some further writings about my technique and what I've learnt - in particular the use of my imagination rather than emotional memory. Meisner's really got me thinking about that. I'm sad Steppenwolf is over, but excited to start putting it all int...

Week 8 at Steppenwolf completed. Workload is hectic but it's what we're here for. Currently up to my eyeballs in lines and scriptwork for scenes from Pocatello by Samuel D. Hunter (Max); Luna Gale by Rebecca Gilman (Pastor Jay Lawrence) and Belleville by Amy Herzog (Zack). 'Willing discombobulation' is how I would describe my current condition. Pocatello & Luna Gale scenes will be performed at our showing at the Steppenwolf Garage in 10 days.