Play Day

Play Day
by Sadie Rosgen

Play today,
play in the morning,
midday and at night.
Find a partner to play with,
or suit yourself right.

Play in the sun and play in the rain,
play until play just about makes you insane!
Play with your friends, your dog, or your mom. Play with someone who likes to have fun.
Play up and play down.

In the country or in town.
Soon, your smiling face will be absent of that frown.
Play in your dreams
play in your fear.

Once you start playing,
that’s all that you’ll hear.
It's not always easy or you may not be ready,
but once you dive in, you’ll be having fun, steady.

Play when you’re happy,
play when you’re glum,
and always remember:
It’s all about fun!

In the spirit of creativity, I’m encouraging you all to play!
When I think of the action ‘to play’ I am reminded of my own time as a child. What also drives my idea this month is the memory of a coveted class I attended while at the National Theatre School of Canada. It was entitled, Jeu (French for play). It sprang from the teachings of Jacques Lecoq. Famous for his mime and clown training, it was a beautiful mix of foolery and physicality. I loved this class more than any other class in all of my training as an actor. I dreamed of the possibilities, the laughs I was hoping to get, and the simplicity of silly. It felt like the groundwork for creativity was being laid, and I was amassing the tools to make something with it. As the summer sizzles, remember this time is about play, too. Finding the balance between the four-letter words that make up our lives of work and play.

As William Shakespeare said, “Play on!”