By Wela Mbusi

After a grueling but fantastic last show at Windale, we were welcomed by warm summer showers in San Antonio. At this point it was becoming clear that we were going to have to get used to weekly first nights as it meant having to restage the entire show for the beautiful barn.

We also gleaned the possibility of rediscovering the show every time we restaged it, and this meant gaining a fresh perspective and enjoyment from it every week. A recital hall was our venue this time and the acoustic challenges had become an expected impediment but one we were ready for. The reception by the faculty was amazing as always, and we were treated to a typical San Antonian meal which was quesadillas and a mandatory cocktail.

As the University of Texas at San Antonio doesn’t have a full-time theatre program, the majority of the classes were with English Major students and other technical subjects that required presentational skills. Some of these were very interesting as Ben and I discovered that they touched on basic skills that we as actors take for granted but are the foundational blocks of what we do. The students were very appreciative to be able to explore themselves and how they communicate not only in front of an audience but in everyday life.

The weather was not forgiving as the rain persisted all week but the heat still lingered to no end. I think fatigue on this leg of the tour was starting to set in naturally but knowing we were still going to be revisiting familiar places like Notre Dame, gave us the impetus much needed.