Meeting some of the real people we are portraying on stage
One of the most meaningful parts of developing All the Beautiful Things has been the chance to bring some of the real people behind the interviews into the rehearsal room.
Rabbi Joe, and later, Oraib and Otba, came to watch rehearsals and offer feedback on how their stories were being portrayed. And we were nervous at first! Verbatim theatre asks actors to represent real people, and there is always a certain vulnerability in wondering what those people will think when they see their words, mannerisms, and experiences embodied by someone else.
But those fears quickly gave way to feelings of warm friendship.
Oraib and Otba brought their daughter, Hind, and after rehearsal we spent time talking together about what it felt like for them to see their story onstage and to meet the actors portraying them. The conversations were generous, joyful, and deeply affirming.
Rabbi Joe’s visit brought that same sense of connection and trust; we loved learning from, and laughing with, him.
Those visits reminded us that this project is not only about preserving people’s words accurately, but about caring for the people behind them. Long after the original interviews, we have continued to call, ask questions, clarify details, and check in whenever we felt unsure.
Meeting them in person changed the rehearsal room. What had once felt intimidating began to feel like a shared responsibility—and a gift. We believe the final production will be richer because the real people whose stories we are telling have been part of the process all along.
