Definitions of “ensemble”(pronounced ahn-sahm-buhl.):

–a group of supporting entertainers, as actors, dancers, and singers, in a theatrical production

-all the parts of a thing taken together, so that each part is considered only in relation to the whole

–the entire costume of an individual, esp. when all the parts are in harmony

I’m proud to currently be a part of a true “ensemble”with the cast of T. Schreiber Studio’s Balm in Gilead. With 29 people in the cast, you would think egos would flow rampant, conflicts would arise, you know, the usual things that happen when a big group of actors get together. But I have to say, I love each and every one of my fellow cast members. We are a true ensemble cast on and off the stage.

The Balm in Gilead script is a plethora of interlocking/overlapping lines, or as our director points out during certain scenes, “It’s not interlocking, it’s not overlapping… it’s a combination of both.” The majority of the play consists of simultaneous scenes where actors are taking their cues not off of who they are talking to, but off of a conversation across the stage. It takes trust in your fellow actors, trust in the script and director – it takes an ensemble: all parts being in harmony; each part being considered only in relation to the whole.

Our cast has truly found harmony. We trust together, listen together, love together, and most importantly, we bow together.