A Welcome | Reverberation Director Jack Sain

"You push and you push and you push. And then, suddenly, you pull. And that one pull is stronger than all of your pushes combined. That pull makes me wonder what else is there. It makes me want to know more. And the only thing that keeps me from feeling entirely like a fool right now is somehow I have the feeling that maybe you want that, too.”   Reverberation Act 2, Sc5

Reverberation is a unique story. It is heartbreaking and hilarious, jarring and soothing, lyrical, elusive, fantastic and true. In other ways, it is a contemporary story with classic characters: one person comes into another’s life, they spar, then finally come together to try and figure out how to get on with it. I love Jonathan, Claire and Wes: I see them as ships bumping in the night, helping each other find the shore. 

This production is the result of many visionary artists who were able to be brave and bold in Bristol Old Vic's cradle. I'm indebted to Artistic Director Nancy Medina who championed this story from the start and guided it along with such care.

My other big thanks is to Matthew López, a dream collaborator. It has been a privilege to watch him thoughtfully reshape Reverberation for 2024. Early in our friendship, I spoke of how profoundly every aspect of the play affected me, and what I think it has to say about being alive. 

We can all relate to loneliness, doubly so in a world that has experienced a pandemic. Each of us knows what it’s like to have our home become both a palace and a prison. The uncomfortable truth is that often there isn’t an easy road to peace. I hope that audiences can take solace in the idea that there’s light at the end of even the darkest tunnel. 

Jack Sain - Director, Reverberation