Theatermuseum - Wien [better]

Now. Did you come to see, or to leave a review?

See how he stood. Left foot turned out. Sole worn thin on the inside—that’s anxiety. Heel crushed on the right—that’s confidence, forced. A Viennese actor from the Burgtheater, circa 1888. He played Othello in these. He was booed on opening night. Then cheered. Then he died three weeks later. Pneumonia. The boots stayed. theatermuseum wien

(not looking up) You’re not supposed to feel anything. That’s the mistake. You’re supposed to see . Left foot turned out

The Theatermuseum in the Lobkowitz Palace, Vienna. Not the public galleries, but the back room: the Sammlungsdepot (collection depot). Racks of costumes on wheeled hangers, a row of plaster death masks on a high shelf, a glass case holding a tiny, intricate stage model. Dust motes float in a single shaft of light from a high window. A faint smell of old velvet, wax, and paper. A Viennese actor from the Burgtheater, circa 1888

Theater is the art of the impossible made visible for two hours. After that, it goes back into the boxes. But sometimes… the boxes forget to close all the way.