watch john cassavetes film and opening night and i be remind of something that quentin tarantino say once in an interview about personal experience in be a creator of art or acting . he refer to an example of and say and if he run over a dog while on his way to act in a play that it wouldn not be the end of his life but that it would affect him and and that and without a doubt and he would have to bring that experience with him on stage even if it be a light comedy . otherwise and a he say and what be i do . i couldn not help but think of his word when watch gena rowland character and myrtle gordon and who for almost a whole week or so go through a very similar scenario . there be more to this in cassavetes film and of course and since it about how the theater work around a star actress and what emotion and human nature mean when look at play a character and and how one live when all one have ( like myrtle gordon ) be the theater . near the beginning of the film and after exit a performance and myrtle be sign autographs and one such fan name nancy come up to her favorite star and pour her heart out to myrtle . it a touching little moment and but it doesn not last a she have to get in the car ( pour rain and all ) . she then watch in horror a the girl and who stand right next to the car a it drive off and get hit by another car in an auto accident . she not sure really what happen and but then find out the next day that in fact the girl do die from the hit . from then on she sort of stun by this even after she think it out of her system . at first this show in small way and like when she rehearse a scene with her fellow actor ( play by cassavetes ) and can not seem to stand be hit she blame it on the lack of depth in the character ( the writer represent what do you think the play lack . hope and say myrtle ) but then nancy start to show up to her and an apparition that to myrtle be all to real and until she suddenly go . cassavetes and a in the past film and be after a search for what it mean to have emotion and to really feel about something and feel it and or the lack thereof and and how it affect others around the person . this isn not exactly new ground for rowlands and who previously play a woman on the edge of herself in woman under the influence ( in that case because of alcohol ) and nor would it be alien territory for costar ben gazzara and who just come off star in kill of a chinese bookie . but the actor express everything essential to their character in every scene while cassavetes doesn not tell them how to get from a to b in a scene and and he doesn not need to . there a mood in a cassavetes film that trump the sometimes grungy camera work . you know myrtle and for example and should be content somehow and even if it isn not with the plot . but she haunt and and be unsatisfied with her character lack of depth and the tone of the play ( age and who go to see that . she ask the playwright ) and and it start to affect those around her too . the question soon becomes though not what be the usual . a conventional dramatist would make the conflict will she be able to go on stage and will the show go on . this isn not important for cassavetes and even if it there and a be the question will she be alright . perhaps go through such a grueling play a the second woman could help her work out her personal demon and her lose her grip on reality ( see sara and attack her in front of total stranger and who wonder what the hell be go on ) . or will the play lack of hope strain everything else wrong with her . the depths rowlands make with her character be intense and harrowing and and that it expect doesn not mean it any duller than woman under the influence if anything and it just as good a that film at be honest about a person in this profession and and consequently the other performance be just a true and from gazarra to nancy play by a subtle laura johnson . cassavetes answer to his own posed question aren not easy . one of the real thrill of open night and along with see great actor perform an amazing script and be to see cassavetes take on the theater the way he do . we see the play perform and it apparently a real play and we only know slightly what it about . when we see the actor on the stage perform it and we wax and wane between be involve in what melodrama be go on ( relationship scuffling and affair and the occasional slap and domestic violence ) and the improvisation of the actor . i wonder watch how much really be improvise and how much cassavetes allow for the other actor to do in the scene where myrtle start to go loopy or and in the climax and be completely smash . he on the stage and too and so it must have be something for them to work it out beforehand and let what would happen happen . it funny and startling and chilling and and edge of your seat stuff and some of the best theater on film scene ever put in a movie and and we see the line between actor on stage and actor on film and actor with actor and blur together wonderfully . open night be a potent drama that be full of frank talk about death and madness and reality and fiction and where the love be between people and and really and finally and what do act mean .