On Friday I was invited to see a dress rehearsal of Six Degrees of Separation at the Old Vic theatre. It was a small, select audience and we made it into the front row. I used to live down the road from the Old Vic, but I never ended up attending a play. I kept thinking I would, but it just didnt happen. Then again, I used to think I'd see Kevin Spacey, the Creative Director, drive up on his scooter and wave on his way in to work. Never happened. Oh well. So there I was in the front row, getting wet from spit, looking up noses and connecting with the eyes of the actors. Wow. It's intimate. I wish my stomach hadn't kept growling or my cough hadn't started to act up. I felt as exposed as the actors on stage. My review is short: great actors, simple but elegant set and super story. The play also runs complete without intermission, which allowed for the intensity to build. I cant help but wonder how these actors nailed their American accents so perfectly? How could a couch and table rotating on stage make a backdrop for so many scenes? It is the mystery and delight of great theatre. I have never seen the movie version, however I can only imagine that if one set could convey so much, the movie could only accentuate the well-written script more. A few cues may have been missed, but they were subtle. After all, it was a dress rehearsal with a live audience. It showed where timing needed to be worked out and lights needed to be more on the ball. Still, the errors were minimal--nearly undetected by the ignorant eye. Overall, I believe the show will be a success for the Old Vic and put Obi Abili on the fast track to success.