I dropped in on the run-thru last night and I really didn't know what to expect. I knew there were puppets and masks involved, but I was very suprised by how some of the actors manipulated them and really embodied the character. And then I sat there wondering what the actual expressions on their human faces were - if they matched the mask they were wearing. The last time I really did mask work was in a characterization and scene study class in college. They were neutral masks and we rehearsed in front of mirrors. It's a great exercise because it allowed me to focus on my physical acting without the crutch of a facial expression doing the acting. So in this piece, it seems to be the other way around - where the masked face (however deformed or manipulated) informs how the actor behaves. I prefer working from the outside in, and I can tell that several of the actors in Hyperbole do too. I also didn't realize how important the music/sound design drives the pieces too. There's some really cool pieces in the show - I'll reveal my favorites after opening.