Seated alone behind a small, wooden desk, Spalding Gray took a long sip from the glass of water in front of him. The the actor sat perfectly still, cleared his throat and began the sometimes funny, sometimes serious story of his life. Between bursts of laughter and fits of giggles, Gray's audience was able to relive his struggles and understand his fears. His honesty was almost mesmerizing. In a two-hour monologue, Gray described his recent concerns about his failing left eye. Through personal stories about his attempts to avoid surgery, he was able to transform serious, difficult issues into humorous moments. Dressed plainly in a flannel shirt, slacks and sneakers, Gray began last night's performance of "Gray's Anatomy" in the Annenberg Center's Zellerbach Theatre with great intensity. He folded his emotions into his autobiographical monologue, exposing the audience to his paranoia, his intimate feelings and relationships and his entertaining, wild adventures. Implicit in the tales was his fundamental fear of getting old. In addition, Gray described his apprehension about getting married to his girlfriend of 12 years, Renee Shafransky -- who also directed the performance. "He's brilliant! He has this amazing ability to allude to what he already said," said audience member Josh Goldz, a student at Haverford University. "He'd lock you in one story and then pull you out of it and quickly pull you right back into it. He gives order to the absurd in a totally original way." Gray's performance was "totally captivating," according to local resident Erin Nangle, another audience member. She added that she "got so into it" and felt as if she really knew him. Gray, an Obie Award-winning writer, performer and actor, has written a series of 14 monologues which have been published and performed all over the world. He has performed on Broadway as well as acted in several movies including Beaches and The Paper. "Gray's Anatomy" will be performed again tonight in the Zellerbach Theatre at 8 p.m.
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