Ed Harris in “Wrecks”

Boy, I wished I could have called in or commented before this interview! I have always respected Mr. Labute's writing and enjoyed Mr. Harris' acting. Too bad that I won't be able to attend "Wrecks". What wasn't mentioned on air was the fact that there will apparently be "heavy smoking" throughout the performance. Especially in such a small space as the Geffen's second stage, this means that the audience will be exposed to considerable smoke throughout the show. Why must I be exposed to a known carcinogen in order to attend this show? Patrons of live theater are asked to suspend their disbelief all the time. Actors drink whiskey, but we know it's only juice. They simulate taking drugs, or having sex. They expect us to believe they are somewhere other than the stage of a theater. Why, then, can we not be asked to believe that the actor waving around an unlit cigarette is actually smoking? Is Mr. Harris not a good enough actor to make us believe? What is it about smoking that is sacred to actors? There is currently a production at a small theater in Hollywood that takes place in the opium dens of 1920's Shanghai, where smoking would be expected to be rampant. Yet the actors were able to simulate the smoking of cigarettes and opium pipes in a totally convincing manner. Why must the health of the audience and the stage crew be put at risk? (And for what it is worth, the Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that Colorado's prohibition of smoking on the stage of a theater does not violate anyone's First Amendment rights. So it is now time to eliminate the loophole in California's own Clean Indoor Air law -- AB13 -- and prohibit smoking on our theater stages as well.) I wonder, if Mr. Labute was given the opportunity to stage his play in Denver or in Boulder, would he refuse to do so because his character would not be able to light his cigarette?