We were lucky enough to see the play run from beginning to end — for the first time, the director said. I was interested to see that the original scenes and titles hold up, except for Scene 6, Solo. It now seems to occur after Scene 9 — at least, there is a solo there now, and there is nothing discernible as a solo after Scene 5. But there has been another — and for me, fascinating — addition: The play now opens with a musical number titled (you guessed it) “Fugue.”

Now I wondered, as I took notes during the rehearsal: When Ed said “Fugue,” then immediately “Scene 1, The Beginning” at that first reading, was it because at that stage of the play there was no music, just what I’m calling the subtitle? Or that there always was supposed to be music and there just wasn’t any at that time, or lyrics either (including no stage directions to indicate such)? Or when she finally heard the play read, did Melinda decide to write an “Overture,” to set the scene more — the last words of the song are “Down in Gary”)? Or maybe the answer is, simply, “all of the above.”

Meghan noted to the group that Melinda, after hearing Gary read, said she thought there was another song or two in it. The “Fugue” that opens the play probably is one of those new songs. By the by, I think there’s another new song at the end of Scene 14.