In 1986 I wrote a series of short pieces for solo instruments, each one based on a different definition of the verb ‘to play’. Play 2, for solo tenor trombone, uses the meaning ‘to act part, assume role of’. The piece consists of a theme and 3 variations with a coda, interspersed with passages marked “make-up”, indicating that the player should take on the role of a character actor using a different persona for each variation.