The Shifts of Dynamic

Tonight was a rather routine dance and singing rehearsal. There was nothing special about it. other Several people were missing. That is what I would like to talk about for a moment. But not the usualy "why can't people show up" sort of thing.

It is always interesting to me how different the atmosphere of a rehearsal can be when certain people are missing as opposed to when certain other people are missing.

All things being equal, a rehearsal can be exciting, fast and productive, or slow, boring and unproductive. Anything in between is also possible. That is with the balance of all the people. Start taking away people from the rehearsal, and it there is a tendancy for even more dramatic changes in atmousphere. What it changes to depends on who is missing.

Take away one person, and at once the group dynamic is somewhat more serious. Add that person back the following day and take away someone else, and the group dynamic becomes more jocular. Take away certain combinations of people, and it can in actual fact allow those who are present to let loose a bit more. A smaller but more raucous group is the result. You get the idea. The combinations are endless.

I am sure this concept holds true to a certain extent with any group setting. Yet I feel a cast in rehearsal is more affected by specific absences than your average group.

Why?

Not simply because they leave physical holes in the scenes and numbers of the play.

Love, hate, or have no feelings at all for them, you spend much time with cast mates night after night. You sweat with them, and make mistakes with them. (Or at least in front of them. )In short, to paraphrase the old song, you grow accustomed to their face. There is a personality vacuum that is missing from the cast when certain individuals are not around. The loud and quiets ones alike. So even if you otherwise might not be their biggest fan, you almost miss an absent cast mate.

That is kind of where I was tonight. We were having fun, so it was not a case of everyone being an ass because someone was missing. Still, for better or worse, there was an absence of certain traits in the room tonight. The cocktail was just not the same without them.

No need for a tissue. I'm ok.