Roadblocks and Silver Linings

There's just no way around the fact that blocking out a play can take a while. While I don't rehearse tonight, I go back tomorrow, and that will be the first time my final, (and frankly, best) scene is blocked out. It happens to be the final scene in the play, which means, in theory, we will be able to start rehearsing and creating the character stuff.

We didn't have access to the theatre on Thursday, so we were forced to use a building next door in which I've never been before. I've never rehearsed a scene in a smaller space in my life, and that includes rooms in people's homes.

Yet I didn't mind so much. The play is a bit claustrophobic in a sense, just a collection of men all at odds with one another over goals and styles, scraping to get what they need or want out of each other within the myopic scope of 1980's real estate selling. Though we won't be performing in the aforementioned tiny space, being there for one night heightening this sense of myopia. (Block was basically out of the question, so we worked on a scene that requires almost no blocking; the first one, which take places at a table.)

You have that sometimes in volunteer theatre. Small road blocks exist, or will be thrown up in front of you and the rest of the cast at last minute. It isn't probably to cancel rehearsal every time this happens, so you do what you can. Often, the result of the challenge, (aside from initial worry) is a new emotion, a new take, a new line read that shine a different line on the scene, the play, or the character. Even when the roadblock itself is removed and rehearsal resumes as normal, that which arises from the added pressure of the roadblock often remains in the remaining rehearsals and on to the performance.

An actor must be in control, know what he is doing, and leave very little to chance...eventually. But there are times, often earlier in the process, when chance does play a large role in shaping what we do with our performances. The windows that are opened during trying times sometimes more than make up for the doors that are shut.

For me, rehearsal for the next three nights. Who knows what roadblocks and silver linings await the process in those evenings.

The Final Approach

Last night was our final rehearsal. I don't buy into the notion that a final rehearsal is the opposite of what opening night will be, but even if I did, I wouldn't know how to categorize it. The energy was low, but we didn't bomb or anything.

This is one of those shows that needs an audience. Yes I realize that they all do when you get down to it, but what I mean is that I have discovered that certain shows get to a point where rehearsing starts to get a bit pointless. So invested in the presence of an audience is the script that beyond a certain point one can only guess as to how prepared a show is to go on, and I think we have reached that point. It needs an audience.

My best guess is that there are some tricky spots and pot holes here and there, but that each rehearsal has filled some of them this week. An extra week would have been ideal, but I would gather the show is ready to tentatively take off tonight. I think perhaps the first 15 minutes or so may be slow in going, and then the show and the audience will commence to thaw.

Silly as it is, I am proud to report that none of my snaps came undone during my scenes last night. I think I have finally mastered the limitations of my movements in same, and can gesticulate without causing a problem. There was also a piece of velcro added to the fly of my knickers, so that potential embarassment is no longer an issue. (I had used a safety pin the night before.)

I do think i need to slow down a few of my lines, but that shouldn't be difficult.

I also worked out some of the lighting cue difficulties I had had in Act Three. I need to give a subtle cue to the lighting guy who cannot see the whole stage, but other than that, no problem.

The only unpleasantness about last night is that I had to ask some people in the green room to quiet down do I could hear cues. There has been a lot of yelling and exuberant talking back there of late, but last night we had singing pop songs in harmony, and I really couldn't determine a thing as to cue from the monitor. I believe I angered some people, and while that is not my intention, I do need to hear my cues. Hopefully the presence of the audience will help with that as well.

I didn't time the show, but it seems to take about as long as it did the night before. We were done with everything, including notes, at about 11:00PM. The show is probably a solid two hours and 30 minutes.

For my own part, I continued to perform at about the same level as I have all week. Which is why I hope that tonight there will be that extra spark I mentioned in my previous entry. All of the difficulties and practice and such is behind me now. I am confident that I can and have provided my cast mates with what they need during my scenes. I wish everyone well of course, but I cannot spend too much time any longer pondering what is happening when I am not on stage. (Other than my cues, of course.) Despite the large blocks of time I have without doing anything, I hope to go inward tonight, and just enjoy the fact that I am Hamlet. If I can do that, it should be a fun opening night.

Altered Pants and A Thousand Words

The local photographer was on hand for last night's rehearsal. I imagine his pictures will appear in either tonight's local paper or tomorrow's. I am not certain. I was in several of the shots he took, but whether or not I will actually be in the paper, who can say? I have actually ended up in that paper a few times, but usually the picture has not been good enough to make it worth me buying a copy for my records. Oh well.

As for the rehearsal itself, I have to correct something I wrote in my previous post. I had mentioned that last night would be the first rehearsal with the entire cast. I was wrong. One of the players was still missing last night, making the pantomime scenes a bit awkward yet. Which means that tonight will be the only time in the entire process that the whole cast has rehearsed together. And of course it will be the only time that happens before we open tomorrow. Again, none of the pantomime really effects what I do much, but I imagine all of the players would have preferred more rehearsals with a full compliment, if such had been possible.

Firstly, my costume issue. After having the snap moved on my pants, the fit somewhat better, but still felt a bit loose. Fortunately, I was able to roll the waist up a bit, and that kept them in place better than before. So I was able to proceed with worrying too much about them. Near the end it was a bit problematic, what with all of the running around waiting for pirates. But that was a brief moment, and didn't give me any huge problems.

Also, the top being a size too small for me, I basically cannot bend down or gesticulate with my arms in any fashion, or the snaps in the back will come undone. That is rather inconvenient given the fact that I am unable to fasten them myself. I require assistance, and I can't have that happen on stage. I just need to hope that each time I am on stage and the snaps become undone, (and they will...I have determined it isn't possible for them to stay fastened if I decide to move at any time), at least enough of them will remain in place to keep the top on. If not, I will simply remove it in character, and toss it out of the way. (This is why I hate complicated costumes.)

As for heat, I am not as blazing hot under the lights so far as I had feared. With people in the house it will be hotter in the tiny space, but for right now I don't experience anything that a brief stay in front of one one of the green room fans can't alleviate.  I don't have time to remove the complicated top at all during Act 2, so this is fortunate.

I have been in a bit of a plateau with my performance the last night or two. I don't feel any drastic improvements taking place, and maybe in this context I have peaked in what I can give the performance. Yet I can also say that I have not experience any major set backs either. (Knock on wood again.) I do feel that with an audience I will have more to offer. not that I advocate doing any less than one's best in rehearsals. But try as an actor might, they simply are not going to feel exactly the same, or as exactly engaged in a show without an audience as they do once somebody is out in the in the house. They are, after all, a character in their own right.

That being said, I will make every effort tonight to be extra focused on what I am doing. Speaking slowly. Enunciating. Trying to decrease any tentative moments. Remembering what I have told myself from the start; I am still playing Hamlet, and the rest of the show deserves me doing so well.

Another thing about an audience being there is that the entire building will be quieter. There will be a more serious aura to the place. I don't mean to suggest that the cast is not currently taking their job seriously. In most cases they are. But everyone's focus tends to tighten once performances have begun, for much the same reasons as I mentioned in the previous paragraph. And when that happens, I find it somewhat easier to remove myself from my surroundings when the need arises.

We blocked the curtain call last night. The leads had suggested that they not show up for it, given that, as the name of the piece reminds us, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. But our director rejected the notion. (And truth be told I am not certain how serious the suggestion was.) Not only because many of the other people bowing also play dead characters, but because she believes a curtain call is for actors, and not characters. I have always very much agreed with that view. I have thankfully only been in one or two shows that required "character calls", and I didn't enjoy the concept. I like to bow at the end of a show as myself.

Our light and sound crew was in place last night. I have worked with both before. I thought the director was going to run lights, but there were no disasters. A few snags that have to be worked out, but I am confident that tonight they will be. That is the point of tech week after all. Though I will point out that this tech week has felt less like a tech week than most shows I have been in. I am not sure why. I guess because it isn't that complicated from a tech stand point.

The only issue I am having is moving an umbrella and chair in the dark, and getting into place. Believe it or not, I am a bit more nervous about doing that than I am about delivering my lines in the performance. I just don't want to fall off a platform or drop a huge umbrella back stage in front of people. Another knock on wood.

I have not kept exact records, but I estimate the show is running close to two hours 30 minutes, and two hours 45 minutes. Getting a bit faster each night, but still quite a long evening, both for actors and I fear for patrons. The script itself is longer, yes, but I still think we as a group are taking a bit longer to perform it than would be ideal. But that may just be my own perception from the perimeter. Certainly it has gotten better than it was a mere few days ago. It is hard for an audience to sustain interest passed the two hour, 15 minute mark for most standard shows. If not counting the intermissions we could as some point reach that, I think we would be in good shape. I will try to time it tonight.

One more rehearsal.

Getting Dressed

First dress rehearsal last night. I am not a huge fan of my costume, but it is okay. Except for the fact that my pants were too big. I suppose I didn't catch on to that fact when I tried them on last week, because at that point I wasn't running around the stage as I do in the show in some scenes. But they are being adjusted, and should be ready for tonight, hopefully tighter but not too tight.

I also need to secure some kind of pin for the fly, which has nothing to keep it closed.

The top I wear, or doublet, or whatever it is called, snaps in the back, and it is a bit tight on me, so the snaps frequently come undone when I move. I don't think much can be done about this, though. As long as it stays closed in the back, I will be fine. It never came all the way undone.

Underneath that I wear some kind of short, with sleeves that are tied at the wrists, as well as being tied at the chest. I opted to come out in this for my first entrance, without the outer shirt, and left everything that should be tied, untied. I also left off one shoe. (My right, or downstage shoe.) Hamlet needs to look disheveled at that point, as described by Ophelia in Shakespeare. ("His doublet all unbraced..." and so on.) I wanted to make sure I would have time to get into full costume before my next entrance. Turns out I do. So I think this is what I will stick with until directed otherwise.

I have black socks up to my knees, because the pants are only knee high.

My concern was being way too hot. And indeed it is warm in that outfit. However between all of the time I have to rest at certain points, and the abundance of fans in the green room, I don't think I will have much of a problem with over heating. I need to get some bottled water though. I should stay hydrated just in case.

Personally, I would choose another outfit, if it were up to me. It isn't terrible, but it feels like there are too many variables that are unpredictable. Many thing to come untied, unsnapped, undone. I don't fear being exposed or anything of that nature, because I can easily wear things underneath to preserve my modesty if it comes to that. But when I am in a costume, I like to wear it, and then forget it. In the sense that I don't have the screw with it. Costumes help me get into character, and in that sense I do not forget them. But I like to mentally absorb them as part of what I am doing, as opposed to thinking about if I need to do anything to them each time I go on.

To that end, though I did alright in performing, I was somewhat distracted each time. I had to move in a such a way or hold my hands in such a manner as to make sure my costume was in place. Needless to say this was not the most comfortable way to run my scenes. The good news is that despite the distraction I didn't make any major mistakes in my lines. That of course does not mean a mistake is impossible. Heaven forbid I should ever think that. It does mean, however, that the lines are in a good place in my head. Automatic, or very near so in most cases. Happy to be there two days before opening.

Not all of us are. The leads I am pleased to announce are very close. But one actor essentially still has to create everything he says once he gets to the stage. Which is difficult, when the lines are Shakespearean. Sadly, this particular person blames other people and circumstances for this lack of line commitment, as opposed to taking responsibility themselves. It is unfair to those who have to share a scene with him, and wait for a cue that never arrives. I won't belabor the point, but I feel for those who must share scenes with him. (I myself do not.)

Despite that very obvious problem, the show proceeded more quickly than it ever has thus far. I caught wind of a few things being skipped here and there by the leads, but only because I was told. I noticed nothing particular myself. And even what was skipped, whatever it was, didn't seem to effect the overall flow of the production. The leads are getting there, and with two more nights, they should be in a solid, if not totally easy place in regards to their lines. Which even further supports my believe that the second weekend should be even better. But then again it often is.

Lights and sounds were added tonight. And though it is not a tech heavy show, I have to say here that I am impressed with how smoothly that went. Often times tech week starts out as a logistical nightmare as light cues and sounds are coordinated with actors. Despite a few hiccups, (such as me almost tripping in the dark in Act 3), I have rarely felt this comfortable with the tech aspects of a show this early on. I will again add the caveat that I am not on stage most of the time. Then again if something major had occurred, I think I would have heard of it.

The rest of the rehearsals will have costumes, lights and sounds. And the biggest thing about tonight will be that, (as far as I know) it will be the very first rehearsal with everyone. That is to say all of the "Players" will be present to perform their mime show at long last. (As well as there few other speaking parts at the end.) The miming has been one of the most difficult parts of the play to orchestrate. Though I am not in any of those sections, I hope that those who are will find things falling together now that everyone is present.

Two more nights. I was correct when I predicted this show would feel like it was hardly here before it was gone. I doubt the leads feel that way, with all of their work, but for me, it is kind of going at Mack 3.

Charge!

Act Three today. As I have mentioned I have no lines in this section, but I do have quite a bit to do. More in fact than in Act One, really.

It takes place on the ship that is carrying Hamlet to England. I spend the first 10 or 15 minutes of the act hidden behind a large beach umbrella. (It's in the script, really.) Though whether or not I will actually be sitting on stage behind the umbrella the entire time, or if I will simply enter behind the umbrella once it is time to be seen is yet unknown.

Then there is the famous switching of letters, which is talked about in "Hamlet". Then the pirates invade and all hell breaks loose.

Due to the nature of our blocking and the stage on which we will be performing, it was decided that I, as Hamlet, would be in the best position to first notice the approach of the pirates. So , "Pirates!" will be basically the only thing I will clearly say that is not an actual Hamlet line from Shakespeare. This followed by my rushing for a sword, and a bit of a keystone cops bit of everyone on the stage running into each other, back and forth and to and fro a few times. Then I am to leap into a barrel or crate or something of the kind. (Not yet determined.) In the dark, I will leave stage for nearly the remainder of the play. I do make one more appearance, as a dead Hamlet in the final few moments, when we recreate the final moments of the actual "Hamlet". (Claudius, Gertrude, Laertes and Hamlet all lying dead.)

I am not certain why this is in the play, to be honest. I think the entire piece would end on a much stronger note if the last thing we heard were the incomplete line uttered by Guildenstern before he vanishes totally into the ether. I suppose the scene is there because the line "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead" is uttered at this point. But that by itself doesn't seem to carry enough weight to include that tableau in my opinion. If the whole point of the play is absurdist nihilism, why not end the whole play in the middle of a sentence, followed by totally blackness?

At any rate, I am getting a better sense of the character, and it will be fun to give consistent life to Hamlet during a scene in which he does not appear in the original material. (How does one portray the famous Prince as he is reading in silence in a deck chair? It is my job to determine that.)

It seems that after much shuffling we have now filled all five of the silent player roles, though one was filled this very day via telephone call and plea. This will make those scenes much easier to understand, obviously.

Also, a friend of mine came by today. It looks like she will be doing costumes for the show. I don't have any idea what she has in mind, but I did talk to her briefly about how I was playing Hamlet, so I imagine that will inform her decisions somewhat.

Tomorrow I am off, because it is set building day. I look forward to Monday's rehearsal with a full set. Especially since a ramp figures prominently in much of my blocking, and the sooner I have one to work on, the better.

Reprieve

Tonight at rehearsal, for a brief time, it appeared as though half of my tiny role might be cut from our production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Though I had never noticed it in my script, there is an author's mote which indicates that a 5 or so page section of the script was added in later professional productions, but wasn't part of the original staging. Companies are given the option to perform either version.

It just so happens that at least half of my total stage time takes place during that section of the script. The suggestion was made to save time and hold the audience's attention longer. But by the end of rehearsal it was decided that those lines of mine would not be eliminated. So my role in the play remains intact.

Today we went over Act One twice. As I mentioned before, that is my least active part of the play. Most of my lines are in Act Two, and Act Three provides me with the longest sustained (though silent) stage time. So there wasn't much for me to go over today. I grab Ophelia and sigh, (a moment I hope feels better the more often I do it, because right now I feel like I really suck at it). Later I walk across the stage reading. (Difficult to screw up.) And at the very end of the act I deliver a few lines as I meet up with the leads for the first time. I will say that the second time we ran through it tonight, I didn't need my book for the few lines I had.

I am in fact about 90% off book now. I have a few similar lines to differentiate, one slight speech, and some mixed up words here and there to correct, and I will be off book. No reason why that can't happen within a few days. Then I can start to maybe work on the first few lines of the monologue Hamlet has in Act Four of the original play, so I can mouth them silently. (As I talked about previously.) If I decide to take that route, I've got plenty of time, given that it isn't a requirement. It may even be something I can't so, but we will see.

Not everyone was available for rehearsal today, and the one possible new actor we had to play one of the players is unable to join the cast. So it is getting quite tight in regards to finding enough actors for that scene. I am going to ask around tomorrow to see if I know anybody.

Next rehearsal is Friday evening when we run Act Two. I look forward to that particularly, given that I have more to do.

Abbreviated

Yesterday was a shorter rehearsal than normal. Only about an hour long or so. I mention in my last post that we'd be going over a scene wherein I had no lines. That was true for the first half of rehearsal, but that didn't require much time at all. (I have a lot of pantomime later in Act Three, but not enough people were present to go over that part.) So after about 30 minutes we reviewed two other scenes in which I, and the two leads appear.

So, not much to report in regards to that.

Something to report however is that two people who were set to be "Players" have opted to not be in the show anymore. This coming a few days after a different one of the players opted out. So at this point we now have only one actor to be a "player", and we probably need at least Six. So the scramble is on to find some people fast. One person is checking his schedule from what I understand to see if he can help us out. Hopefully the fact that none of those parts of lines will encourage people to participate on short notice.

I am about half way off book for my few scenes, however. I will work more on that tonight sometime. Otherwise my next rehearsal is tomorrow (Wednesday) night.

Suddenly, Penultimate

Tonight it was made official; there will be no Wednesday rehearsal. Ergo, we have but one rehearsal left before we open.

Tonight was a dress rehearsal, and all hands were on deck again. Though not fully recovered, I myself was feeling better than I have the last few evenings. In more ways than one.

I think this was my best rehearsal so far. Things were clicking. Connections were being made. Nuances, by nearly everyone were more frequent in all of the performances. I have waded into the Rubicon of internalizing my characters now. I have not crossed it totally yet, and sometimes you don't totally cross it until the audience is there. But this is as close as I have felt the entire time thus far.

I have to give at least half of the credit for this development to my cast mates. Nearly everyone else also seemed to be more intensely involved in there performances tonight. Seeing as how I cannot read their minds I don't know if they too felt things were more internalized today, or if indeed that is a goal of anyone else but me. But I can say that many people had what appeared to be a keener focus tonight.

I have been acting for over ten years, and blogging about it for over five. Yet I still have not found the best way, or even a practical way to describe in words these moments. The best I have ever come up with, as my loyal blog readers will know, is the highly cliched and only partially accurate, "click". And I don't mean the usual use of the word in that everything went smoothly and without mistakes. (We were not without mistakes tonight, which I will address later.) But click into place, so to speak. When what I am trying to personally accomplish as an actor "clicks into place" with what is going on around me. You never quite know when it will happen. Sometimes, it just doesn't. But tonight it did. Not my most definitive clicking ever, but it was there. Even my costume felt natural on me.

Is this a moment within me, or within a show? Or a combination of the two? Most phenomena are combinations of several things, and I would venture to guess, (without being able to prove) that the "click" is no exception.

From here on out, the ideal is that it will feel even better, and equally good throughout each scene I am in. Practically though, oftentimes one scene feel better than others. They all felt good tonight, but I felt Old Joe was the best example. I really like all that I did with that one. Especially the effect of slinging my coat around my shoulders, to get more mileage out of the same costume.

I dropped something on the way out again. But that didn't ruin the whole scene.

And the break up was almost as good. In some ways better. Even my scene partner admitted that it finally felt better to her tonight. (She has never quite done what she wants to do in the scene. Not that one can tell from watching her excellent performance. But each person has their own metric, naturally.) The whole scene has felt better to me ever since the suggestion was made for me to take a small step towards the departed Belle, before turning to leave. As though I almost go after her, but do not do so.

The party scene at Fred's went better than it has the last few nights. No mistakes in the word game, which had given us some trouble the last few evenings. One thing about it, which I remember from the last time I was in the play, but as a different character, is that Fred doesn't really have much leeway in regards to feeding lines to the others in the event of a mistake. 99% of what he says is either "yes" or "no" during the game, because he can only respond to questions. It is the other three that have to be most on guard, I dare say, for chances to cover a mistake. Yet tonight we proved that we have it down, we just need to relax when we do it.

I have to main performance things to work on. "Frederick Dickens" still needs to be a bit less generic than I feel I am making him. I'd like to develop a distinct look and sound to him that is not yet there to the degree I want. I have some things I have been working with, but he still needs a bit more. The character isn't lost, and perhaps I am doing a better job at setting him apart than I thought. But as I said earlier each actor has his own metric, and according to mine, I could do a bit more. Yet after the good feelings I had tonight with so much of the play, I feel confident something will emerge.

One final rehearsal. No costumes this time. Some directors have costumes all tech week, some do not. I'd almost rather wear mine, but I do not think I will do so. I would feel out of place with everyone else not in costume, and feeling out of place doesn't help a performance.

One (and a Half) Men Down

What does my cryptic title mean exactly? It means that last night we were missing one actress. (Which makes the "men" thing inappropriate I realize), and I myself was continuing, as I am tonight, to fight this cold/fever thing I have had for a month or so.

It's not as bad as it may have sounded, though. I was in some noticeable discomfort Earlier in the evening, which flared up a bit as time went on. But during the constant motion of Act Two, I think I became too busy to be worried about some of my ailments. That, or the small amount of medicine I took had some effect.

Despite these setbacks though, I have to say that in places, I actually felt more in the zone mentally last night than I have in most of the previous rehearsals. Before anyone jumps to conclusions about it being an effect of any cold medicine, I will point out I took nothing so strong as that. Really, just a regimen of cough drops. Yet perhaps my being sick did contribute in a way to those at long last more internalized moments. In order to get passed the illness and fatigue, I had to really be mindful of everything that was happening onstage to a degree higher than it otherwise might have been. Of course I am always paying attention, but last night I had a physical need to just absorb the actions of the scenes, or else feel too run down by the work to get through it. As a result, the much awaited internalization of a few moments.

Oddly, one of those moments was the break up scene, though my opposite in that scene was not present. It just felt like at least I was owning some of the lines when previously I was just saying them. At least some of them.

I also felt more in tune with some of my Fred moments later in the play. That too as more difficult because of the missing actress, but nonetheless my condition forced me to slow down a bit and process what I was saying. I have blogged earlier this month about how for some reason that scene has sometimes gotten away from me. But not last night. It was aligned well, if I do say so myself.

I am hoping to take what I felt last night, and apply it to tonight, while not having to feel so lousy in so doing. And to apply it with the missing actress, who plays an important role in almost every scene in which I appear.

Not wanting to jynx anything, I will say that last night felt like a possible turning point inside my head. I still have some work to do, but I can suddenly see some of my goals on the horizon now, whereas before, I was still waiting.

I also has a few more little costume pieces, and was given permission to take off my coat in one scene if I wanted to. This gave me just enough of a feeling of being a different character in each scene that it too may have contributed to the internalization that was happening here and there for me. I will know more tonight when I run those costume mini-changes again.

The director told us that if we did well enough tonight (Monday) and tomorrow, we may get Wednesday off. The play as a whole truly is progressing nicely, and we shall see soon enough if it has earned us the night off on Wednesday.

But Monday and Tuesday first, and there is still much to do.

Getting There

I don't know which is more stunning at the moment. That Thanksgiving is two weeks from today, or that we open A Christmas Carol two weeks from tomorrow. But since this blog is about my acting, and not about food, I will comment on the latter.

And may I say that last night's rehearsal was one of the smoothest and most productive we have yet had for Act Two. The director admitted that the second act is a "complicated" one, and she is right, but the rough edges ended up being smoother last night than I would have expected them to be.

To begin with, I am feeling much better about my technical duties than I did a week ago. The location for the furniture has been spiked, so the guess work is gone. And with the addition of sound cues for scene transitions last night, we now have more time to accomplish the set changes than I initially believed we would have. The pace is still pretty constant, but there wasn't as much rushing as there had been before. It was not as frenzied as I thought it would be previously. I still don't get much down time in Act Two, but the pace of all of my duties is quite palatable, if they remain as they did last night.

One technical thing that I keep screwing up is the end of the Old Joe scene. All of the stuff he has just bought from the scavengers must be bundled into a large sheet, and carried off stage. The first time we tried that, I dumped half the stuff all over the place when I exited. But I managed to get it all off stage the second time around. Hopefully whatever I did then can be repeated.

Everyone seems to be off book now, as well. Which means I was able to explore some of that nuance I have mentioned here previously. Mainly with Old Joe, though some with Fred. I still must work hard to slow down my delivery of Fred's lines in the party scene. I must balance exuberance with being intelligible. I have not been given a note otherwise, but I sense within myself that I could very easily deliver those lines too fast. It is my biggest scene in the play, so I want to make sure I articulate. I want to make sure I do that in every scene of course, but that is the only one I feel myself going to fast for. Oddly enough, I don't feel I go to fast during Fred's other scene.

Despite my work on Fred, I feel that the Old Joe scene has the greatest potential to evolve between now and opening night. I have several ideas, and the character is just teeming with possibilities for traits and quirks, both subtle and obvious. While Fred is more at the polishing and occasional addition stage, Old Joe still has some actual carving left. If that metaphor makes any sense. But who knows? Something new about Fred may hit me in the final weeks. It has happened before, loyal blog readers.

Tonight we run Act One. It is not as stress free as it previously was, given that we now have the dance. I should point out however that the dance has not, so far, been as stressful as it could have been. I actually think I remember it, for the most part. I don't know if the choreographer will be there tonight or not, but I think I actually remember most of what I need to remember.

That aside, the first act remains my favorite, and not simply because it is technically easier. It is because my two most fulfilling scenes are in Act One. Fred's greeting of his Uncle at the office, and Belle's ending of the engagement. Both scene are short, and from a script standpoint rather simple. But they are two of the most famous moments in he story, and both reveal a lot about the characters therein. I don't have the precise words for it, but I enjoy performing them is a different way than i enjoy performing, say, Old Joe, (my favorite moment from Act Two, no doubt.) So I look forward to that tonight.

Some hitches and obstacles remain. But two weeks out, we are in very solid shape, it seems to me.

What's the Name of the Blog Again??

I am off book. I still think I will probably have to call for a line here and there, but perhaps not. Either way, I am off book for both acts now. No small feat considering that for most of this weeks I have been combating some kind of cold/fever.

Which brings me to Wednesday's rehearsal. I once again had a bit of a cough and some aches to deal with while practicing, but with two days off during which to heal, it seems, (knock on wood) that I kicked most of it away. I am not 100% well again, but I have no fever, and the aches have diminished today. I slept better last night, and I seem to be on the mend.

As for the show, it has some mending of its own to do.

Not everybody was able to be off book for last night's Act Two rehearsal, despite it being the deadline. So there were some books out. A minor problem, really. At least at this point. As an actor during rehearsal, I would rather have everyone else on stage able to deliver most of their lines without struggles so I can deliver mine, then having to have them call for most of their lines during a scene. The off book question at this point is more of a director's concern than a fellow actor's. So it is what it is. I am only responsible for my own progress, and I did get through the act without calling for any lines for the first time.

Many that were off book though did call for lines, or otherwise needed some time to recall them. Because of this, I have often noted that despite it being later in the process, the first off book rehearsal regresses a bit when it comes to impact and actual performances. A step or two backward as people adjust to not having the books in their hands. The adjustment is usually made quickly, when all hands are dedicated, so I don't expect it to have a lasting impact, but it did make some exploration of nuance with and between characters less accessible to us all that night.

But the bigger issue for me last night was the rearranging of some furniture. It does clear up some sight lines, which is good. But I know I missed several of my furniture moving responsibilities during the scene changes last night. In Act Two I seem to do the lion's share of the furniture moving for a certain stretch and it is a lot to commit to memory. Obviously I have not done so successfully as of now. But it should be easier now that I am not also trying to commit lines to memory as much every day.

We didn't run at full speed for the entire act, as there are still issues to be worked out. I am however getting enough of an idea as to where my props and costumes need to be back stage in order to pull off my transitions on cue.

We began to run the act the second time, but ran out of time. The plan tonight is to run through those parts of Act Two we did not get to during last night's second run through of same, and then flip to the top of the show and run all of Act One. Which I welcome, due to it's more relaxed pace.

That pace in fact will be even more relaxed today, because one minor, mysterious character has at last been added to our regular rehearsals. A boy, and figment of Dickens imagination, is part of select scenes, including the very opening. The actor playing this role has heretofore practiced with the actor playing Scrooge during separate sessions. But from here on out, he will be with the entire cast during rehearsals.

Two and a Half Missing Actors

The two were the only adults women in the cast, who called just before rehearsal to say they couldn't make it on Sunday night. The half was yours truly, who was, (and currently still is) fighting a cold/fever situation.

But it was Act One, which is my shortest act, and I got through it. It's always harder when people are missing, and there have been people missing for all but two rehearsals thus far. Nevertheless I am off book for the first half of the show, so that wasn't a worry.

The choreographer came to observe the scene today wherein we will need to dance. (Thankfully, it is not the same choreographer as the one from A Thurber Carnival.) By next Sunday she will have a short dance for us all to do during the Fezziwig party scene.

A few more props were added to the set for this rehearsal. Each will be stored in a conveniently labeled bag back stage. (Thanks to the stage manager.)

One thing I still need to work on is making Young Scrooge more sympathetic. As of now, it seems that I am appearing too cold for the director's taste. It is probably a matter of me trying to have a similar voice as the actor who portrays Scrooge; something I opted to do simply for the sake of accuracy. I pay close attention to those little nuances. But perhaps I won't be able to do that and still seem like a slightly different person. Perhaps in duplicated his voice I am duplicated his personality? (Which, one could argue, is worse than it was even when Belle dumped him.)

I am going to continue to try to find the right medium between the two though.

Wednesday is our next rehearsal, and it is off book, Act Two. I have one scene I need to get down by then, and then I will be good.

Bookless (Mostly)

I decided to go ahead and cover two nights of rehearsal on one entry, since both were similar in regards to progress.

I went off book for as much of them as I could.

First off, Wednesday night was Act One. We weren't due to be off book yet, but I, along with several other, opted to give it a try. Given that I already knew I was off book for the first half, I felt pretty confident, and sure enough I didn't have to call for any lines. So, the important (mentally) milestone of performing the entire first act without my book for the first time is behind me. This milestone doesn't guarantee that there will be no mistakes from here on out. Far from it. But once I perform and act or a scene without book and without line calls, all parts of my brain have proof that it is no possible. That a threshold has been crossed, and that the synapses begin to fire in a different way. They approach performance mode, where character issues begin to take the front seat.

Not that the evening was ideal. One of the actors had to leave after only about 45 minutes of rehearsing. And the vast majority of what he does takes place in the second half of the first act. So we had to do the all too familiar "phantom blocking", that is to say, pretending to speak and interact with someone who isn't there, leaving a physical space open for where they should be. A sometimes troublesome thing to do so early and so often.

Nonetheless, I am pleased with my progress for Act One on the night. And for that of most everyone else as well. Especially the scene between Scrooge and his nephew, Fred. That one has great energy and interaction already. The scene between Young Scrooge and Belle I think also promises to be a strong scene.

Act Two was tonight, and as I have mentioned there is more blocking, more set changing, and for me, more responsibility, both as an actor and in a technical capacity. Not everything is in place to rehearse all technical elements, but a fair portion of them were. I am glad of this, because the more I can practice that long list of things, the more comfortable with it I will feel.

But first, the acting portion of tonight. I again attempted to go off book for most of the act. Much to my delight I was able to get through the long party scene at Fred's house, (my longest single scene) only calling for lines twice during the first go around. I didn't have to call for them at all during the second run through of Act Two tonight. Including the word game sequence. That had originally been the scene I thought would take me the longest to memorize, but based on tonight, that wasn't the case. The other actors in it are not yet off book, so I will have to see how it feels when they are. But for now, I am pleased with my progress on the lines.

And with the feel of the scene. I still have to remember to keep the joy up, because Fred is a joyful, boisterous fellow. I can do better, but I am keeping it at a decent level for now. The director allowed me to walk about the room during the word game sequence, instead of remaining seated. That helped add a lot of energy to my work in the scene. Once everyone else is off book for it, I am sure the scene will be even more dynamic.

The only scene for which I carried my script on stage was the Old Joe scene. In every play there is a scene that always ends up being the last to enter your mind, and that's the one this time. But I have until next Wednesday to have it memorized, (We do Act One again on Sunday), so I have no doubt I will be ready to go. Especially since I was able to be off book for everything else tonight.

I mentioned some of the scene and costume changes. We still pause a great deal between scenes to clarify and confer. But we have already incorporated many of these things into the rehearsals, and though some of it is bound to change, I don't have any sense of my being rushed to get anything done, so long as I keep moving.

We did change the mask that Christmas Future will be wearing. It had been a hockey mask, but is now some kind of...I can't really describe it. It's just a nondescript though eerie white face. It works well, (though I myself only wear it for mere moments.)

Accents are coming along as well. I have some work to do, but in the last day or so I have found the beginnings of distinctions between the characters I will be playing. Keeping Frederick Dickens and Fred the Nephew distinct will probably be the biggest challenge in that department. But given that I am playing Fred in a boisterous manner, and that Frederick is more subdued, I should think difference will naturally emerge.

My hope is to emulate, as much as I can without caricature, the voice of the actor playing Scrooge when I am playing Young Scrooge. That will be most most difficult single accent, I think.

We open 4 weeks from tomorrow. Black Friday itself. Knock on wood, the progress for this show continues to feel rapid. Next week being the first set of rehearsals during which we are required to be off book will be a bit rough, they always are, but we are ahead of where many plays would be four weeks out.

Next rehearsal is Sunday. Act One.

Blocking is Done!

At least until we change it. But that is the nature of a show.

Still, last night we got down on paper all of the blocking for A Christmas Carol. We finished act 2, and then re-ran part of act one for the sake of an actor who was missing when we first went through it, and will also miss the next 3 rehearsals. Not to mention the fact that we needed to test that set blocking against the new lay out of the stage. No major problems.

I think the next thing I need to work extra hard on, other than getting off book, is accents. To me, a few of my characters sound too much a like. Which would be excusable, since the same guy is playing all of them, but I'd like to vary things a bit. Old Joe stands out the most, and sounds the least like any of the others. The biggest differentiation I want to make is between Frederick, the brother of Dickens himself, and Fred, the nephew of Scrooge. Peter Cratchit will eventually just be a slightly higher pitched voice. Younger Scrooge will be tricky. I am going to try to emulate some of the diction and accent of the man who plays the older Scrooge throughout the play. I also plan to copy some of his hand gestures. (Which will become more clear once nobody is holding their scripts anymore.)

There is still some work to do on the set, and when it is done, Old Joe will have a platform to stand on towering above those who are selling Scrooge's stuff. I look forward to really perfecting this scene, as I have been in more than one version of it over the years. Plus, this Old Joe had a bit of an edge. You almost get the sense he has a knife in his belt, ready to expertly slice someone up should the annoy him for too long. It's a short scene and a minor character, but a memorable one, and I think I'll play around with that motivation a while. (It will be aided by the fact that I'll be wearing an eye patch. At least that is the director's plan for now.)

Blocking rehearsals, i confess, don't usually make for great blog fodder, and this one is no exception. How much can one really say at this stage? "We blocked this scene or that". If there were major problem I would report them, but there were none so far. So the deeper stuff will wait for next week's rehearsals. And especially the week after that when we are to be off book.

Spread Out.

I made a mistake in my last entry. I mention we would be blocking Act Two on Sunday, when in fact that is what we began last night. We didn't get all the way through the act, though, so we will be continuing on Sunday.

There is more complicated blocking in the second act, it seems, so it took longer at times. But we now have more room on the set with which to move about.

The platform that had been incorrectly placed was moved. Also, the number of entrance/exit points has been reduced from four to two. It was decided that things were getting to crowded at times as it had been set up. (The entrances were formed by two l-shaped walls on wheels that can be moved at will.) These were positioned in such a way that despite their now being fewer places to enter the stage, the stage itself has more open space than before.

To begin with, the "base characters" return for the start of the second act. I have but one line in this section as Frederick, but ideally he should be juggling when he says it. I have never juggled in my life. So one of the set designers who knows how is going to work with me and try to teach me how. I'm willing to learn, but have no sense of whether I will be able to do so. The good news is, if I can't master it, throwing the fruit in some fancy way instead of juggling it will still accomplish the goal of my one line.

Perhaps the biggest blocking challenge will be the Fred party scene, during the shadows of Christmas Present section of the play. It seems that almost any stage rendition of A Christmas Carol has this moment from the novel as one of the longer, more boisterous, and sometimes, more complicated scenes in the entire production. The scene being of a lively party, I suppose that makes sense. But I laugh when I think that in all the productions of this story I have been in, it usually takes the most time to block certain scenes, and this one is always among them.

But aside from blocking, I will be challenged to keep the "Fred energy" up the entire time. Unlike his initial appearance, which is mostly a brief encounter with a specific, though difficult mission, the party scene is long and drawn out. Plus, it meanders about a bit. Here we see a Fred totally lost on joviality, without having to stand up against Scrooge. Not an especially difficult motivation; joy. But it is the energy of the scene which is crucial, and I dare say in many ways Fred's energy will be the driving force of it. I shall have to be at near full throttle for that one. Energy should always be high on stage of course, but it is even more noticeable when a high energy actor is playing a high energy character.

During the word game I also have to have Fred on the verge of cracking up at his selection of Uncle Scrooge as the subject of his word game. I'm not a morose fellow, but I am not often laughing for such a sustained period, so that will be something to remember.

The only other thing on which we worked last night was the Cratchit scene in the present. "God Bless Us All", and that sort of thing. I play Peter Cratchit in the scene, and I have to say I have less of a sense of him than any of the other roles I have for this show. He has few lines, and not given much to do. Plus he is ideally much younger than I am. It is in fact a strange assignment, I think, for the character he plays Frederick Dickens. All of the other roles he is assigned are, or can be, roughly the same age as he. But Peter... I think the key is to just keep him subtle while still suggesting a youthful exuberance. His direct age isn't specifically mentioned, and maybe people won't notice. Or perhaps I can pull off playing a child. I did it before once. I am glad I will not have to put Tiny Tim on my shoulders this time though. I did it the last time, and it wasn't the most comfortable affair for me.

I am also starting to work on different voices for different characters. That is always a challenge, but it's even more so when each of those characters is to have an accent. So my goal is to establish a different British accent, as well as a different voice for each. True mastery of such things can take years of study, and I realize that. But I have always prided myself on doing a little bit more with accents than just pronouncing a few words differently. I can't say they would full a native or any such thing, but my goal is to at least keep them consistent. Dropping in and out of an accent during the course of a show is one of the more common flaws in community shows such as this.

I did find a wonderful resource that may help me out with this. This website is dedicated to archiving and recording samples of English being read and spoken with accents from all over the world. I have looked for this kind of site for years as an actor, and I am glad to have stumbled upon it. I played around with it for an hour when I first found out about it. Try it yourself. It's fun and educational. Before this site I would use British sitcoms as guides. And I will still do a bit of that I am sure, even with this new archive at my disposal.

The next rehearsal is Sunday evening, when we will finish act two and I believe run act one again. But I am not certain, and I was wrong the last time I blogged about what came next, so don't quot me on that. But the better stuff always starts to happen once blocking is written down. Not the best stuff, which is reserved for when everyone is off book, but the focus turns mostly toward acting once blocking is set down. So after Sunday we will be getting into high gear, in a manner of speaking.

Celebrating Five Years!

Five years! 508 entries. 12 or so productions of various lengths at six different venues. More than 20 individual roles. Who knows how many audience members. Not to mention scores of articles, stories, reviews, and random theatre related musings not pertaining directly to one of my shows. And the comments for the same.

And my loyal blog readers. I thank you all for being there through all of this. Even during the months sometimes when material was thin.  

So what can be said on this anniversary of the launch of this blog? It hasn't been earth changing, I know. It doesn't get thousands of hits a month, or even a year. And while I admit I would really like to get some more comments on my posts, I like to think that the adventures I have shared here have contributed at least a bit to someone's enjoyment or understanding of community theatre. I can't be sure that it has done so without feedback.  But I can hope.

Actually, I hope a lot of things about the last five years of Always Off Book. I do it because it means something to me personally, and I get satisfaction out of it, regardless of external outcome. Nevertheless, I do hope that it has accomplished certain things for others over the last five years. For example:

-I hope it has made clear that amateur productions do not always mean low quality anymore than professional theatre always equals great work. On that same page, I hope it has shown that an amateur actor, as my subtitle suggests, really doesn't have to have amateur thoughts about the world of acting. It comes from inside each individual performer.

-I hope that people read my sometimes technical but always truthful "sausage making" posts about how rehearsals for a production are going, and become more aware of all that goes into even a smaller stage production. And I hope that by knowing such, I have enriched the experience of going to see a live performance, even if it is not my own performance.

-I hope that by being frank about as many things as possible as I write here on the blog, I have gained the trust of my readers. That by now they can know whatever I post is sincere and frank.

-It is my hope that people have noticed I continue to come back to live theatre, despite being in some truly miserable shows with some truly lousy people sometimes.

-I hope that Always Off Book has succeeded, at least sometimes, in conveying to the reader a tiny portion of the exhilaration that can be felt by an actor when a play is going right

-I hope the advice I have given here, both in articles and through relaying my own rehearsal experiences has been of use to fellow actors out there in their own shows.

-I hope those that know nothing at all about being in a show have learned something useful about not just theatre, but about professionalism, passion, motivation, and quality in any aspect of life. Because though it is about my theatre adventures, a lot of what I talk about here is about putting my name onto something, and committing 100% to its excellence. You can do that whether in a show, or cooking a meal.

-I hope my minimalist, "content is king" approach appeals to those who actually want to take the time to read something in depth, instead of just skimming the surface of an issue, and playing with the bells and whistles of a website.

-Readers have laughed, been given pause, reconsidered a position, felt comforted, or just educated by my posts at some point I hope.

-But most of all, and I would think this is obvious, it is my sincerest hope that somewhere in these 508 entries, I have written something that has encouraged someone out there to either attend, or appear in community theatre for the very first time. Someone who otherwise might not have done so, because of fear, or misconceptions, or uncertainty as to what to expect. Someone who may have lacked the interest, or the confidence to try such a thing until they stumbled across Always Off Book and read about something that I have been through.

-And my "uber-hope", if you will, is related to the last one. It is my "uber-hope" that at least one person not only decided to try theatre for the first time based on something I have written here, but subsequently fell in love with it, and decided they want to dedicate passion, energy, and time to it for a long time to come. That the very act of reading one of these blog posts was the first step in an epiphany, like the one I had years ago. An epiphany that reveals to someone out there that despite what their career may be, there is a place, an important, rewarding, influential place for them in the world of live theatre. And that such a reader will, without shame, assume that place, and change their life, and the lives of others in the process.

And then one day that person will introduce the theatre to someone else who never thought theatre could be for them…

These are my hopes. This is my blog. I am Ty, an amateur actor sharing his not so amateur thoughts on the world of acting. I have been doing so for five years today. And I have no intention in the world of stopping anytime soon.               

Last Stop on the Rehearsal Train

One that sometimes jumped the tracks over the last few weeks with A Thurber Carnival. You know the drill by now, I won't dredge it all up.

So is the show ready for opening night? Let's just say it was more ready tonight than it was last night. Beyond that, I can't really say. not as ready as it should be, probably.

The choreographer now is a self appointed quasi-stage manager, (even though we have an actual stage manager.) She gives out acting and costume notes as though it were her job or something. It amuses me a bit that she can't even bring herself to give these so called notes to me herself. She gives them to other people to give to me, despite being in the same room.

The last time I checked she had not been named director or even assistant director of this production, and until instructed otherwise, I will listen only to notes given by the actual director of this show, unless it pertains to a dance situation. (And even then, my ability to change anything now that rehearsals are over and we are opening the show is in doubt. My energies must be focused on acting now, giving that this is not a musical. Not sold as one, or advertised as one. No sheet music comes with the script. It is a straight show with a dance number at the beginning. Always has been.

That straight show had a small audience tonight. For a while, anyway. There was a right up being done for the local paper. Billed as a "review", the reporter left before the play was over. In fact, so did the entire mini-audience, which consisted of a few students from one of the college classes taught by one of the cast mates.

They must not have been impressed with what they saw, or otherwise just all happened to have had somewhere else to be at the exact same time. Or their teacher told them to go after all of his biggest roles were done, and not worry about the rest of the play. Either way, by the time Act Two rolled around, it was totally empty in the house. Not even the director was out there anymore. (She had moved up to the lighting booth to help give cues, and fix some sound problems.

And there were sound problems from the start. Musical cues did come, or came late during the word dance. Which means we have never run it with the correct music all the way through. Today, in front of the microscopic test audience was only the second time we had run the thing all the way through at all. It went as well as can be expected.

I didn't get the impression anybody was laughing, though of course I was not out there the entire time. People being out there did serve a purpose, though. Being watched, even by only a few people, does tend to sharpen a few rough edges. I just wish I could have had a little of that for Act Two.

Not that I screwed up in any major way, that I know of. In fact, most of my stuff went smoothly. Mitty was probably the best it has been. Everything seemed to go faster tonight, (though we started an hour late due to some construction.)

I have zero costume change issues. They all have oodles of time, and they only involve putting on or taking off some jacket or another, and a hat here and there. Easy street as far as that goes. Others have it rougher. But as I mention earlier this week, I came up with a base costume, and have not been told to change it. So there it is.

I may have been talking a little too fast tonight. It dawned on me during a few speeches. I made a concerted effort to speak slower in the second act.

The director's main note was that energy was low. I think that is probably true, and has probably been true for most of the rehearsals this week. It's a hard show to infuse energy into. If things had been different, we may have been able to, but I think everyone is just running on fumes at this point. I hope the energy of whatever crowd we get tomorrow helps out with that. But if not, I will be happy just to get the opening out of the way.

If I sound non-committal, I am. I am more concerned, and less excited about this opening than I have been in a while. They say things always work out in theatre. I cannot agree. That is not my prophesying a bad opening, and I of course wish against that. It simply means that I don't assume things that have me concerned now will just go away naturally. Even if the show went perfectly from a technical standpoint, there is so much baggage connected to it now, it feels more laborious than some shows.

Nonetheless I will do what I can. I can't say I will have 100% for this show, as I admit mental exhaustion has set in in regards to some things. But I will do what I can. I just wish I was more excited for this one.

The Good, the Bad, and the VERY VERY Ugly

We all sin sometimes, and I committed a theatre sin last night. I got into a fight. But my limit with this certain individual had been reached.

It's a difficult thing to blog about in a way. But as I don't use names, and as it is a secret to nobody that was there, I will do so. Briefly, because I am still reeling from the unpleasentness.

The person in question likes to make changes to the script as he performs. Usually without telling anyone else in the scene he is going to do so. The reason is usually to "cover" for something that he feels needs to be covered, but is not covered by the script. It is usually without warning.

Last night, (this is tech week, just to remind you), it happened again, and I was confused, and yes, I stopped the progress to ask him to please not change my cue line on me. Yelling at me ensued, and yes, I yelled back, until the director broke us up, and we finished the scene.

In the green room, (which is basically just behind the stage), I was pissed. Understandably if you ask me. When cast mates asked what was up, I told them, dropped it, and then proceeded to gather my stuff for my next scene.

The man in question came up to me again, intent on blaming the stage manager for the situation. (A charge I have to say, in the interest of fairness, was unfounded.) I told him that I didn't want to hear anymore about the issue that night, and I proceeded to leave the dressing room. At which point I was followed, yelled at, and berated. Not having the energy to be the bigger man, I did in fact yell back, as I stormed out of the room, to take a walk around the blog.

With a cooler head, I returned, only to be approached again. This time, I was more balanced, and asked to be left alone. This was met with more blustering rage. To my own partial credit, I didn't return any of it this, time, (nor the subsequent time he brought the subject up, angrily.) I know, I should have been able to ignore it the first time. I couldn't and didn't.

So needless to say, I am not longer comfortable being around this person. I have requested that all changes he makes to the script now be explained to me by the director, and no he himself. I fear more confrontations otherwise.

And that, loyal blog readers, is how to put the "hell" into the opening of "hell week."

Not that even more "dance issues" didn't set the tone earlier in the evening already.

Then, me and a cast mate broke a glass on stage as we tried to wheel out a table. That held things up a bit.

Amazingly enough in all of this, I only dropped one line in all of my scenes. I hope to do no worse than that from here on out, obviously.

Getting to a more positive side of things, I did wear a costume of my own procurement last night. Simple khaki's and a striped shirt as a base costume.I don't know if I am to wear a tie yet or not, but there are plenty available. A dinner jacket needs to be procured for my stints of a narrator. Can't imagine that will be too hard.

I also wore what I suppose is called an overcoat for the Walter Mitty scene. I made it look frumpier on purpose, so, (hopefully) the character would look more pathetic as himself, and even funnier when he imagines himself to be noble.

I was told I could wear someone's hat for the scene as well. (There is a site gag with it, so I need one.) I pulled the hat and set it with my coat, but it was gone by the time the scene turned up. So I grabbed the nearest guy hat I could find; A cheap Halloween shop version of a black fedora. It is too small to look good, but it allowed me to wear it at a funny angle, which, judging by the notes we got at the end of rehearsal, seems to have worked very well. So I am going to keep it. I love when something last minute ends up being the right creative choice.

The line I dropped came in Preble. Unusual for me this late in the game, and I am not happy about it. But like I said earlier, I hope to minimize that sort of thing from now on.

I worry most at this point about the scene that caused the altercation, a few pieces of Mitty, and of course the dance at the start of the play. The rest of my responsibilities seem to be going smoothly, knock on wood.

We need more than three days of rehearsal to get it at optimal strength, but we don't have more than three days. So the goal is to get it solid, and to perfect a few problem spots. I wasn't out in the house to see how most of the other skits were going, but I imagine all of them are in need of some work, just as most of mine are.

Here's to a lot of work, and no politics from here on out.

Saturday Morning's Allright for Recordin'

It was an uncommon Saturday morning gathering for part of the cast for A Thurber Carnival last week. I had to be up early enough to take the half hour drive into Shepherdstown, and be there by 10:00AM. One of the cast members works at the nearby Shepherd University radio station, and we were there to record a promotional spot for the play, as I mentioned before.

Great little station. Reminded me of my own college radio days. Cramped quarters, but we got it done. (Even though one cast mate had to stand in for another, who was unable to make it that morning.)


We were given permission to to use about one minute of dialogue from the show, and it just so happens that the first 60 seconds of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty ends at a very convenient cut-off point. So we ran through it twice, just to make sure the timing held up. (It did.) Then we recorded two takes. And that was that. Afterward, each of us gave our name, and a few brief thoughts about what we enjoyed about being in the production. The entire thing will be edited down to two, or possibly three minutes, and played on the air this week on the college radio station. (Which has a range of about 40 miles I am told.) Hopefully that will attract some people.

After the recording I walked by to the theatre, and helped with painting for a bit. There is no set to speak of, but there were several pieces of wooden furniture that needed to be painted off white. I hadn't helped with painting on a show in years. (Most of the community theatres don't need, and in some cases prefer the cast to not be involved in set construction.) But I was always fairly good at it, so long as it was just solid colors, as it was in this case. Coat of primer, coat of white. I think the director planned on putting one more coat on everything sometime over the weekend. I painted for about two hours.

A scheduled cue-to-cue with all actors on Sunday was canceled. The director felt in the end that there were too many things up in the air to make the rehearsal practical at that point. The small tech crew went in, but actors were given the night off. So tonight, (Monday) will begin our tech week. A Tuesday rehearsal has also been added. We  need it.

Those who read my blog we probably notice certain patterns. One of them is the whole, "we are in tech week and further behind than we should be" scenario. This is another installment in that series, as I really feel we haven't gotten to where we ideally should be by now. I confess once again that I am a bit nervous having only four days left at this point. The dance is still unrehearsed. (Thanks to the previous mention "dance problems". We haven't had music yet. We have a long way to go. But one consolation is that pulling together a bunch of individual skits in a short time should be somewhat easier than pulling together one continuous play in the same amount of time, at the same level of unpreparedness. In other words, it will be easier to make up lost ground with this show than with a standard show. I am counting on that being true. But hauling ass will still be required.

That ass hauling starts tonight, with costumes. (Which I am going to be wearing for the first time tonight, if the clothes I am bringing meet with the approval of the director. We don't need complicated costumes for most scenes, though I am starting to wonder about the Civil War uniform for If Grant Were Drunk at Appomattox. That is the sort of complicated costume change that I would have preferred to run a few times before tonight. But that is the one type of costume I couldn't possible provide myself.

So I'm in for a long week of long nights. But I want to be in for them. I want to have our nose to the grindstone on this one.

Final Dress

I didn't blog about Tuesday's tech rehearsal, and for that I apologize. But as is often the case during a tech week I was a bit more tired than usual. Plus, there was nothing that made Tuesday night stand out in it's own right, save this; it went better than Monday. But then again, it would have been very troubling if it had NOT Gone better than Monday.

That being said, tonight was the best it has yet been. There was still some calling for lines, and I have to say I have never been in a company where a prompter was allowed. It's a strange feeling.

But those times were few and far between. The energy was way up in some of the scenes as compared to previous nights. I think we could have very much used Wednesday night as a rehearsal this week, but seeing as how we didn't have it, the improvement between Monday and today is noteworthy.

I have never been sure I totally buy into the notion that the better the last rehearsal, the worse the opening night, and vice-verca. I think the psychological basis of that claim lie in the fact that a flawless final rehearsal has the tendency to make a cast complacent. "We've nailed everything, so we can let our guard down," and hence problems arrive the next night. Conversely, if a cast is discouraged by a poor final rehearsal, there is a greater tendency to ease up, work extra hard, and make Opening Night a redemptive affair. But I don't think there is anything mystical to the notion, and since it is all psychological, I think the quality of the final rehearsal is not as vital as the mindset during it.

What was our mindset this evening? Cautious optimism, by the end. During the rehearsal, I think there was still enough jitters and fear of making a mistake, or embarrassment at having made one, that as a whole the show is still humble, and hence in line for a good Opening Night, should everyone keep on their toes.

I had all of my costumes tonight, though they are not all completed. Some are not quite fitted and hemmed. But unless someone is coming in between now and then, they are what they are at this point. It was the first time I ever got to run any of my costume changes, and only one of them worried me before hand. Turns out I had plenty of time. I have lots of extra time for the other changes. No problems there, assuming the timing is about the same from now on.

Some huge set pieces, in the form of exercise equipment were added to the set today. The derailed several crosses, and made some things impossible to do safely. (That is not just me saying that, a few other agreed.) So the pieces were moved to different locations between scenes, and they were far easier to work around.

I reacted tot he obstacles in character, and it was not horrendous. I am just relieved that I won't have to worry with it from now on.

I also at last got a realistic looking gun to use tonight! Not one of the theatre's guns, but one owned by a cast mate. It has made it's way on stage several times it appears. From a distance it looks very real, and it will do just fine. (Though due to a door being put in place for the first time tonight, I had to alter my angle somewhat in order to see my cue, but it worked.

But back to the energy, as I said, it was up for at least all of the scenes I was in. The pace was snappy but not rushed. Lines were coming well. More nuance to my character is developing. It will develop even more tonight I hope.

After rehearsal cast photos were taken. Several legitimate ones and several silly ones. By request I wore the loudest of the 4 suits I use for this show. Also by request I posed with one of the actresses in it. With the previously mentioned gun also. I have not seen the photo yet, but I look forward to seeing how that one turned out.

During and after the photos, almost all at once, any remaining tensions seemed to drift away. I don't mean nerves, I mean tension. More personal than performance related. I've been comfortable with everyone for a while, but as soon as the last rehearsal was concluded I could almost feel a weight lifting off all of us. As though we had all at one time given ourselves permission to have a little more fun with the show. Maybe it was because there was no more preparation work left, and all that remains now is the raison d'etre of being in a show; entertaining a crowd. Or maybe it was just me. But there was much laughter for the rest of the evening. It might not have been more than usual, but it seemed so. Everyone just seemed suddenly more at ease with one another to me.

And so, hopefully, that will carry over into Opening night, which now is less than 24 hours away. I have said it several times but it bares repeating...this has been one of the fastest productions I have been in for quite a while. So here's hoping each of the 7 performances is optimum.

So it begins...