Tech Week(s)

Though only this week has been the official tech week for Jekyll and Hyde (tonight being the final day of same), last week, for various reasons also felt like a tech week. That's one reason I didn't post an update on progress until now.

Nothing would be more boring that to share with you all of the little (and big) issues that have spring up that have slowed our progress in this production. Issues that are for the most part particular to the venue, the time of year and other such things. I will generalize the delay by saying that unexpected absences, unexpected equipment issues, some unwanted interference and an over crowded shared venue have all contributed to a trying final two weeks of the rehearsal process, for just about all involved. Everyone's process is slowed as we repair set pieces and try to get the lighting board to cooperate even now.

That certainly includes me. I am in fact off book for this show, and I have been. But I find I still trip or slide in places. Part of that may be due to how many lines I have in the show. (I believe in this case I have the plurality of them.) Part of the issue is the nature of the lines. Not only are the period for the Victorian era in some ways, in other ways they are not, which can trip my tongue even more. The script is also, in truth, in need of an editing if ever there is a revised edition to same.

On the whole, there is a lot of stress involved in preparing for this production. Stress that has, I think, slowed my own journey toward total confidence in what I am doing.

I must also mention that because I am on stage so much, I do not get a breather as often as the rest of the cast, or as often as I usually do in a show. That also has no doubt contributed to the pressure.

My confidence is in the end, my own journey. I don't think anyone can just tell another person to become confident. They can encourage, and that helps, but the final destination must be reached by the person in question on their own. I am there for parts of the play, but not for every single scene, as I normally am, and strongly prefer to be, by the end of the rehearsal process.

This hopefully doesn't mean I am somehow "losing my touch." The fact is, I don't believe that I am at this time. I've listed all of the complications associated with the show, and in defense of myself, I believe that plenty of people would experience a few speed bumps under the circumstances. Our tech crew, though not responsible for any line delivery is a prime example; this is a show requiring a lot of technical activity, and we have only one true runner, and the stage manager herself. It is a tremendous amount for two people to get done in the time they have to do it. So the strain on optimum performance is by no means restricted to the actors.

I also feel that I have, for whatever reason, been more tense, and rushed on stage while running this show than I normally would be. Whether this can also be attributed to all of the unavoidable extras, I'm not sure. But early last week it dawned on me just how fast I was delivering some of the speeches. Certain emotions of course call for greater speeds, but what I was doing was beyond this. I got to thinking I was going fast for the sake of getting the lines out, as opposed to going fast for the sake of portraying an emotion. I was never given a note that i was too fast, so I don't think I was going fast to the point of being unintelligible. Nevertheless, I tripped on common words more often than I found acceptable, and I made a determination to slow down a bit.

I have in fact slowed my delivery a bit each night since then. Further I have made sure I have physically more relaxed, relieving tension on my actual muscles that I don't always have on stage. This, especially last night, seemed to allow the words to flow more freely. I don't of course want to rid myself of energy on stage, but it has served as a strong reminder to relax. I still made some small errors, but I didn't let that end the world.

It didn't hurt that last night was the first time we ran the show with no "extras" out in the audience. That is to say, only the director and stage manager were there, and the light/sound people were up in the booth. Nobody going in and out.

Tonight then, is the final rehearsal. Because of the nature of my costume, I have actually been wearing mine the entire week, though this is the only official dress rehearsal. I am going to do my very best to treat it as an actual performance. I am off book, I have relaxed a bit, and last night I proved that I am at least in the proper ballpark to do what I need to do. Tonight I want to be sure of it to an even greater degree, though I am aware of the old superstition about the final dress vs. opening night.

Leaden Wings

What can I say? For whatever reasons, my updating on the progress of Glengarry Glen Ross has crawled to a stand still. One reason I think is how I started it in the first place. If you recall I mentioned then that due to a (probably absurd) concern that the lawsuit-happy David Mamet people might stumble on to some kind of commentary I made, and decide it was against the playwright's intent, and go to town. Paranoid maybe, but it just sort of feels like the type of ridiculous thing yours truly would manage to stumble into. So I've said less about character and line delivery and such for this play than I have for most of them.

Also, the production has felt different in some ways, not all of which I can articulate even here on the blog. There have been certain issues, yes, but I can't say this show has had more than any other of my shows. To some extent the issues, (which I am keeping to myself) have impacted some of what I have wanted to do with my performance. I've not been able to sink as deeply into the character as early on as I am used to.

But I can't shake the possibility that the deep cynicism of the play isn't where America needs to be now. Or in the very least isn't where I need to be now, in light of what is happening with the country. I don't mean to suggest that theatre should go dormant in time of national crisis. God forbid I should appear to be endorsing that. I'm not even suggesting that dramatic, even dark subject matter is off limits for theatre in these trying times. But it should be making a specific statement that perhaps this play is not, and was never intended to do.

A play of greed, of vice, dishonesty, deception. Characters that are never what the appear, self-serving, and who take pleasure in their smoke screens and stiffing people. Little to no loyalty even among those within the office setting. Sounds and feels a bit too much like another office shaped like an oval.

I first agreed to be in the play before the election of 2016, when they show was supposed to go on in early February. As I have mentioned on this blog before, quite a bit has changed in the world since then, and I'm sure you know what I mean. As a result, I think that Mamet's dialogue, (which I admit is near-virtuoso in some places in this script) rings somewhat more hallow than even it is intended to. There is steak along with the sizzle in this play, but I think the sizzle sells this one, and the world needs steak.

Tomorrow is in fact our final rehearsal before we open on Friday. Tech week, which we are in the midst of, has gone well for the most part. There are still some places to polish, for me and for others, but I'd put the production on solid ground. Despite my lack of delving as deep into John Williamson in the ways I wanted to earlier on, I am satisfied with my portrayal on the whole, even if not blown away by what I'm doing.

Still, as a whole, the show isn't propelling me into opening night with as much anticipation as I am used to. I'm sure by the time the audience is there and we are off the ground, it will feel different, to at least some extant. But some of the wings of the show feel leaden, and I can't dismiss the possibility that world events contribute to that. I have been, and will continue to be professional about this play, as that is what I do. Yet part of me cannot help but wonder if this play I am in is what the community, any community truly needs right now.

24 Hour TheatreFest: Conclusion

Yesterday was the day, and it was a success. I covered how it went over on my regular blog, so forgive the laziness of this, but I will just link to that from here, so you can get an idea of how it went, and what it meant for me.

A Tech Week Carol

You wouldn't know it by my general radio silence over the last few days, but we have in fact been in the midst of tech week for Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story. Normally I have a bit more to say here on the blog for tech weeks, but I got to thinking that without major developments, most of tech week is the same sort of insider type of night that in general all experienced actors know about, and those outside of theatre would likely find a bit boring to read about. Plus I have been tired coming home at night as you might guess, for this has been one of the latest (at night) tech weeks I've had in a while.

A general overview:

We get out of rehearsal around 11 so far this week. I don't much mind this, since we need the time to get everything set up. Lights and sounds are still being worked out, and I'd rather take the time, than not get them right in the actual show. That's what the week is for, and it's part of the package when you volunteer.

Thus far, I've done pretty good as far as doing my job, I dare say. I've dropped a line here and there throughout the week, but as far as I recall, nothing that derailed the moment. Plus I correct the issue the next day in rehearsal.

I'm not what I call "secondary" off book as much as I would like to be in an ideal world. That is to say, how much information can I pull up to correct a mistake or omission made by someone else in the scene. I've been able to dive in and give a missing line or otherwise put tape over the situation here and there, I'm relieved to say, but in a perfect world I would always knows exactly how to fix something, and I confess, I've not had an instant fix for each mistake outside of my control which has occurred this week. Perhaps I put too much pressure on myself for this. I don't like to see fellow actors swinging out in the breeze though. I like to help if I can. And I have tried to do so. But I suppose there is a limit to amount of things one actor can juggle at a time. I have to remind myself of that from time to time.

Being so familiar with the story, however, does help at times to ascertain the general direction of things should they go awry for a moment.

On the whole, the week has been a bit rough for all of us, to be honest. But last night did show a marked improvement over the previous night.

Things started off with a cue-to-cue, wherein the light booth folks get their timing down for light and sound cues. That took a while. I think it took longer than than director expected. After that we moved into a full fledged rehearsal. Despite some bumps and a bit of fatigue on my part, combined with having a few new costume pieces and props to handle, some of my moments were the best I've delivered so far, I have to say. Probably because despite all of the technical issues, there is this awareness that we open tomorrow (!) and that it's time to home in on some more of the performance nuance.

Tonight is "full dress," though I wore all my costumes last night as well. Plus a few other nights last week. Some of the changes will be a little close, but if last night was any indication, all of them should be doable.

The first three staves of this tech week carol have perhaps not gone as smoothly as one would like. However, the show has gotten better each night this week, and there is no reason to believe it won't be even more improved tonight.

Final "Private" Rehearsals.

Tonight, Thursday, will be the final rehearsal for Macbeth after a long three month process. It will be, however, open to the public, free of charge, so it's quite possible some kind of audience will be present. It's not an opening, but depending on if anybody shows, it means the days of practicing the show in private are over. Our director reserves the right to stop and correct things as needed, and has warned potential observers that this may occur, but for all intents and purposes, the "true" rehearsal process ended last night, to me.

Last night and the night before, I am happy to say, were not seen as train wrecks by anybody. They did indeed go much better than Monday night. Both nights saw me make minor missteps, but nothing to derail the entire scene. With the knowledge that I am by no means perfect, I would say I am ready to perform my part.

Last night for the first time, we had lights. We don't do much in the way of light changes in this show, but running the scenes with the actual lighting took a few minutes to get used to. And in many ways it helped; in costume under the lights you realize all the more that it's time to eat.

Our director has said nothing about it, but I think the show, myself included, ran a bit low on energy in places the last two evenings. That's the only universal structural problem I noticed from my end. Even with the energy level, the show is down to a running time of 90 minutes. It's Shakespeare's shortest tragedy, and our script is editing to be even shorter, but 90 minutes for Shakespeare is a nice clip. You can't accuse of dragging it out.

I wore a homemade beret last night. Not in love with it, but everyone has one, so it's not like it's just a me thing. That's why they call it a "uniform" after all.

The building itself looks good, too. Construction debris and other such things have been cleared out, ready to host audiences. It always feels so much better to me once a place is cleaned up. I always heard that the disconnect closed-circuit TV feed, that shows the stage on a monitor in the green room, could be up and running again tonight. I love that feature...no running around checking on cues every five minutes. Only local theatre that has that feature.

Brought some dirt from my yard to smear on my face for battle scenes. Had been using dirt there at the theatre, but it has tiny pieces of gravel in it, and I think I scratched myself a few times in the application process. It had it's advantages though; the original dirt was lighter, and took less time to apply. Dirt from my home is darker, and looked almost like paint once I wet it and put it on. I want it to look less deliberate than that. I corrected it later, but tonight I think I'll apply it differently to give it a more random look, as someone who's been fighting out in a field would have. I'll post a picture if I think of it.

As always with me, it's the little things on stage.

"Train wreck."

That's how one of my cast mates referred to tonight's rehearsal, opening tech week. I wouldn't go as far as that, but it was rough in places to be sure.

I even totally botched a line I haven't botched in a while. (Though in my defense, it was the only line I botched on a night when there were all kinds of bumps in the road for the show.)

Friday, not everyone could show up for rehearsal, so we did trouble spots. Unfortunately, I was only in one of them, so I spent much of the evening in the theatre not being needed. Then we had off on Saturday and Sunday. By the time we started tonight, we'd gone three days without rehearsing the show, but I can't put the blame there because every week we have gone Friday, Saturday and Sunday without running the show as a whole.

So who knows why today went awry? It is what it is, and to be honest, I don't think it was that bad. I've been in far worse tech week rehearsals, that worried me much more than this one did. It shouldn't be repeated, but it's not a disaster either.

I smeared some dirt on my face for the two times I am in battle scenes. (Though I don't perform any combat on stage.) Looked good. I'll keep doing that unless I'm told not to by the director. I always felt like a guy who just had a shower, (which in fact I do before each rehearsal) as opposed to a guy who's been battling all day at the start of this play.

Been feeling a bit weird overall though about my place in this play. I must admit, that not only is my character, as written, somewhat off to the side, I myself personally feel off to the side as a person and actor in this production as often as not. This despite the fact I've known some of the people involved for years. This has been a recurring, even if not a constant feeling since the start of this whole experience. I can't explain it with certainty, but I think a need for a change of pace may be part of the issue.

I've been in three shows there this year, and 98% of my shows in the last 8 years have been there. Despite having some friends heavily involved in the running and current remodeling and rebranding of the place, it may be time to move along to somewhere else for a while. Even including gaps, I've spend more theatre time in this venue than any other so far in my life. I don't have the right personality to help run things, and I don't want to remain a silent foot solider in the arts forever either. My feelings of being on the outside of this production may just be a reflection of feeling the need to be branching out in general in the local arts world.

I'd like to direct a show there next year, now that they have remodeled, but I don't know if that will be happening. And in any case that is the future. The present is tech week of Macbeth, and I need to concentrate on that the most for the time being.

To that end, I need to make sure I don't miss lines again for the remainder of the runs like I did today. I believe I have another costume piece still to come this week that I want to get a look at. Plus there is all the ritual of tech week and opening weekend to prepare.

Q 2 Q.

That title is about the only thing fun about a cue-to-cue rehearsal. I've gone back and forth over my acting life as to whether it's necessary for actors to be present for them. On the one hand it gives people in charge of lights and sounds a chance to see the exact people standing and moving in the exact places they will be, in theory, when the sound/light is needed.

On the other hand, it can be difficult for actors to just drop themselves right in the middle of a scene without context sometimes. Q2Qs encourage boredom and discourage blowing off steam due to said boredom, so the testiness level is potentially high. Plus at this level, my experience has been that they rarely make any technical people more prepared for their job; no more prepared at least than learning their cues from the script, and pushing through them the first few times the show is run.

To be honest, I usually lean towards "no" on this subject. But unless I am directing, my thoughts on it don't matter in any given production. All by way of saying we had a Q2Q last night for Macbeth.

Sort of.

Lights are not yet set up for the new space, and the person running lights wasn't there, as far as I know. So in this case it was just the stage manager writing down in the script where and when to do things, for the tech people to refer to when they show up. Again, to me, this being the case, we didn't need actors present, but it was what it was. Not much worth sharing about a Q2Q, other than from what i could tell, all sound and light cues have been written down for when the techies show up. And if there are to be no techies at all, assignments to actors have been given as to when to change the set.

We did try on some costumes too, last night. Army fatigues for me, mostly. I opted to keep my costume on for the rehearsal, just to get used to wearing it for an extended period of time. Should be fine. Only problem is that it smelled a bit musty; I think the owners have had the costumes in storage for a while. I hope to be able to wash them before we open the show.

Tonight I bring my own boots to the party. That will be the real change, as I've never performed in them before. Even though I have no combat in that play, the boots might take me a day or two to get used to moving in.

The director referred to this as "tech week," though we don't actually open until a week from Friday. (Ten days from now.) I guess because there will be a lot more of the techie stuff going on, what with the remodeling and all.

On that subject, the place is almost totally painted black now, and all of the seating is where it will be for good. So in some ways tonight will be the first time we perform in the space as it is intended to be.

I'm feeling a bit better about my speeches and such. I went through them by myself yesterday afternoon in a sort of speed through, and it was almost without error. That to be says I have the lines in my head. The work now is giving them more feeling, and getting them out on stage to that end. (Which I have very nearly done already a few times.) I'm not worried. Plus I'm looking forward to hopefully finally working more on some of the extra nuance of the character.

Tech Week Begins for Radium Girls

Tech week is often called "hell week," and each show I am in, I ask myself if it's going to be hell.

My answer for Radium Girls, based on the first day with all technical elements and costumes in place is, not yet. A bit hot under the collar, maybe, but not quite hell at this time.

I have never been a technical person. As an actor, I know when something technical has not gone correctly. Such as last night when a chair I was supposed to sit in wasn't set. Or when lights do/do not come on as they are supposed to. I can't say exactly what can be done to correct most technical problems. I only know they exist, most of the time, and the issues, particularly with the timing and cues for the lights continue to throw some road blocks at the show.

I don't want to speculate. There are issues with the lights and sound, and some with the running crew, and that's all I'm going to say about it. It has been frustrating at times. But when there are problems such as these, all one can do is work extra hard at one's own job, and hope for the best. Adapt to what happens as it happens, and continue with the scene. (I grabbed a chair from elsewhere on the set and sat in it for my scene, in response to the missing chair I mentioned above.)

My biggest issues are all my own, from a non-acting standpoint. Costumes, specifically. I have several quick-bordering-on-instant costume changes to make through the course of the show. (Mostly in Act II.) I've been experimenting with a few methods, and none of them have been perfect. I have to leave a jacket in the middle of the floor, or a prop on a set piece when I exit. Yet I have permission to change one or two things here and there, which I think will make it easier from now on. I will try them tonight.

I admit, I don't at all like having to try new technical things this late into a process. We open officially on Friday, with the possibility of a donation-only audience on Thursday. I like everything to be happening by rote almost by now. This is the second show I've been in this year with a lot of changes happening in order to catch up in the final week. I won't lie and say that it doesn't concern me at all.

Yet in the end, I know I am about telling the story. Playing the character. If in the end I forget a hat or put on a wrong jacket, but convey to the audience a living, memorable character, I will be for the most part satisfied with that. Not all of the delays are my fault, and I won't drain energy from my actual performance to feed some of the other issues that have arisen. If I find a smooth fix in the next day or two that doesn't tax me too much, fine. But if not, I am putting my focus on character, and letting that speak for itself. I consider that the actor's ultimate responsibility.

And believe it or not, that aspect felt solid to me last night. My character work, my presence in scenes went well. In some moments I felt better than I have thus far during the rehearsal process. I hope of course that stays, and continues to improve my performance in fact.

"Final" Rehearsal

In a way, that is. Though we do rehearse tonight, last night was, according to our director, the final time we will be stopping to fix or explain anything. Tonight a colleague or two of some of the cast members will be watching, and thus we will be putting on the show at the pace of opening night.

In theory, anyway.

Some brand new technical elements and responsibilities were added last night, and I would have preferred more time to rehearse those. But I can't worry too much about them. They are what they are. My main focus and concentration remains on my performance. I'd rather screw up placing a chair than screw up in my acting.

On that topic, I did better last night than I did the previous two nights. I didn't repeat the mistake I'd made recently. By no means do I suggest that I am now invincible, but getting past a mistake and doing it right the following day goes a long way in establishing both rhythm and confidence in the moment. I will continue to be extra careful with that section, reviewing it in my head and such, but I have done it correctly more recent than having screwed it up, and that is a net gain.

Wore my costume last night, and will tonight. Seems like all of that worked out fine. Mostly it's just a suit, with a hood added in one of the plays. A hot, wool hood. Taking that off between plays is my only "costume change" as it were, so that is a relief.

Got into the green room and dressing rooms for the first time last night. I'd seen them before, but had never used them. The last time I was in a show with others in this venue, the layout of the building was different, so the green room and dressing rooms were in a different place. Always good to get into the dressing rooms, I think. That's when it starts to feel "real" as it were.

Not the most exciting update this time. Everyone is tired, some nerves are on edge. A good opening night performance tends to negate such feelings, but we have a day and a half before all of that. We must get through tonight first. (Where I will be working with a sound effect for the very first time, which I hope goes better than I am fearing it will.)

Line Drop, Mike Drop

I screwed up in a scene last night. Dropped a line and through off the tempo. I messed up this same line once before, and others have messed up in section near that moment before. I don't know what it is about that moment.

Well, I have some ideas.

In the end, 99% of the responsibility falls on the actors, and I accept that. But if a man who works hard at what he does, (yours truly) may be permitted on his own block to speak in his own defense as to the other 1%, I have a few words.

To begin with, the play in which this mistake happened is without a doubt the poorest of the three plays we are doing. Though the plot is seriously lacking, the language is the biggest issues here. Its turgid, archaic, stilted, repetitive, uninspired and often consists of poor diction. References are often unclear and any attempted poetry by Dunsany fails more often than not. Unlike say, Shakespeare, the script shows its age, despite being younger than that of the Bard by three centuries.

Because of these factors, I find it more difficult to patch a hole that may show up, due to either my own error, or that or someone else. The dialogue is unnatural without being elevated. It's just bad, and I've not melted into it as I do with most other scripts. I am in fact off book, and have been, but for certain sections it requires walking a razor's edge. Very little wiggle room. That, more than not having it memorized, has thrown me off here and there in that section.

I speak for nobody else in the cast, of course. But I am not the only one who has had difficulty, and I would not be shocked in the language was a factor in the issues of others as well. I may ask them during these final few days.

In the mean time, I am running the main trouble section over and over, though like I said, I am off book when it comes to the rote memory of the exchange. I think what I'm going for is to know it so well that the ability to ad-lib or jump around if needed is there, though of course, it is better to not need it at all. Perhaps I will attempt to memorize every line in those pages, and not just my own. (Not my usual intention in a play.) There are only two rehearsals left though.

I don't want that section to be a spook either. I think that's another advantage to going over it a bit more.

Otherwise for me that play went fine. (Once we reprogrammed the lights; the board somehow crashed and erased all the cues from the previous night.)

So that is the "line drop" part of this entry. Now for the "mike drop" part.

(Actually, I hate both the term "mike drop" and the actual dropping of a microphone after a performance. But I wanted to be cute with the title, and I went with it.)

The performance of the second show I am in, the head director's own script, was the best its been. The director of the show, (not the same man who wrote it) was overjoyed. He had almost no corrections for us after we ran it. If last night absolutely had to have been performance night for just that show, I think we would have been fine, that's how well we did with it. (I still want the two more rehearsals though!)

The only problem is I have to fire a gun at some point, and we have not developed a sound effect that will work. I think we are working on that tonight.

I was 90% happy with my performance in that play last night, though. No "highway hypnosis." Good energy. Might even pull it back in a few places. But it was a nice counter to the mistake I made in the one scene of the other show.

From here on out, I have to let the mistake I made go. No dwelling, because that will make it a spook. I don't like that it happened, don't want it happening again, but I'm not going to let it become a drain into which the rest of my performance, in that show and the next, gets sucked. I'll work on it, try to calm down, and get it right.

It was probably inevitable that I make at least one or two mistakes in this tech week anyway. I despise making them, but it has been a sort of hectic tech process. In a way I have "had my turn" and hopefully can move past it tonight.

And maybe gain some extra nuance for the character and the scene from all of the extra studying of the section I am doing today. In fact, I think that's already happened to a certain degree.

Two more rehearsals. Tomorrow is costumes officially, but I may wear mine today.

Tight Rope

I've always been honest, though discreet here on the blog. Pursuant to that policy, I have to say I am feeling uneasy about rehearsal last night, and where we stand as a whole for opening weekend.

I'm not telling tales out of school, here. The director of the company shares this assessment, according to what he told us at the end of last night's rehearsal.

No doubt there has been much improvement this week over last week. But the clock ticks no matter how good you feel about yourself, and there is still a large amount of work to be done before Friday.

I myself stumbled once or twice, but I was not by any means the only one. Nobody has a target on their back when I say this; collectively we as a group are behind. As productive as the last few rehearsals have been, the final three will have to be twice as productive over again.

It can happen. Once or twice in my life is has happened. But the uncertainty is difficult on me.

By policy, the company doesn't have rehearsals over three hours long. I'd be willing to work longer than that for the final few days, if that policy were suspended, however.

It wasn't all bad. We did get the lights programmed last night. Took some extra time, but that's the nature of lights and tech week in general. There's no fast way to do that. There aren't too many lighting tricks in the scenes I appear in, but in at least one the lighting will add a whole different ambiance that we can all certainly use in our performances.

I am also thinking about wearing my costume early, if I am permitted. As it stands we only have one scheduled rehearsal in costume. I'm used to more than one. Besides, being in costume, (even though it;s just stuff I personally bought at Goodwill) helps one feel more immersed in the show. If it's against company policy, then of course I won't.

So, there is concern. Not surrender, but concern.

Highway Hypnosis II

The last two rehearsals have had plenty of rough spots and hard edges. To be perfectly objective about it, probably more than rehearsals in the final week should have. That being said, the production has without a doubt improved over the last two days.

Everyone has been at rehearsal, and there is an increased feeling of urgency overall. I wouldn't call it fear or panic, but everyone is aware, shall we say, that it's time. That is my take away from it, at least.

These haven't been tech week rehearsals in the true sense, though. The light/sound technician won't be around until tomorrow. So despite it being tech week, the last two rehearsals have been standard, though we are now running all three shows each night now, and stopping for corrections far less often.

In the shorter of my two plays, the one written by the director of the company, I've reached a place in the last two days that can be good or bad depending on one's perspective. A few times my lines came to me in a less conscious way. Reflexively, once the cue line appeared. This sounds like the ideal to nearly everyone outside of theatre, and to many people inside of it as well. After all, if I'm able to spit the lines out with less thought and concentration, that means I've fully absorbed the material, doesn't it?

Only in a way. But for me, this isn't necessarily the best type of absorption for my manner of performance. I prefer a few more seeds of "Ty consciousness" if you will.

Have you ever been driving down the highway, and suddenly realized you don't really remember driving for the last 15 minutes? You've just been going along existing, and oh,by the way, your driving 65 miles an hour in a machine? It's both unnerving and somewhat amazing at the same time. After all, you were in some way only semi-conscious of what you were doing (the scary part) yet you never ran off the road, and you are still going where you are supposed to go (amazing part.) "Highway hypnosis" some call it.

There can be a similar, (though obviously not as dangerous) phenomenon for the actor, when everything becomes automatic.

"I am Othello! But Olivier is in control," wrote Lawrence Olivier in his great book, On Acting. That's how I prefer to be as well. I want there to always be a kernel of Ty present in  my conscious mind while I perform, so I can course correct if needed. I don't mean I was out of control last night while on stage, I wasn't. My performance was, if I may say so myself, tight, solid. Yet there may have been some "highway hypnosis" going on.

This can happen in any show, but speaking for me at least, it is more likely to happen when I play a high-energy, somewhat askew character as I do in this short play. Even then, it only happened in a few different moments, not the whole show.

Now that I'm aware that I have approached that plain I can use it without succumbing to it. I've gotten a feel for the plane, I can pilot it better now.

Beyond that, I still had to call for a line in one or two places. I know all the lines, but certain sections seem to get weird here and there. I will work on that, of course.

I leave in just over an hour for the next rehearsal, though two people will be missing from this one. No matter, though.

On the Suburbs of Trouble

I should be at rehearsal now instead of writing this. Not just any rehearsal, but the final rehearsal before tech week. A rehearsal we all in the show very much needed.

I'm not there, and in fact nobody is there, because it was cancelled because of weather.

Yeah.

Between schedule clashes and weather problems, my rough guess is that this production has missed anywhere between one third and one half of the rehearsals it was intended to have. We've not yet run all three shows in one night as they will be run for actual performances. In fact, only last night did we run the longest of the three shows all the way through in one night for the first time.

We've not worked the same sections with the same actors two nights in a row the entire time.

And Friday begins tech week.

I've been in tighter spots before in the theatre, but not too many.

I'm declaring myself de facto "off book," while readily admitting that it is a whole different beast to remember all lines and cues when everyone is present for the first time. I wasn't perfect last night, but I was at a place I'm almost comfortable with. It's pretty close to the best I can be on my own, not taking the rest of the cast's presence into account. I will of course continue to work on lines in my own time, though normally by tech week I don't feel much of a need for that.

Also smashed my head into an actresses head while rehearsing a struggle last night. It hurt on the moment, but I'm good now, as far as I can tell. I'll probably ask for a few more extra runs of that little scene; I think I have it, but I feel a tad shaky on it still.

I think I'm done with being in winter shows in this area. What was to be my best night for The King is But a Man last year was cancelled because of weather. The weather has taken a large toll on this show, and I have been other shows that missed rehearsals in February. If it's a wonderful opportunity, I'd probably still do it. Hamlet or something. But by and large there is just too much risk of missing rehearsals and performances around here in January and February. I still do Christmas shows, but that's probably it.

The head of the company agreed. He said he won't put on any more shows this time of year. And that was before we missed today. (The heat in the facility has not been reliable, just like last year for my show. That place gets cold.)

In a message to all of us earlier this evening, the director promised the most "harried" tech week in the history of theatre. Though it will be a battle, I doubt it will be my worst, as I have been in some bad tech weeks for some highly complicated technical shows. Still, I have no doubt there will be long evenings ahead. Not my favorite thing about non-Union theater (where nothing can mandate breaks), but it's part of the beast in such circumstances.

One of the other company directors, (each of the three shows has its own) also emailed everybody, encouraging us all to hit the ground running on Friday. He believes there is a great deal of talent in this cast, and I agree with him. I also agree with his notion that it will take all kinds of work to put on the best possible show. But if we do all of what we are capable, it could be quite an evening of theatre.

No, I am still not panicked. Truth be told, I'm not sure things like this could make me panic anymore. Am I concerned, and uncertain as to whether we will be totally ready to open on time? Yes, of course I am. I think anybody in this situation would be. But unlike in previous years in theatre, I don't tend to view any one production as the be all and end all. At least I don't feel that way as often as I used to. I have no desire to screw up in front of an auditions. I want no parts of being in a poor production. Nor do I particularly want to have to cancel something to which I have already dedicated so much time and energy.

Yet the theatre is a human thing, through and through. Humans piss each other off, make mistakes, have competing values, divided loyalties, have muddled and confusing motivations for their behavior. I'm not happy that this can be the case, and the harder you work, the less likely these things are to derail something.  But when it happens it happens, and while I may be pissed off about something on the day, especially when it requires little effort to rectify or prevent, in the end there will be other shows. They don't all end up in a mess. I will act again, if I have anything to do with it.

Nor is this show a mess yet. We have that one week to pull things together. I imagine the head director won't let us go on if we look absurd and unprepared. He almost made the decision once already, after all. So, as always, the most I can do is know my lines, my blocking, dive into my imagination for some interesting choices, and try not to  get in anybody else's way as the proceed to get ready for the show.

And sometimes you learn more from the chaos than from anything else. Not a classroom I wish to be in every time, but if I find myself in it, might as well pay attention.

"Tech" Week

This is it, loyal blog readers. My "tech" week for the one man show!

I put "tech" on quotation marks, however, because it is very much unlike most tech weeks. It is still just me at rehearsal, and I will only in fact be rehearsing twice this week instead of every day. (Once behind last night, once being tomorrow night.) I decided that given the nature of the show, and how many times I have been able to rehearse it twice a week, I wouldn't need to run it every day this week.

And of course, there are virtually no technical aspects to this show to rehearse, anyway. The usual lighting technician at the Black Box was kind enough to program a basic plot into the theatre lights for me the other day, so now I have those. I turned them on myself last night before rehearsal. It took some getting used to, I have to say, as I had only practiced with the work lights up to that point. But that's part of tech week. I don't think it will cause great problems, though. It's different, but not distracting. Plus I have one more night to perform under them. I just need to find someone to turn them off at intermission. Maybe. Intermission will be very clear to the audience when it comes, so if I can't find anyone to switch them off, it's not tragic.

I stumbled over a few lines last night, but once again, I wasn't derailed. If any of my three initial performances go as well as say the last three rehearsals, I'll be doing fine. Things to improve, as always, but I'd have little to be ashamed of if I gave the audience as much as I gave the last few rehearsals. (Though of course I hope to give more.)

I hope I did not "peak" too early as it were. That is doing the show best during rehearsals, and not as well during the performances. But I will have the audience during the performances, which usually boosted my abilities somewhat. I won't beat myself up if this experiment isn't perfect, but I also hope that the performances are of course the best presentation I am to give of the show, out of all of the times I've done it.

On Thursday, my final rehearsal, my goal is to have as much fun as I can with this show. Not that I've had no fun so far. Doing Shakespeare well is invigorating. But I want to finally let go, and worry less about the little things, and give all of myself to presenting the show, so that is the frame of mind I am in going into the weekend. We shall soon find out if I can do that.

Final Thursday Rehearsal

I am a bit behind on updating, but not by much, so bear with me.

Thursday was indeed the final time we will rehearse the show on a Thursday. Or not, depending on how you look at it. I suppose technically this Thursday will also be a rehearsal, but since it is open to the public as a free preview, I am not quite considering it a rehearsal in the traditional sense.

It was also, as far as I am able to remember, the first time so far that the entire cast was present in the theatre at one time. After terrible schedules, illnesses, recasting and other loveliness, Richard III's entire cast ran the entire show for the first time. Exciting? Well...

The director, who spent most of her time in the booth working light and sound cues, was not altogether happy with the rehearsal. There were moments, she said, but overall it was a slower, less energetic rehearsal than the previous night's. It is difficult for me to comment upon that, since I don't see much of the play when I am not on stage. But the director knows what she is talking about, so I imagine if she felt it was lethargic, than it certainly was so.

I suppose that means myself, as well, though I received no particular note. Yet when a whole show is slower, and individual performance usually follows suit in ways that the actor is unaware of. I know I once again flubbed in my big scene, and that is starting to annoy me. Not concern me yet, as I have been going over it, and I have three more nights to get it right. Plus it is the only section that I have consistently tripped during. That being said, I have to truly focus in these final nights to get it correct. I have an escape plan if it comes to that, but I am not going to let it come to that. (There is a section in every show, it seems...)

Hopefully everyone else will begin to iron out their own little difficulties tonight as well. For the director told us on Thursday, (we didn't rehearse Friday) that come Monday there were to be no more books on stage, and no more calling for lines. That may present with a bit of a struggle tonight and even tomorrow in certain aspects of the production. But when you get to that point, you get there. Nothing can be done about it except to plow through and fix things.

I am still getting used to how much time I have between scenes. In some, I have quite a bit of time. In others, I go right back out on stage after the end of a scene. I don't miss cues, but I feel better when I know exactly when I am going and staying. One truth is forming in my mind though; at no point do I have to rush. I have enough time to get my bearings in each scene change. Not always a great deal of time, but it's there. Further, in all of the moments where I need the most time, I do indeed have it. If I remind myself that I have a few minutes when those scenes end, I won't run around crazy looking for the script.

If we were doing Hamlet I'd know by default where we were all the time. But before appearing in it I had read this play far less often, and so some of the sequences are still fuzzy. It's improving though. I am not worried about that either.

Tonight we try performing in costumes, to see how they work. And thus begins a week that is longer than most. For each night we rehearse, and then jump right into the one preview, the opener, nd the two shows afterward. And then this production will "bid the world goodnight." But that is quite a ways off for now in theatre time. First things first..onward to tech week.

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.

Countdown to Black Friday

And I don't mean for the shopping deals. I mean because it is our opening night, and there are no more rehearsals between now and then!

It is strange. I have on occasion gotten the night before opening night off for rehearsal, but never before have I ever had two days off leading into the first performance. I don't anticipate any major problems, so long as everyone goes over their lines and blocking at some point during the break. Still, I think that come Friday night, the nerves might be at slightly higher levels as we approach curtain than they otherwise would be for me in a show like this. It may feel like we are ever so slightly cold going into the first night. Or at least, lukewarm.

But what of tonight and the final rehearsal? I have to say, not as good as last night. I almost expected that to be the case. We really hit a stride on Monday night, with costumes, make up, lights and sound. The novelty of having everything together probably drove the energy up. The realization that we were getting close contributed as well, I believe. But tonight there were no costumes. The result I think was a decrease in energy and expectation. As well as a few more mistakes.

Last night, one of the kids totally missed their entrance due to playing around too much in the green room. That also happened tonight, though it was a different child actor this time. And I dropped a line in the Old Joe scene myself, though thankfully it wasn't a direct cue line per se. The other person just needed to hand me a prop with their own motivation, as the moment is a tone change of sorts. Still I felt bad for forgetting to say it. I didn't drop any of my stuff when I exited that scene this time, though.

The game at Fred's house scene went well, though. As did most other scenes I was in, as far as I could tell.

Even the dance feels on track. Mostly.

The break-up scene didn't feel as good overall as it did last night. But the ending felt good.

I wasn't without my moments of internalization tonight, don't get me wrong. But the were more sporadic than last night, when they were almost universal and uniform. But perhaps it is good that this happened. Having had a taste of what I know is there, having two days off my provide just enough distance, and hence incentive to focus  on each aspect of the performance.Perhaps this will help me internalize as it did when sickness forced me to be ultra-focused a few days ago.

Speaking of sick, I have felt better the last two nights than I have felt in about a week and a half. I still have some head cold issues, but they have become far more manageable, and I certainly hope they stay that way for the remainder of the run.

We also rehearsed the opening moment, wherein we all sing for a moment backstage. We did this after we had rehearsed to full show. And then even later, we rehearsed the curtain call, which is a very simple affair.

So, a short entry about the final rehearsal. But there really wasn't much to report about this nondescript evening beyond what I have already provided here. Though the more I think about it, the more I think having this average final rehearsal two days before opening is a good thing. Not because of the common belief that the worse the last rehearsal goes, the better the opening night goes. I have never totally bought into that one. But because the absence should set off just enough of a spark upon our return on Friday to motivate us into getting it down. Had tonight's rehearsal been out best yet, the two days may have acted as a downhill slope for us to coast into Friday, and lose energy. Or, if this mediocre rehearsal had been the very night before we opened we may have found that inertia would have kept us from hitting the ground running from the start. It may have taken us a night or two. So, according to my theory, the combination of a lackluster rehearsal being two days away from opening could work to our advantage.

This seemed like one of the faster rehearsal periods for any show I have been in for a while.I think it is due both to it coming immediately after Thurber in the same building, and my familiarity with the script from two years ago. Either way, it has been one of the quickest and (mostly) smoothest rehearsal periods in the last two years or so for me. Now all we need are the crowds to enjoy the fruits of that labor.

If you are in the area and would like to come see what I have been referring to the last few months, visit the Full Circle website, and get yourself some tickets today.

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.

Cue to Cue

Not much can really be said about a lighting/sound cue to cue rehearsal. They are very important for the technical crew, but for the actor they tend to be tests patience/endurance or both. Some theatres do not even have actors present for them. But the theatre being so small in this case, we were there to go over, (and in fact to learn ourselves) when and how the light changes and sound effects would take place. So it wasn't a pointless night for the actors by any means. It just didn't lend itself to be the source of a particularly interesting post here.

Though I have to say, ironically, that we were in and out of that rehearsal slightly faster than some of our performance rehearsals. The director begged our patience the night before, and warned that it could be a very long evening, but in the end it was at most the average length of time for a rehearsal.

Most notable about the whole evening was that I think i set a record for most cough drops consumed at one time. I basically kept them in a constant feed. Despite having shaken most of my cold symptoms two weeks ago, a different set of them, in some ways worse than the first, have returned to plague me for tech week. I really hope they are mostly gone (again) by the time we open the show.

Tonight is full dress.