Weekend Recap

Rehearsal the last two nights has been, for various reason, quite sporadic.

People's schedules required changed of times, which in turn conflicted with other people's schedules. As a result, on Saturday we really only worked on a few problems spots.

We also worked on the song for the play. There is only one that is sun throughout, and woven into the fabric of the play. "The Christmas Child" it is called. I had never heard of it, and to be frank about it, I am not too impressed with it. It sounds like a song someone threw together in a hurry. At least the lyrics do.

That often seems the case when a single Christmas song is produced, mainly, for the benefit of a single production.

Nothing to worry about though. After a few days of hearing it by ear, I will be able to sing it, since reading music is not something I do.

As for today, it was a bit chaotic. The theatre had someone come in to do head shots of all the actors. (While I am the official photographer of the company, head shots are a whole other thing, and as of now, do not really have the equipment to do them. I think in the future I shall.

Then, to the total surprise of everyone assembled, including the director, the local paper showed up to take pictures.

This meant, of course that most of us had no costumes to wear for pictures, and the paper prefers to only shoot people in costume.

If it sounds like they didn't exactly get together on this one to help us out, you would be correct.

But we threw together some stop gap costumes for a few shots that hopefully will appear in print. We will know in a few weeks.

This took an hour and a half or so. After that, we really only ran portions of two scenes, since there was still someone missing.

Plus the heat was broken, and the bathrooms were locked.

Not one of the most comfortable rehearsals for a show I have been through. I always try to make the best out of any conditions, since I am dedicated to being an actor of merit. But nights like tonight really push my boundary, I have to admit.

It will all be much better when we finally take over our own space. (Which, if all things go well, is supposed to be a week before opening night...)

I am off book except for a few lines that still fight me here and there. My task it to iron them out, and then to come up with some more nuance for the characters I play.

Rehearsal again on Tuesday.

The ACTUAL First Full Run Though

Not almost. We did the whole thing today. Furthermore, I was 95% off book. I called for line I think twice, and muddled through one or to. And as silly as it was, I needed my book for the literal final page of the script in which I appear...obviously that will not take much to memorize.

But a good night for certain. It would have felt even better if the whole cast had been there.

Sadly, one of the main characters was absent today. And in fact has been absent for a great deal of the rehearsals so far, specifically in the last two weeks. This really isn't the sort of thing you want to see when you are less than a month away from your opening night.

That notwithstanding, scenes without the missing actor went well all and all. Progress is being made on every front. Most of my fellow cast members are also off book, or very near it. Props have been added to the mix. Technical difficulties are slowly being widdled away.

All we need now, (aside from the entire cast to be at a rehearsal, which I am not sure had happened yet since the read through), is for the new building to be ready for a performance. All indications are that it will be.

I am finding that of all the things I do in the show, the build up to the "Death of Tiny Tim" scene causes me the most apprehension. Not because it goes poorly. But because it is so intense, and so short. It is of course quite necessary, and I am committed to excellence for it as much as any other scene I am in, or any other play. But right now it still feels like I am waiting in line to get a vaccination; it is a greater good, but still hurts like hell for a split second. I am hoping that the intensity will remain even as the apprehension fades.

Also, one minor thing. Despite Topper's pipe being a hit with me and with others, the director noted that men would probably not have smoked in front of woman back then. And it is a point well taken. He probably would not have. The question that must be answered now is whether it would be better to ignore this convention, to have Topper simply keep it in his mouth without giving any indication of him smoking it, (which I do not actually do anyway), or to get rid of it completely. The jury is out, but you will hear it's verdict here first of course.

My next assignment for myself is to look more into the real Clarkson Stanfield. This is not a historical piece, but if I can find any quirks or characteristics of the man that I can make use of in my portrayal of him, all the better.

First "Full" Run-Through

We skipped the last scene or two because we were running late. But we got all of the major parts in.

I can say that I am off book for half of act 2 now. By the weekend it will be a done deal, and I will be off book, basically, for the entire show. Not bad. Could have been better.

I can say that most of my cast mates are also mostly off book. And despite a few confusing spots here and there in regards to blocking and the calling of lines, tonight was the smoothest the show has ever gone, I dare say. It can only get better form here.

Yes, the freedom of having books (usually) out of the hands. The emergence of nuance and the sudden ability to dedicate time and energies into details.

Details such as line readings, facial expressions, and, in the case of tonight, props.

Several props, (many provided by a local antique shop) were available for use today.

For Bob Cratchit I had what I call "fingerless gloves". And for Topper, the pipe.

I am glad the director let me go with that choice. It seems to suit him quite well, as I am playing the man, (Peter O'Toole and James Bond). That scene, in fact as I whole was quite fun to do this evening. (The party at Fred's in Christmas Present.)

My own personal energy was up, as it always is at this stage of development of a show. (Losing the book.) Already , as though a veil were lifted, new, deeper dimensions are emerging for each of my characters.

In other words, the truly fun part.

IN fact, I got what I consider very high praise for my version of the Undertaker today. The director said, something along the lines of, "it was like watching an actor I had never seen before". I assume that means I did not seem like myself, so removed from my own mannerisms did I get in the short but memorable scene. This is the highest of compliments. Oliver himself often said he took pleasure in being on stage for 5 or ten minutes before anyone recognized it was him. Now of course, everyone knew, and will know it's me up there, but the fact that I took on a persona that appeared to transform me into someone else means I am doing things right.

At least in that scene.

We shall run the whole show now, and each of the rehearsals. I think that we really have benefited from moving rehearsals to the chapel, as I mentioned. That consistent workspace, despite it's limitations, has done us good. I think I will look back on today as the day when everything started to fall together for the show.

I am getting more excited now.