The show must go on...

Wow. 

The show opens tomorrow night. 

It has all gone so fast.

Tonight was our long dress rehearsal – 6 straight hours of practice.  We were all pretty pumped for it – and it was fantastic and horrible at the same time!  To start with, we were missing one of our actors for the first two and a half hours of it.  We made due without her, but it’s always hard when you’re missing an actor in a production this small.  That, and having to clean the stage after every run, made it a little annoying.  But everyone did pretty well, considering. 

Then we got to the last run.  For this, we were missing one of the main actors.  Boy, did we find out how much we need him!  This run was totally off-book, so when someone messes up, it is up to the actors to figure out how to get out of their mess.  Well, there was a pretty big mess up that cause the actors to skip three pages of the script, move on, then go back to where they first messed up and repeat it – all of it!  But the good part is that they figured out how to keep moving, instead of standing there waiting for someone to remember their line.  

So whatever happens tomorrow night, whether they forget some lines, or skip whole scenes, the show must go on!

-K

We have a stage!

I will tell you; it is not often that the actor’s first time using the stage is a week before the opening.  But, hey, our play isn’t like anyone else’s. 

Thanks to the techies (the people behind the scenes who build the set and basically do everything necessary for the play besides act), the stage is finally finished (and stable).  For most actors, the transition from a practice space to the actual set messes them up a lot, but these kids were amazing.  They remembered their lines (most of them) and did very well adapting their blocking on the fly, right in the middle of the scene, without ever missing a beat.  The only problem was getting them to open up (not turn their backs to anyone in the audience).  This is a problem because the audience sits on two sides of the stage, not just the normal one side.  If you open up to one side, you usually turn your back to the other.  But, as I said, the actors did amazingly well adapting continuously. One of the only things left to do is get the costumes.  I know the actors are really looking forward to it; it can be very exiting. 

The actors are doing great, and it will be a fantastic show (if they only remember to stay quiet backstage!)

-K

Those 4 Little Words...

..."I love you too!" No, I'm only kidding.

But yesterday, Paul did say those 4 words that are like cherub's music to a cast.

He said ... drum roll, please...

"We have a play."

(CUE EXPLOSION OF FIREWORKS AND EXCITEMENT!)

Now all we need are costumes, lights and televisions. Oh yeah and Maybe the stage would be useful... But acting wise, Paul says we're ready to go and those are magic words a WEEK before opening night.

A few members of the thespian gang from last year are coming back to watch (at least those in the Philadelphia area). The freshman won't understand but, at least for me, the show is for them. And Paul. The show is always for Paul.

-C

ES VERDAD! Vamos a estar en el aire.

ITS TRUE! We are going to be on the air. As Paul said, When have we been two weeks before a show and managed to get through a full run through? Exactly. Never. Last year, we hadn't seen the play the full way through until opening night. So, yes. we are set. No longer worried.

We had an amazing run today. It was our second full run and it was absolutely insane. We ran it as an "Italian" (the play term for "as-fast-as-you-possibly-can-speak-words" run through of a show). Dear audience member, be prepared to be blown away and sit in the audience for thirty seconds asking yourself if that did IN FACT just happen.

Trust me. It did. And no, we have no idea why either.

Its true. In the adrenalin, those blocking days are instantly forgotten.

-C