Basement Show

Our designer run/basement show this afternoon was a complete success. We rehearsed before it, working through the end of the show as well as a few trouble spots or new bits that needed some attention. And David and I figure out just how funny it is to have someone say a line while a cigar dangles from his mouth. (that would me be.) Some folk are going back to see the previous show tonight before heading out for 25 cent wings, and I'm not yet sure about my plans for the evening. I picked up some movies and a collection of short stories from the library, so I might sit outside on my deck and read tonight. I've been a little too busy to really soak in the beauty of the nature all around me, even though I've been a witness to it all.

After that first rehearsal, the basement show went very well. We had maybe 15 people in the audience, and they all laughed at the right times and had a lot of fun. Some of the laughs were for moments that we, the ensemble, knew would be hilarious, and some were for moments that we hadn't expected. And there were also plenty of moments where the ensemble laughed from the corner where we sat, but the audience itself only smiled. But all fears aside, we do have a funny show, which I'd imagine would be important for a comedy...

Tomorrow is the big day

We spent all of today on another work-through run, cleaning up some spots and working out better jokes and staging for others. All along, Dominic is trimming some lines out of the script to make our production cleaner, crisper, and to use his favorite word, "zanier." There are some new bits we're working in, including a moment where I fiddle with a cigar and I'm just about to light it when I hear some bad news that makes me pause. It's a really great joke, and it means that we'll have both champagne and cigars that we will have to finish from the show every night. It could be worse.

Tomorrow afternoon we have a run for the designers, what is referred to here as a "basement run." It's basically just our first run off-book for an audience, and so I need to dedicate some time tonight to being off-book. It's not going to take me as long as I feared, since I did the entire first act today with only a few problem spots. The second act also has more fast-paced lines, which are always easier for me to learn. I slowed the pace on my speeches down a whole lot based on some direction from Wednesday, and it has made them a lot easier to remember. It's a conscious effort to think through the specific ideas in each speech, and then make them logically connect. In a sense, it's what acting is all about.

A day off

I had the day off today. So I slept until 11am. The next day I will have completely off is July 16th, so I figured I would enjoy it while I can. I had ideas of getting some things done today, but all I did so far is watch a movie, have lunch, and catch up on some emails. I did call a few friends today, trying to keep in touch with others, and I spent the early evening working on a sample ghostwriting project for a potential freelance job. It took far longer than I thought it would, but I decided to put in the extra effort to make the sample really excellent so I can land the gig.

I also learned today that some of my friends are going to come see opening weekend of "Man of La Mancha" in July. They will visit just as I move to another house, one that sits on the edge of the lake. I'm very excited that they will come up to see me, and I think I'll even get to spend some time with them over that weekend, since my schedule will open up as soon as "La Mancha" opens. I couldn't be more excited....

Clothes make the man

I had my costume fitting this afternoon. A little reflection first; for me, clothing and props are important parts of creating a character. They should be consistent with the work that I have already done, but I always achieve a deeper understanding when I see my wardrobe. I have a mental image of my character in many cases, and I always hope the costumer can see it and then translate it into clothing. I remember a few shows where I've been put into a costume that didn't match that mental picture at all, and my rehearsals suffered for it until they put me in a more appropriate outfit. It's an organic thing for me, as it takes the clothing for me to really understand someone.

That being said, our costumer Sammie knocked it out of the park. We went through a lot of variations on the "casual day suit" look, but we narrowed it down to a wonderful eyesore of a wardrobe. He's dressed up, but it looks like he sent his daughter away when she tried to help, and he did the whole thing himself. His formal attire for the opera is even more hilarious, and it is what Sammie referred to as a "mid-life crisis suit." He's trying to prove how young and up-to-date he can be, but all he is doing is physically manifesting his lack of understanding and calm. It's truly a great wardrobe that I can't wait to wear, and I will be sure to post pictures of it once I get some.

We have four hours of rehearsal tonight, followed by a day off tomorrow. I don't enjoy doing work on my days off, since it is work after all, but this day off should give me a perfect opportunity to learn all of my lines in preparation for our run on Saturday for the designers. I'm doing pretty well so far, but there are some massive speeches that I still need to learn.

Life is a cabaret

The cabaret last night went very well indeed. I had decided on six of my poems, along with a special introduction I wrote yesterday afternoon to set up what I would be doing. I was very nervous waiting for it all to begin, and I realized that it was because I would be sharing work that I had actually created. Other people sang songs, but I was the one who was actually offering something new into the air, a manifestation of my own creativity and mind. It's also something that I've never publically shared - I presented poems in writer's group, submitted them to magazines, or had friends read them in private, but it was the first time I got up on stage in front of people I didn't know in order to read my poetry to them.

As intimidating as it was, it also turned out really well. People laughed at the jokes, smiled with familiarity at other sections, and they were talking about them when we went to the bar afterwards. All in all, a very successful night.

Marathon Rehearsal

Today, we finished the play. We started the morning jumping into Act 2, and we finished it completely at about 5:45 this evening. The end of the play, as with all farces, has all the characters rush back on stage, giving the director the headache of trying to decide where they all can stand. That took quite some doing, but we ultimately have made it all work.

Earlier in the day, we also did all the rampant sex bits, where people are constantly jumping into bed together, and then they are surprised by a knock on the door. I, sadly, only get to be the knock on the door in this show, but it was a lot of fun to watch them rehearse and figure out little bits of stage business. As much as I like having time off when I'm not working, I also really enjoy watching other actors work on their scenes. I can never seem to study my lines or do something else in those times. I like watching other actors come up with ideas, and then refine those ideas with the director until they are even better. It's a healthy appreciation for their talent and craft, and it's something I really enjoy.

Tonight is the theatre's cabaret, and I've decided on reading a few of my poems. I have vague ideas about which ones, but I still need to order them and get them performance-ready. Some might say I'm not leaving myself a lot of time for it... and they'd be right.

Act I

Over the past two days, we've blocked the entirety of Act 1. We even had time enough to run it today twice. The first was straight-through, just to see if we remembered everything. And then we took our time on the second run, stopping now and then to work on very specific bits as they occured. It is a very funny production, and it is the kind of work that repetition will only make better. Some jokes need to be a little cleaner to be as funny as they can be, but that is just the work of doing it over and over again. We've been doing a lot of heavy work on the first act, and then tomorrow morning we're going to start on the second. As it is with most theatre, the second act is about half the length of the first, so the director is actually hoping to finish it tomorrow. I think we stand a decent chance of it, actually.

Tomorrow night, Bristol Valley Theatre is holding a cabaret performance for those of us who are up there for the summer. They like to give their company the chance to show off other skills, which may not be used in their productions. While a lot of my fellow performers are looking to sing something, I've decided to read some poems or short stories that I've written. I haven't quite decided on specific pieces yet, but I figure I will do that tonight. Every actor sings, but not all of them write.