So it is less than three weeks from opening. Rehearsals have been going well. Things are in full production mode. We had load in of the set and lights on Sunday as well as two very important "stumble-throughs" of each act on Saturday and Sunday. A stumble-through is where the actors try to get through the act as best they can without scripts. It is an interesting time for me as a director because while I am eager to get the show to its full potential, I must exercise patience and understanding of the process of the actor and their struggle to find where the words live in their bodies. This is a frustrating time for the actor, because they have studied their lines and blocking and intentions and sometimes it all gets lost in their head…for me it is a beautiful time of discovery, to see the struggle, understand where I must focus my attention to guide the actors and enhance the ability to tell the story of the play to its full potential.
Last night after rehearsal, Peter, Cecil, Liz and I had paper tech. Paper tech is where the lighting designer, sound designer, stage manager and director sit around and decide where the light and sound cues happen in the script. What is great about this is that it is also a chance for us to really make sure we are the same page (literally and figuratively) about what a cue is like, and how the play “breathes”, yes I said “breathes”. Plays have their own life and breathe differently. One of the vital parts of this play is transition, and how we move from one scene to the next and travel through time in the play. We discover with light and sound how to propel and enhance the story telling of the play. Our paper tech is fun, we eat snacks, have some coffee, get to a cue and discuss everything that is happening in that moment…Peter delivers a phrasing of how the light dances in the room or how it whispers, Cecil talks about vibrations and expansion, I move my arms in some wild fashion as though conducting an orchestra while they talk…and Liz writes down the cue numbers and tries to decipher where she will call the cue…she is entertained by our enthusiasm. It is the planning of magic, it is the spice and marinade, in this case, the sofrito of the play.
I am excited about tonight. Peter and Mark have given me permission to have rehearsal on set tonight. This is extremely rare to be allowed to work on set the Monday after load in. It is a gift for sure. This gives the actors time to explore the set and their blocking and what it is going to feel like. It helps me with staging and understanding how the relationship between actor and audience will work. Everything is new. The look the feel the sound the position in the room, everything. It will feel completely different from being in the studio. We will all be thinking…”okay, so this is really happening!” First time rehearsing on set is a shot of adrenaline, and a challenge, because nothing is complete…you are missing color, and furniture, and props…these things all trickle in over the next week as we approach tech. Each day as something new arrives, we feel a sense of relief, and completeness, and excitement as we get closer to our opening. For me, personally, the first rehearsal on set has a touch of sadness, because I know it means that my time collaborating with this team and creating this production will soon be over…but…first…Tech, previews, and opening to come. Stay tuned!!!
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