Four Weeks to Go

It's crazy to consider that SOME productions actually start read throughs at this point. I acknowledge that I MAY over-rehearse, but I can't imagine only having four weeks to do a show, or even a more generous six weeks. Crazy.

Rehearsals are going great, except the lack of focus and energy issue that has been pervading some of the cast. Every other note on Saturday was "____, I need more energy!" or "____, please focus!" And the tardiness is driving me (and others) nuts. Fortunately, it's only the Saturday rehearsals that are bad: the weekday rehearsals are mostly fine.

But understand my position: I'm directing a community theatre production of a challenging and much-beloved musical which calls for ten great cast members, a band, a slew of props, and a smart and attentive production crew. I've already had issues with all of those items, and I'm cautious to start tipping the apple cart, but I also have to indulge the frustrations of those who are upset by it. Why? Because they too are very valuable to the production.

On those lines, I got another fun re-shuffle over the weekend. Noah gave me an update on his upcoming oral surgery, and let me know that he'd be having a molar extracted from his lower jaw, bone taken from his leg, and all of this would be happening on a Wednesday, so he should be fine by Friday's performance, right? After I stopped giggling (out of both pity and wonder), I told Noah that he probably WOULDN'T be good to go by Friday, and that I would need to have someone understudy him. Arryck, our choreographer, was the logical choice: he knew the music from listening to it over and over during choreography; the choreography was his, so he already knew it, and he's a great performer anyway. Oh, yeah, and he was available and said he could do it. Whew.

More runthroughs this week. Final music rehearsal tomorrow. Percussion (finally) on Wednesday, and we get our menhirs (ideally) next Monday.

- Sean