Sunday morning, the day of our last talkback!

Posted by:

Saturday night we had a great preview! The cast is really settling into a groove, now, and the rhythms of the piece are really starting to come out.

It’s at this point where, as director, you try not to screw it up. Some tweaky notes, letting them own the thing but still polishing it where needed. We have two rehearsals left, really; Tuesday and Wednesday. Then on Thursday we’ll do our final preview (no talkback after this one, there’s not much time to do fixing anyway between Thursdays preview and Friday’s Opening Night!).

On Tuesday we’ll tackle the handful of things that I want to tear down and build back up. A couple of scenes that I think we can turn from “good” to “great” with some work. Then on Wednesday we’ll have a run thru in which we’ll focus on a couple of specific things. I think it’s always helpful to have not just a run thru for the sake of running it, but to highlight a goal or two – listening, or keeping it on the stage and not showing too much, or fighting for what you want…some of those basic things that can sometimes slip away in the course of putting all of the many many elements together. We’ll focus on those elements in some of our scene work, and then make Wednesday’s run thru about a couple of them as well. Then, on Thursday, the cast’ll be able to go out there and put all the work in the back of their mind, and let just living-in-the-play come to the front.

We got a nice compliment from a great couple of folks after last nights show. They’ve been to an event or two of ours already, and after the show we had a great chat where they complimented the space, the ensemble, the production and experience. We had a discussion about the script, and about our upcoming script choices, which was very uplifting. It was really quite nice to hear from a couple of great people who know what they like, and have included us in that enough to pull me aside privately and share their opinions about our work. They were interested in our future, and that was a pretty marvelous thing!

And now, on to the Sunday matinee!

More later –
Tony

5
  Related Posts
  • No related posts found.

Comments

  1. Anonymous  June 14, 2006

    Wow, my little “Buddy” all grown up and striking out on his own. Congrats. I hear great things. I will be teaching at MSU in July and will make every attempt to catch as I head on down the highway.

    Kuykendall

    • admin  June 15, 2006

      Hey there Dave Kuykendall!

      Wow – “Buddy”! Was I a Junior or a Senior in High School when I was Buddy in your production of Come Blow Your Horn?! Aaaahh, Neil Simon.

      And, although the gray hairs in my beard will argue, I refuse to acknowledge growing up! You can’t make me! 🙂

      So glad to hear you’ll be teaching at MSU – please, do stop by and say hi!

      • Anonymous  June 17, 2006

        One more thing: Joanne (iron boobs) – I am not going to use her last name in case someone tells her I am blogging!! Anyway. She called me before 7 in the AM to tell me about the article about you, the theatre, etc. Actually, I beat her to it, having read it and then came into work at 6. How foolishly dedicated I am.

        You were probably a senior for Horn, and that was the same year we did Two by Two, my little Shem. But since my mind is going most of the time, you might have been a junior. But I think we did some other piece in the aud as your final, then the next year were those two shows. How I ramble.

        Here I am tonight with Sherry’s 25th Anniversary Dance Recital. She has pictures up and I do remember a lot of the costumes depicted. Next week, two dance recitals and a piano recital. Then we have church here on Sundays. I do use you as an example to others that if you put your mind, your soul, your heart, and become dedicated and conscientious to the craft, you will succeed. Doors will open. Doors will close. But there are more opportunities. And then, you have to be ready to live in poverty too.

        Congrats. We (J, Nick, me) will be coming up. You will be our Stratford this year!! We will keep the American $$ in America. Hey, that’s a theme.

        Hello to all.

        dhk

        • admin  June 19, 2006

          Can’t wait to see you all! Make sure you let me know when you’re coming!

  2. Anonymous  May 21, 2008

    good job uncle J

    Hey sorry I had to use this sight to ask you this but I don’t have your email. It is one of your favorite nephews and I was wondering if I could have some flyers because my teacher wants to put them in the teachers lounge.
    Also I was wondering if I could interview you for the school newspaper.
    Good job!

Subscribe to Comments

You must be logged in to post a comment.