Well, dear readers, we actually managed to run the show last night. And it was, as these things always are, fascinating. There were moments where everything kind of clicked and played well, and there were moments when things didn’t. But the fascinating thing was the run times of each act. Act one ran fifty-two minutes. I have always known what I want each act to run and act one should run forty-five minutes. So, that one’s in the ballpark. Act two I would like to run forty minutes – it ran an hour and was the roughest of the three – it has no shape at the moment. I made a lot of tiny blocking notes that will help the pace but people are really struggling with lines so that slows up everything. But twenty minutes is a lot to lose. There is some repetitious dialogue for one character, and I may make some small excisions, which the actress involved would appreciate. I have to get everyone on the same page in terms of playing style – that will help all of it. Then act three, which I’d like to run thirty minutes, ran about thirty-five, so that’s very close, too, and shouldn’t be a problem. So, I’ve rethought the schedule for the rest of the evening rehearsals this week. Tonight, we’ll just do act two and we’ll run its sections over and over until it’s tight. Thursday night, we’ll do the same with act three, because timing in that act is critical and the line problems are killing everything to do with timing. So, we’ll drill that act and run any problem sections over and over again – just as I did with the opening of the show and each act end. The good news is that I can see the show in there and all we have to do is bring it forth. And we have three weeks in which to do that, so if everyone does what they need to do we’ll be in good shape for tech.
Yesterday was a day in which I did not arise until noon-thirty, due to not falling asleep until four-thirty. I have to get myself on a different schedule and sooner than later. I don’t like missing that much of the morning, frankly – well, the entire morning. Once up, I did the usual things – answered e-mails, had telephonic calls, and then I went and had some chicken tenders that were okay but not great. After that, I went to the mail place and picked up some packages, then came home.
I listened to music, did some work at the piano and the computer, and then it was time to mosey on over to the theater for rehearsal, which you already know about.
After that, I stopped at McDonald’s for a filet-o-fish sandwich, came home, and ate it all up. I listened to more music – still on my Weinberg obsession – such amazing music and every new piece I hear just tickles my fancy, which my fancy enjoys very much.
Today, I’ll be up by eleven at the latest, I’ll do the usual morning things, and then work at the piano and the computer, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, and then relax until it’s time for rehearsal. As already noted, we will concentrate on act two and get it solid in terms of its beats and shape and then just drill it. If we get it to forty-five minutes we should be able to go through it all and then run certain sequences three or four times each.
Tomorrow will be more of the same and then we have our evening rehearsal where we’ll drill the act three stuff. Friday, we’ll do a full-on run-through with no stops. Then on Saturday and Sunday I will finally have two days with six-hour rehearsals and those will be heaven sent. I’ll be able to begin with a run-through, give notes, and then have four hours to work scenes and sequences and drill them. Those two days are where we’ll hopefully get everything really solid so that next week our evening run-throughs will be really for the acting stuff.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eleven, do stuff, work at the piano and the computer, eat, hopefully pick up packages, relax, and then have a rehearsal. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have finally had a proper run-through of the show.