Well, dear readers, it is late and therefore I must write these here notes in a hurry – and the reason the notes are late is because I was writing notes. Say what, you might say? Well, because we didn’t finish rehearsal until ten-fifteen, I had no time to give notes, so instead I sent them all via e-mail, each person separately. That was most time consuming and also consumed time. Hence, I didn’t get to THESE here notes, until those there notes were on their merry way. As to the run-through, it went pretty smoothly but didn’t quite have our performance energy, so we’ll have that from now on. No one is calling for line anymore, so that’s good, but lines are certainly being skipped. We have our stage manager now, so he’s noting all that.
Prior to that, I got nine hours of sleep, got up, did the usual things in the usual way, and had an e-mail from the authoring house saying that they thought they’d solved the problem some players are having with the Creature DVD. Thirty minutes later, the fellow came over with several check discs. He gave me one that he knew wouldn’t work and he was right – it did the same thing – wouldn’t play the theatrical version. Then he had me put in a second disc, and lo and behold and behold and lo, it played the theatrical cut just fine. Apparently, when they output everything, the software introduced some kind of weird code that is causing only certain players to not play that one thing. They fixed it and now they’ll make me new discs only, which we can send to anyone who needs them. So far, only three people have had problems, so I’m hoping this is not a huge thing.
After that, I went to go to Jerry’s Deli for food, but I couldn’t turn left where I wanted to – like twelve cars lined up to turn left, which just irritated me no end, so I went to Taco Bell and saved twenty bucks. They have a new thing there now – rolled chicken tacos – which are, in essence, taquitos. I got some of those with guacamole, and a couple of crispy tacos, came home, and ate it all up. The rolled chicken tacos weren’t that good, frankly. After that, I did some work at the piano and on the computer, I listened to music, then I shaved and showered and moseyed on over to the mail place, where I picked up a DGA screener for something called The Aeronauts and a couple of other packages. Then I moseyed on over to the theater.
I spent the first hour of the rehearsal cleaning up stuff and blocking in our two adorable kids who sing “Silent Night” at the end of act two. They’re Asian sisters – they were in A Carol Christmas last year and are cute as buttons. I don’t think we began our run until about ten after eight. I didn’t time the acts, but I suspect act one ran long, act two got a little tighter, and act three ran what it’s been running, which is a good thing.
The only note I gave after was: Louder, faster, funnier. Then I came home, had some English muffins with cherry preserves, listened to music, sent notes to the actors who had notes, and then moved on to these here notes.
Today, I can sleep in again, then I’ll do the usual things in the usual way, after which I’ll eat, hopefully pick up some packages, work at the piano and computer, and then I’ll mosey on over to the theater to work with the actor who’s playing Beverley Carlton to work on his song with him. He’s had a track to work with that had a melody plunk on it, but now he’s working without the plunk and he’s getting thrown. Then we’ll do our run-through at seven and therefore will be through by nine-fifteen at the latest and I’ll be able to give notes and fix anything that needs fixing. Barry Pearl is having cataract surgery so he’s not with us until tomorrow night – the fellow who’s playing weeks two and five of the run will be there and he knows the lines and blocking and so we’ll be fine in that regard.
Tomorrow will be more of the same and then we have another run-through. Thursday is, of course, a little something I like to call Thanksgiving and I’ll be dining at the Pearl home environment. Friday, I’ll be at the theater early to run sound and light cues – I’m hoping all the sound cues will be in the computer by then – and then we have a full-out run-through with lighting. Saturday, we’re being told we can’t start until five due to set finishing, and I’m not thrilled about it and have expressed that, so we’ll see how that shakes out. Same thing for Sunday. I’d already agreed to wait until three, but to lose another four hours is just not good for the production or my wonderful cast of players. I have never in my fifty-plus years of doing theater been told my ten out of twelve tech days are basically being used to finish the set. Yes, I can get in two run-throughs per day, but I what I won’t have time for is to run problem stuff and smoothing things out stuff. Plus, we’re adding costumes on Sunday and that is its own drama. I’ve asked the folks involved to reconsider and give me my two hours back – what I’d really like is my full days back, frankly. Monday we’re off, and Tuesday we’re have an invited dress, which I’ll cancel if we’re not ready for an audience. We NEED an audience but because of the obstacles being thrown in my path, I won’t put this cast in front of an audience before they’re ready for it. It will all depend on this weekend.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the usual things, eat, hopefully pick up packages, work at the piano and computer, go to the theater to work with the actor who’s got the song, do a run-through, give notes, and then come home and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite breads and rolls? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to get these here notes posted with the old axiom – there are notes and there are notes.