Well, dear readers, today we officially begin tech for Doug Haverty’s In My Mind’s Eye. But for my money, we really began it last night with a run-through with almost no stops with our lighting. But before we get to that, let’s get to this: It is February. Can you believe it? This year is flying by, like a gazelle wearing a wet t-shirt. And it is my fervent hope and prayer that February will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.
I spent six hours with our excellent lighting guy as he wrote cues and we finessed them, sans actors, of course. Yes, it was rough, yes there are many things to fix and adjust, but I could see how good the show is going to look when all that’s done, and the cast really didn’t let any of it throw them. That’s the way I’ve always done it, so that the cast doesn’t go backwards during a long and involved tech with nothing but stops and starts. It’s unconventional but it works for me. All that said, this part of the process, for me, is like having a root canal. We did not have any sound and that was something I did not know in advance. And it doesn’t look like we’re having any today either – maybe tonight. That makes me very nervous indeed, but all one can do is hope it’s all ready and perfect on Sunday, or good enough that I can make changes and finesse what’s not working well.
Prior to that, I got about six hours of sleep, got up, did as much as I could do before I had to mosey on over to a noon o’clock meeting at Jerry’s Deli. I had a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich and some fries. I got to the theater a bit after one and the rest you know. And so, I sit here like so much exhausted fish, writing these here notes, which I guess will be short since you already know what happened yesterday. I will say that I must be up by eight-thirty, as she of the Evil Eye is coming. I have to leave by nine so I can put some gas in the motor car, and then I’ll be to the theater by nine-thirty for our ten o’clock run-through, which must start right on time, as one of our actors must leave before noon, which should be fine if we only do a five between acts, as the show’s been running under two hours with a ten-minute break. Wait, am I talking about today when I’m in yesterday’s paragraph? How unseemly. I need to be horsewhipped with an actual horse.
Today, I’ll be up by eight-thirty, I’ll put gas in the motor car, and then I’ll mosey on over to the theater by nine-thirty. If I have an extra five minutes, I’ll stop at the mail place to see if there’s an important envelope there. We’ll do our ten o’clock run-through at ten o’clock and then we’ll reconvene at five-ish for our second run-through, this time with costumes and make-up. During the five-hour break, we’ll finesse and fix any lighting problems. There’ll also be photos taken, either before or after the run-through. I’m hoping to get everyone out by eight-thirty or nine at the latest. I don’t really want to go until nine, frankly, so we’ll do our best and our best we’ll do, not necessarily in that order.
Tomorrow, we also have a ten o’clock run-through with costumes, and hopefully we’ll have some kind of sound for it. Then we’ll take an hour break, do a second run with costumes, then we’ll fix anything that needs to be fixed and I’ll dismiss everyone by five at the latest, I’m hoping. They need and deserve their day off and I want them rested and ready to do this thing for an audience on Tuesday night. Monday is a day off, but I may have to go in if there are either sound or lighting issues, although I won’t be there longer than three or four hours at the most. Tuesday, we play our final dress rehearsal with an invited audience, Wednesday and Thursday we play our previews, and Friday we open. I’m hoping we have decent houses for our first weekend.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eight-thirty, put gas in the motor car, hopefully pick up an important envelope, have a run-through, work on fixes and finessing, have our second run-through, and then it’s home, James for a tiny bit of relaxation. Today’s topic of discussion: Gambling. What are your favorite forms of gambling? Which have you done, which do you hate, and what’s the most you’ve won? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a decent run with lights. And it is my fervent hope and prayer that February will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.