Well, dear readers, yesterday was certainly a Saturday. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, yesterday was certainly a Saturday, which began with another allergy attack at six in the morning – so, another five and a half hours of sleep day. I took a Claritin-D but couldn’t really go back to bed. I’ll need more Claritin-D after today. But you’re not here to read about my allergies and Claritin-D, you’re here to hear all the news that’s fit to print and we’re here to deliver it, like gazelle twirling a baton whilst eating a cheese sandwich and playing gin rummy at the same time. That darn gazelle is multitalented, let me tell you THAT. What the HELL am I talking about? Don’t I have notes to write? Anyway, I got to the theater at nine and a little after ten we began a run-through. I thought it was the smoothest run-through we’ve had – a few scene shifts weren’t quite right, but overall, it was fun to watch, and the actors are finding new moments, and I always love watching that. The first act ran something like fifty-three minutes, and we finally had a forty-five-minute second act. Then I blocked the curtain call, keeping it very simple – I think I’ll make one change to it and we’re doing it sans music simply because when music is used today’s audiences tend to clap along in rhythm and the actors are cheated of their natural applause. But after the bows we do a reprise of the parade song, so we live ‘em with a tune to hum on the way out. I ran some scenes, working with our new actress – she’s going to be terrific and is getting more secure with each run-through. I cleaned up some other stuff and then we had a lunch break – pizza, salad, and wings, not necessarily in that order. I had a teeny-tiny slice of pepperoni pizza and about two bites of salad. At three, we began our cue to cue – but because the front lights had been adjusted re-positioned, we had to redo everything we’d set the day before. But we got through it in three and a half hours, basically, and aside from two specials and a strobe, the show is lit and looks very nice. Two Specials and a Strobe – that’s the title of my next novel. After rehearsal, I stopped at Popeye’s and got my usual two mild breasts and came home. Two Mild Breasts – that’s the title of the sequel to Two Specials and a Strobe. I thought I’d at least get to sit on my couch like so much fish and watch something, but that was not to be the case.
Today, I’ll be up by eight-thirty and to the theater by ten. We’ll be adding sound, and we were supposed to add costumes but that is turning out to be it’s own drama and I don’t know how it’s going to play out – I’ll eventually tell that tale, but that’s for later. We just hope everything will be ready for previews. I’m told the specials will be added – maybe not for the run-through but at least set and ready to go, and I’ve told everyone we must have the strobe and hopefully we will, because that we must rehearse with before attempting it. Many of the actors actually were miked yesterday and they all sounded natural and good. After the run-through, we have a photo call for thirty minutes, then I work scenes for a while, then a lunch break and then our sitzprobe, which I hope will be fun. I’ll do my best to get us out of there by six, but I suspect we may go to seven again.
Tomorrow we’re off, and then Tuesday we have an invited final dress, although whether we have costumes for it is unknown at this time. We can only pray. I have never EVER in fifty-five years of directing shows, had a show play a dress rehearsal without the dress part. Frightening. Wednesday and Thursday are previews, and then we open on Friday, play Saturday evening and Sunday matinee.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eight-thirty and to the theater by ten, do a run-through, have a photo call, work problem scenes, eat, and have a sitzprobe. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to be in the home stretch of Drat! The Cat!