Okay, so about last night's "run-through..."
OY!!!
The lingua franca is Bulgarian. I speak some Russian, so I get the gist. The 'director' was stuck on the freeway long past "go-time". He stopped to clean up every entrance, discussing with the cast at great length the reason we all must keep our energy UP and smile and look happy.
The techie in the booth with me had no time to program the few simple light cues. The projection screen does not work, so my executive decision was - scrap it, and project the slides on the back wall - not a smooth surface... but with no set, it will at least vary the lighting... which, you will remember is nil.
Lighting has to be: Lights bump up full stage. Lights fade-up to full stage. Lights fade down to black. Blackout. We got no gels. We got no spots. AND the tech from last night will NOT be there today.
AND said director finally got through ACT I - mind you, no single dance or set of songs or music EVER was played through complete - at 8:40. At which time, he asked that everyone go to the dressing rooms to get ready for a full dress fun-through of ACT I.
Then the tech told him we only had the theater until 9. No, he said - we have it until 11 - I have it right here in the contract. He pulls out said contract, and finds that we have the theater until 9.
EVERYONE ONSTAGE!!! Okay, it looks pretty good. Go home and rest. NOW, since we only have 5 minutes to vacate the place. Then tomorrow at 3, we tech ACT II, and at 4:15 (I swear this is what he said) we'll do a full dress tech of the whole show.
Okay.
Meanwhile, at some point I have to have time to program ANY light cues... should be interesting!