Play

Howdy,

There are two days left in the rehearsal room. We have rehearsed the play 70 hours. For the workshop last time we rehearsed 75 hours total, including tech...and possibly the run. So we have practically matched that effort. And the actors know the play and characters better. Yesterday was a huge leap in the capacity of the storytelling. Today, we fell from that leap. That thing that had the work come crashing down, or falling down, is that we forgot that doing a play is fun. It is play. The joy of these characters are that they are Characters - with dialects and intellects different than our own. Not that those elements weren't present but the joy of embodying them seemed to be missing. So, we spent the last half hour of rehearsal heightening those elements, celebrating, and having fun. It is in there. They just have to own it. It is hard. There comes a point when a play has to be shared with a fresh audience. The actors are doing something as if for the first time, but it is necessary to add a new fresh energy to the room, usually the audience, maybe the technical elements; I don't think Scott and I provided that today. Funny how we need to bring an energy to receiving the work, which is as important to the actors as their energy in sharing the work. At least at this point it is.

I'm looking forward to having fun tomorrow. Working a few moments then moving onto a run-thru, celebrating Ruthie, Bo, and their romance.

Goodnight,

Padraic