 |
| The stunning set designed by Cory Sincennes |
The second week: the week that the volume gets turned up. We all start talking a little louder, moving a little quicker. Things get more exciting, we get more intense – from the outside you can almost see the Roxy buzzing.
We kick off Monday with the cast moving in. We’re very lucky at Theatre Network because in the second week we get to rehearse on the stage with the actual set. It may not be fully complete or painted, but it’s safe to rehearse on. I can’t tell you how useful this is to the process, and how much I appreciate it. We’re able to rehearse in the building because the technical crew and designers are gracious enough to switch to an evening schedule. We finish our day at 6 PM and then they start their work - painting, building, hanging and focusing lights. Often there is a lovely cross over between 5:45 and 6:30 where all of us – cast, crew, designers, technicians and administrative staff will all be in the building at the same time. The actors will be leaving, but the crew – Paul, Ashley and Scott - are waiting in the lobby to start work and the administrative team Nicole, Katy, Jessica and Jill will be having an after work meeting with Board Members Paul Manuel, Gail Hall, Michele Toma, Ross Reekie, Dianne Johnstone, Seham Chadi, Bruce Duncan and Amanda M. Read.
It's a hive of activity built on the anticipation of the coming show - I love it!
This week we made some radical changes to our blocking from week one. It happens sometimes, especially after moving to the set, and you have to be flexible and open to change. For example, it became clear to us after being on stage the first day, (mind you it took the whole day to realize this), that we had to flip the positions of Michel Tremblay and Jack Kerouac at the primary table. Sounds small, but this one change had a profound effect on the opening scene of the play and the rest of the scenes. It seems strange, but by making that switch, the scene suddenly popped for us. Even though the first time we tried it, it radically messed with the actual scene, in the end it left us excited and inspired to see what other choices – better choices – we could discover.
It’s during the second week that you really have to remember to be a sensible artist and by that I mean SENSIBLE - you sense that there is greater potential than the run you just had. Keeping this in mind made all the difference for us this week and we haven’t looked back - it was the right choice.
We kick off Monday with the cast moving in. We’re very lucky at Theatre Network because in the second week we get to rehearse on the stage with the actual set. It may not be fully complete or painted, but it’s safe to rehearse on. I can’t tell you how useful this is to the process, and how much I appreciate it. We’re able to rehearse in the building because the technical crew and designers are gracious enough to switch to an evening schedule. We finish our day at 6 PM and then they start their work - painting, building, hanging and focusing lights. Often there is a lovely cross over between 5:45 and 6:30 where all of us – cast, crew, designers, technicians and administrative staff will all be in the building at the same time. The actors will be leaving, but the crew – Paul, Ashley and Scott - are waiting in the lobby to start work and the administrative team Nicole, Katy, Jessica and Jill will be having an after work meeting with Board Members Paul Manuel, Gail Hall, Michele Toma, Ross Reekie, Dianne Johnstone, Seham Chadi, Bruce Duncan and Amanda M. Read.
It's a hive of activity built on the anticipation of the coming show - I love it!
This week we made some radical changes to our blocking from week one. It happens sometimes, especially after moving to the set, and you have to be flexible and open to change. For example, it became clear to us after being on stage the first day, (mind you it took the whole day to realize this), that we had to flip the positions of Michel Tremblay and Jack Kerouac at the primary table. Sounds small, but this one change had a profound effect on the opening scene of the play and the rest of the scenes. It seems strange, but by making that switch, the scene suddenly popped for us. Even though the first time we tried it, it radically messed with the actual scene, in the end it left us excited and inspired to see what other choices – better choices – we could discover.
It’s during the second week that you really have to remember to be a sensible artist and by that I mean SENSIBLE - you sense that there is greater potential than the run you just had. Keeping this in mind made all the difference for us this week and we haven’t looked back - it was the right choice.
