In the Arena!

6/13

Today was the day!  We finally moved our now 68 person cast into the 400 seat house to have our first experience on the actual size of the stage.  The stage, in depth, is actually quite large...much larger than I initially remembered.  So, in looking at the stage I was able to solidify the ground plans and see how the dimensions would play out in the designs for the set.  This made my job with the tech crew as well as the choreographers a lot easier because I was able to communicate my needs and requests to them with a much greater sense of detail and confidence, which worked out better for everyone.

The students' attitude seemed to go from good to great as well.  The excitement about the "real stage" seemed to make the rehearsal process go a lot smoother, and we were able to work out some of the more intricate movements of the dances, and I can see some of the students that I have seen struggle in the past pick up more and more movements of the dances.  It's a really awesome experience to see students grasp a concept and to watch their progress as time goes by!

I ended up spending a good majority of the rehearsal in the scene shop.  I am quickly learning that my two stage managers are in a word invaluable.  It is because of them that I am able to be in 4 different places at once, and know that I can trust the safety of some high school tech students with watchful adult eyes.  We were able to establish a list of the things that needed to be done, and it really helped to have students who had worked previously in the space who knew what materials were available and where they could be found.  We pulled flats and platforms, and established a list of materials available.

The decision to have rehearsal on July 4th was a big one.  I stand by my decision to have the necessary rehearsal, and so I decided to create a note home to parents/family members explaining the necessity of the practice and reassuring that if there are plans in place to be out of town to just let me know and that students would be excused with no problem.  Hopefully, these bring about good results and a much clearer form of communication.

I am quickly wishing that I had planned an Actor/Parent meeting as I had with the BCA production.  This would have allowed me to more effectively communicate my decisions and policies to the parents and might have avoided possible confusion.  So, I am adding that to my list of things to do differently for next time!

6/14

Second day in the rehearsal space.  Today we spent another big chunk of time working on the dance numbers.  Because the majority of the cast was out working on dance numbers and doing some choral work I was able to work more with the principles, and so far half the show is blocked!  It also means that I am not able to see a lot of the work with the choreographer and the musical director, but I have every confidence that they are doing a fantastic job :)  The principals are grasping for more and more characterization techniques, but for now I want them to get the basics down before they bite off more than they might be able to chew.

It also helps to be watching the student actors do their thing and to notice just little tiny details that solidify casting decisions.  Today, watching a leading actress, I noticed several small details that showed me just how much she had considered her character and that she really was doing lots of work outside of rehearsal to create the best work she could.  Having cast members like that, especially in leading positions, makes my job a lot easier, and definitely more rewarding.

Technical work has been going very smoothly.  My only concern right now is building a staircase and two ramps for the castle scene (I have an actor on what is essentially a skateboard that replaces his crutches, and need the ramps for him to get on and off the set).  I want to make sure that these things are built by experts, and am going to put out a call for parent help tomorrow.

I also settled on a compromise today.  After the concern about the July 4th practice, I announced to the cast that if we could get ahead of schedule, and if they could show me that they could work hard enough that we might not need that extra practice, that I would cancel the July 4th practice.  I have set the bar high for them, but something tells me that they are going to give it all they've got to surpass it.

More to come later!