dress rehearsal
We had our dress rehearsal tonight. A few of the lines that I had solid in front of my bathroom mirror this afternoon took wings and flew into the rafters post-cue. The whole experience was a truckload of learning - everything from costume practicalities to getting around the building to access the other end of the stage; and all manner of incidental learning from how to walk quietly in dress shoes to how to handle seriously stressed out members of the production crew. =)
I’m exhausted. I just spent a couple of hours making all of my cues into a list, with the hopes of nailing what for me has been the biggest trouble spot so far. Take a look! About 50% of this, I learned tonight for the first time. We open on Tuesday.
Twelfth Night: Malvolio’s cues.
Arrive by 5:30. Give Alyss the notebook. 11th
in line for makeup with Sam and Rayleen: Feste Viola Sebastian Orsino Sea Captain Sir Toby Fabian
Antonio Sir Andrew Olivia Malvolio Valentine/Curio Soldiers Priest Maria (doing
own)
Meet with Alyss; wear suit and black tie,
normal everything, dress shoes, etc.. & ensure that PJ’s and slippers and
nightcap are FRONT.
Put things away, turn off cell phone, tuck
away wallet.
ACT I
Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4:
Preparation time. Be ready to enter from REAR.
Scene 5 REAR: Listen for Maria’s “gaskins fall.” Wait for Feste’s “witty a
piece of Eve’s flesh,” then stand in the doorway and chat. Enter completely
just after “witty fool than foolish wit.” Exit REAR.
REAR: Enter
after Oliva sends Feste after Sir Toby; Feste’s line, “… fool shall look to
the madman.” Exit REAR.
REAR: Listen
for Viola’s exit. Enter on “creep in at mine eyes.” Exit REAR.
ACT II
Scene 1:
Run around to the FRONT! This is a short scene, be quick!
Scene 2 FRONT LEFT: Enter as soon as you see Viola on the opposite side. Exit FRONT
RIGHT.
Scene 3: QUICKLY, get into PJ’s,
slippers, nightcap - shirt and sport coat will need to come off, pants can
stay. Leave the tie attached to the shirt if possible.
Scene 3 FRONT RIGHT: Enter just after Maria’s “For the love o’ God, peace!”
WAIT. WAIT for everything to subside, then dig in, and work on volume
and don’t go too quickly. Exit FRONT RIGHT.
Scene 4: Okay, get out of the PJ’s
and back into the suit as before. Run around to
the REAR. This is a long scene, so you have a bit of time. You want to
be in your suit by the end of Julia’s song. The scene’s wrapping up when Viola
talks of her “sister’s” love. Check to be sure Maria has the note!!
Scene 5 REAR: Get behind pear tree and wait for Maria’s “lie thou there!”
Enter alcove and let her go by you; you’re distracted with yourself. Be like
you’ve been going over this stuff all day. Exit REAR.
INTERMISSION
If you want food, get it now, and be quick.
ACT III
Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3: Meet with Alyss
at REAR, and get yellow-stockinged and cross-gartered. Plus get cloak! Allow
10+ minutes for this! Then I need to
get back to FRONT RIGHT.
Scene 4 FRONT RIGHT: Be ready when Maria comes out to “call you hither.” Enter after “sad
and merry madness equal be.” Exit FRONT RIGHT.
OK, now that scene’ll go on for quite a
while. Run around outside and to the REAR, and
give cloak back to Alyss (keep everything else).
ACT IV
Scene 1: Wait behind the pear tree. Find
someone to carry your cage. Be ready to carry your stool.
Scene 2 REAR: Wait for blackout; then enter and set yourself up. Go
through the scene. Wait for blackout; then carry cage and stool to Exit
REAR.
Scene 3: OK, relax for now. Make sure Feste
has “my” note & make sure I have “Olivia’s” (the one I actually wrote).
ACT V
Scene REAR:
Wait, wait, and waaaait behind the pear tree. Listen for them reading “your”
letter and then be ready. Listen for Orsino telling Viola about being her
master’s mistress, and then enter on Oliva’s “A sister! you are she.”
Remember to come wayyy downstage on the mini-monologue. Exit REAR.
CURTAIN CALL
2 Officers, Priest,
Curio, Captain, Antonio, Sebastian, Maria, Sir Andrew, Orsino, Olivia, Malvolio, Toby,
Viola, Feste, and then indicate the musicians!
Anyway, I think I can swing it, especially with these cue cribs folded up in my back pocket. They’ll go a long way towards eliminating uncertainty and indecision. I also won’t have to look at my script for any reason whatsoever.
One of my good friends has accused me of being rather snotty towards them lately. As fickle as I feel some of the rationale is, she was (unfortunately for me) quite right. I don’t know about the specifics, but there’s ample evidence that 1) I can’t take a joke, 2) the jokes I make are often completely insensitive, and 3) I often don’t have two clues about what’s going on in the world around me. This is something for me to work on. Frustratingly, it’s hard to be told things like this, and the initial chagrin is choker.
I’m exhausted. I just spent a couple of hours making all of my cues into a list, with the hopes of nailing what for me has been the biggest trouble spot so far. Take a look! About 50% of this, I learned tonight for the first time. We open on Tuesday.
Twelfth Night: Malvolio’s cues.
Arrive by 5:30. Give Alyss the notebook. 11th
in line for makeup with Sam and Rayleen: Feste Viola Sebastian Orsino Sea Captain Sir Toby Fabian
Antonio Sir Andrew Olivia Malvolio Valentine/Curio Soldiers Priest Maria (doing
own)
Meet with Alyss; wear suit and black tie,
normal everything, dress shoes, etc.. & ensure that PJ’s and slippers and
nightcap are FRONT.
Put things away, turn off cell phone, tuck
away wallet.
ACT I
Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4:
Preparation time. Be ready to enter from REAR.
Scene 5 REAR: Listen for Maria’s “gaskins fall.” Wait for Feste’s “witty a
piece of Eve’s flesh,” then stand in the doorway and chat. Enter completely
just after “witty fool than foolish wit.” Exit REAR.
REAR: Enter
after Oliva sends Feste after Sir Toby; Feste’s line, “… fool shall look to
the madman.” Exit REAR.
REAR: Listen
for Viola’s exit. Enter on “creep in at mine eyes.” Exit REAR.
ACT II
Scene 1:
Run around to the FRONT! This is a short scene, be quick!
Scene 2 FRONT LEFT: Enter as soon as you see Viola on the opposite side. Exit FRONT
RIGHT.
Scene 3: QUICKLY, get into PJ’s,
slippers, nightcap - shirt and sport coat will need to come off, pants can
stay. Leave the tie attached to the shirt if possible.
Scene 3 FRONT RIGHT: Enter just after Maria’s “For the love o’ God, peace!”
WAIT. WAIT for everything to subside, then dig in, and work on volume
and don’t go too quickly. Exit FRONT RIGHT.
Scene 4: Okay, get out of the PJ’s
and back into the suit as before.
the REAR. This is a long scene, so you have a bit of time. You want to
be in your suit by the end of Julia’s song. The scene’s wrapping up when Viola
talks of her “sister’s” love. Check to be sure Maria has the note!!
Scene 5 REAR: Get behind pear tree and wait for Maria’s “lie thou there!”
Enter alcove and let her go by you; you’re distracted with yourself. Be like
you’ve been going over this stuff all day. Exit REAR.
INTERMISSION
If you want food, get it now, and be quick.
ACT III
Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3: Meet with Alyss
at REAR, and get yellow-stockinged and cross-gartered. Plus get cloak! Allow
10+ minutes for this!
get back to FRONT RIGHT.
Scene 4 FRONT RIGHT: Be ready when Maria comes out to “call you hither.” Enter after “sad
and merry madness equal be.” Exit FRONT RIGHT.
OK, now that scene’ll go on for quite a
while.
give cloak back to Alyss (keep everything else).
ACT IV
Scene 1: Wait behind the pear tree. Find
someone to carry your cage. Be ready to carry your stool.
Scene 2 REAR: Wait for blackout; then enter and set yourself up. Go
through the scene. Wait for blackout; then carry cage and stool to Exit
REAR.
Scene 3: OK, relax for now. Make sure Feste
has “my” note & make sure I have “Olivia’s” (the one I actually wrote).
ACT V
Scene REAR:
Wait, wait, and waaaait behind the pear tree. Listen for them reading “your”
letter and then be ready. Listen for Orsino telling Viola about being her
master’s mistress, and then enter on Oliva’s “A sister! you are she.”
Remember to come wayyy downstage on the mini-monologue. Exit REAR.
CURTAIN CALL
2 Officers, Priest,
Curio, Captain, Antonio, Sebastian, Maria, Sir Andrew, Orsino, Olivia, Malvolio, Toby,
Viola, Feste, and then indicate the musicians!
Anyway, I think I can swing it, especially with these cue cribs folded up in my back pocket. They’ll go a long way towards eliminating uncertainty and indecision. I also won’t have to look at my script for any reason whatsoever.
One of my good friends has accused me of being rather snotty towards them lately. As fickle as I feel some of the rationale is, she was (unfortunately for me) quite right. I don’t know about the specifics, but there’s ample evidence that 1) I can’t take a joke, 2) the jokes I make are often completely insensitive, and 3) I often don’t have two clues about what’s going on in the world around me. This is something for me to work on. Frustratingly, it’s hard to be told things like this, and the initial chagrin is choker.