The lessons this week are about the logistics that happen outside of the rehearsal room. So scheduling remains a huge challenge as Shakes & Co. runs shows in rep. I’ve talked before about how we are sharing actors, but we are also sharing performance space so now we have to factor in change over time for our tech, preview, and performance schedule. Our stage managers have to keep a tight eye on the span of day to make sure we don’t put the actors into over time, the production manager has to manage time and personnel demands of the other departments, and of course the technicians and shop staff have to make the magic happen.
We start tech on Saturday and before then we still have several costume fittings, benches to rebuild, drops to be painted, blood tech, more choreography to learn, etc. We had a production meeting yesterday and discussed how much is left or not left in the budget to accomplish this and other production needs.
This is the most exciting time! The race to get everything done and ready and in the space by Saturday at noon. I know it will happen because theatre is miraculous that way. It takes many hands to make all the parts come together, and that is amazing to me. I know why I do theatre, but the women in the prop shop, the master electrician, and the technical director, they have devoted their lives to theatre too. It is their work that really gets us from the studio to onstage and sometimes we don’t even know their names. I’ve made a point to remember the names of the people I’ve met at Shakes & Co. From the artistic director to housekeeping.
In other tech news, my production of The Winter’s Tale starts tech on Wednesday. We don’t have a fraction of the production staff that Shakes & Co. has, but we have a group of dedicated volunteers who are ensuring that we are loaded in and ready for Wednesday night. I’m very excited for the next two weeks of previews and openings. And even in these high pressure situations, I feel revitalized. My passion for Shakespeare grows daily…if that is even possible.
I have also started following some leads for potential DirectorFest scripts. And as always look toward the future.
0 comments:
Post a Comment