Grease opened this weekend with THREE sold out performances! The audience response has been so positive; I couldn't be more pleased and proud of the cast and crew.
While you would think that once the show opens the stress goes away, watching the show in performance is actually really nerve-wracking. Once the show is running, there's nothing I can do! If something goes wrong, or something's not quite right, I have to sit back and watch the actors or crew figure it out. Thankfully, nothing went wrong this weekend. But the possibility is there! All you an do is sit back and trust that everyone knows what they're doing, and have faith that should anything go wrong, everyone can handle it. Honestly, most mistakes would pass by an audience member's eye unnoticed anyway.
It's a strange feeling getting to this point; it's really bittersweet in a way. On the one hand, you're finally getting to share all your hard work with an audience, and with a response like the one that Grease is getting, it can be an overwhelming high. But on the other hand, it's sad to see a project that you've worked so hard on come to an end. You grow accustomed to working with this group of people very closely for long periods of time, and it can be strange to suddenly not see them as much. I'm not complaining about all the extra time suddenly in my schedule, but it is a bit of a jarring change to suddenly have nothing to work on in the evenings.
The show runs through Sunday (which I believe is also sold out!), with performances on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday as well. On Wednesday, there is a special matinee for high school students. It's a great opportunity to present a younger audience with a show very relevant to their lives...but because of their age, we have to change some lines and physicality to make them more "appropriate." The musical about teen rebellion has to be censored for teens. Ah, the irony.
I can't thank possibly thank everyone who helped us get to this point enough. It's been an amazing journey. Now, to try to relax and enjoy the run!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Tech Week: The Inside Scoop
Tech week has officially begun! Everyone hang onto your notepad. For those who have never been through a tech week—lovingly referred to as "Hell Week" in some circles—let me break it down for you: a week (give or take a few days) prior to opening the show, you begin to add in technical elements, like lights, sound, and costumes. This where you can really start to get an idea of how the finished show will look. This is also the time when Murphy's Law kicks into high gear. Mics picking up feedback, costumes ripping, lamps blowing, sound cues shattering ear drums... things like that always go down during this time. Thankfully, this means that those things don't happen during the show...usually.
Saturday we had an all-day rehearsal. We added in the orchestra, microphones for the actors, a click track, and lights. If you don't spend a lot of time studying theatre, it's easy to take these elements for granted—you only really think about the process if something goes wrong. But each element requires a team of people working almost around the clock to get them up and running. Picture a back row of a theatre, filled with tables, and each table is covered in notebooks, spreadsheets, pencils, coffee cups, empty twelve packs of Diet Coke (I swear, Coca-Cola is missing an epic sponsorship opportunity with theatre), and electronic paraphernalia that I couldn't even begin to explain to you. Behind those tables sit a slew of people: designers, assistant designers, a stage manager, the director, board operators. Now add to that more electronics and people behind them: The sound crew. The choreographer. The props and scenic designers. The technical director. Scene shop supervisor. Assistant director. Costume designer. Costume crew. Everyone waiting with a notepad in hand to record anything that isn't the way it should be, making sure every element is as perfect as possible. That's what you're looking at when tech starts. If there is ever doubt that theatre is a collaborative art, look at those rehearsals.
It's stressful, sure. But it's also so exciting! You know that it's almost time to open, and you really get to start polishing the show, and seeing what it will look like when it's finished. And seeing it all together in one cohesive vision makes it all worthwhile. Besides, there's something kind of thrilling about the stress of it, at least for me. Sure, it gets tedious. And frustrating. And there are moments when I think that if I hear "Hold, please" one more time my brain will explode. But at the same time, the frustration reminds me that I'm here because I love what I do. I freak out and lose sleep and moan and groan because I'm putting everything I have into this; this is where my passion is, and that means there's going to be some highs and lows. All I can do is hang on and enjoy the ride.
Get your tickets if you haven't; they're going fast!
--Sarah Coon
Saturday we had an all-day rehearsal. We added in the orchestra, microphones for the actors, a click track, and lights. If you don't spend a lot of time studying theatre, it's easy to take these elements for granted—you only really think about the process if something goes wrong. But each element requires a team of people working almost around the clock to get them up and running. Picture a back row of a theatre, filled with tables, and each table is covered in notebooks, spreadsheets, pencils, coffee cups, empty twelve packs of Diet Coke (I swear, Coca-Cola is missing an epic sponsorship opportunity with theatre), and electronic paraphernalia that I couldn't even begin to explain to you. Behind those tables sit a slew of people: designers, assistant designers, a stage manager, the director, board operators. Now add to that more electronics and people behind them: The sound crew. The choreographer. The props and scenic designers. The technical director. Scene shop supervisor. Assistant director. Costume designer. Costume crew. Everyone waiting with a notepad in hand to record anything that isn't the way it should be, making sure every element is as perfect as possible. That's what you're looking at when tech starts. If there is ever doubt that theatre is a collaborative art, look at those rehearsals.
It's stressful, sure. But it's also so exciting! You know that it's almost time to open, and you really get to start polishing the show, and seeing what it will look like when it's finished. And seeing it all together in one cohesive vision makes it all worthwhile. Besides, there's something kind of thrilling about the stress of it, at least for me. Sure, it gets tedious. And frustrating. And there are moments when I think that if I hear "Hold, please" one more time my brain will explode. But at the same time, the frustration reminds me that I'm here because I love what I do. I freak out and lose sleep and moan and groan because I'm putting everything I have into this; this is where my passion is, and that means there's going to be some highs and lows. All I can do is hang on and enjoy the ride.
Get your tickets if you haven't; they're going fast!
--Sarah Coon
The Home Stretch
(Moderator's Note: Sarah sent this blog post to me about a week ago, and due to any number of things, I wasn't able to post it until now. My apologies to readers, and to Sarah—my punctuality could not match hers. --WLS)
Just under two weeks to opening! Amazing how time flies. We got a little off-track this week with the snow days (two days of rehearsal lost!) but we seem to be headed in the right direction now. We're at a point where the actors may no longer call for line, and most of the lines are there—a few scenes were shaky today, but nothing that won't be fixed in a day or two. The dance numbers are getting cleaner and cleaner. Everyone seems to be really pleased with the progress the show is making. It's always nice when you don't have to be panicking about being ready!
We start tech this weekend, which is always one of my favorite parts of the rehearsal process. Seeing all the elements coming together is so exciting! The actors are starting to rehearse in the shoes that go with their costumes already- it's an interesting sight to see modern clothing with older shoes, or girls in shorts and t-shirts with spiky heels. I can't wait to see the costumes that go with it! The countdown begins now...
--Sarah Coon
Just under two weeks to opening! Amazing how time flies. We got a little off-track this week with the snow days (two days of rehearsal lost!) but we seem to be headed in the right direction now. We're at a point where the actors may no longer call for line, and most of the lines are there—a few scenes were shaky today, but nothing that won't be fixed in a day or two. The dance numbers are getting cleaner and cleaner. Everyone seems to be really pleased with the progress the show is making. It's always nice when you don't have to be panicking about being ready!
We start tech this weekend, which is always one of my favorite parts of the rehearsal process. Seeing all the elements coming together is so exciting! The actors are starting to rehearse in the shoes that go with their costumes already- it's an interesting sight to see modern clothing with older shoes, or girls in shorts and t-shirts with spiky heels. I can't wait to see the costumes that go with it! The countdown begins now...
--Sarah Coon
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