Tech
March 14, 2012
So this is how it goes. On Monday we would start a technical rehearsal that continues through twelve hour days until Wednesday, when we might have time for a dress rehearsal in the evening.
Then on the Thursday afternoon there will be another dress rehearsal before the first preview that evening. But that's not quite how it went.
The set is rather complex; the only thing that is straight and level is the diving board. Yes, the diving board. So on Monday the stage wasn't quite ready for us. We did manage - while people were scurrying around with hammers, drills and exponentially expanding to-do lists - to dry tech (no lights, sound etc) a few things that would save us a lot of time in the tech proper.
I was introduced to my costume, which is completely satisfying. And to my wig, that has taken nimble fingers 32 concentrated hours to make. I love it. It really helps me know who I am trying to be. So we had a few extra hours in the day, as well, to get a bit of shopping and build our nests for the season.
On Tuesday we did start the tech. As we expected, there was just the one dress rehearsal on the Thursday afternoon - which was fine, because we're all dying to try out our production in front of an audience. And that we did last night. In front of a full and enthusiastic house.
We more than got away with it. They stood and clapped. We found a lot of things out. My only major incident was reassembling one of my most important lines into something that was barely recognisable as English. Rather embarrassing but I managed not to disgrace myself too much in the rest of the show. Well, apart from a little over-enthusiastic pulling down of my trousers. Nothing the RST audience haven't seen before!
I certainly wasn't relaxed last night. It's funny how thinking about little last minute things - I must remember to put my shirt on the chair, I must take off my hat earlier and find somewhere to put it, I have to strike the keyboard, etc. - can be unsettling. But it's great having an audience.
Perhaps I could describe it like this: we've been hitting our balls against a wall, but now we have somebody on the other side of the net hitting the balls back and its exciting determinedly going for long rallies without letting the ball drop.
Today we had some notes from David and tweaked a few things on the stage. A cut here, a change of timing there. I love the refining process that takes place during previews and really look forward to having another shot at the thing tonight.
Photo: Nina Scholar, our totally expert DSM (Deputy Stage Manager) for Twelfth Night and The Tempest.
by Nick Day
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