It's been a while since I filled you in on what we've been up to at rehearsals, so I thought I would share some of our antics from a recent Twelfth Night spacing rehearsal. (I promise that a visit to the Craft Shop is coming up in the next entry- I know you have been thinking about those mermaid wigs). Last week, all three shows moved out into the space during the evenings. It has been wonderful getting acquainted with the beautiful Ewing Theatre - I am just in awe everytime I get out there!
Here is 2/3s of our faithful Stage Management crew - Shelby and Connor (we are missing Colt). Rick Barbour, our Director, is in the background as well. The Twelfth Night Stage Management team in addition to the Hamlet and Peter and the Starcatcher teams are the people who make the whole festival happen on schedule and on time - their job is so large in scope! In addition to helping us remember our lines and our blocking during rehearsals, they make up the daily schedule every day (which consists not only of rehearsals but also of fittings, classes, meetings, van runs, etc), they remind us to drink water when it is hot, they laugh at things they have seen over and over again in rehearsal and are just generally really good at looking out for everybody.
The top of rehearsal consists of Fight Call - this is where we go through any stage violence or big physicality very slowly and methodically. Speaking of...here are some fun action shots of Paul, our Fight Choreographer and Chris, the actor playing Sebastian.
Fight call is done before every run of the show - this is how we ensure the safety of the actors and the integrity of the Fight Choreography.
Fight Spacing rehearsals are extremely important once we get in the theatre with the set - because if the actors don't start in the right place, they can run out of stage! We work really hard to make sure we never end up in the audience unless planned!
This looks like Chris just pitched a baseball.
This was a really really warm day - definitely in the upper 90s. These gentleman were quite sweaty after running this sequence several times.
I love the positions of their bodies in these pictures - it really is like a dance!
Ok, enough fighting. Besides the thrill of getting to play on the set for the first time, the costume shop kindly provided many of us with our show shoes. This is so helpful for us actors - it informs how we stand, walk, and move through the space. Here is Jonah (Antonio) putting on his fabulous show boots.
The lovely and bad-ass Deb Staples, pre-rehearsal skirt. Because Deb (Olivia) is wearing a long dress for the show, she and some of the other actors wear rehearsal petticoats in addition to shoes. This gives the actor an idea of how much room they will take up on stage, how they can move, etc.
Deb talks to Rick (our Director) and Tom (Feste) checks out the stage.
Tyler (Orsino) keeps cool with some hot coffee (?) during a break in rehearsal.
Our fearless musicians, Ben, Isaac and Paul (Laura joins them below) - they spend most of the show up on the balcony and add beautiful underscoring and accompaniment for the numerous songs in the show. They along with Tom as Feste add a great deal of heart to the show.
Seriously, they are so good.
And this would be their album cover.
Here is my virtual tour of the backstage for you - the stairs up to the Heavens (the second balcony, aka the really high one) from the Balcony level. There is also a ladder if you have an aversion to stairs.
The stairs down to the Ground Level from the Balcony.
This is a view from the back of the theatre - eventually there will be masking (cloth or walls) added that will keep the backstage from being seen by the audience.
Here is one of our incredible interns, Alex (Sailor, Waiter), watching the rehearsal from backstage. We are so lucky to have a wonderful group of young Actors that are part of the Intern Program here at ISF. Many of the Interns have either just graduated or are close to graduating from Undergrad Theatre programs. This festival couldn't run without them - they are a vital part of every aspect of the Festival. Besides the Intern actors, there are Interns in stage management, electrics, costume design, set design, etc. They work really hard, they are really talented and they manage to be really pleasant to boot!
Several suitcase props.
Show shoes and some Actor shoes.
Jon (Malvolio) needed a Freezer Pop.
Because he was about to head down here:
This is the entrance to the Trap (the space beneath the stage) and it is how people come up through the Trap Doors during the show. Yes, I said TRAP DOORS....come see the shows, people.
And I will leave you with this...
Stage Kiss!
It takes a lot of rehearsal.
No comments:
Post a Comment