The time has come! We had our dress rehearsal this afternoon. The cues are mostly written and the transitions are mostly worked out. We've still got time to rehearse some tomorrow to put whatever finishing touches we need before the official opening night. But as of tonight, people are paying to see Pregnancy Pact.
People are going to start to come into town tomorrow and I'm going to be a host and be social and all that. But before that happens, I'm going to enjoy having one last night with just me and my show. Actually, I'm going to enjoy having one last night with just Julia, Joe, Rich, Andrew, Jess, Molly, Jakob, Krystina, Katrina, Caitlin, Lauren, Jed, Margo, Dana, Tim, Jen, Joel, Ed, Meghan, Sydney, Jeremy, Lorenzo, Anthony, Ro, Sean, Steve, Mal, Tim, Stuart, Bridget, Aidan, Peryn, Kaylin, Kelsey, everyone... and OUR show.
Break water, everyone!
Showing posts with label Rehearsal Report. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rehearsal Report. Show all posts
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Day Twenty
Tech has come and gone. We had another really productive day - working up to the finale of the show. It continues to look wonderful and Joe is a master at figuring things out on their feet as they differ from the rehearsal room. The steady focus of everyone involved kept us moving through the show. It was amazing to see some of my very favorite moments in the show in their full theatrical glory tonight - sequences like "I Can't Wait" and "Leave Me Behind" that go beyond the realism in a lot of the script and can only live on a stage. I can't wait to see it all the way through at our 2:00 dress rehearsal tomorrow!
And then, of course, there's that little fact that tomorrow night at 7:30pm, Pregnancy Pact gets its first paying audience. It's a little overwhelming to even begin to think about. There's a huge part of me that is thrilled and proud to show off the work that all these amazing people have done.
Then there's the part of me that wants to run and hide at the thought of opening it up to the world. I know it's what every writer dreams of, but I never thought I'd have so much anxiety heading into the big day. In a weird way, I almost feel like I'm losing a little bit of myself by putting it out there for the world to see. It's almost like a line from "Hummingbird Heart" - "She's like a tiny secret that nobody gets to see, but I can feel her little hummingbird heart and I'll keep her from the world so it's only her and me." There's something so private about my relationship to this show and it's scary to think that it's no longer just mine.
Baby analogies come easily with musicals (and have always been a part of the way we talk about this show.) So when I got home from tech the first thing I did was check to see if "birth anxiety" was a thing and there it was, clear as day. Message boards abound with postings from soon-to-be mothers talking about their fears and nerves - knowing that it's what you've planned for all along but scared that it's actually about to really happen. I think Jaimek000's June post on the community board of babycenter.com just about sums up what I'm feeling right now:
Now I'm thankful that what I'm going to experience tomorrow won't include any pain or require an epidural (hopefully), but I can't help but feel some of the same things. And recognizing that this is part of the life of a writer is so important. Yes, I'll probably mourn a little bit while I celebrate how amazing the production is. But it just means that it's real!
And then, of course, there's that little fact that tomorrow night at 7:30pm, Pregnancy Pact gets its first paying audience. It's a little overwhelming to even begin to think about. There's a huge part of me that is thrilled and proud to show off the work that all these amazing people have done.
Then there's the part of me that wants to run and hide at the thought of opening it up to the world. I know it's what every writer dreams of, but I never thought I'd have so much anxiety heading into the big day. In a weird way, I almost feel like I'm losing a little bit of myself by putting it out there for the world to see. It's almost like a line from "Hummingbird Heart" - "She's like a tiny secret that nobody gets to see, but I can feel her little hummingbird heart and I'll keep her from the world so it's only her and me." There's something so private about my relationship to this show and it's scary to think that it's no longer just mine.
Baby analogies come easily with musicals (and have always been a part of the way we talk about this show.) So when I got home from tech the first thing I did was check to see if "birth anxiety" was a thing and there it was, clear as day. Message boards abound with postings from soon-to-be mothers talking about their fears and nerves - knowing that it's what you've planned for all along but scared that it's actually about to really happen. I think Jaimek000's June post on the community board of babycenter.com just about sums up what I'm feeling right now:
Any others out there that are FTMs that are starting to get nervous? Obvs, I have known all along that I will have to deliver, but now that the time is fast approaching, I am starting to get nervous, worried, anxious...when, where, HOW??? LOL. The anticipation is both exciting and nerve-racking not knowing how its all going to pan out. I have the standard concerns of will my birth go smoothly?; will my baby be so big that I will need a c-section?; will everything be OK with baby? etc, etc, etc...ANY COPING STRATEGIES? I am starting to have butterflies over it daily!Now I first had to realize that FTM in this case has nothing to do with the trans community and instead means "first time mother." Then I read responses and the one idea that stuck out was that no matter what concerns you may have, you must remember that women have been doing this since the beginning of time. Everyone worries, but it's part of life.
Now I'm thankful that what I'm going to experience tomorrow won't include any pain or require an epidural (hopefully), but I can't help but feel some of the same things. And recognizing that this is part of the life of a writer is so important. Yes, I'll probably mourn a little bit while I celebrate how amazing the production is. But it just means that it's real!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Day Nineteen
Tech began today. This is my first time really tech-ing a show as a writer (and I haven't been involved in a real tech in any capacity since college) and these 10 out of 12 hour days are exhausting!
The big takeaway of the day? My goodness we are so lucky to be surrounded by the people working on this show. I've spent weeks singing the praises of Joe and Rich and the 7 actors and 3 stage managers (Jess, Molly & Jakob) who've been in the rehearsal room all along. And they're all still immensely praise-worthy - the work they've been doing is on full display here. But when you add in the work of the designers and their crews it becomes a fully realized show. You've read about Tim, Joel, Jen, and Ed. The work they have all done is fantastic from the start. From the hyper-real bathroom set to the washes of beautiful color in the lights to the parade of pitch-perfect hoodies and the full sound coming out of the pit, they've found a way to illuminate this story that goes so far beyond my wildest imaginings. And they're supported by such a wonderful group of people, working literally around the clock under the supervision of Production Manager-extraordinaire Bridget Sullivan, to realize this world. I can't wait to see the rest tomorrow!
I wrote a whole long description of everything I saw today - the amazing popcorn counter, the pink glow of "This Is It," Kaylee's incredible red jeans (to name a few) - but there is no way to truly get across how wonderful it is to see this all come to life. I feel like a fountain of gratitude - trying to say "Thank you" as much as I possibly can. Even that can't really be enough, though. I know that this is what they all do, they're professionals, and they aren't just doing this for me and Julia. But I can't help but look at the proof for the program and see all of the names and feel humbled that what was a couple of new songs three years ago is now no longer just mine. And while that was a pretty scary thought a month ago, I couldn't be more excited to share this with everyone in that theater.
We've got another 10 out of 12 tomorrow, so look for another late-night update then!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Day Eighteen
Our third week of rehearsal is done! The time has flown by up here and I'm trying not to think about having to return to regular life in a week...
As the sitz went on, we got to peek in on all the work they're doing in the theater. So far we've only seen the portals in the set design, but it's already beyond exciting. I can't wait to stop by on our day off to keep checking it out!
Rehearsal began with one final run of the show in the rehearsal room. Knowing that we had our sitzprobe a few hours later, there was some vocal marking going on - but nothing else was held back. Now that we're a few runs in, the show has really settled into a larger arc that was exciting to watch. The wonderful moments that were already there get more specific and more amazing each time we pass them by. There were some designers and assistants there watching the run to prepare for tech - trying to track the moving set pieces and figure out the quick changes and all those things that are about to be thrown into the mix. I'm so happy that the show is on such solid footing and can easily withstand everything new that's on its way!
We moved our rehearsal to the Playhouse living room to sing through the score with the full band for the first time. The musicians are wonderful and have jumped in feet first over this weekend. It was exciting for me to get to hear the score all the way through again - including a few new moments that were written for this incarnation that I've never heard with full orchestration. It makes me re-appreciate just how wonderful Julia is all the more in situations like that! I think (I hope) it was just as exciting for the cast to get the full effect of the score for the first time. I can't wait for the music to color all of the amazing work they've already been doing when we move into the theater!
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| The girls singing a nice open vowel... |
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| Cello, violin & bass! |
Next time you read a rehearsal report, tech will be in full-swing... Crazy.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Day Seventeen
Our rehearsal was more of the same wonderfulness - we worked on a few scenes before doing another run, followed by working through a few notes from the run. It's fascinating to watch Joe and actors adjust things based on the larger picture. I've never been a part of a production that had that kind of luxury of time before, but since everyone's been at the top of their game all along we actually have time before tech to work through the overarching trajectory of the show. In a show with emotions this high this often, it's interesting to see actors work through emotional pacing the same way they might work through their vocal trajectory once they know the show as a whole. I guess this is another "Duh, you wrote it" moment, but that pacing can be intense - in a show that aims to lead the audience such a specific emotional journey we don't want to peak too soon or else we might lose them. And watching the actors and Joe and Rich work through this, I just can't get over how good everyone is at their jobs and how lucky we are to have them all (still and always, I guess.)
Tomorrow is a big day - we have a run first thing and our sitzprobe (sing-through of the score with the full cast and band) after our dinner break. It's also the day we bid farewell to the Lloyd Rehearsal Hall. But that means we're just one step closer to tech - and one step closer to letting all of you see what we've been up to!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Day Sixteen
After such a wonderful run yesterday, everyone was pretty exhuastedly pleased. The cast has been giving their all and wound up with tired voices and a few back spasms so we forwent (that's a word, right?) a run to do some focused work on what we saw yesterday. Rich got some time to clean up a few musical loose ends and allow the cast to review any material they needed.
Joe took another look at the Act Two opener, a dream lullaby in which the girls revel in their future lives with their babies. There was some question about how clear it was that we were in a dream, and Joe's solution is all at once simple, theatrical, and really really beautiful. It goes hand in hand with Julia's gorgeous music for the scene.
The only collateral damage was the elimination of our infant ensemble. Twan will still make appearances in other parts of the show, but the rest of the babies aren't as lucky. As you can see, they didn't take the news all that well - especially the one with the pink swaddle... Twan gave them all a pep-talk, though, so hopefully they'll keep their dreams alive.
We ended the day doing some final staging for the finale, including a discussion about the tone of the end of the show. It's a tricky thing to pull off - seeing these girls off into the rest of their lives - but it was immensely helpful to get to discuss it with the cast and hear their thoughts, as well as all of Joe's insights. It's a really powerful thing to watch!
I was also busy making a full, updated script for the designers for our run-through tomorrow. It's completely crazy to think that we've only got two more rehearsals until tech starts - and only one week until we are officially open! Tomorrow is another run (after a morning trip to the local farmer's market to boost all of our energy...)
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| Twan trying not to rub it in... |
The only collateral damage was the elimination of our infant ensemble. Twan will still make appearances in other parts of the show, but the rest of the babies aren't as lucky. As you can see, they didn't take the news all that well - especially the one with the pink swaddle... Twan gave them all a pep-talk, though, so hopefully they'll keep their dreams alive.
We ended the day doing some final staging for the finale, including a discussion about the tone of the end of the show. It's a tricky thing to pull off - seeing these girls off into the rest of their lives - but it was immensely helpful to get to discuss it with the cast and hear their thoughts, as well as all of Joe's insights. It's a really powerful thing to watch!
I was also busy making a full, updated script for the designers for our run-through tomorrow. It's completely crazy to think that we've only got two more rehearsals until tech starts - and only one week until we are officially open! Tomorrow is another run (after a morning trip to the local farmer's market to boost all of our energy...)
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Day Fourteen
I'm happy to say that today wasn't quite as hard to get through. That's not to say that the material we tackled today was any easier - we actually hit the two hardest-to-watch scenes - but I at least got to wear my writer hat a little more than I have recently. After a few hours of music review to start the day, we staged two more scenes in Act Two.
I am still reveling in the seven actors in our show. Their willingness to follow these characters into the crazy depths of the story is amazing to watch. Early on in the process, Joe said (I'm knowingly paraphrasing) that it may be hard for them to understand the logic of why these girls (and boys) choose to do what they do, but understanding and committing to the emotional journey can illuminate who the girls (and boys) are. And what I saw them giving today (and yesterday, when the reckoning in the story began) was pure emotion. All raw and ugly and injured and happy and pained. It's just so rewarding to see the game of my story raised consistently.
Speaking of raising the game of this show, I don't know if I've ever quite adequately covered just what incredible work Joe is doing. As I wrote the show, I didn't force myself to set limits when it comes to production. There's no unit set (we skip around to various locations throughout), there are some feats of staging to accomplish in a few songs, there's a male actors playing different characters (sometimes within the same scene [in a "realistic" tone])... But Joe has not only taken everything in stride and made it work, he's taken it to a new level of theatricality and ease and intelligence. He's finding all the beauty and the love and the humanity in the world of the show to convey everything we've written in ways we never imagined. We trust him so wholly with our work, and it's clear in the rehearsal room (and in my rehearsal reports) just how wholly the actors trust him with theirs.
And once you make your way to Weston to see the show, you'll know just what I'm talking about!
(Sometimes I wish it wasn't late at night by the time I write these, but with a 12-8pm rehearsal schedule I always find myself trying to be coherent while battling end-of-day exhaustion. Imagine how much gushing I could do with full brain power!)
I am still reveling in the seven actors in our show. Their willingness to follow these characters into the crazy depths of the story is amazing to watch. Early on in the process, Joe said (I'm knowingly paraphrasing) that it may be hard for them to understand the logic of why these girls (and boys) choose to do what they do, but understanding and committing to the emotional journey can illuminate who the girls (and boys) are. And what I saw them giving today (and yesterday, when the reckoning in the story began) was pure emotion. All raw and ugly and injured and happy and pained. It's just so rewarding to see the game of my story raised consistently.
Speaking of raising the game of this show, I don't know if I've ever quite adequately covered just what incredible work Joe is doing. As I wrote the show, I didn't force myself to set limits when it comes to production. There's no unit set (we skip around to various locations throughout), there are some feats of staging to accomplish in a few songs, there's a male actors playing different characters (sometimes within the same scene [in a "realistic" tone])... But Joe has not only taken everything in stride and made it work, he's taken it to a new level of theatricality and ease and intelligence. He's finding all the beauty and the love and the humanity in the world of the show to convey everything we've written in ways we never imagined. We trust him so wholly with our work, and it's clear in the rehearsal room (and in my rehearsal reports) just how wholly the actors trust him with theirs.
And once you make your way to Weston to see the show, you'll know just what I'm talking about!
(Sometimes I wish it wasn't late at night by the time I write these, but with a 12-8pm rehearsal schedule I always find myself trying to be coherent while battling end-of-day exhaustion. Imagine how much gushing I could do with full brain power!)
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Day Thirteen
Today was a difficult day.
Rehearsal continued to be spectacular. The actors are, as always, gamely tackling new staging while growing old scenes in leaps and bounds as we run the show. I've gotten so accustomed to the joy of seeing the characters in new ways and getting re-acquainted with them out of my head - in effect becoming my own audience member.
Not to give anything away, but today we reached a scene where all of the joy the characters experience catches up with them in a very big way. I sat there watching Joe stage it and felt such an overwhelming sadness for these characters. I feel silly even letting myself think that - I mean, I am the one who invented these girls and their story and actively put them through the wringer (after all, I could have chosen for them to all just be easily happy in the end). I've always thought that good writers love their characters enough to hurt them. And I seem to have gone out of my way to do that here. Because watching this scene, which is held together by some of Julia's most beautiful music that is so masterfully sung by Katrina, I had a visceral physical reaction. My stomach was twisted in knots and I just wanted to jump up and say "Give me two days and I'll write a new script to make all the pain go away!" It has been hard to come back from that feeling at the beginning of the day, and I have to say I don't think I've fully recovered.
So many things have surprised me about this process, but none more than this odd shifting in my role as writer. I'm so grateful that we have such amazing people surrounding us who I trust so completely that I'm able to take a step back and really watch the show for the first time. The rest of the show doesn't get any easier, so I think I'm in for a rough few days emotionally. Maybe it's just masochistic, but at least I can take comfort knowing that I'm doing my job in moving at least this one audience member!
Rehearsal continued to be spectacular. The actors are, as always, gamely tackling new staging while growing old scenes in leaps and bounds as we run the show. I've gotten so accustomed to the joy of seeing the characters in new ways and getting re-acquainted with them out of my head - in effect becoming my own audience member.
Not to give anything away, but today we reached a scene where all of the joy the characters experience catches up with them in a very big way. I sat there watching Joe stage it and felt such an overwhelming sadness for these characters. I feel silly even letting myself think that - I mean, I am the one who invented these girls and their story and actively put them through the wringer (after all, I could have chosen for them to all just be easily happy in the end). I've always thought that good writers love their characters enough to hurt them. And I seem to have gone out of my way to do that here. Because watching this scene, which is held together by some of Julia's most beautiful music that is so masterfully sung by Katrina, I had a visceral physical reaction. My stomach was twisted in knots and I just wanted to jump up and say "Give me two days and I'll write a new script to make all the pain go away!" It has been hard to come back from that feeling at the beginning of the day, and I have to say I don't think I've fully recovered.
So many things have surprised me about this process, but none more than this odd shifting in my role as writer. I'm so grateful that we have such amazing people surrounding us who I trust so completely that I'm able to take a step back and really watch the show for the first time. The rest of the show doesn't get any easier, so I think I'm in for a rough few days emotionally. Maybe it's just masochistic, but at least I can take comfort knowing that I'm doing my job in moving at least this one audience member!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Day Twelve
After a few finishing touches with staging, we ran the first act of the show this afternoon. It is so beyond anything I could have envisioned on the Megabus on August 6th. There's not much more to say than I've already said - Joe, Rich, and the actors continue to do more and more amazing things every day. And I really cannot wait to get to share it with an audience!
Sometimes, as I write these rehearsal reports, I worry that those of you reading either think I'm a wide-eyed naif who can't believe it's all coming true OR think that I'm trying to cover up all of the trouble we're having. I'm happy to say that while I may be wide-eyed, there is no covering up happening! It really is as wonderful as I make it sound.
So have you gotten your tickets yet?
Sometimes, as I write these rehearsal reports, I worry that those of you reading either think I'm a wide-eyed naif who can't believe it's all coming true OR think that I'm trying to cover up all of the trouble we're having. I'm happy to say that while I may be wide-eyed, there is no covering up happening! It really is as wonderful as I make it sound.
So have you gotten your tickets yet?
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Day Eleven
Basically, today was just joyful. We started the day by going to an area school to do a little video shoot for promotional materials. (Be on the lookout on here and on Facebook for what eventually gets put together!) We shot footage of the first few scenes that take place in the bathroom, there's footage of the girls singing and putting on makeup, of them running through the halls, delivering lines, just generally being their wonderful selves. And while Joe was filming, I snapped a few good photos (including the wonderful one right here.) It's amazing to see casts come together. I know you always want it to happen, and an environment like this is ready-made for cast bonding, but it's still so heartening to see.
When we got back to the Lloyd Rehearsal Hall, we sang a little bit and then jumped in to stage the Prologue. That alchemy I talked about yesterday was in full effect - with everyone on the same page, we wound up only needing about half the time that was allotted. We moved on to "Nobody Knows" and the joy of the day came to life in the staging. Even with stand-ins for moveable set pieces as Joe put it on its feet, the energy and excitement of the moment came through. It was hard not to smile watching (and listening to) them. And, as is the trend lately, we finished with time to spare. (Because they're ridiculously hard workers, though, the cast requested some extra music time when we finished staging for the day. I don't know how they keep up their energy for 7 hours a day!)
Tomorrow, with Jed back in town, we run Act 1...
Friday, August 17, 2012
Day Ten
Today was the day I cried. Not full-on crying, but I found myself being really emotional. A big part of it was probably from not sleeping much last night (I'm still adjusting to this whole fresh air overnight thing and haven't gotten the hang of how much to open the windows so as not to be awake and freezing by 6am.) But part of it was that we tackled two of the more joyous moments of the show - "Hummingbird Heart" and "Let Me In." There was something about the day that just felt locked in, like everyone on the room is now fully on the same wavelength. Not that we weren't before, but it felt like the getting-to-know-each-other-and-the-piece period is behind us. The actors all have a mutual respect and camaraderie after a week of staging and we're far enough into the process that they're fully comfortable with the entire row of creative staff that watches them for 8 hours a day. It feels easy enough to keep getting some really hard work done.
And I think I've been in my own head, worrying not only about rewrites and staging but also just hoping that everyone likes my work. Even though it's about 15 and 16 year old girls, there's so much of myself and my heart and pieces and parts of my own life tied up in these characters that it's really overwhelming sharing it sometimes. And today I kept having moments of a kind of unspoken understanding with both actors and characters, where I felt like the girls aren't just mine anymore. Not like I feel like they've been taken away from me, but more that everything that was on the page and in my head has been brought into the physical world so completely that I don't have to guard them anymore. More than anything, it's allowed me to take a brand new look at them all.
I think that's what was overwhelming today. We started working on the scene before "Hummingbird Heart" and the barrage of lines in the scene were getting confusing, so the actors just sat down and read through the scene into the song for their own sake. I got back from pouring coffee and was half-listening while mostly trying to avoid the flies that were out in full force today, and as Margo started singing I heard the lyrics in a new way. I've easily heard that song sung a hundred times (at least) but listening to it today made me re-realize just how much I love the girls in this story. And when it was up on its feet, every time it got to the amazing vocal harmonies in the bridge I had to make sure to hold perfectly still so the tears that kept welling up didn't leave my eyelids.
By the time we got to "Let Me In" I thought that I'd be able to be a little more clinical - after all it's a complicated song that I've always had a few reservations about lyrically. So when we got to staging the verse I've always been least sure about (involving the popular girl's confessional moment) Krystina stepped forward and sang the lyrics simply (and, as always, beautifully). Seeing it sung in relation to the other girls on stage cut right to the heart of the character and I saw so many new colors in the moment and wound up understanding the girl in a brand new way. That moment of discovery might have been the most emotional experience today.
I expected to learn a lot while we were up here, of course, but I don't think I expected to have my eyes opened the way they have been. All I can to do is continue to revel in the way that Joe and Rich and these actors are giving us more than we ever thought we had in all our years behind music stands. And probably (hopefully) cry a few more times...
And I think I've been in my own head, worrying not only about rewrites and staging but also just hoping that everyone likes my work. Even though it's about 15 and 16 year old girls, there's so much of myself and my heart and pieces and parts of my own life tied up in these characters that it's really overwhelming sharing it sometimes. And today I kept having moments of a kind of unspoken understanding with both actors and characters, where I felt like the girls aren't just mine anymore. Not like I feel like they've been taken away from me, but more that everything that was on the page and in my head has been brought into the physical world so completely that I don't have to guard them anymore. More than anything, it's allowed me to take a brand new look at them all.
I think that's what was overwhelming today. We started working on the scene before "Hummingbird Heart" and the barrage of lines in the scene were getting confusing, so the actors just sat down and read through the scene into the song for their own sake. I got back from pouring coffee and was half-listening while mostly trying to avoid the flies that were out in full force today, and as Margo started singing I heard the lyrics in a new way. I've easily heard that song sung a hundred times (at least) but listening to it today made me re-realize just how much I love the girls in this story. And when it was up on its feet, every time it got to the amazing vocal harmonies in the bridge I had to make sure to hold perfectly still so the tears that kept welling up didn't leave my eyelids.
By the time we got to "Let Me In" I thought that I'd be able to be a little more clinical - after all it's a complicated song that I've always had a few reservations about lyrically. So when we got to staging the verse I've always been least sure about (involving the popular girl's confessional moment) Krystina stepped forward and sang the lyrics simply (and, as always, beautifully). Seeing it sung in relation to the other girls on stage cut right to the heart of the character and I saw so many new colors in the moment and wound up understanding the girl in a brand new way. That moment of discovery might have been the most emotional experience today.
I expected to learn a lot while we were up here, of course, but I don't think I expected to have my eyes opened the way they have been. All I can to do is continue to revel in the way that Joe and Rich and these actors are giving us more than we ever thought we had in all our years behind music stands. And probably (hopefully) cry a few more times...
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Day Nine
First off, it was just a beautiful day today in Weston (as is evidenced by the open doors of the rehearsal room a few posts below...) That's enough to start any day right, but the day didn't disappoint.
After a little bit more blocking, we were able to run the first 45 minutes of the show straight through this afternoon (sans the prologue, to be staged on Saturday.) And it is looking so wonderful. It's so wonderful to get to continue the trend of smart and thoughtful and giving people working on our project - everyone involved is so smart and thoughtful and giving and open and professional and every other wonderful thing you associate with the best of musical theater.
The most exciting part of the day for me came at the end, though, when we staged a song called "I Can't Wait." For those of you who've followed the show for a while, it replaces "Knock Me Up" as the penultimate song of the first act. While we love "Knock Me Up" (it was the third song written for the show before we had characters or a story, even) we found that the moment needed a little more gravity. So while we were in residence at CAP21's Writer's Co-op in February we tackled a new song while retaining the original bridge ("Don't Look At Me.") The song's been in our pocket ever since. We hadn't even heard it sung in full until we got here last week and it was such a relief and triumph today to see it work so well. It's a very tough moment emotionally - with the girls all trying to get pregnant and stay emotionally detached - and Joe and the actors hit the nail on the head. The staging is thrilling and the vocals from the girls are achingly beautiful. I'm so grateful to them all for going there for us in this moment so intensely (so intensely that we rewarded ourselves by calling it a night a little early and then eating delicious nachos... Like you do.)
After a little bit more blocking, we were able to run the first 45 minutes of the show straight through this afternoon (sans the prologue, to be staged on Saturday.) And it is looking so wonderful. It's so wonderful to get to continue the trend of smart and thoughtful and giving people working on our project - everyone involved is so smart and thoughtful and giving and open and professional and every other wonderful thing you associate with the best of musical theater.
The most exciting part of the day for me came at the end, though, when we staged a song called "I Can't Wait." For those of you who've followed the show for a while, it replaces "Knock Me Up" as the penultimate song of the first act. While we love "Knock Me Up" (it was the third song written for the show before we had characters or a story, even) we found that the moment needed a little more gravity. So while we were in residence at CAP21's Writer's Co-op in February we tackled a new song while retaining the original bridge ("Don't Look At Me.") The song's been in our pocket ever since. We hadn't even heard it sung in full until we got here last week and it was such a relief and triumph today to see it work so well. It's a very tough moment emotionally - with the girls all trying to get pregnant and stay emotionally detached - and Joe and the actors hit the nail on the head. The staging is thrilling and the vocals from the girls are achingly beautiful. I'm so grateful to them all for going there for us in this moment so intensely (so intensely that we rewarded ourselves by calling it a night a little early and then eating delicious nachos... Like you do.)
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Day Eight
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| Bellies and shoes. |
It was so nice to get to some humor after the thrillingly intense few days at the start. Being Pregnancy Pact, of course, a lot the humor comes in the form of sexuality and boy is it sexual. Through both of the scenes we blocked today, we just sat there thinking of what the room will be like at those two student matinees. I am so sad not to be able to sit in the theater and experience the show in a room full of teenagers. I'll have to ask someone else to write a guest blog post that day to let everyone know what it's like. In the meantime, I'll just keep laughing at all the ways Joe and actors take what I already thought was pretty funny on the page and make it genuinely hilarious on stage.
After rehearsal we went with the whole cast to see the Playhouse's current production of Fiddler on the Roof and the late-night cabaret with members of the cast. The show was great, headlined by David Brummel and Joanna Glushak. (And I can always count on Chava to give me a good cry.) The highlight of the show has always been and will always be "Do You Love Me?" - it is such a wonderfully simple and unexpected moment from those two characters - and the two of them were especially great in that song. It was great to finally get to see a show in the theater and visualize what we see in the rehearsal room on the stage. And the cabaret was truly hilarious. It was about last year's flood after Irene and took some amazing songs (everything from Queen to Showboat to Destiny's Child) and rewrote some lyrics and made everyone laugh their faces off (myself included.) The Avengers made an appearance, as did the Queen, and even the infamous cow costume that was rescued from the flood last year. It was a hilarious and joyous way to look at just how far this theater and town have come in less than a year!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Day Seven
I guess I never realized just how monumental the first three scenes of this show are. Of course, duh, I wrote them that way and all and I've heard them read aloud any number of times. And seeing it in my head is emotional because they set everything up for the whole show. I just am (pleasantly) surprised at how intense it is to watch Joe work with the actors on it.
But since every single person in our rehearsal room is giving everything they have (and then some) it is also just about the most thrilling experience I've had. It's such an honor to see such thought and warmth and purpose go into every single word and every single note. I probably sound like a broken record in these rehearsal reports, but it really is overwhelming to hit the ground running with such confidence and care.
Tomorrow starts a little change of pace. These first forty pages have been overwhelming with big group scenes to establish the story and the tone and the characters. Next up are a few scenes in a with a little more humor and a little smaller in scope (if not intensity - because, let's face it, this is an intense topic.) But I predict I'll be gushing just as much tomorrow!
It's hard not to gush when you get to do what I get to do these days.
But since every single person in our rehearsal room is giving everything they have (and then some) it is also just about the most thrilling experience I've had. It's such an honor to see such thought and warmth and purpose go into every single word and every single note. I probably sound like a broken record in these rehearsal reports, but it really is overwhelming to hit the ground running with such confidence and care.
Tomorrow starts a little change of pace. These first forty pages have been overwhelming with big group scenes to establish the story and the tone and the characters. Next up are a few scenes in a with a little more humor and a little smaller in scope (if not intensity - because, let's face it, this is an intense topic.) But I predict I'll be gushing just as much tomorrow!
It's hard not to gush when you get to do what I get to do these days.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Day Six
One week down!
And we keep plowing through. We kept on staging today and it really is looking amazing. It's so exciting to get to see the theatricalized version of what's been in my head for the last three years - it is both everything I thought it would be and more than I could have ever imagined! I can't wait to see what else Joe has in store for the show as we keep going.
We're really in the swing of things now. I can't believe we already have a day off tomorrow! We're taking a field trip to Manchester to see a movie as a reward for a week full of hard work. (Rumor is a movie ticket is only $8 here! I never want to leave!)
And we keep plowing through. We kept on staging today and it really is looking amazing. It's so exciting to get to see the theatricalized version of what's been in my head for the last three years - it is both everything I thought it would be and more than I could have ever imagined! I can't wait to see what else Joe has in store for the show as we keep going.
We're really in the swing of things now. I can't believe we already have a day off tomorrow! We're taking a field trip to Manchester to see a movie as a reward for a week full of hard work. (Rumor is a movie ticket is only $8 here! I never want to leave!)
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Day Five
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| L-R: Jed, Katrina, Dana, Margo, Caitlin, Lauren & Krystina |
Look at Jed's face on the far left of this photo. Smiling at the music being made. That basically sums up my experience today.
We started the day with a full read/sing-through of the show for a few people on the Playhouse staff. All of the work these seven actors (and one very hard-working music director) have done shone through. It was so exciting to get to hear the full script and score for the first time in over a year, and especially to hear it so full-throttle.
The rest of the day was spent diving into staging - which is a first for us with this show! I still get surprised by how much staging informs every word on the page (mostly because it's a rare treat to have something up on its feet.) As always, everyone jumped in and I'm thrilled with the results. 14 pages down!
The day started with a quick marketing meeting (my first!) and all I can say is get ready for some social network realness coming your way soon.
We're finishing up the day with a little bit of Apples to Apples. Is there any better reward for a job well done?
Friday, August 10, 2012
Day Four
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| Clockwise from L: Margo Seibert, Lauren Marcus, Dana Steingold, Katrina Rose Dideriksen, Krystina Alabado, Caitlin Kinnunen, Jed Resnick |
We started out the day with a full company photo - the whole Weston staff and everyone involved in Pregnancy Pact, Fiddler on the Roof, and Bad Dates - in front of the Playhouse. We somehow avoided the rain (but not the humidity) and got it taken. The photo at left is just our cast afterwards. It's so great to be a part of such a great community this month. (And if the rain holds off, we're going to be a part of that community at a cookout tonight to celebrate National S'mores Day!)
We stayed on the music train and spent the day learning a few last things and cleaning up and reviewing others before we have our read/sing-through tomorrow. I don't know if I do any more gushing than I've already done, but they're still basically amazing.
My big discovery of the day is the theatrical uses of Pinterest. Now I had always avoided it - I don't need more ways to procrastinate - but now I've learned to use it to my advantage! Joe gave the cast the assignment yesterday to make boards for their characters and seeing them all today I became instantly hooked. It's an instant way to convey moods and hues and details that could take hours and hours to describe. I learned so much seeing what the cast was pinning. And I saw so much of what I had written into these characters in a whole new way.
(I, of course, spent our break creating my own Pinterest as a way to do research for my musicals - both old and new. I am officially hooked. I might have to even come up with more new musical ideas to feed this new obsession.)
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Day Three
Music music music music.
There is so much music! And it is not easy. And this amazing cast is taking it everything that's thrown at them and running with it (thanks in no small part to the one and only Rich Silverstein.) They've now not only learned almost the entire score in two days, but they're taking the time to polish and refine on their own. (I know that's what actors are supposed to do, right, but this just goes above and beyond what I expected.) We had a little bit of group music review time at the end of the day and I have to say that they sound so good and strong and clean together already that it clears your sinuses!
In between all the music, we had a really phenomenal half hour of table work this afternoon. Joe led us through a discussion about the lives of their characters before the show - both what I had always pictured and what made sense to each actor. As we talked and questioned and guessed at possible answers, I started to get an even clearer picture of who these girls really are. Or at least clear enough that we've got two re-written scenes for tomorrow...
Tomorrow we've got more music on tap before our big read/sing-through on Saturday afternoon!
There is so much music! And it is not easy. And this amazing cast is taking it everything that's thrown at them and running with it (thanks in no small part to the one and only Rich Silverstein.) They've now not only learned almost the entire score in two days, but they're taking the time to polish and refine on their own. (I know that's what actors are supposed to do, right, but this just goes above and beyond what I expected.) We had a little bit of group music review time at the end of the day and I have to say that they sound so good and strong and clean together already that it clears your sinuses!
In between all the music, we had a really phenomenal half hour of table work this afternoon. Joe led us through a discussion about the lives of their characters before the show - both what I had always pictured and what made sense to each actor. As we talked and questioned and guessed at possible answers, I started to get an even clearer picture of who these girls really are. Or at least clear enough that we've got two re-written scenes for tomorrow...
Tomorrow we've got more music on tap before our big read/sing-through on Saturday afternoon!
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Day Two
Second of all, what was going on inside the rehearsal room was just as beautiful. We had another day jam packed with music and the singers are taking these songs and running. In about 9.5 hours so far the wonderful Rich Silverstein has guided them through more than half of the score - and if you know the wonderful music Julia has written for this show then you know that is no small feat! I sat happily in awe for about six hours today.
Julia and I also got to sit in on a production meeting this morning before rehearsal to hear from everyone on the production end of things. I probably sound like a wide-eyed broken record, but it's almost overwhelming to hear so many people talk about this show - from discussions about having running water onstage to debating different shades of pink and when the various sizes of pregnancy bellies are worn. And then I realize that I only get to relish in the discussion for so long - we're 22 days from our first performance!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
One day down...
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| The Lloyd Rehearsal Room at the end of the day... |
We had a wonderful first day of rehearsal - reading through the script, discussing the show, seeing the set model, learning some music... It was so exciting to hear it again, especially in the hands of such a talented and thoughtful group of people.
We also got to meet a whole slew of the wonderful staff at Weston. It is an overwhelming feeling to know how many people are working hard to bring what was (not too long ago) a strange idea we had for a musical to life.
There was a moment when the girls were learning "Nobody Knows" that it hit me. Those binders and music stands will disappear sometime soon and we'll get to see the show on its feet and in a full and complete world. As a young writer you learn to covet every moment you have at a music stand with actors - it's easy to forget that this is the ultimate dream. I don't think we could be more lucky than we are today. (But I expect to say that every day until we board the Megabus back to NYC on September 9th...)
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