Come, let's rehearse!

Rehearsals for Faeries, Sprites and Lights have officially begun! We began on Monday last week, this whole week will be rehearsals, all of next week, and then the week after that will be production week preparing for the event on Friday and Saturday nights, July 8 and 9.

Stage managing for this event is much different from stage managing for a regular show. Most of the actors don't actually have scripts because it's guided character improvisation, so when we meet for rehearsals, it is my job to keep track of time, take notes on the developments that come out of the character-building activities that George or Josh do with the actor, occasionally stand in to help, and, of course, provide bug spray.

I still have my office hours in the early afternoon from 1:00 to 4:00 when I send emails, track down and collect paperwork, and do various and sundry other tasks that Josh or George need done.

Rehearsal is typically from 4:00 to 7:00. Character-building rehearsals usually consist of a few physical warm-up types of activities, followed by possibly some improv games or walking around and interacting in character. Sometimes we send the actors off on their own to reflect and create back story for their characters in their heads and figure out things like mannerisms, etc. that would be unique to their character.

Today, the finished script for "The Golden Touch," - the show within a show that 3 of the actors will perform during the event - was given to me with just minor tweaks necessary. We did a read-through yesterday and two more read-throughs today. Unfortunately, Nic, who is playing the father of the "Larke Family Troupe" is sick and not doing very well, so he hasn't been able to be there for the last couple of days. We're waiting to see what happens with him. George is starting to wonder if we'll have to have Josh understudy and possibly perform for him. We'll have to see.

Pictures to come!

Oh, and here's the poem I talked about in the video about the history of Minnetrista -

The Fairy
By Elisabeth Ball
July 1917

Once I saw a fairy...
Tiny in the grass.
She moved along so quickly
I hardly saw her pass.

Yet I know it was a fairy,
For the shimmer of her wing
Left a little flitting sunbeam
On a web where dew-drops cling.


So there you have it. Betty Ball and her love of faeries. :)