sunday rehearsal

There is only 2 and a half weeks to go (everyone was quite clear on this) and so it was a tad disappointing today that a few of us were tripping up over lines we knew before - what was happening! Things I knew just went out my head and the same happened for other people. Maybe it is line overload. I don't know. We worked on some scenes that needed work so maybe it was just that, that things need a bit of polishing. Anyway the director, ever calm and encouraging, seems to have faith in us and is still positive which I think is admirable. It helps, to say the least and it also gives you the added incentive to get it right and justify his faith in you.

Funny how knowing your lines at home is different from knowing and acting them out at the theatre. Everyone's said the same.  But it is different because you have other people saying things, possibly slightly differently to what you were expecting, and you are doing physical things as well. More to remember today but happily one little scene went quite well.

I hope that people come along: I mean, whoever comes will enjoy it, I'm sure, so in that way it doesn't matter, but it would be nice after everyone has worked hard on it. It's still an adventure for me because now things like props, the set and lighting are coming into it so I don't know what to expect. Probably best that way so I don't get too worked up beforehand. But I know a bit of nerves are useful.

Shame you get nerves in the wrong place, sometimes. I try to remember my meditation and breathing although it usually goes out the window when you want to be calm.

With ever increasing darkness in the news and in the grey skies of these short autumn days, it is nice to have something warm and Christmassy to look forward to.

it's getting more real

This line-learning and rehearsing is quite tiring, I think. I suppose it is a lot of concentrating. It is strange how you think you know the lines at home and when you get to the theatre, and you are standing in a different place and hearing different people saying the cues, suddenly it gets muddled and goes out of your head. Got to get them in there now. It's getting increasingly near.

I need to be louder so I am hoping that I will be able to get some tips for projecting my voice from the others. I don't want to spoil anything by not being heard. It's good to have someone telling you that because I think I'm speaking loudly but, as Richard pointed out, at the start I am at the back of the stage and the sound has to carry a long way. So I have that to work on. I still feel odd doing little actions like tidying my husband's clothes, so I hope I can get on with that and get over the oddness.

I have sent a flyer to everyone I know round here so I hope that some of them will come along. It would be good to have as many people as possible. Now I appreciate plays more because I know how much hard work has gone into it. I think I should go to many more. I went to the Masqueraders' show on Friday which was mostly singing, some dancing. It was impressive that so many people enjoy getting up there and singing. At least I don't have to sing, I couldn't do that. When I stepped through the front door, it was at once both scary and exciting. It suddenly made our own show more real. In a few weeks' time, people I know and don't know will be coming through those doors to watch the show. Which is exciting because I know they will enjoy it, it is very funny and my fellow cast are wonderful, as is the director. So I have total trust in them which is a nice feeling. I am of course nervous to do my best and to get it right and so on. But I think that we will be concentrating so hard it won't be possible to take that much notice of the audience.  

I have seen posters around town now which look great, so I hope that people are in the mood for a festive trip to the theatre.