Alright, I know I haven’t kept up on this like I thought I would at the start but the nightmares that follow rehearsals aren’t exactly fodder to bring audiences in. The cast’s frustrations with me I can deal with and own up to. My frustrations with them aren’t so pretty. Because my frustrations with them were really my own frustrations with me. A child wants a cookie and asks his Mom to give him a cookie. She says, “OK, let’s bake some.” The child agrees (by the way, in this scenario I’m playing the part of the child–not the mother). First they have to find the recipe. Then they have to read the recipe. The child is already whining. Now they have to go to the store and get the ingredients they need to make cookies. While at the store the child runs around playing with things and wanting other things but the mother stays focused even when the child sees a new toy that he MUST HAVE!!! They drive home from the store as the child bitches and moans about not getting the blue ray gun with flashing lights, a built-in laser and squirt gun that makes amazingly real life gun sounds. Back in the kitchen Mom pulls out the mixing bowl, mixer, cookie sheets and other ingredients and commences to read, pour and stir while the oven heats up and the child starts to sing some ridiculous song the popped into head just moments ago. Once the cookie dough is completed the child is given the thrill to finish off whatever mixture is left on the beater. Mom starts baking. The child steals more raw cookie dough while he THINKS Mom isn’t watching. The child is sent out of the room to wait for the real deal. The child pouts. Ten minutes later cookies come out of the oven and the child is told he has to wait until they cool down because he’ll burn his tongue. The child falls asleep. Mom wakes the child with a glass of cold milk and warm cookies. The best cookies ever made!! The child is in heaven. That kind of sums up our directing/rehearsal process. I am thrilled to death with what Joe and Curtis have done with my whining, pouting, bitching and moaning, sleeping and general running around the store through this process.
Opening night was received well though the theatre itself got a little stuffy (we figured out how to cool it down so that shouldn’t happen again).
Second night, historically known for its drop in attendance AND performance level had almost as large a crowd and received a standing ovation.
I think we did good.
See the show. It doesn’t get much better than this. And if you don’t believe me they’ll be reviews out Wednesday and Thursday and I’m confident they’ll say the same. (Either that or I want my fifty bucks back.)
Directing Hamlet 